Tag Archive for: digital pr

The Dave and Busters Tweet Lesson: Stand By Your Brand

This week, with the Dave and Busters “Juan” tweet yet another social media gaffe made it’s what into the collective conversation. It sparked furious cries of racism. It sparked snickers. It sparked the “holier than thou” media to earn mega points for traffic.

Imagine for a moment, the alternative tweet: “I hate tacos” said no one ever. #tacotuesday.

Imagine what THAT would have caused: crickets.

Which of those two messages was more brand consistent, more interesting, more compelling and took more courage?

Branding is like getting a tattoo: it takes guts and commitment.

Tweet: Branding is like getting a tattoo: it takes guts and commitment.

This is why brands and businesses must be crystal clear on who they are, what they stand for and who their target customer is. I’m not suggesting that every brand and business rush to the edge of every cultural controversy and insensitivity in order to create some reaction to their message. But in order to make it interesting they HAVE to know where the line is on risk taking. Brands and businesses have to accept that people who AREN’T their customers aren’t going to “get” it and they have to stand with their customers who DO.  If you insist on completely bland copy, messaging and creative, you will get some bland results.

Tweet: If you insist on completely bland copy, messaging and creative, you will get some bland results.

Tweet: Brands and businesses have to stand with their customers who DO “get it”.

I’m actually disappointed Dave and Busters didn’t fire back to the haters with another pun. Dave and Busters is a GAMING VENUE for grown-ups. It isn’t a financial company, it isn’t a children’s nonprofit, it isn’t a government agency, it isn’t a church. It’s supposed to be FUN. Taco Tuesdays are supposed to be FUN. I don’t know about you – but I could use a little fun in my tweet stream.

So here’s where we’re at with a collective lack of spine in the social, marketing and advertising world: be creative, be dynamic, create conversation and excitement, but DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES TAKE RISKS. Does the marketing and advertising world really want to be known as the analysis paralysis industry whose signature color is beige?

Tweet: Does the marketing and advertising world really want to be known as the analysis paralysis industry whose signature color is beige?

Yes, let’s think through things. Yes, let’s consider the context. But let’s stop freaking out the minute someone with 2,000 followers takes issue with an edgy statement. Let’s understand our brands, their purpose, their customers and values and let’s stand by those values even when everyone else doesn’t get it. It’s OK. If your brand is truly defined, not everyone will.

Yes, the pain of nasty-gram tweets and email is piercing, they don’t last forever, in fact, in most cases, those very same people are off on an entirely different tangent tomorrow.  Being a wishy-washy brand isn’t good for anyone, except dish soap – and those consequences are far longer reaching.

Tweet: Being a wishy-washy brand isn’t good for anyone, except dish soap – and those consequences are far longer reaching. 
Stand tall. Take smart risks. Stand by your customers. Have some brand confidence. Stand by your brand.

 

 

Bet your starting to think about next year’s social media marketing plan. And as importantly, where will social media marketing fall into the mix? Will there be more? Less? The latest Advertising Trust report from Neilsen may offer some insights to help you in your planning process.

One of the strongest reasons to increase your social media is the the number one source of consumer trust and action isRecommendations from people I know”.  Trust and action are often hand in hand, and we can’t discount the value of trust, but its also hard to measure. However, what creates trust and what creates action can be different. For example, consumers report that humorous ads resonate most with them. We know that humor is a powerful tool, especially in social media. It might be more powerful than cats, dare I say <GASP>. However, humor is rarely what makes people take ACTION.

The action taking piece is the one I’m always most interested in looking at more closely. And its really no surprise that word of mouth leads the pack. Ads on social networks have a lower trust score than they do action score. That’s actually true for several advertising types. With respect to social media, there are two key take aways:
1)  Use social to build trust and be very aware of what motivations exist for taking action.
2) The power of your tribe: when they share what you’ve got, its a more credible source. So be very aware of what and why people share on social. Tribes deeply impact our actions.

Now, the challenge with a report like this is that these results are all self-reported. The challenge with self-reporting is that people don’t always really know why they do what they do. I know, YOU always know why you do what you do. Or do you? Your motivations may not always be clear even to you. That’s why I started Captivation Motivation Training. 

Just remember, what type of message you use impacts trust and action. Decide what you’re trying to establish in every single post. Be purposeful in your social media practice and you’ll find that you can actually be more human.

 

 

 

PS: If you’d like to download the Neilsen Report for yourself: click here

The latest Advertising Trust report from Neilsen reveals some surprises, but least surprising is the fact that “Recommendations from people I know” is the single most powerful driver to product and brand trust AND more importantly, action taking. It’s true that trust and action are often hand in hand, and we can’t discount the value of trust, but its also hard to measure. However, what creates trust and what creates action can be different. For example, consumers report that humorous ads resonate most with them. We know that humor is a powerful tool, especially in social media. It might be more powerful than cats, dare I say . However, humor is rarely what makes people take ACTION.

The action taking piece is the one I’m always most interested in looking at more closely. And its really no surprise that word of mouth leads the pack. Ads on social networks have a lower trust score than they do action score. That’s actually true for several advertising types. With respect to social media, there are two key take aways:
1) Use social to build trust and be very aware of what motivations exist for taking action.
2) The power of your tribe: when they share what you’ve got, its a more credible source. So be very aware of what and why people share on social.

Now, the challenge with a report like this is that these results are all self-reported. The challenge with self-reporting is that people don’t always really know why they do what they do. I know, YOU always know why you do what you do. Or do you? Your motivations may not always be clear even to you.

Just remember, what type of message you use impacts trust and action. Decide what you’re trying to establish in every single post. Be purposeful in your social media practice and you’ll find that you can actually be more human.

PS: If you’d like to download the Neilsen Report for yourself: click here

Listen up: Going viral is a benefit to creating great content, not the goal.

But if you’re really committed to creating a viral video marketing campaign:

Creating viral content is this easy.
And this difficult.
Here’s my fool-proof 3-step process.

Create content that strikes an emotional cord (funny, sad, inspirational) and is distinctly unique and you’re one step closer to viral. 
Create content that tells a story, not a tagline and you’re one step closer to viral. 
If your branding it, make the product part of the story, not THE story. 
Not all that helpful, right? Truly the devil is in the details. Storytelling. More art than science. That’s why there is no Einstein-esque formula for viral. If only “viral” were as simple as math. It takes time to create and make a story. Song writers, ad professionals, photographers, marketers, movie makers, writers, videographers, graphic designers. We’re all storytellers. And once in awhile a storyteller also gets lucky. And viral happens. Think of all the stories out there today. Not too many go viral, but does that make them not worth making? Of course not.

So, in honor of The Story, let me tell you one. About 4 years ago, I talked with Judson Laipply, whose own viral video 2006 “Evolution of Dance” received 70 million views in under 8 months. At the time it was the #1 most viewed video of all time on YouTube (waaay before Gangam Style). Judson’s performance tells a great story in an entertaining, unique way. When I asked him about his own viral video, he said that he put it up on YouTube as a fluke, that in fact, someone in the audience recorded it and sent it to him. Judson was as surprised as anyone at the response, he wasn’t already famous (like some other viral video creators)  and he didn’t have a huge social media following at the time.  Since then, he’s done several follow-ups but none so successful as the original. Today, Judson is a working motivational speaker. The point is, completely of the moment? Yep. Complete accident? Yep. Repeatable? Probably not. With all due respect to Judson, we’ve all been there, and done that.

It’s pretty rare that branded material go viral. If you look at the most popular YouTube videos of all time (YouTube Charts), not a single one is a branded video. Almost all of them are music videos (YouTube being to this generation what MTV was

to mine). Coincidence? No.  Does that mean that branded content can’t still be powerful? No. Check out the videos in particular categories. The all-time #1 video in the auto & vehicles segment is a COMMERCIAL. The Volkswagen/Darth Vadar commercial that originally aired during the Superbowl 2011 (you don’t even have to go find it do you? You remember it). Notably, none of the other Superbowl ads from that year or this year can claim the number one spot in any category. There were some great branded viral videos in 2012, my personal favorite was the Dollar Shave Club, which was appears deceptively simple, but once you break it down you realize its the product of a lot of talent and planning.

There is a theme here: either viral is completely planned, thought out and scripted or its completely of the moment, off-the-cuff. One is time consuming, expensive and lucky and one is JUST lucky.  Which are you? 

So go forth, my marketing compadres. Create amazing content in whatever medium you wish. Please. But create amazing content because its the right thing to do if your going to create content at all. Because by creating content, you’re saying something about your brand…whether 1,000 people see it or 1 Billion people see it. Create the best, most memorable content you can create. And move on. And remember, sometimes its about quality over quantity.

 

Blogging Tips for Businesses: Build Authority


There are many reasons to blog. But today we’re going to focus on one objective: Become an expert in your field. You can build authority through blogging, these 11 blogging tips for business will get you started. Actually, we’ve given you more than 11 tips, but we like to under-promise and over-deliver.  
Why bother with becoming an expert in your field? One reason: sales. The more comfortable a potential customer or client is with you and your business, the more likely they are trust you. Imagine getting more leads that close faster. That’s the power of blogging.

In the world of blogging for business, there are two types of authority: online authority and people authority. We’ll cover tips for both.

 

First, Start with Building Authority with People.

This is the kinder, gentler form of authority building. Its essentially relationship building with your community and audience. You’ve always got to keep the audience’s needs in mind. Satisfy their needs and you’ll find that your business blog begins to satisfy your needs.  It equates to providing value which equates to a higher affinity and higher trust. Its that simple. My blogging tip for business  rule in building authority is to treat your website viewer the way you’d like to be treated. Remember (Almost) everything you need to know about social media you learned in Kindergarten.   Authority building for people is the Jackie Kennedy of social media. Its classy. Not always the easiest.

Why start here? Well, ultimately, its people who do or don’t read your blog. Blog for people first, search engines second. You can get all the traffic in the world and if your blog isn’t written for people, its ultimately a failure. 

Great Content Builds Authority and Trust:

When you create how-to posts, or advice posts, industry reviews, your also giving your potential customers a reason trust you.

  1. Create a variety of content types, including video, photos, slides. Not only will this reach a broader audience, but naming these other content types with keywords helps. But the real message here is to make the content useful, helpful.
  2. Create content that you’re comfortable creating. Some people don’t like to write, that doesn’t mean you can’t blog. Today’s blogs are filled with every kind of media. Have fun with it, and find a medium that you’ll love creating. Know that Google searches all media types.
  3. Be honest and transparent. Give good advice about the products you sell, tell your potential clients what you tell your family. Why? It adds to your credibility. Tell your customers the pros and cons about how your different products compare, or what they should know when they buy a particular product. 

Write Like a Person and Let Your Personality Shine:

  1. Be yourself. Countless of people have become authorities simply by being themselves. Gary Vaynurchuck comes to mind. He started off vlogging (video blogging) with profanity-laden, but passionate, videos about wine. These videos were so wildly successful for Gary’s wine business that he is now a known expert in business and social media. He is also an author. Note: his books came AFTER the blog. I doubt when he started his videos he knew what path it would be take.  Now I’m not saying you have to use profanity in your blog, its all about knowing your audience. But you CAN be yourself. Go ahead, try it, its not as hard as you think. “Stop thinking like a marketer, sales person, ect. and start thinking like a human.”
  2. Let other’s be themselves. Give your writers their own profiles and identities. When you give your writers their own personality, then readers begin to get to know them, which increases trust.
  3. Write the way your audience speaks. Show the jargon and complicated language out the door!
  4. Ease off the sales pitch. Be a valuable resource to your potential client and that will help drive sales. You can have a blog with conversion opportunities like email capture and information requests, and I think you should. Just don’t write your blog post the same way you write marketing material. No likes to “be sold.” 

 

Some hints for building online authority (SEO):

Online Authority: is how much relevance the search engines give your blog, we often call that SEO (search engine optimization). Essentially if you don’t consider this aspect, you can do a lot of quality work, and its never going to be seen.  As of the 2012 Google update of Penguin, how the biggest search engine is viewing your website has changed. The entire intent of Google’s changes are to help searches find the most relevant and authoritative sites first. I compare using these techniques as the Marilyn Monroe of social media. Its irresistible. And in the world of sex symbols and authority building: essential.

One of the most valuable blogging tips for businesses: USE WORDPRESS. Its optimized for search and some simple plug-in’s will make some of this technical stuff MUCH easier.

Post Consistently.

  1. Google likes posts to be at least 300 words. Google also loves websites that are consistently updated.
  2. The more pages you have, the more traffic you get, its really that simple. Hubspot recently published that companies with 51-100 web pages generate 47% more traffic than companies with 1-50 pages. That’s a big jump.

Use Keywords in Your Title and Throughout Content:

  1. Once you identify your keywords, tag them with <H1> in the title. Don’t know how to tag a word with <H1>? If you’re using WordPress, one of the handiest ways to check this is to use the free plugin WordPress by Yoast. Don’t forget to use the <H2> tag within the content too. This reinforces the keyword and gives the search engines that the content is consistent and valuable to the reader.
  2. Use your keyword in the first and last sentences of your blog.
  3. Keyword density is still important. Using your keywords throughout the blog helps build authority too (see how that sentence worked?) The recommended density is 1-4%, but I’d err on the middle to the higher end of that density if possible. Don’t go overboard; write good, readable content, just keep in mind that Google likes to see your keywords used consistently throughout.
  4. Not sure what keywords to use? Just use Google’s handy keyword finder.

Using Photos to Increase Authority:

Photos can definitely impact online and search engine authority. Photos are useful for a lot of reasons. They make it more attractive to the eye and therefore the reader. But photos and videos are also a good source of online building authority. My most popular blog post ever was because I titled the photos correctly and for common searches. Its over 1.5 years old and its still attracting over 10% of my total monthly blog traffic. A single blog post. WOW. Thank you VERY much!

  1. Use the alternative text tag <alt-tag> to include the keyword in your image. I personally feel the more the photo contextualizes the keyword the more effective it is at driving PEOPLE traffic. But from a search engine point of view, even if the photo doesn’t directly speak to the topic, use those <alt-tags>.
  2. Reinforce the <alt-tag> by naming your file with the keyword. Use hyphens and separate the key words. Skip words like “the”, “a”. You don’t need your image name to make sense to a human, just a search engine.

Build Quality Links: 

Natural links are the best. The kind that are most relevant to your content. Don’t just go around asking for and swapping links, Google is on to you, it isn’t (as) effective, in fact, Google is penalizing sites who exploit link building with non-relevant links. Plus, its kind of spammy.  There is good news, links to your website via social media counts! That means that more of your content that is shared naturally through social sites the better Google views your website.

Build natural, relevant links through social media. Google watches the sharing to and from your site.  Sharing on Google+ doesn’t hurt; some say its increasingly important. Most definitely add the +1 button to your site. If you don’t have a Google Plus account, here’s your reason to start.

  1. Blog consistently. Google likes websites that are regularly updated. But its not just that; according to HubSpot, increasing blogging frequency can increase your leads by almost double.
  2. Google authorship comes with having a Google account. Its good for both technical authority building as well as personal authority building. It’s easy to do this. This image shows the information that pops up when I search for my name right there on the right-hand side of search results.

Resources:

Pacific New Media, Blogging for Business Class
Fall 2012: November 8.
Spring 2013: April 17th
#Blog4Biz 

Authority Building Infographic

Hubspot Benchmarking Report (October 2012)

 

Its amazing, there are literally thousands of self proclaimed experts, but actually finding one in the wild is about as exciting as spotting a unicorn.  While unicorns are fairly easy to identify when you see one, this isn’t really the case with experts. In a world of so-called experts, how do you define an expert? How do you know if the person your thinking of working with is a hack or really able to be an expert for you?

Its not an easy question to answer, but I thought it would be worthy to discuss what makes an expert so special and how they differ from other professionals in their field. While I typically discuss social media, and these expert requirements certainly apply to finding a social media expert, they aren’t limited to social media experts. If you’re looking to talk to an expert, think about these things before moving forward.

An expert never stops learning:

To be an expert is to be an outstanding student, a natural curiosity. They actively spend time reading and thinking. That means that an expert invests time to improve his/her own skill set to benefit his/her projects, programs and clients. Its worth asking an expert how they keep up with changes, how much time they spend learning. But its even more than that, an expert shares. Why is this important? Because when a person learns information, the single best way to incorporate that knowledge is to share it. That’s why so many people who are considered experts are also speakers and bloggers, writers.  They know the secret to continued thought leadership is to share. They also know that by sharing, they engender conversations, comments and ideas which help them flesh out their ideas and opinions, which takes us back to the fact that most experts are outstanding students.

An expert has had learning experiences and even (gasp!) failures.

If you aren’t taking chances, then you’ve never had a failure. Experts take a risk now and then and they learn from the experience. Finding an expert means finding someone who will discuss what they’ve learned and what they would do differently next time. While experts may not use the language of “failure”, they certainly use the language of “learning lessons”. Show me someone who has never failed and I’ll show you either a noob or a boob.  No expert is perfect and if they can’t find learning lessons in past programs or clients, then they really aren’t asking the right questions.

Experts will ask probing questions.

Asking questions is the very basis to success. Some of those questions will require the client to dig deep to find the most honest answer. Asking questions about your business, your clients, your goals, these are all the kinds of questions that an expert should ask. But if your expert isn’t asking you deep questions, then you’re probably not dealing with an expert. Its the job of the expert to ask these questions so he/she knows how they can help you.  If you aren’t comfortable sharing the answers with your expert, ask them to sign an NDA, an expert won’t mind. An expert will want to get to the deepest part of the challenge and will want to do so quickly.

Experts value your time. And theirs.

An expert isn’t likely to ask you to go to coffee just to chat, and you shouldn’t ask an expert to do that either. Experts are busy people because the business of learning and sharing never stops. While that doesn’t mean an expert doesn’t have a life outside of work, its unlikely that an expert will spend his working hours lounging around at a Starbucks. An expert has typically spent hours honing their craft and you can’t learn everything they know simply by having a cup of coffee with them anyway. An expert won’t waste your time talking about him/herself on an intro meeting instead an expert will spend the time getting to know you, your business challenges and goals.  But more than that, an expert will be able to ask you the right questions and propose a solution efficiently. They also won’t be the cheapest person you speak with and that’s because they invest in you, your project and outcomes. You can hire less expensive people, but you can also go to a horse ranch if you want to see a horse. The unicorn is a rare breed and so is the expert. Working with them will save you frustration and time.

Photo: Creative Commons

Psst: while we’re at it, here’s an article I wrote earlier this year about outsourcing that still holds true: What you should and shouldn’t outsource.