Target, a target on Facebook

Social media is scary for the obvious reason that it means giving up some control.

Take Target. On their Facebook page, they have half a million fans. That’s a pretty solid number of people who are “fans” of the brand.

But with the good, comes the bad. This is a screen shot of the Discussion page on Target’s Facebook page (see item #2).

The conversation inside of the second topic is about as clear as it’s title.

Target is left with the weird situation where people who identify as “fans”, clearly aren’t. And the people who aren’t appear to be the people who work there. People who are important to maintain the overall brand at target.

So what do we learn?

It’s not a bad idea to put together an employee posting guidelines document. It’s not an enforceable policy, it’s more a document designed to protect people from themselves.

It’s like a seatbelt law for social media.

There’s a really good chance that people who are posting on discussion boards about how much they hate working on Target haven’t put two and two together to come up with HR.

I know what you’re thinking: “Are people really that dumb?”

I think the answer is no, but they just might be that uniformed. A published guidelines for brands that engage in Facebook is another product we can offer clients. It’s not a policy. But it can protect a brand from itself.

We’re not promising that brands will be protected on Facebook from anything.

On the topic of large retailers, the Wal-Mart Facebook page has this comment on the top of the wall:

“Julie Jones Hunt hum… interesting… why confront when you can delete!”

Presumably, Wal-Mart has been deleting her wall posts, instead of addressing them. Another issue that Facebook brings.

The final thought though is this: if people have complaints they will air them. Not having a Facebook page doesn’t mean a brand will be safe from people saying bad things (see SideWiki entries for Walmart.com).

But having a Facebook page means inviting people to say them. Even the bad things can offer learning.

Engaging in social media

So, you’ve bought in to the notion that social media is the newest greatest thing, and you want to get in there before it’s too late.

The internet has changed the way people talk about your brand, product, and category. Think about it: SideWiki allows people to comment on actual websites, even if that website wasn’t looking for feedback. Facebook allows people to comment on anything in private to do with your brand. We’re at a point where people like to share their opinions about everything on the hundreds of tools in between.

Regardless of the tool, the underlying notion is that people are offering their opinions within their networks. For brands, there is an opportunity to get your best customers to talk about your brand in a positive way. Here’s my advice. 

Don’t if…
It’s long been a marketing cliché: The fastest way to put a bad product out of business is to advertise it. Obviously, a brand doesn’t want to tell people about their offering if it’s crap. But nowadays, the warts won’t be hidden for long. So if you plan to ask people to talk about your product or service, get rid of the warts. If the experience needs to be tweaked, do that first. You can’t control what people will say in social media, you can only control the experience they will talk about. Make it good, and they will accentuate the good.

Start listening.
Scour search engines, blogs, Twitter, Technorati, for everything that pertains to the brand. Then search for everything that pertains to your category. Then look for everything that pertains to your competition. Save everything you find in bookmarks for later use (I recommend Delicious.com since more than one person can add bookmarks).

This will give you a look at the conversations that are happening around your category. It will let you know what people think of your brand, your category and your competition. This knowledge alone is a powerful way to incorporate social media. Don’t run from the bad, learn from it. If many people think of the brand as X, and the marketing or mission is Y, figure why there’s a disconnect and address it.

When you’re ready to engage, start with your best customers.
The words used in social media already imply this: on Facebook, people are fans. On Twitter they are followers. These words describe people who like the experience of the product or service. Start with them, your best customers. That other old cliché about the 80/20 rule – where 80% of business comes from 20% of your customers — applies here. Find the 20% and get them working for your brand.

That means you talk about your efforts on invoices, e-mails, on hold recordings, marketing brochures, etc. Tell people where you want them to talk about you, and they will talk.

Be patient.
Social media isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon. Unlike traditional advertising that works to create awareness through interruption, social media builds advocacy through participation. Be generous to your best customers, and let them talk about your generosity.

The overall goal of social media is this: turn your best customers into advocates for the experience. If your product or service is more like a commodity, then turn them into advocates for the category. But for the most part, you want them to tell their friends about your thing.

So design your communications to be shared. Design them to work together. Design e-mails to link to a website, which links to a Facebook page, which promotes a Twitter feed, which promotes and event that’s promoted everywhere.

Always think the message in terms of how it might be shared. Are you giving your best customers the simple tools to share your message? Are you rewarding them for compliments?

So that’s my advice. What do you think?

(P.S. Even though I’ve written about this before, a tip of the hat to Armano, who inspired this post)

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What can we bring to the brand?

I want to talk about silos. And agency titles. If you click the link to my post about Agency Titles, you’ll read the fourth most read post I’ve ever written. It was written to reflect the idea that digital marketing is creating executions that don’t fit into the narrative of the typical agency.If you don’t mind taking a look, I think it will help understand the post below. It kind of adds to the argument.

Here are a couple of things that have happened recently that have me thinking about this topic:

1. I recently listened to a Bean Cast episode that wondered if the Direct Marketing people should re-brand. (If you’ve ever talked to a DMer, then you know the irony in DM people thinking they need to “re-brand”.) The crux of the thinking is that DMers are good at understanding response, and the internet offers the ability for people to respond in wonderful new ways. I came away from this discussion thinking that DMers want to redefine what they do in their Silo of the marketing mix. They want to think digital. They want to use Social Media. Etc. Have a listen, and then think about the kinds of ‘ideas’ that DMers could bring to the table.

2. Metaphorically speaking, a marketing plan is like the drawings for a house. It takes a lot of talented people to design it. Then, it takes a lot of talented people to build it: You have plumbers who plumb, electricians who run wire, woodworkers who work with wood, etc.

That’s a good metaphor for what we have now. In the execution phase of the marketing plan, we have interactive people who work on the interactive. Copywriters and Art Directors who work on the idea. DMers who work on the mail. Media people who work on picking the media… this is simplified, but you get the drift.

The thing is though: we’re no longer building houses. I’m not sure what we’re building, maybe engagements, interactions, or some other marketing buzzword that explains what all this means. But in real terms, think about it this way.

An ARG is not your typical house. It doesn’t need a media person (or maybe it does, but not to do the same thing). The new style of marketing is more like hiring a plumber, and having them build you a whole new system for going to loo.

So why do titles and silos matter? Well, when marketers are off doing their own thing, the end result is confusion to the consumers. If the TV said this, but the Facebook page says that, then what you’re left is more than just a disjointed message — you’re left with a disjointed consumer.

So this comes back to the age-old question: who comes up with the ideas? When crafting the plans for a brand, who should be involved? Does your agency have planners, media people, creative people, and account people. Or does it simply have humans who are charged with forging the idea that can work seamlessly across mediums and actually get the consumer to do something?

If you’re that last person, the human, is your title is in the way of your accomplishing it?

When I turn this question to me, I ask this: as the social media strategist, will people even accept ideas from me that don’t fall into my niche? I know the answer at my agency.

What’s the answer at yours?

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A social media bubble?

A social media bubble. It’s starting to look that way (and yes, I’ve written about this before, but I still think it’s coming). And it might not be a bad thing.

(Note: I’m about to make some sweeping generalizations to make a point. Obviously this doesn’t apply to everyone)

First, lets look at the first internet bubble. The so-called Web 1.0 bubble. More and more websites popped up in the 1990’s because, they could. In advertising agencies across the country (and in Canada, where I was working then), they put up websites for clients.

Why?

Because businesses wanted websites. It was the first marketing tool that people had to have without really knowing why. A consequence of having something without knowing why is that the only objective thing to measure is look. Chances are, if someone doesn’t like the way their site looks, it lacks a marketing objective. If it had a marketing objective, the color or look would be something to change only if one felt would impact the objective.

So you have fleets of people putting up websites in the 90’s because they feel they have to, not because they have objectives. Combine that with a chorus of people saying the whole internet thing is a fad, and you have the makings of a bubble.

So here we are, a decade later, making the same mistakes. Brands are getting into social media because everyone else is. I heard it a lot in the last week. I made eight presentations, and after, many of people told me they need to get into this thing.

That’s even after I stressed that if one were to engage in the tactic of social media, one needs a strategy that combines all aspects of the campaign with all the other marketing the brand or company is doing. You need a goal.

And I kept hearing back that people wondered how much time they should put into this. Their skepticism creeped into the question. And it should. All business should take on marketing initiative skeptically. Many didn’t with websites, and it soured them on the internet. Many should skeptically look at social media and say: “What can it do for me?”.

They should never say: I need a Facebook page.

And therein lies the place we are. A place where people are getting a Facebook page because it seems everyone is.

Now that being said, like the internet, I don’t think the bubble that’s coming will mean the end of social media. The internet didn’t go away with the first bubble — but the notion that we can put up online brochures and leave them for 6 months did go away. We now have website that interact in profound and entertaining ways. Experiential websites, if you will.

And that’s what will happen with social media. A drum beat will rise about how this is a fad, and how it will go away. Something big will implode, and the drums will reach epic stages. But while many people will sour on its ability to engage — it won’t be because the tactic doesn’t work, it will be because they didn’t know what to measure.

What do you think? Are we in a bubble?

We live in a feedback world

Two entirely separate things happened in the last week to prove it. I gave three presentations on social media last week. The first was in Syracuse, the second in Binghamton and the last one was in Albany. At all three, I asked that anyone using Twitter during my presentation use the hash tag #TWCBC.

At all three, I got feedback.

The comments ranged from indifferent, to good and bad (another word for bad is constructive). That last one lets me know a couple of things about the build up of my presentation. I either need to be more clear about what I’m saying, or I need to kill the silly play on words at the end of the presentation. I think the asnwer is the latter, and I think I’ve known that for a while.

But all the feedback also gives me insights into why people Twitter the things they do.Which is important for my job.

Then, for something completely different, I was live blogging a curling tournament on the weekend. And yes, a blog offers built in commentary, but this was a little different. One of the players who played in the game read what I wrote and offered feedback via e-mail. He saw the game a little differently than I did, so we chatted via e-mail. But he said this, and it fits right:

“I always enjoy feedback from people after televised games on what people thought during the game.”

Prior to the internet, this world class player would never have been able to get this kind of feedback about the game. True, he could have watched the tape of the final on CBC and got the commentators take on the game, but that’s more an official take. Mine was kind of off-the-cuff riffs on the game in general. He may or may not find value in the feedback, but he’s at least taking the time to acknowledge that feedback can be valuable.

The reason I tell you this is because overall, people can offer feedback on every aspect of your offering. Be it during a presentation, or during a sporting event, the feedback channels are wide open. So it’s not just about listening, it’s about letting people know you’re listening, and telling them where to offer feedback. Telling people you plan to listen makes it easier to get the feedback.

The hard part is making sense of it all, and acting on it. But step one is encouraging feedback.

Targeting on the world wide web

Assignment: Target men, 18-34.

There they are, the ever elusive 18-34 year old males. The single most attractive demographic of any brand. The reason, you wonder? Men tend to spend more money than women over their lives. As for the 18-34 part, it’s thought that when someone is in that age bracket, they can be influenced to pick a brand. Get them early, and there’s a better chance they will stay on longer.

Marketing 101.

Problem is, getting their attention isn’t as easy as just buying Lost on ABC. That’s partly because they aren’t watching Lost on ABC, they are streaming it on their computers or getting it commercial free from Apple, and it’s hard and expensive and even impossible to buy it all (see link for explanation).

So that leaves online.

Because that’s where the bullseye of the mythical demo hands out. On Twitter. MySpace. Facebook. YouTube. Digg. We all know that, but again, reaching someone in that target market is even tougher than getting them on Lost.

The solution: “Go Viral”.

Viral makes us shudder. Creating something for the purpose of going viral is link writing an ad with the express purpose of winning an award at Cannes. (For a good conversation on the topic of winning an award at Cannes, check out the BeanCast episode 59.)

To go viral, one must create something that people in their target market will share. And one can argue and/or suggest a million ways to accomplish that, but one of them is to push the envelop.

Our client let us do that. The same week Pepsi’s let an agency do it. In the same month that 7/11 let their agency do it.

What is it? You can see for yourself. But that’s not the point.

The point is this: by putting something online, that’s targeted to a subset of the population, one risks the entire world seeing it. Yes, I realize that viral means mass. If 10 million people see the thing obviously only a percentage of those people will be in the target market. So creating something that is edgy to one segment of the population could pose risks that it offends another. That was the risk that Pepsi didn’t even know was coming, since it was a brand that took the risk but the ire went upstream.

Is that the result of every promotion?

Maybe. But it’s the dilemma of using the web as a tool to target. If it takes off, more than just the target market will see it and comment. Clearly, that’s something to prepare for in advance.

Thoughts?

This isn’t a website, it’s an interaction

I’m lucky enough to work with some really smart people. And those people have put together a promotion for a client that is cool. I like it because it isn’t about driving someone to a website. It’s about driving someone to an experience with the brand that is memorable and shareable.

So here it is. (We’d love to know what you think)

There’s a sweepstakes attached to it as well that offers 4 people a chance to win a trip to Vegas. You can see the rules there. But this promotion is meant to show off what happens when people interact with a website.

The goal was to target 18-34 year old males. But then, what brand doesn’t want to attract these people? And since they are online, on social media, and on Digg.

As the promotion carries on, we’ll update the social media aspect of it. But for now, the game is the cool part.

Social media for business presentations

I’ll be the Keynote speaker at a couple of events in Upstate New York. The events are free and hosted by Time Warner Cable Business Class.

I’ll be talking about Social Media Strategy, how the Internet is changing things, and how with a little bit of planning and preparation, businesses big and small can take advantage of the web. The public is invited to attend to gain insight on building a company brand utilizing web-based promotion tools using multiple online social media platforms.

Here is the Event Schedule

Syracuse –     Tuesday, October 20; Syracuse Doubletree Hotel; 6 p.m. networking reception, 7 p.m. presentation

Binghamton – Wednesday, October 21; Binghamton Regency Hotel & Conference Center;  6 p.m. networking reception, 7 p.m. presentation

Albany –     Thursday, October 22; Century House Restaurant; 6 p.m. networking reception, 7 p.m. presentation

Rochester –     Tuesday, October 27; Rochester Plaza Hotel; 6 p.m. networking reception, 7 p.m. presentation

At its best, social media is about storytelling and engagement. It’s about extending your brand into online communities, and can be used to your company’s advantage. It’s about giving your best customers the ammunition to go out there and talk about your brand.

Today, businesses are targeting a new genre of customers by using social media as an extension of their current marketing strategies.

If you’re in any of these areas, stop in and say hello.

Social media is a test of brand

As much as people might like to think so, Facebook isn’t responsible for the fan.

The historical marketing is.The thing we might called Brand Advertising.

It’s the thing behind those first fans. To get those first fans, the brand needs to be strong.

Facebook can take credit for letting a fan be an advocate, ambassador, whatever. And the brilliance of Facebook is that it takes the “share to friend” aspect out of the scenario. Facebook automatically shares with friends.

But again: a fan is self-identifying as someone with a relationship to the product or service. In some instances, that relationship is foster through image advertising. (Admittedly, there is also relationship to an offer — I went to a Facebook page to get a $5 off coupon — and have never gone back).

So as people get excited that more money online is a good thing, I wonder. I think it’s dangerous to move all the money online. As I’ve argued before, I think it’s better to move the ideas online. Digital can and should be at the table at all times. But that doesn’t mean traditional advertising should end. TV is still the best way to build a brand. Print can evoke emotions better than banner ads.What needs to happen better is the combination of all the things.

Digital has so far been an extension of the traditional advertising idea. Now, it should just be part of it, when it’s relevant.

I personally think it’s a fun time. And more and more, I’ll say this: we’re all marketers now. On a vaguely related note, check out this blog post for a vaguely related topic.

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Digital marketing podcasts I enjoy

To me, Podcasts are the DVR of Radio. But with the added exception that you can listen to radio from anywhere in the world. On your own time.

So, if you have a commute and an iPod, herein are my favorite Digital Marketing podcasts from around the world. Am I missing some podcasts? Let me know in comments.

1. Search Engine, TVO
From Ontario, Canada, Jesse Brown takes on the weird and wonderful that is the Internet. Jesse used to be on CBC Radio, but moved to TVO and hasn’t stopped creating thought provoking radio about the internet. I just loved the interview with Ira Glass from This American Life.

2. The Bean Cast
The self proclaimed “Best Marketing Podcast anywhere”. I think the thing I love the most about the Bean Cast is they use Ning to host their community of listeners. Smart, and fitting.

3. The Aussie Geek Podcast
I stumbled upon this a few weeks ago, and I love it. It’s a show from Australia, and I’m hooked. I’ve only listened to a couple of them, but the Sites Applications and Services Episode was excellent.  The show notes are invaluable.

4. Digital Planet, BBC
Digital planet is a quick little 27 minute podcast that takes on Digital around the world. From an interview with Vint Cerf, to an exploration of digital in Africa, this podcast covers a lot of ground. It’s great.

5. Radio Lab, WNYC
While not really a podcast on marketing, the episodes that dealt with Emergence and Choice are two of the most thought provoking episodes for a marketer. Choice is an almost must listen to marketing podcast.

A couple of Misc podcasts.

1. WireTap, CBC Radio
Finally available as a podcast. Hilarious. Just listen.

2. This America Life
Like they need me to tell you about their podcast.

3. TheCurlingShow
A great episodic show on Curling, my favorite sport.

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