Case Studies of Social Media – a collection by Peter Kim. [Master list # 3]

SMB companies are finding that they are losing money on social media because it takes much longer than they thought. (see WSJ article)

On B2B Social Marketing: ‘Asked to rate the effectiveness of specific social media sites in their marketing efforts, more than one-half of respondents said that Facebook was “extremely” or “somewhat” effective. Somewhat fewer said the same of LinkedIn, and just 35% considered Twitter effective.’

Bonus: 48 Guerrilla Marketing Tips.

Here are the Top 3 Online marketing Assignments

1. Have an overall plan for the entirety of your online marketing.

2. Have a plan of attack for each platform.

3. Execute by scheduling time.

In some ways, all of your online messages should be aimed at one theme. An editorial calendar to let you know that in January you will be talking about this one subject or charity or purpose all month in some way across the online world. In February or in the second quarter, it can be another theme or subject or case study. Or it can be the same one all year long.

Note: You want to be speaking about the same keywords across all platforms to tie you to that keyword. (Usually we call this SEO, search engine optimization).

When you have disparate internet properties – more than 1 domain name for example or you blog on wordpress – you have to find a way to tie the properties together. Maybe it’s a blog roll box, a contact page, an about us page, a where-to-connect box, etc.

Note: This is linking it all together. Your theme based on keyword(s) will tie it all together.

Many companies want to be everything to everybody. That’s fine if you are GM, Subway, Nike, Coke or McDonalds – and have their marketing budget. But you don’t. So the more finely tuned your message is, the better.

The more targeted your message is to a very specific audience, the cheaper and easier it is to market to that niche.

I ended up coining this term during a twitter discourse with Jim Alexander (@tweetmaker) about whether or not this practice was good or not, and whether it should be transparent.  The point about social media that I like is that it needs to be both authentic and transparent.

Apparently, many companies hire tweet-makers like Jim to do all of their social media for them. If it is not disclosed, when (not if) it comes out, you will have lost some integrity.

Consumers understand that press releases are written by a firm.  Customer service can be done by an outsourced company – as long as the company is actually delivering service (which today sadly doesn’t happen enough). There are other tasks that can be outsourced.

But the conversation that you have with your customers, the dialog that builds a relationship, should be authentic. And by that I mean, it needs to come from a stakeholder – an employee, an owner, a shareholder, even the owner’s spouse. That’s the voice of the business.

When the CEO hires someone to blog for him, why bother?Just issue press releases. It’s about the same idea. The good blogs from executives offer insight, a story, a look inside, a personal touch. A good example is the Bear on Business blog from Zayo CEO Dan Caruso.

Do you think that Steve Jobs can hire someone to do the Apple presentations? Nope. The Mac-heads would freak out. Their relationship with Apple and Jobs is what gives the company that cult-like feel.

Do you think that Tony Hsieh at Zappos could have outsourced his social media and still built a $1B business?

Dell could probably have outsourced their Outlet twitter sales, but I bet it wouldn’t have worked as well or been tracked as accurately.

Can Rubbermaid outsource its forums and blogs? Probably not because it’s the tone and voice (and continuity) of the blog that keeps readers coming back. They come for the story from the storytellers that they know.

There’s the other side of the coin: companies complain that they don’t do social media because they can’t control the message. How do you control the message by outsourcing it?

I will say that in relationship building, it would be difficult to outsource. And the relationship would be damaged when it comes out that the conversation wasn’t with the manager at company X but their social media mercenary. And it will come out. We live in an age where privacy is disappearing more and more every day. It’s just a matter of time before that brand gets damaged due to a lack of transparency or authenticity.

And for Jim who says that his small business clients can’t find the time: I call bull sh!t. Employees are on social networks all day anyway. As a SM mercenary, my job is to get them all to spend 15 minutes per day on social networks for the good of the company. That’s a little harder than just doing it for them, but you can fish for someone or you can teach them how to fish.  (Of course, there’s more money in just fishing for them).

At the very least, these social media mercenaries need to be transparent. There needs to be a disclaimer that it is the agency not the actual company.

Would you hire someone to go to a business networking event for you? “Hey, Jim, here’s $40, go to the Hotspaces event and meet people for me and collect business cards. Hey, give them my card too.”

Would you hire a stand-in for a cocktail party?  These are the analogies I hear for social networks – cocktail parties and online networking events. How do you substitute?

1. The number of so-called experts running around “training” people in social media.
2. The idea of follower counts.
3. The concept of Fan.
4. Seth Godin’s Linchpin book.

When you combine that, the thought becomes that to be good at social media you need to be a linchpin. I know. What?

The idea of Linchpin is around being a vital part of your organization or community. The same way that you would be vital to your PTA or your School Board or your office in the physical world needs to be translated online.

There have been comparisons about how social media is a cocktail party or dating. Those are good analogies, but I am going to take it one step further.

It isn’t about getting thousands of followers. It isn’t about forcing people to be your fan. It isn’t about being a social media guru. It’s about being a Linchpin.

You can do this online – on Twitter or Facebook or LinkedIn or Yahoo/Google groups or a forum – byb being the tribe leader. Start by being the Greeter. When someone new joins a forum or group or listserv, they generally don’t know the rules or etiquette. Say Hi and point them out. It’s a simple way to “meet” everyone.

Lead discussions – on any platform. Ask questions. Reply to questions. Infact, on LinkedIn this is a great way to become an Expert in a Niche. How many Best Answer awards can you get?

Connect people. On LinkedIn Answers, there is a spot to name experts. What a great way to prop someone up, give a referral, and help the person looking for answers. Recommendations on LinkedIn is another great way to give praise. (Gratitude is circular, btw).

Follow Friday (#ff) on Twitter is about telling everyone who you follow and why. It’s a nice shout out.

The Retweet (RT @theirname) on Twitter is another way to pass along useful info or spread the word. I usually will retweet with a comment if there’s room.

Commenting on a blog post; responding to discussions on LinkedIn, Yahoo or Google groups; and the other networks is a great way to start a conversation – to connect with someone. It allows the person who posted to know that someone is listening.

These seem simple enough, but people get caught up in the whole what-the-heck-is-social-media. Granted that each network has its own quirks and it takes time to figure each one out, but after you figure it out, ignore the platform/network/technology and hone in on the concept of being a Linchpin.

You can help organize, connect, lead, create – make Art – by being a Linchpin – online and offline. The point is to remember that it’s the same activity online or offline. Reaching out. Helping out. Conversing. Connecting. Listening. Engaging.

When you become a Linchpin, the followers will come. Everyone wants to connect with an Artist, Genius, Giver.

Gary started in retail at the age of 6 with lemonade stands. That’s right: plural. He had others working for him over the summer. He understood early that business is about eyeballs.

We agree on 2 points:  (1) Storytelling is the key to business. (2) Social media is just a marketing tool like the printing press. It isn’t about the tool; it’s all about the story to the market.

Gary says that if you don’t get Twitter or Facebook, get over it because millions are using it. That’s where the eyeballs are, so you better be there. But doing what? It isn’t about Talking. It’s about Listening. (Which btw is a huge lesson in sales. Two ears, one mouth; listen twice as much as you talk

Too many businesses draw a line in the sand. You have to see trends and go with the flow. “Business is  a game of change.” If billions are on FB – but more important, if your target market is on FB or Twitter – then you need to be there to. Listening, engaging, telling your story. The World Wrestling Entertainment is about storytelling. Disney and Pixar are all about stories. Branding is about the story that the consumer has heard about your brand – the sum total of story, experience, WOM (word-of-mouth), and emotional tag. How you feel about Dunkin Donuts or Nike is the branding.

Another point he made has been made by Seth Godin: You have to know what business you are in. During Q&A (which was half the night), Gary kept asking people these questions:

• Who are you?
• What are you selling?
• What’s your story?
• Where are you going?
• What are your expectations?
• What do you expect to happen?
• What do you want to happen?

His answer to most questions was Content. That translates into Personal Branding online. Buy the domain yourname.com. Start a blog. Video, audio, text – doesn’t matter. Start producing content (and stories) about what you are passionate about, what you have knowledge about. But do it in your own voice. This is your online presence, your home on the Internet – just 15 years old but changing everything everyday.

He spoke over and again about Transparency. Basically, be authentic, because if you aren’t, you will be caught and outed. In a similar vein, remember that everything is recorded for posterity today. Cameras are everywhere. Everything you put online is permanent. If you aren’t authentic, it will come out.

When it comes to What are you selling, be Honest with yourself. It’s okay for it to be about the Benjamins. Just make certain that you know what you want and expect, so that you know where you are headed.

Gary Vee’s BHAG is to own the NY Jets. It’s what guides his actions. Having a seven month old child may have changed that just a little bit. He’s all about “Crushing It” – working smart and hard. He works 19 hours per day. (He is cutting back to 15 now). What’s yours? What guides your business decisions? What is  your Goal or Vision that keeps you motivated?  (It’s a key part of the equation).

Note: Lack of self-esteem and laziness is destroying business value.

Gary mentioned that WOM converts to a sale 70% of the time. Advertising converts 12%. Today, with online personal branding your job is to create fans, who will spread the word (re-tell your story) about your business to prospects, who will become customers.

We are becoming more connected and more documented every day. So the days of chasing the quick cash might be coming to an end.

Gary thinks the Wal-Mart Era is almost over and it will become the Niche Era. We will win next. Oops! There will be 2000 to 8000 of Yoga Chicks in your area. You better have the skills and the work ethic to beat them. YOU are the Differentiating factor.

Here’s why Gary thinks the Zappos story is so important: because it is the story about how Culture and Service won (not price). Zappos cost more than other online shoes stores, but the Culture was to make the customer happy. That won out (when its competitor, Amazon bought Zappos for $1B)

The other thing to notice is that customers are going through an Expectation Shift. Instant Customer Service will be expected or you will become a commodity (and lowest price will win).

BTW, that social media thing? It takes time to work, so be patient.

UPDATE:  Fellow Tampa blogger, Deana Goldasich, has  a great write-up about the Gary Vee talk here.

One strategy is to use Facebook for contests. That drives traffic.

Another strategy is polls. There is nothing better than customer feedback.

Oh, wait, there is: Customer reviews, photos, and stories posted right to the fan page.

Target used its fan page to let customers determine the charity. If you have a corporate giving strategy, a fan page is a great place to let your customers (and the public) know about it and maybe engage about it. By engage, I mean, join in – dollar matching, blood drives, food collections, etc.

But using Facebook to collect your boring ass posts, blogs, and tweets isn’t a strategy. That’s aggregation of your content.

And for those that tweet to Facebook: you probably tell the same jokes at every cocktail party.

Here’s an example of how Six Apart leverages Twitter and the web to connect to its community.

The voice of the customer is indeed different on Twitter, and it’s
interesting to interact with customers on that level. There’s a certain element of surprise that often comes into play when folks don’t know we’re listening.

We’ve also been using Get Satisfaction for our community forum – they have a nifty “Overheard” feature that starts a topic by overhearing a Tweet about us, and we can answer their question/concern/praise in the forum. I find that really valuable for questions folks ask a lot that should be surfaced out of the immediacy of Twitter-verse and archived for others to read, if they want to.

Businesses are utilizing Twitter in a variety of ways, including:

• to resolve customer issues and concerns;
• learn what people are interested in and not interested in;
• market their services and products;
• increase visibility;
• connect with their audiences personally and engage;
• search for new prospects

Twitter can be extremely useful for businesses when used properly, according to Steve Cadley of the Cadley Consulting Group.

“We actually have a client who uses Twitter as a prospecting tool. He is able to search for key words regarding his target audience and started to tweet to
those who were potential prospects. Thus far he has closed $50K worth of new
business from prospecting through Twitter. So yes Twitter is becoming a very
powerful business tool.”

Business people are still trying to figure out Twitter, I think. Is it a listening tool? A broadcast tool? Text messaging to the masses? A new form of IM/chat? Or something else entirely?

You have people like Guy Kawasaki with a team of people broadcasting (I call it puking) all over twitter. Shouting ‘Look at my stuff’ ‘Look at my stuff’. That works if you have a mass appeal product and the number of followers. It isn’t authentic nor is it social. Would you go to a party and scream at everyone? Hey, come to my place? Hey, I just updated my blog?

If you did it via email, it would be spam. If you did it in person, you would wind up all alone. So why would you do that on a social network? (The key word being Social).

It’s micro-blogging, not mass texting.

Micro-blogging means that you have an interesting but short message.

Social media means that you are trying to connect with people; have a dialogue; interact. That attitude will eventually get you business. It works about as well as going to networking events and being interested in others as opposed to seeing how many business cards you can hand out in one hour.

Search your keywords, @ reply to the folks with value-able information. Give Value first. From there, you can develop a relationship. That’s where the money is.

My niche is narrow. I just want to give more information to those in my niche and learn what is going on in the industry. For that it’s like a news feed. And in a target I think it will work well. But most people aren’t Ashton, Oprah or Guy. And not everyone can hire someone to tweet all day. So use this social tool intelligently and treat it like a networking event. (Many say it is a cocktail party, but I don’t see that).

to @tommartin #wordcampnola Why do you want your tweets to go to every social site? Why repeat that over and over?

Tom makes the point that, “You have to invest in marketing your content by Tweeting about it, posting it to your Facebook profile, etc. You have to make it really, really easy for prospectives fans to find it.” I feel that syndicating your content across all your social networks is no different than adverting or emailing press releases.

In my comment to Tom’s blog post, I wrote: ‘It’s a good explanation, but I have to tell you, I didn’t get it wrong at WordCamp. I am getting burned out by this very thing. Cross-posting across LI, FB, and twitter likely means that I would see that same content 3x. Why? Why do I need to see it 3x? These are 3 different audiences (at least to me). LI is strictly business networking. FB is more closely tied to friends and close biz associates. Twitter is a whole other audience. So why would you place the same marketing message in all 3 places?”

I write for 3 blogs. I do not post the same content to each blog 99% of the time. (There have been a few rare exceptions). I understand that re-purposing content is an SEO trick, but that is NOT the same as people who tweet all day with updating to Facebook and sometimes LinkedIn. This means when I go to FB, I won’t even see most people’s updates because your tweets will have buried them. And if I hide your status updates on FB, I won’t see any FB exclusive news. Plus, if I am hiding your updates, I might as well Un-Friend you.

Here’s an example, a CEO of a company is on twitter mainly broadcasting about his product and his new blog posts. He sends me a FB friend invite. I accept it. To find that he tweets to FB so I get dupes of his blog and his tweets. Why? That’s ADVERTISING. Or as I call it PUKING. There’s nothing SOCIAL about it at all.

Would you talk to me if I called you every day to say “read my blog”? Same thing.

To me, broadcasting like the news sites do is fine because it’s just to Twitter. I can shut that off at any time. When you take over my home page at Facebook, we’re done unless you are actually interacting.

If you wrote an interesting blog, folks would sign up for Feedburner, the RSS feed, or your newsletter. If they haven’t, screaming it across every medium – twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn – is like spamming email.

I get that all of this new. And people are figuring it out. But remember that you are asking people for their attention. Be respectful of that.

Social media experts berate advertising and PR for that exact thing. One message shouted at the marketplace. This is no different.

Free Twitter Ideas that Will Engage Customers and Build Loyalty. One message: “Think tactical, get tactical.” Main message: Engage people, it’s about being social.

10 examples of creative Twitter uses. You can certainly learn from these examples.

Even Sprint is mentioning Twitter in its new ad campaign.