Despite the media hype, Twitter isn’t mainstream…yet.

Posted by Rahna on April 19, 2009 under Social Media | Read the First Comment

Twitter isn’t “mainstream” yet—by any stretch of the imagination.  The media is all abuzz about Twitter, and yes, tons of people are signing up all the time now, but  a recent Harris Interactive research study showed that as of March 31^st and April 1, only 5% of people are on Twitter. 

TABLE 1 ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORK USAGE “Which of the following, if any, do you do?” Base: All Online Adults

In the end, it all comes back to strategies for reaching your core target audience.  If you are trying to reach the 18-34 year old, you better get a social media strategy in place, because according to this Harris Interactive research study, three-quarters of that audience has some sort of social media presence (Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc).  But if your target is the aging Baby Boomer, less than 25% have a social media presence.

Personal Branding + Social Media = Susan Boyle

Posted by Rahna on April 16, 2009 under Personal Branding, Social Media | Be the First to Comment

If you need to better understand the potential power of social media, just go ask Susan Boyle, a woman who’s become an worldwide sensation by appearing on the talent search show Britain’s Got Talent.  All of Britain fell in love with her during the appearance, but it’s the internet that really catapulted her into super-stardom.  In a matter of days, she has become an international media darling.  Let’s examine the ingredients of the recipe for success.  Susan Doyle is:

Talented:  She truly has a gift.  If you’ve watched the clip, you know she has an amazing  voice that is worthy of all the buzz.

Unique: Her cheeky personal brand is endearing to people.  The juxtaposition of her quirky looks and mannerisms with that rich voice startles and delights people in a lovely ways…we’re not used to hearing about people who are “gobsmacked.”

On-line: The secret sauce created by email, YouTube, and Twitter has resulted in media appearances, coveted brand exposure, and worldwide reknown. 

What about you?  Are you talented, unique, and on-line? 

I already know the answer to the first two: yes.  

Everyone has special talents to bring to their world, unique contributions to give.  Realize that it wasn’t just her singing voice that delighted us.  It was her quirky demeanor, the endearing vulnerability of admitting she’d never been kissed and her flippant responses to Simon Cowell that compels us to love her….In other words, it is her—her life experiences and personality that draw us in.  

The last question (whether you are an individual or a corporate brand) is, “Are you on-line?” 

If you’re not, wake up to the twenty-first century.  Get engaged in the digital world—sign up for a Twitter account, post a YouTube video—do something!  Those who contribute to the digital world benefit from its rich rewards.

“I Need More Cowbell!”

Posted by Rahna on April 6, 2009 under Consumer Engagement, Social Media, Strategy | Read the First Comment

I attended a workshop last week at the Simsbury Library, where Suzi Craig was talking about social media.  It’s a topic I’m always interested in, and I always learn some little thing that I didn’t know before….  But sometimes what you learned has nothing to do with the topic presented.  Such was the case for me.

 Start With The Strategy

First, the mass of confusion surrounding social media continues to beg for a strong sense of strategy to be brought to every digital media discussion.  Why are you thinking about engaging in social media?  What are your objectives?  Answering these two questions will drastically simplify any further conversation with any social media expert.

Understand Your Audience.

She told the audience that she had sent a “tweet” out to her followers:

hey Twitterverse: talking Tweets, Posts and more with Simsbury CT crowd. If you’re out there give us more cowbell at: #simsburycowbell

She was asking for people to send a tweet back to her so that, as she displayed her Tweet Deck on screen, messages directly to the audience would appear.  The audience of mostly 40- 80-year-olds had been struggling all night to wrap their brains around the basic concept of Twitter…. and now, when she started talking about “cowbell,” the audience collectively cocked its head, puzzled, and asked “Cowbell?”  One brave soul raised a hand and asked, “Is cowbell some kind of Twitter phrase?” 

For the few in the audience who understood this classic Will Ferrell-era Saturday Night Live reference, this comment was comical.  The presenter tried to explain her meaning and then deftly turned to the misunderstanding into an opportunity to have the novice audience learn how to use YouTube by giving a homework assignment: “You need to go home and search YouTube in order to find the referenced clip (when I went to YouTube, I found that the clip has been taken off!).

So what’s the lesson?

Remember your audience.

 When you are with a theater full of octogenarians, you can talk about the 1950s in a very different way then you could with a general I audience.  For one, the 1950s constitute the past–is in history, something to be studied, and for the other, it constitutes their past.  As a marketer, you need to speak to your audience in a way that resonates with them. 

And by the way, if you don’t understand the cowbell reference, follow the links I have provided for a cultural education, Saturday Night Live-style.

Fumbling About with Social Media

Posted by Rahna on March 2, 2009 under Media, Social Media | Be the First to Comment

I just have to post this….

This tweet about a comment over heard by Twitter user Avinash Kaushik, (“Web Analytics: An Hour A Day” author and Google analytics proponent) simply must be commented upon! 

“Social media is like teen sex.  Everyone wants to do it. No one actually knows how. When finally done, there is surprise it’s not better.”

While it made me laugh out loud, I think the analogy is completely apropos.  Social media takes time to master; finesse only comes with practice.  You must have patience, dedicate time and effort to knowing how to handle it, and focus on how to get something out of it that works for YOU (either from a personal perspective or from a professional point of view).

I don’t’ think the Twitter or Facebook investors need to worry about it too much….Everyone I know who has ever had sex actually did try it a second time, and eventually learned how to do properly, eventually growing to appreciate it immensely.  I think that social media is a safe bet for both individuals and companies alike!

Clarification on Blog Post Comments

Posted by Rahna on February 5, 2009 under Digital Branding, Social Media | Be the First to Comment

I gave a talk a few weeks ago about the Top Ten Secrets of Digital Branding, which was then written up in the local newspaper (follow the hyperlink to see the full article).

I want to clarify something pointed out in the article that may be misleading.  Many of the people in attendance were not very knowledgeable about the blogosphere and had some questions about why they should blog and how commenting works.  In the article, I am quoted as saying that you can edit the comments and pick and choose which ones get posted.  While that is technically true, I want to be clear that I do not think that you should only publish positive comments.  In general, you should publish all comments, as long as they are relevant to the discussion.  The article is not clear that I was talking about spam comments or something off-color or outright offensive.  Those are the ones that should be screened.

If you missed the talk but would like to have the information, check out our new FREE downloadable e-book on the Top Ten Secrets of Digital Branding.

Enjoy!

Drinking Through the Digital Fire Hose

Posted by Rahna on January 8, 2009 under Branding, Social Media | Be the First to Comment

I gave a talk today on Top Secrets of Digital Branding, kind of a Digital Marketing 101 course that covered the basics of various on-line and e-mail marketing strategies. It reinforced to me how wide the world is and how varied the world is. 

 

I am in a unique position where I work with both large corporations and small businesses.  In the past, I have found that the marketing tactics of each are completely unique—large corporations using “traditional” vehicles like TV, newspaper, and print, while small businesses get the most out of guerilla marketing tactics like direct mail, windshield flyers and word of mouth campaigns.  Of course, the internet has changed all that, and now, small businesses are able to leverage digital marketing opportunities in amazing ways.  I have found, actually, that in many cases, small businesses are much more savvy about digital marketing and branding opportunities than large corporations.  The big players are just now turning to the internet to see what it has to offer in the way of low-cost, high-touch marketing and branding opportunities.

 

But that wasn’t the case in this room.  It was interesting to see the reaction of the audience.  There were some people who were very knowledgeable about the digital world, some web designers who obviously know a lot about all things digital.  However, most of the people there, although they have the website, really aren’t up to speed on all that the social media world has to offer.  I tried to give tips and basic information on website content management, search engine optimization, blogging, social media sites, book marking sites, email marketing, and any other digital marketing tool you could imagine.  The audience members, while taking notes furiously, also looked like they’d been drinking through a fire hose.

 

So many business people are starting to explore this new digital world.  Some are puzzled, some are frightened, and some just have that “deer-in-the-headlights” look.  All of the advances and changes and opportunities in the digital world, when we try to take it all at once, can seem completely overwhelming. 

 

My advice to them (and to you, dear reader) is to jump in–get started.  Just do something.  You don’t have to be an expert in everything, but you should at least find out about and get started on advances in digital marketing.  There are so many low-cost opportunities out there for anyone who wants to market anything that it behooves you to at least explore the options.

 

I’m in the industry and I know I don’t know everything.  As a matter of fact, there’s a lot I don’t know.  I do an email newsletter, I blog (obviously) and I contribute to other websites.  I engage in electronic PR.   I have a Twitter account, but I don’t tweet…although, perhaps that is something that I’ll start to do more of this year as a part of my New Year’s resolutions.  I think I’ll go take my own advice…..What about you?  What digital programs are you taking advantage of?  What are you scared of?  Let me know and we’ll figure it out together!

 

Social Networking Tidbits

Posted by Rahna on November 24, 2008 under Social Media | Be the First to Comment

Last week I attended the monthly meeting of the Business Women of Southern New England (BWSNE), where Kristin Ingram gave a talk about internet marketing and social networking.  Even though much of the conversation was basic (aimed at those not familiar with the venue), I picked up some good tips.  It was a good discussion, and I find that there is always something new to learn.   

Some of the helpful tips that I got out of the meeting were to make sure to let people know what it is that you’re doing in your daily update (“Rahna is…”).  If you have blogs, let people know that you’re blogging.   

Social networking takes a bit of time but it will generate interest in business.  Kristin  says she spends about an hour a day on all the social networking sites (which feels like an awful lot of time) but, I must admit, the benefits are outrageous. Another woman in the audience who has successfully built her internet business said, “One of the keys is: make sure that you are not trying to sell your stuff to people on the internet.  You’re trying to make connections, and that’s the critical aspect of social networking.”   

Whenever I have discussions like that, I am always inspired to take more action on-line.  I will continue to update and engage with my Facebook  and Linked In accounts and look for more ways to  share with my clients how to leverage internet marketing.  Social media is always changing and there are unlimited possibilities in terms of how the internet can be used.  Therefore, the opportunities and the way that people use the internet are unlimited. 

If you’ve found an unusual use for your social media efforts, please let me know about it!

Kids and Social Media

Posted by Rahna on October 30, 2008 under Social Media | Be the First to Comment

I read an article the other day from MediaPost’s Engage: Kids 6-12 entitled, “Born to Blog?  Meet the New Social Networking Sites for Kids” which can be found here:  http://www.mediapost.com/blogs/engage_kids/?p=4 

Because I am a youth marketer and need to stay on top of trends with kids, I was quite interested in reading it.  I was highly disappointed in the article, though, for several reasons:  

1)    the headline is totally misleading.  The article is not about kids blogging; it’s about blogs for moms of kids.  Big difference.

2)    “Networking” for kids is absurd.  It is not an activity that kids are actively seeking: “Mom, I’d like to go to a networking meeting.  See you later.”  It brings to mind images of kids passing out business cards and mingling near the juice bar.

3)     the information was only mildly interesting, as mommy bloggers have been around a long time.  This is not new news.  Any good social media company should be able to get exposure for a brand within the mom community; it’s the kids themselves that my clients want to reach.  I have studied kids marketing for the past six years, and I can tell you that kids6-12 are not ”networking.”  They are playing….Because that is what kids do.  The modern-day, ‘virtual’ version of social media sites for kids are somewhat limited due a variety of reasons, most prominent of which is the necessity for kid sites to be COPPA compliant and for parents to feel safety for their kids.  The sites they are visiting are addictinggames.com, pixiehollow.com, lego.com, webkinz.com, miniclip.com, Disney.com, clubpenguin.com, runescape.com, nickelodeon.com, and yes, YouTube.com.  I know this because of my research, but also because of my three children (ages 11, 10, and 8).   

Any parent will tell you that there are several ways that kids are getting to kid websites: 

The Power of TelevisionThis traditional mass media vehicle has Disney encouraging young girls to connect with other fairies on pixiehollow.com, and Nickelodeon viewers casting their votes on nick.com for the President of the United States or the Kid’s Choice Awards. 

Toys Webkinz took the world by storm two years ago, building upon kids ever-appealing desire to collect things and engaging kids with constantly changing, fun on-line games. My Littlest Pet Shop and others also have tried (and continue to try) to replicate that success. 

Schoolyard BuzzWord of mouth plays a big role as well, especially for sites like miniclip and ClubPenguin. 

However, all of these sites have somewhat limited interaction, with pre-determined phrases that kids can choose from to “talk” with others on the site.  While it is giving them a sense of social interaction, it’s not nearly as rich and free as an adult social media site would be.   

I know that I am biased (because I used to be in the marketing department there), but to me, LEGO has one of the most robust sites out there.  If anyone is looking for a site to emulate, that is one that should provide lots of inspiration.  Anyone engaged in the digital world of kids will tell you that lego.com stays on the cutting edge.  On LEGO.com, kids can freely post their comments about the new sets that come out, build a profile based on the product lines they most passionately identify (and believe me, LEGO kids are passionate), and of course, engage in on-line gaming that further immerses these kids in the LEGO worlds.  As one managing the brand, I visited the site often, really listening to what the kids had to say about the products and the marketing efforts that we put forth. 

Based on what I have seen, if you really want to encourage on-line engagement, you need to do what lego.com did: build your own.  It takes resources– commitment, time, and money–but it is worth it.    Because of the (highly necessary) COPPA constraints, kids social interactions are always going to be somewhat limited for this young an age-group when compared to adult networking sites (as they should be!), but that doesn’t mean you can’t get them to interact and engage in meaningful ways.   Look at the LEGO example, or call me if you’d like to investigate developing something richer!

Jump in the Fray

Posted by Rahna on October 27, 2008 under Social Media | Be the First to Comment

I have many opportunities to talk to a lot of social media experts and digital marketers, and the common trend among them all is no matter what industry, whether it’s children’s marketer or the insurance industry, everybody’s just trying to keep up. The landscapes for digital marketing are changing so rapidly with new opportunities and new applications coming all the time. Even the “experts” are having a hard time keeping up.  

My recommendation: jump in. You may not be perfect. You may not do it “right,” just the first time you do it, but that’s the great thing about this venue.  There is no one right or wrong way to do it.  The field is so new and ever-evolving, which means that you could become a pioneer in developing clever uses for this incredible technology.  See it as an opportunity rather than an obstacle.  One thing I know for certain: you can’t really understand, really know what the power of social media is unless you are participating.  

You can start by responding to this blog post.  What do you think about social networking?

Gen X moms versus Gen Y moms

Posted by Rahna on September 18, 2008 under Consumer Engagement, Media, Social Media | Be the First to Comment

ontinuing the discussion of my last post, I just read a bulletin put out by MediaPost’s Research Daily that recaps a study done for Parenting Magazine

http://www2.worldpub.net/images/parenting/pdf/MomMatters_JulyAug.pdf

The study shows the differences between Gen X moms and Gen Y moms in terms of where they are going for information and parenting guidance.  Here’s what it showed:

So if you are going to grow your base with the coveted 18-34 year old crowd, you cannot ignore the social aspects of the internet.  Join in the conversation and get engaged.  You’ll find out quickly that your consumer is already there and already talking!