Archive for December, 2008
Predictions in Social Media for 2009
Wednesday, December 31st, 20081
As the economy continues to frantically zig and zag, LinkedIn usage will accelerate.
2
Twitter will be forced to monetize or it will be eaten and digested by the Fail Whale.
3
More and more businesses will realize that social media is an effective way to retain customers.
4
Sites that use black-hat SEO will start to look extremely dated as people catch on to more effective ways to get their content indexed by the search engines.
5
Newspapers will embrace blogs more fully. This arranged marriage of old and new media will creative dozens of Gawker-like networks slanted toward local content.
6
iPhone App Designer will be the next hot job title.
7
Effective market research will mean more lurking online and less lurking behind two-way mirrors.
8
Successful Mom & Pop shops will tend to be international, online businesses more than local, brick and mortar businesses.
9
YouTube comments will continue to make us doubt our faith in humanity.
10
It will be a very interesting year.
Social Media Marketing Isn’t Free but it is Terribly Efficient
Tuesday, December 30th, 2008Everyone loves parties. Everyone loves social media. So why not make an analogy that ties them together right? Right. That’s what Pete Spande from his blog “Continuous Beta” has done. We’ve posted this great analogy below.
“$$$$$ You could rent a space, spare no cost and have the finest chefs and entertainers pulling out all the stops to make your party a success. Let’s say we get performers from Cirque du Soleil, Paul McCartney/Radiohead/Jay Z/Foo Fighters/ or similar with Wolfgang Puck doing the cooking… want to come?
$$$$ Instead of renting a hall/room you can have the party catered at your house/office.
$$$ Instead of hiring a caterer you could make the food yourself. Of course, you must know how to cook.
$$ Instead of making food you could have your guests bring the food.
$ You could meet in the park/beach/coffee shop and just hang out.
As the cost goes down, the investment in the relationship goes up with those that attend. I’m quite confident I could fill a hall with people if I had the best band, chef, location, etc. The number of people who would meet me in a park to hang out is much lower but the people who would come mean much more to me.”
This entry is courtesy of Pete Spande and his blog “Continuous Beta“. Here’s the link to the Original Post.
Ask the Social Media Guy: How do I make new friends online?
Monday, December 29th, 2008Q: How do I make new friends online?
A:
So you’ve popped onto Facebook, uploaded your email address book, and everyone you went to high school with has decided to friend you, even though they’d never speak to you back in the day.
But you want to meet new people—perhaps in your industry, perhaps in your town, perhaps you just want to connect with someone you admire. Fantastic!
And here’s the real secret as to why social media has taken off so quickly: we’re all only one email away from everyone else in the world. Forget Kevin Bacon and his 6 degrees. You’re only one digital degree—one email, tweet, poke, or link—away from everyone.
Now, to answer your question: Connect through the social media hubs you hang out on—it’s the best way to turn a cold contact to a warm one. If you can’t connect through those organic channels, sending a email or an IM isn’t something to be afraid of.
Tell whoever you’re contacting how you know about them. Where, what site, what friend-of-a-friend, or what company—make sure they know you’re not a spam-bot by proving you’re paying attention.
Then ask a question or offer something to the person you’re contacting. You want to start a conversation, not just send a digital postcard. If you can start a conversation, you can start a friendship.
Have a Q for us? Shoot it to askus@springcreekgroup.com
Social Media = Blue Jeans
Tuesday, December 23rd, 2008It’s not a fad. It’s too comfortable, personable, and durable to be a fad.
Non-professionals owned it first. Now it’s in all sorts of corner offices.
There are a thousand and one ways to make it your own.
If you don’t have any, people think you’re old and stodgy.
The more often you use it, the more comfortable it gets.
The best brand of it is the one you look best in.
Patches can fix embarrassing security flaws.
Everybody has their own variations on it: even moms.
When it was first invented, nobody saw how much it would influence culture.
The right fit can make you feel amazing.
Invented during a San Francisco gold rush.
An open letter to Traditional Marketers
Friday, December 19th, 2008Dear Traditional Marketers,
Let’s be friends.
Look, we know that social media is exciting. It’s new. It’s really interesting. Yes, it’s changing how we reach people, but it’s not replacing all other forms of marketing.
A lot of social media experts, gurus, and assorted web-enthusiasts are so gung-ho about social media that they’re bashing all other forms of communication and marketing. They’re claiming that social media will make all other media irrelevant.
We don’t think that’s very nice. It’s not very smart, either. Social media is just one spoke in the wheel of a smart campaign. Advertising, PR, Event Planning, Promotions—those are important spokes as well.
The best media is the media that fulfils actual client strategies and reaches the right audience. If that’s social media: great. If it’s a direct mail campaign: great. If it’s a blimp floating above the Super Bowl: great.
Social media is a great complement to any campaign. It can amplify and clarify traditional vehicles and it can enable review and measurement of those vehicles. But if it’s the only line item in the media plan, that media plan is woefully anemic.
As marketers, we’re all after the same goal: to make our clients successful. We won’t be able to do that unless we drop the silos and put all of our media options into the same, integrated plan.
So, let’s work together. We’ll all do better, and so will our clients.
Let us know when you want to grab a coffee—our treat.
Sincerely,
The Spring Creek Group
Irony in social media.
Tuesday, December 16th, 2008If you’re addicted to the internet, here’s a site to bookmark.
While you’re there, go ahead and put the blog to put in your reader, too.
Ask the Social Media Guy: Pink slip 2.0
Monday, December 15th, 2008Q:
I just got laid off. How can social media help me get a new gig?
A:
Your pink slip is a great opportunity to embed yourself into the social media landscape.
Not only can you forge new connections, get back in touch with old contacts, and brand yourself online, but you can also make yourself more valuable to future employers. And we all know that “more valuable” is secret business code for “more expensive.”
You need to set up profiles (the more detailed and numerous, the better) on (at the very least) LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. You can use one of those pages as your homepage, or you can set up a blog (it’s simple and free, unless you want to get fancy) at WordPress, Blogger, or Tumblr. Look for industry-specific niche sites, too.
Post your resumé, pieces of work if you have them, and enough about you that your personality (effervescent and charming—never desperate, bitter or depressed) and skill-set are obvious.
Ask everyone in your address book who isn’t a spammer to post about your plight and pass on your information. What you know is who you know—especially now that social media is becoming a dominant form of media.
Not only should you work all the contacts you already have, but you should reach out and make new ones. If you’re introverted, fake being a people-person online (at least until you land a gig) and you’ll eat less ramen.
Frankly, laid-off or not, everyone needs to have their profiles in good shape online. It’s 2008, and there’s really no excuse for not having an online presence. The most important reference that ant employer will check is Google. If Google doesn’t know you, then nobody does.
If you have a name like Joe Smith, Michael Jackson, Jane Doe, or Alex Rodriguez, you have my sympathy. Google will not give your resume much love. Try to include your middle name if your name is ordinary, in order to give those searching for you a better chance of finding you. Always include your desired job title in your profiles, too. That way, if someone searches for “Jim Jones” + “VP of Sales,” they’ll have a better chance of finding Jimmy and offering him a job as an administrative assistant.
Now that you’ve put up as much info as you can, search for yourself, and if you find anything embarrassing or non-professional, do whatever you can to take it down. Bribery is encouraged in such situations.
Good luck. Oh, and one last hint: the shrimp-flavored ramen will give you nightmares and rashes. Always go for the chicken-flavor instead.
Have a Q for us? Shoot it over to askus@springcreekgroup.com
Don’t believe everything you read online.
Wednesday, December 10th, 2008
As the Social Media Guy: I want my website to go viral. How do I do that?
Tuesday, December 9th, 2008A:
Viral is a term that’s easily misused: it can’t be planned, and it can’t be predicted. it can only be hoped for. Besides, a site won’t go “viral,” only content can do that. Be careful not to confuse compelling content for a sticky website.
Oh, and your website will not be getting you the traffic you covet. Your content will. So let’s concentrate on that. What you want is a lot of traffic, and fast. For that, you need to do something unique, memorable, and sharable. Easy, right? Of course it is!
Here are ten surefire ways to attract a lot of online attention:
1.
Conceive a baby with someone famous, and talk about it to anyone who’ll listen. If you can do this, odds are you need a publicist, not just a social media plan, and she’ll handle your online brand for you. (Federline)
2.
Position very young puppies and kittens in front of your webcam (replace them frequently, you don’t want any fuzzy animals older than 8 weeks). (Shiba Inus)
3.
Do something hilarious involving a video game and/or a paintball gun.(Penny Arcade)
4.
Write lyrics referencing a current event that fit perfectly with the melody of a 1980s top ten hit, then sing your song badly and post the video. (Chocolate Rain, et al)
5.
Leak company documents referring to impending layoffs, and use really cruel language to describe the PR you’re going to unleash on the day of the mass-exodus. (Carat)
6.
Teach an infant to swear. Post the video. (Anonymous parents and/or Wil Ferrell)
7.
Give people something they really need, but didn’t even know was possible. Go back to school if necessary. (Nate Silver)
8.
Be the most interesting guy in your industry—it helps to be good looking, but not so good looking that you’re intimidating. (there are as many examples as there are industries)
9.
Perform an extraordinary and anonymous act of heroism or charity, then decline interviews until three days after the event. (Secret Santas, subway heroes)
10.
Take a picture of something freaky, like this possibly demonic child. Never leave your house without your camera.
(see flickr)
Have a Q for us? Shoot it over to askus@springcreekgroup.com
Social media love: give & you shall receive.
Friday, December 5th, 2008You want to make your brand a beloved entity online? Be generous. Be helpful. Commit random acts of branded-kindness. Your efforts will be greatly rewarded.
When a gamer named Nathaniel had his signed (in sharpie marker, by big names in gaming) Xbox returned from service wiped clean of autographs, game developer Bungie of Halo fame saw his blog post and sent him an Xbox signed by their entire team, as well as a box of Bungie schwagg.
Nathaniel was thrilled, and his blog post about the kindness of strangers became gamer gospel. Bungie earned brownie points and buzz by the truckload: all for the cost of an Xbox, a few things they had lying around the office anyway, and postage.
