Why Brands are Hesitant to Utilize Twitter

I hosted and presented during a webinar for PR News yesterday about Twitter. It was a great line-up of social-media-minded folks from various industries. According to the organizers, there was over 400 location's signed up and on average, there are three to five folks listening in per site. The list of participating organizations ranged from government types, non-profits, consumer brands, b2b brands, etc.

As the moderator of the event, it was partly my job to answer questions on the fly and interact with each of the speakers. As the webinar began, the questions started flying in. They were all across the board, to specifics per the industry of the participant to the basics like online resources to further education on social media.

However, five questions came through loud and clear that made me take a step back and think, "so, THIS is why there doesn't seem to be a large adoption of Twitter by brands."

Those questions were:

1. How do I use Twitter for marketing purposes?


2. Who from my organization should be doing it?


3. How much time should I spend on Twitter?


4. How do I measure it's effectiveness?


5. Who in our organization should own it?

There are various schools of thought as it relates to all these questions, but here are my thoughts:

How do I use Twitter for use it to marketing purposes?
Ask yourself this? Does your organization have audiences it markets to? I'm guessing the answer is yes. Well, your audience is online and more often than not, are on Twitter. Simply put, use Twitter to build stronger relationships with your audiences. You can use it to address customer service concerns. You can use it to cultivate new sales prospects. You can use it to connect with media influencers. The audience connection opportunities are endless.

Who should be Twittering for your organization?
This is probably the easiest question of the lot in my opinion. Just like with your media opportunities, you should know who are the "voices" of your organization. Whether it's your CEO, CFO, PR Director, Admissions Director or Customer Service rep, each have their specific audiences that they can interact with on Twitter. I suggest segmenting your Twitter marketing per audience and determine who is the best person from your organization to have those conversations.

How much time should I spend on Twitter? I find this question almost comical. I'd answer that question with another question. How time should you spend marketing to your audiences? Get the point?

How do I measure its effectiveness? This is a little tougher to answer. It is not as cut and dry as say, website visitors. Yes, you can measure followers. However, the real juice is engagement. How many Twitterers retweeted posts? How often are your followers replying to your Twitter posts? The one to one engagement is where the rubber meets the road and can get customers to take action more so than any direct mail piece can.

Who in our organization should own it?
This is also an easy question in my opinion. Everyone should own Twitter. The key here is that whomever is Twitter on behalf of your organization, it should be done in a coordinated way and through the messaging prism you have set up for the rest of your marketing initiatives.

These questions - almost two years since Twitter's launch - show the uncertainty that brands still have in embracing it as a marketing and communications tool. My answers should get you asking, why aren't WE on Twitter? Read more!

From Ordinary Dad to Martin Scorsese

As a 70s child, I have a good deal of round-edged photos that are stuck in between card board and dirty, wax-ish "stuff" that's supposed to preserve pictures (when in reality all it's doing is sealing those precious memories to the cardboard stronger than superglue ever could).

Every so often, I'll look through those photos and see how hideous the outfits were back in the 70s. If I had a dollar for every out of control collar I wore from the ages of 2-8, I would have been a millionaire.

When I look at the collection, I quickly come to the realization that the collection is more like a bunch of bookmarks from my life, i.e. quality over quantity. I attribute that to two reasons: one, my parents were never ones to carry around a camera; and two, technology wasn't what it is today. Polaroids were the Twitter of photography back then.

That leads me to the point of this post.

From the first poop, to the first time they eat peas, to the first time you take them to Fenway Park or walk them down the isle, today's technology makes it very easy for parents to catalog every bit of their kids lives. You can tell from my arsenal of toys that I've done just that with my two kids (girls, five and two):

• Canon Vixia HF10 (high def, flash-drive based video camera.


• Two Canon 30Ds and a variety of lenses (long, imaged stabilized, prime, wide angle, etc.)


• Canon G9


• Mobile devices: Blackberry Storm and iPhone


• Macbook Pro


• Storage: over two terabytes of storage for family stuff

With all this technology and being able to shoot and record just about every second of my kids lives, there are no excuses to miss a thing. I'm able to stream live to the internet via my iPhone and Blackberry to Qik, which is then sent to Twitter and to Facebook. I can post photos to Flickr, videos to YouTube, create DVDs for the family to watch, etc. I've pretty much cataloged every major, semi-major, funny, unintentional moment that my kids have been a part. I've been sticking some sort of recording device in their face since the time the doctor brought them into this world.

Today's tech gadgets make is SO easy for parents to create, produce and share content. These gadgets turn the least tech saavy dad into the next Martin Scorsese. Aim, shoot, download, post and share. That's pretty much the process (with a few minor technical details in between).

The best part of it all is that I love doing it. Not only am I producing high quality images and high def video, I'm creating a treasure chest of memories that my kids will have for their rest of their lives (less any major computer crashes, drive failures, etc. - back-up is a post for another day).

Will my kids appreciate it when they have families of their own? I hope so because I'm having fun doing it. I just hope that they won't mind five cargo loads of external hard drives dropped off at their door step someday.

Some of my favorite memories:

Read more!

There are Social Media "Experts" and People That Just Know Their $@&*$

The social media space is filled with lots of "conversations." It's a bunch of talk about talking, about interacting, about socializing, about nothing really.

The recent conversation has been about the relaunch of Facebook's interface. Some people like it. Some people hate it. I'm indifferent really. However, my colleague poses a great question about what the new design means for the front runner of micro-blogging, Twitter. He calls it the Twitterfication of Facebook.

Dave just gets it. He doesn't come across like an "expert." He's the Coach Bobby Knight of social media if you will:

For you social-media-minded peeps out there and fans of Facebook and Twitter, this Twitterfication of Facebook post is a must read.

Read more!

How to avoid being a new media DB

Am I am new media DB?



Hope not. I hope I'm creating content that people WANT to read instead of just pumping out content to gain more followers on Twitter.

What's truth telling about this video is the fact that it's pretty much dead on with about 85% of the new media "experts" out there. Lots of talk. Lots of tagging. Lots of posting. Lots and lots of lots of stuff. Volume, volume and more volume. Those actually something of relevance to you or your company are the ones to pay attention to. Then again, not all content speaks to everyone and as such, not all new media "experts" are "experts" in the eyes of all.

So what does all this mean? Why all the double talk? Well, most of what I read comes across as double talk. This isn't brain surgery here people. Simply find relevance for your content and read people that provide relevance to you. That's how you avoid being a new media DB. Provide value to SOMEONE (preferably groups of people) and you should avoid being labeled as such. Read more!

#NGOSM09 Recap

As previously posted, I attended a Council on PR Firms event today titled, "Thriving and Surviving in Uncertain Times: Digital Marketing Techniques for Non-Profits."

Here are my observations, take-a-ways, etc:

- Not many NGOs are using Twitter. Geez guys, talk about missing a MASSIVE opportunity to network with like-minded people, cultivate better relationships and put your organization's message right under their nose...all day long.

- When thinking about utilizing social media, NGOs should determine first if a social media strategy right from them. Secondly, if it is, prioritize your efforts because you can't do it all at once. Thirdly, make sure you have the right resources. Lastly, integrate social media into your existing marketing initiatives.

- Search Engine Optimization should be the best friend of every NGO. When people search for things on Google, they don't search for brands. They are searching for something specific like energy efficient windows vs. Harvey Windows. Getting in-tune with how the web views and delivers your content via search engines is critical. Be sure that your blog posts are titled correctly so that it can be found. Do not use "click here" with your links because your content won't be found. NGOs need to work with their marketing team and their web development team and make sure they are on the same page, using the same terminology, etc. The terms you use in SEO should be driven through the prism of your mission.

- NGOs should be using Twitter as a discovery tool. Use it to connect to people generating content that is aligned with your organizations mission. If your posts are compelling enough, they will follow and in turn, exposing your content to their network...and so on and so on...eg the social media ripple effect.

- Should NGOs create a Twitter for the organization or should someone Twitter on behalf of an organization? The group was torn on this. There are reasons to use Twitter under the protection of a brand, i.e. HomeDepot (promoting sales, giving tips, etc.) and there is a reason to Twitter under your name but on behalf of your organization. The key to both is on-message subject matter and transparency.

- Interesting stat of the day: In 1997, total donations accepted via mobile devices was $300k. In 2009, that number is projected to be $5 million. Great mobile giving tools include mGive, Mobile Giving Foundation and MobileActive.

- Before an NGO dives into social media, be sure that your Web 1.0 presence is in tact. If your organization's website is static and hasn't been updated since 2001, how in the world are you going to take advantage of social media?

- If you are creating video, be sure to hit your audience hard with your message within the first 13-15 seconds as that's the average viewing time for videos on YouTube. Wow, talking about the LACK of attention span, huh?

All in all the event was great for newbies, of which there were a ton, to social media, Folks from NGOs walked out thinking that social media is a legit marketing tool and nothing to be scared about. It's effective in reaching audiences in a sniper sort of way versus shotgun. And the best part and probably the most attractive to NGOs is that these technologies are available to them at little to no cost.

The biggest thing I hope NGOs got out of today's session was to try and learn. Develop your strategies. Hone your messaging. Know your audiences. Then utilize any and all social media tools that match up with the content needs of your audience.

Try and learn. Read more!

Who is going to "own" social media in 2009?

Doing a little social media reading this morning and I came across a post that outlines who is going to take control of social media in 2009.

The four groups that are said to have an opportunity to control social are (grossly going to summarize here):

Advertising - they create tons of content that is viewed by millions and can have a huge impact on brand awareness, ad reps should control social media.

Digital - because social media is ALL online, the gear heads should control social media.

Public Relations - PRs help clients yap to their audiences so the PRs should control social media because it's all about the "conversation."

Client - in the end, the other three are working on behalf of the client, the client should own the conversation. consumers want to interact with the brand, not the Ad/Digital/PR hacks.

All great thinking here. However, there's one group that's missing and is THE most important - the audience.

At the end of the day, content is created for consumers. At the end of the day, if you're a mommy blogger, a hard working dad, an entrepreneur or a c-suite type, you're a consumer. Social media content IS created for the consumer. Consumers drive brand loyalty. Consumers can smash the marketing dreams of a client with a popular blog post. Consumers create and maintain the "buzz." Consumers are in the drivers seat and will be in control of social media in 2009.

The question is, however, how to ad/digital/pr/clients plug into the consumer control?

Well, here's my two-cent opinion:

Advertising: Consumers know what they want and don't want to be talked to. Advertising will have to plug into this mentality and reinforce what consumers want - an affirmation or reinforcement. Rarely will consumers make a purchase decision based on advertising alone.

Digital: These are the gear heads creating all the cool content on the web. They will be creating and launching the tools for which the message will be delivered - widgets, blogs, micro-sites, video, etc.

PR: Us PRs will help develop what the key messages are. We will continue to evaluate the message and if it's resonating with consumers and help clients stay above the curve, driving the conversation.

Clients: Clients will control the other three groups because they have the budget. They will rely on the other three groups for guidance, but will have some good opinions as to execution because they are starting to get more in-tune with the entire social media scene. They will also remain hesitant because social media is still the wild wild west. They will need good advice and real case studies to help them make purchasing decisions.

At the end of the day, the four groups will have to work in-sync in order to meet the content needs of consumers. Additionally, these groups will band together to propose new ideas, new products and new "conversations" that will be tested against needs of consumers. It'll be like a rolling focus group, but instead of 50 people in two groups, it'll be billions of people, everyday, all day...always changing, always being tweaked.

There will be more FAIL concepts in 2009 than WIN concepts. However, those that WIN, will be big because they will rise to the top of the convo clutter and really engage consumers and activate them. They will take off like the popularity of Facebook in the last half of 2008.

It will be an exciting year for consumers on the social media scene. The four groups mentioned above will be at the mercy of consumers, a group that can crush a brand in 140 characters or less.

Just my $.02. What do you think? Read more!

Obama Weekly Address, Dec. 6, 2008

I enjoying watching President Elect Obama's weekly address...on YouTube.

How strange is to say those two words in the same sentence - President-Elect and YouTube?

Obama's use of social media is a case study in the making. Twenty-five years from now when weekly addresses via web 10.0 are the norm, we'll be looking back at Obama's ground-breaking strategy to use every communication channel he can to get his message out there.

This week he hits on critical issues like the economy, technology in the classroom, infrastructure and healthcare - all issues that no matter what side of the isle you are on, you can resonate with.

He talks about the importance of upgrading all schools in this country so they are state-of-the-art. Now, I know that's a very tall task, but imagine an infusion in cash that rebuilds all schools in your city/town? There would no longer be a battle by parents to get their kids in to the best looking schools from a brick and mortar perspective (though what's happening inside is probably more important). However, Obama also talks about putting the best technology in the classroom possible. I couldn't agree more. He states that in order for our kids to be competitive in this global marketplace, they are going to be tech-saavy - and when I say they, I mean everyone - not just privileged kids.

Watch the video. It's short and to the point. Not that I want to fast forward time, but I am looking forward to seeing how this man will impact our country and, in turn, history.

Read more!

If you're using Facebook...

...you'd probably like Twitter. I won't get into the details here, but I've mentioned my use of it from time to time. It's another way to keep in touch with family, friends, business associates, high school buddies, etc. It has personal and businesses uses and is still a relatively "unknown" in terms of it's power.

In recent months, I've noticed more and more people migrating to Facebook from MySpace. The same will happen with Facebook to Twitter. Don't let me tell you I told you so. At the end of the day, social media is about connecting with people and while passing a drink to your buddy is fun, it really doesn't provide value to that relationship - the conversation does. That's what's happening on Twitter. There are a slew of competitors, but they will all face the wrath that one did earlier this week purely because Twitter has a stronghold on the micro-blogging market for sure.

Lots of people are using it: celebs, musicians, athletes, moms, social media experts, advertising personalities (the "I'm a PC" guy), actors (dude from Hero's) and brands that you might like, etc.

Thanks to @ecmsl for the plug on this story that basically gives you the Twitter 101. Read more!

Twitpic hacked?

To those of you who use Twitpic, please beware that your account might be hacked or at some point, might get hacked.

I posted something today and immediately after it showed up in my Twitter stream, another post appeared that said something like "my kids are impressed with my new job at the pet store." When I clicked on the link it brought me to my Twitpic stream and the picture that was shown was of two kittens doing the nasty.

I changed my pin on my Twitpic email address to see if that did the trick. I posted something and haven't seen any spam posts following it. Think that did the trick. My advice folks is to change you pin when you get a chance.

Why would people even bother trying to figure something like that out? It's stupid. Read more!

What does your Manga look like?

To some this is old news, to others it might be new. The rage these days is to head over to FaceYourManga, build your look-a-like avatar and post it to your socialnet sites.

Here's mine:

What does yours look like? Read more!

Plaxo and Photos

Yesterday I ranted about getting an email from Plaxo about a survey they were pushing. They are polling their users as to their likes, dislikes, interests, thoughts, etc. on online photo sharing in general and possible photo sharing integration into the Plaxo service.

I clicked the link in the email and got nada, zippo, zero, nothing. The link didn't work. A short time after that, via the power of socialnet, I received a twitter message from @plaxo who informed me that the reason the link didn't work was because of the service they were using. That's cool. Stuff happens.

In my post yesterday, I said I wasn't going to take the survey. They lost me. Once the link went no where, I bailed. Then I got the twitter message and thought to myself:

"Well, if they took the time to read my post, contacted me about the problem, they deserve to get my input, especially as a photo enthusiast."

So I did, I took the survey. It was painless. So to @plaxo, if you're reading, here is a readers digest version of my answers to your questions:

Integration. Don't try and be yet another place where I have to put my pictures. Take a page out of Facebook and put the pictures in the user stream. You will never replace sites like Flickr for example. The only way that will happen is if you offer some sort of tool(s) that other sites don't. Maybe partner with Adobe and get access to some of the online Photoshop services so folks can tweak pictures in Plaxo.

My point? The wheel has already been invented. Just get in the car and join the carpool. You guys are great at contact management and connecting those that want to network with like-minded professionals. Keep improving that aspect of your service. Leave the photo stuff to those that have already perfected it. Read more!

Hey Plaxo, you want me to take your survey? Turn on the link.

Got an email from the "Plaxo Team" this morning, asking me to take a survey about photo sharing. You see, I'm a PR guy. We love data, especially when it backs up our claims. So, whenever I come across a survey, I'll take it. I know how important the data is. When I checked my email this morning and saw the note from Plaxo about a survey, I said to myself, why not, let's help 'em out.

Here's the email:

Dear Plaxo User,

Thanks for using Plaxo. We'd like to learn more about how you share
photos.

Your input helps us make our service better for all our users. And,
completing the survey only takes about 5 minutes.

Please click the link below to begin the survey:

http://www.plaxo.com/click?key=survey_080715a&src=email_survey_080715a

Thanks for helping us make Plaxo better than ever.

The Plaxo Team

As of 8am EST the link wasn't working. Instead of the survey, I got:

This survey is currently closed. Please contact the author of this survey for further assistance.

I know this isn't breaking news nor can it ruin the reputation of Plaxo, but seriously folks, if you want user feedback make sure your survey link is working. You've basically lost one respondent because now I won't take the survey. You've already lost my attention.

And oh, I'm a semi-pro photographer so I'm guessing I would have some pretty good insight as to trends in online photo sharing.

Good luck with your survey. Read more!

Social Network preferences tied to ethnicity

Read this story this morning about a recent study on online behaviors. It talks about the online habits of males vs. females, Hispanics and African-Americans. The cross section of data is interesting to me as a PR professional and one who looks to infuse digital PR into all our client programs.

Data like this is critical to hacks like me because the PR/marketing/communication game has become so one-to-one or very granular. Shotgun approaches are dead. The tough thing is to get our hands on real data like this. It's becoming harder and harder to track online usage patterns and even harder to marketing to specific groups without that data.

Wish there were more resources out there that we, as PRs, can use to help with client programs. If we're really embracing a free Internet, such data should also be free.

Read more!

Is Twitter the new Comcast?

Lots of chatter online about the Twitter capacity issue. Super duper blogger Robert Scoble first rumored to be the architect behind a recent Twitter melt down. Then the two sides came together for a peace offering. Now, another super duper blogger site Mashable comments on the issue saying that we might have seen the lifespan of Twitter - 1.85 years.

Here's the deal as I see it. Twitter heads had no clue how popular their service would be. How could they? It's taken off in popularity faster than the shuttle races towards the moon. It's going to take some time to iron out the kinks, but the key will be Twitter keeping their users engaged and informed. If they don't, they might see a mass exodus to Tumblr. Even Twitter is using Tumblr to talk about status updates.

I guess that won't happen, but as @shelisrael pointed out to me...most of the folks I (he and others) follow, are on twitter. So not until some of the more popular social media gurus move to another service, will the pack follow.

Imagine the upheaval it would cause in the social media world is such an incident would take place.
Read more!

Facebook party over?

CNet ran a story today about the Facebook party being over or should I say that it's use as a social media platform for marketers is declining.

I can see why this is happening. Things happen online so quickly. Things go away online just as quick. Simply put, I think consumers are just tired of constantly being marketing to. We want to use these sites to have fun, network, chat with friends, have live conversations about things that are important to us. We don't want products slammed down our throat in the middle of that conversation. And no, I will not accept the party invitation NOR accept the "have a drink on me" invitation you sent me.

I prefer to seek out the marketing messages that are important to me, i.e. when I'm searching for something, need info about a product or an event, I want to be able to find it in timely fashion. I'd rather not be marketed to based on my user preferences and online habits that some robot is tracking.

Facebook isn't going away. It's still a useful tool communications tool. However, it's use as a marketing channel, like Myspace, has seen it's better days - even though those days seem like a week ago. Read more!

Can you die from over-blogging?

The Time has a piece today about the burdens of blogging for those that do it professionally or at least get paid for it. The question posed, is blogging coming at the expense of our health, mental stability and, gulp, life?

Two weeks ago in North Lauderdale, Fla., funeral services were held for Russell Shaw, a prolific blogger on technology subjects who died at 60 of a heart attack. In December, another tech blogger, Marc Orchant, died at 50 of a massive coronary. A third, Om Malik, 41, survived a heart attack in December.

I love blogging. I love social media. I love following the trends. I love writing about them. I love interacting with smart people online. That's why I do it. Not because I get paid to do it (though I think that would be cool). I guess if I was in the "I get paid to blog" category, I would want to be the type that visitors were interested in my style of writing, my online personality, my wit, my jokes, my honesty, etc. I wouldn't want the pressures of being a breaking news blogger. No more are the days that you pick up the newspaper and there is "breaking" news in it. Breaking news happens all the time and by the time it's actually covered by the print media, it's old news. If any outlet has it the easiest, I guess it's broadcast. They can shoot and throw on the tube within seconds. Then again, they have to have the footage. If not, then we're just looking at talking heads.

Same goes for the social media reporters. It takes them a little time to gather their thoughts, write the post, quickly edit, and then go live.

However, micro-blogging sites like Twitter have now changed the game completely. All you need is a good story and 140 characters and you're breaking news. Check Mashable for an example of that. They are always breaking tech news. Steve Garfield and Steve Rubel are two other examples.

So while blogging is fun, informative and a great source for all the news that's fit to print, I don't think it's a real cause for people kicking the bucket. It might lead to unhealthy eating and abnormal sleeping habits. People just need to get a grip. Let's be smarter about what we are writing instead of always trying to beat the other guy. Yes, we need people to cover breaking news, but there has to be a balance of writing smart posts that really add to the value of the story versus pumping out 140 characters just to gain ad revenue. Read more!

Deceased teen parents sue MySpace

Here's a story out of Texas that caught my attention.

THE FAMILY OF A CALIFORNIA teen who committed suicide has sued MySpace in state court in Texas, charging that the company was negligent for enabling an alleged sexual predator to victimize their daughter.

In the lawsuit, the parents allege that Texas resident Kiley Ryan Bowers, now serving a nine-year prison term in California, "utilized the site to contact, seduce, meet, assault and then harass and torment" their 15-year-old daughter, Kristin Helms. Bowers pleaded guilty last year to two counts of interstate travel to have sex with a minor and transporting child pornography. Helms committed suicide while an investigation against him was pending.

We live in a digital age when younger generations are extremely open about what they share to strangers online. Parents have to pay closer attention to what their kids do online so these sort of things don't happen. Parents need to talk to their kids and be involved in their lives more than ever. Kids might hate it, but it can be balanced so your kids don't hate you for it. Better to be safe than sorry.

Tragic, yet classic story. What the hell were her parents doing in terms of monitoring her social life - not just after school hanging out but her online social life?

Read more!

Influencing the Influencers, i.e. Me Influencing Greg Brady

So, a week or so ago, I posted this about my fascination with the new Greg Brady Project. I've been following the posts regularly and then stumbled upon this post - basically about the Greg Brady iconic brand.

My idea. They stole my idea. So I posted something of that nature proclaiming my brilliance.

Just a short while ago, I'm checking my gmail and get this (in comment form) from Derrick Daye, one of the bloggers over at the Greg Brady Project:

Don,

Thanks for your post. I'm going to beat Barry to this and post a comment. You inspired us.

Is social media for everyone?

Yes it is.

Derrick Daye
TheGregBradyProject.com

I love his sign off. Yes, social media IS for everyone. How else can a kid from Cambridge, who now is married with two kids, living a normal, middle class life, impact the subject matter of what is becoming a very popular blog?

The answer? Social media. Anyone can connect with anyone online. It doesn't matter where you came from. What tax bracket you're in. What skin color you have. What your waist line is. What sports team you like.

Simply put, these interwebs are pretty darn cool. Read more!

Tumblr desktop app?

Is there a desktop for Tumblr? Read more!