The Twitter Phenomenon: Connect with Social Networking Before It’s Too Late!
December 17, 2008
The Twitter Craze
It’s catching. Twitter that is. Large corporations and even home-based businesses alike are all catching on to the Twitter phenomenon! They are making it work for their businesses as they develop their social networking prowess, establishing business connections and social circles. Networking sites like Twitter (which is the most popular one), are quickly becoming a tool that businesses are using to grow their brand and bring exposure to their companies. It’s starting to make a powerful impact on companies of all types of sizes, industries, personalities, etc. The site at Let’s Talk Trade Shows blogged about how Twitter phenomenon caused them to make full, productive use out of what Twitter did for their business. Even though the blogger seemed at first not so interested in the Twitter craze, she soon learned to embrace the idea and make it work for her business.
Profitable Social Networking
What corporations are starting to notice about the Twitter phenom is how profitable the concept is for their business. To follow a company, any company on Twitter is not difficult to do at all. As a matter of fact, companies want and encourage other Twitterers to follow them. There is no other more creative way to gain organic followers or those who are genuinely interested in your business or product. What some companies are doing (and is proving to be highly profitable for them), is offering deals, discounts and company updates that can be used almost immediatly to transfer customers and build long-lasting relationships. Even if companies don’t try to sell a product directly on their first connect, they’re establishing a connection that will perhaps serve its purpose later.
The news reporting site, News Factor, reportedly blogged that Dell directly benefited from the exposure and value that Twitter’s presence has on the internet. Dell’s success has been noted to the tune of over $1 million in revenue and is still tallying its profitability. Dell informs customers via their tweets about discounts, deals and and other marketing resources. The social networking venue has proven to be quite profitable for the folks at Dell.
The Future of Tweets
There is a lot of speculation that Twitter will eventually monetize their site and its popularity will possible explode, exponentially. If corporations or entrepreneurs have considered using Twitter for their business, now is the time to explore that option and make it happen. It could stand to reason that after Twitter builds and presents a solid business model, there could be some sort of “buy-in” introduced and possibly be harder to get in. However, for a business that’s already established, has a Twitter presence and strong social connections, the transfer for them can be without stress.
Social networking is definitely here to stay and should be cultivated for the long term. If corporations use it as an effective marketing tool, gives it the right amount of dedication and attention and fully understands the impact of social networking, the potential for any business to grow is almost inevitable. If you haven’t, you should. Now is the time to make the Twitter move. It will be a move that you will NOT regret.
And by the way…follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/bridgetwright. Let’s connect!
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Should Corporate Sites Air Their Business? American International Group (AIG) did, and it Worked!
December 15, 2008
Should corporations use their websites to discuss “personal company” matters?
Are the websites the appropriate place to be casual or direct with customers? Or, should that be done in a direct letter to the customer?
Just how much information should corporations release about their financial dealings (and otherwise) to customers?
The Function of Corporate Communications
A corporate web presence is usually created to keep a line of communication open between the company’s customers or investors and the company’s executives. This can be as lengthy as several paragraphs or as short as one-liners (as in Tweets) or emails. In many cases, a company’s blog or website is the first place people will turn to in order to get a better idea about the company and their practices. Corporations can also use blogs to really gain strength in the marketplace and develop a strong presence in the minds of consumers.
Corporate blogs also serve to keep the public informed and abreast of what’s going on in a particular area of the company, or, about news developments and/or discoveries. Although blogs are generally positive in nature, there are instances where the blog may discuss issues that are uneasy or embarrassing to deal with. When, and if this happens, there must be some type of mechanism in place to deal with the situation and create the best possible outcome for the company, no matter what.
That Will Be $1 Please
American International Group (AIG) has been under heavy, heavy fire in recent months about their financial activity and their dire need to be bailed out of a particularly unpleasant and unpopular financial crisis. The mega-large U.S.-based insurance brokerage group was bailed out by the government to the tune of $150 billion not too terribly long ago. They have also been under heavy scrutiny for their various financial actions and activities and have tried to offer explanations for their activities via their website. Taking a look at the press release where AIG discuss the company’s finances, I noticed that AIG seems to try to answer the accusations and scrutiny by explaining (in detail) why they’ve decided to take action and what they expect to have happen as a result. This is ultimate corporate responsibility and excellent media relations because it shows that the company is not ignoring the pink elephant in the room, nor are they offering a myriad of excuses. They have responsibly faced what has happened and have addressed it directly. Whether using the website to discuss certain issues was a (opinion) mistake or not, AIG did quite well in facing the issues and answering to the public about their actions.
The news press release that announced that Mr. Liddy and other executives of AIG will not receive a salary (or a significantly reduced one) for the years of 2008 and 2009 shows not only an immense understanding of the company’s financial obligation, but also shows that the executive team understand and are sensitive to the company’s needs and the public’s perception of them as leaders. Did it work? Was that a good idea? Will it be effective and profitable for the company? No one has any way of really knowing how the entire situation will turn out. But, because the company’s top executive has decided to receive only a $1 salary for 2008 and 2009, and the company’s top managing executives are going to forego their annual bonuses, they are showing that the bailout will not be for naught. Discussing it affirms their intentions and shows everyone they’re serious.
But, On the Website?
Was AIG’s website the proper place to make such an announcement about the company’s decisions? Why wouldn’t it be? Actually, the site was the perfect place to make that type of announcement. Corporate media relations announcments are not meant only for journaling the company’s highs, profits, sales or growth. Well-presented corporate media relations announcements can help a company excel in the marketplace, whether things are favorable…or not. It is not the job, function or duty of a blog to only paint rosy pictures of the company. To do that could possibly backfire and cause other potential problems. And, in order to avoid said problems, companies should allow their communications to be transparent. However tact should be used in choosing the right words and tone for the media.
After reading about the salary decrease, you may perhaps find yourself thinking about just how serious a move that was for AIG and how serious they must be in getting the company back on track. So really, the website is the best place to make such an announcement. It is the best place to air the company’s “not-so-good” news. It is the best place to reach out to customers, outside media, investors and other interested parties. Hence, for AIG, discussing it on their website, in the open and upfront is going to be the best place to get their message out and convey their seriousness in the process.
Connect with Your Customers Using the Ozzy Osborne Method
December 10, 2008
When you are trying to reach your customers through media relations efforts, it is a good idea to be as creative, as out-of-the-box thinking as possible. You want to make a significant enough impact with your customer base so that your business image is not easily forgotten by those who partake of your business. You definitely want to be unforgettable.
Media relations creativity can run the gamut of hokey, wild media stunts to well-thought out, strategic marketing tactics that gets your company noticed, which is, your ultimate goal. Customers react to different marketing strategies.
Samsung performed a classic and highly popular commercial showing the rocker trying to communicate with a fast-food worker, a taxicab driver and a psychologist. He was somewhat unsuccessful, that is, until he started texting his requests to the service people. The commercial is a very good example of just how effective media can be if placed in the right hands of the right people.
The Samsung commercial with Ozzy Osborne is also a classic example of how creative and effective companies can be with their marketing message. Customer relations is marketing relations and marketing relations is media relations. In other words, the media venue is a significant player in how corporations reach customers and maximizing the exposure of their offerings.
Media Creativity
What can you do with your business to spark creativity and make a splash? Here are some suggestions that you can incorporate into your own business to enjoy the Ozzy effect.
1. Be Innovative and Creative in Your Strategy. If you can’t find a celebrity to endorse your product, consider using local celebrities. Community business people, politicians and CEO’s are all good ideas for getting someone who can call attention to your site.
2. Maximize Your Products. Use what products you already market to re-position yourself and your business. Many times, consumers may not “get it” at first, but if you present your product in a different media setting, they may look at your company and your product in a different way as well.
3. Give the Customers What They Want. There’s nothing like having a whole lot of somethings that you can’t sell. Make sure that your media product is more about something that consumers want and less of what you think is cute. In business, the sale of products and services are generally moved by how the customer feels at the time of the transaction.
What can you or your corporation do to get the Ozzy effect in your business? What wild and creative things do you think would work? Does it depend on the industry, the marketing department or the individual?
Is Your Corporate Blog of Value?
December 8, 2008
Today, I’m going to let you all in on a little secret that many of you may already know, and some of you may find surprising. This is for all of those corporate blog writers and content providers who maintain your company’s website:
No one is reading your blog!
You’re likely shocked, I’m sure, but that is just the plain truth. No one is interested in reading your blog and you may even find that it’s hard to drive traffic to your site. Why am I making this unveiling? You see, when readers scan, peruse, search and Google sites for information, they’re looking for relevant, concise and timely content. They’re looking for information that they can use to apply in their own businesses, practices that have been used over and over, and even case studies that have been shown to provide value. In other words, if your blog doesn’t provide anything of essence or value to your reader, they won’t be back and they will likely click away faster than the time it takes for your web page to load in their browser. Fast. The Reader Doesn’t Know What is it that your corporation does or what product do they specialize in? How does your corporate service or product affect the community? How can it make a difference in the life of the reader who’s scanning your post(s) right now? The whole reason that a reader would visit your blog would be to: 1.) find out new information 2.) confirm information they already knew That’s it. Those are the only two reasons that a reader bothers to read the first few lines in your blog entry. They are skimming for value and want to see if you can enhance their knowledge base in any way. If you do manage to keep their attention, great. If not, well, clicking they will be. It’s unwise to confuse the reader with irrelevant or inapplicable material. While you may think that the television commercial that your corporation made was fantastic (and it may well be), you can enhance the spotlight on this by creating something of value to your reader and share your good news at the same time. Create Value? Yes, you can and should create intrinsic value in your blog or website that will make your company a potential household name. For instance, consider maximizing the coverage of that television commercial your company made by offering a free signed copy of the CEO’s book to the first 50 commenters on a blog post. Or, how about establishing a (small) grant as an incentive to a young, budding entrepreneur with an untapped idea. His motivation? Write an essay on how he thinks your company can help make him successful. Post this social activity on your blog or website and let the communities work their magic. Once the Tweets begin and your article appears on Digg or StumbleUpon, you’ll wonder why it has taken you so long to catch on to this idea! It is so advantageous to use the power of media to bring attention to a business. Jeremy Woolf of the Public Relationships blog wrote this amazing post on how effective (and ineffective) the power of blogging can be if it is not properly strategized. He shed some valuable insight as to why blogs fail. The one that caught my eye almost immediately was because blogs aren’t being read. Bingo. Per Jeremy: It appears that in many cases, we’ve simply brought with us the tactics that failed to win the hearts and minds of “old” media to the blogging “new” media. We’re not reading their posts. We’re failing to develop relationships. We’re spamming them with marketing gobbledegook. We’re also assuming they work the same way as journalists. Good call Jeremy. We’re so busy trying to sell our product, we’re not focusing on relationship building and nurturing. How true is that! So essentially, you get a mix of people, all trying to move their product and not listening to the pitch of the other. They are so consumed with meeting quotas and making sales, they’ve lost the art of good old-fashioned networking. Coprorations are especially prone to this type of environment because of the very nature of the way they deal with individuals - - usually at arm’s length. Corporate environments have to work even harder to build and gain relationships and often have to go to greater extents to nurture them. Although a challenge it may be, it can be done. Is your corporate blog connected or in just in existence? What do you do to bring your reader in, share solid, relevant information, provide a foundation to encite learning and community? Or do you exist just to exist? __________ December 5, 2008 Do you think large companies purposefully run ads that they know are offensive in vain attempts to get traffic or social communities humming their name? Do you think they know when they’ve made a no-no, or do they simply recoil in shock that they are 1. embarassed or 2. busted? Large companies have a social responsibility to the community to protect ideas and values, do they not? Are they just free to print, say, distribute anything that they want to all because they can? Don’t they have to be responsible, to answer to someone for their actions? Surely so. Large (and small) companies do have a responsibility to consumers to protect ideas and values. Because they are in the forefront of marketing strategies, because they (often) have household names and because their products have mass appeal, they do have a social and business responsibility to answer to what they say, to whom they say it and how they say it. Pepsi Max just recently came under fire for running a highly controversial ad depicting a lonely one calorie figure who was suicidal because he was so alone. The calorie held a gun to its head and shot himself, splattering blood everywhere as he stood poised within a noose ready to hang himself. I found the image to be quite graphic and rather offensive given that I am an avid diet Pepsi drinker and the one calorie drink is rather appealing to me. What offends me about is the implication that the one lone calorie is so miserable and so lonely that he’d rather take his “life” than be by himself. The social communities are definitely humming Pepsi’s name from the article and comments on YumSugar, to John Hoffoss’s opinion blurb, to David Burn’s passionately written blog post on the matter and hosts of other opinion pieces on why Pepsi did not do such a good, warm-feeling outreach campaign with this ad. While there are a lot of opinions on both sides of the discussion about the ad and its effect on consumer’s, it’s apparent and agreeable that this is a highly controverisal subject. I for one think that Pepsi should not have circulated this ad at all. Having the ad run as its photo image depicted seemingly sends (to me) the message that suicide is a dark funny, perhaps light-hearted thing. Just my opinion. But the one thing that I cannot deny is the press that this ad has gotten. People in chat rooms, forums and blogs are all talking about how “awful”, “disgusting”, or even how “funny looking” the ad was. You cannot deny, whether controversial or not, that Pepsi created a buzz about their product that could last anywhere from a few hours to a few months. Admittedly, the media package did its job in creating a buzz and talk about its product. But, I still object only to the way they did it. Anyone else agree with me?
Consumer Sensitivity in Media Relations
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