Archive for September, 2009
Building Campaigns That Work
Wednesday, September 30th, 2009
Yes, social media is great. Yes, social media is the hot topic right now. Yes, social media is what we have a passion for and what we, here at Spring Creek Group, love to talk about. However, it’s not the end all.
The fact of the matter is, regardless of what’s hot and what area of communications and marketing we here at Spring Creek Group work in, we recognize the importance of fluid, cohesive campaigns— all aimed at similar goals.
We see ourselves here at SCG sitting basically in the middle of the marketing triangle, which is why we see the importance of putting together the right team around a campaign. That’s why we have team members from the PR world sitting next to those from the analytics world who sit across from people from the advertising world – it’s an amalgamation, not superiority in one part of the marketing mix that is driving brands today. By having team members with different backgrounds, it helps us work with partner agencies because we’ve been there and done that.
We’ve been the player. We’ve been the coach. Heck, we’ve even pulled the Pete Rose player/coach (but stayed away from the betting. We’re still hoping to get in the HOF).
Here are our tips to building your marketing dream team:
Zen and the Art of Social Media Studies
Thursday, September 17th, 2009
Harvard Business School professor Mikolaj Jan Piskorski has been studying users of social media for years, and he recently shared some of his findings with the Harvard Business Journal. He also shared them with the Internet, which, these days, means he shared them with everyone.
There’s nothing really groundbreaking in any of his findings or conclusions, but to see them all laid out in front of us the way this article does is soothing, to say the least. He (and more importantly in this case, the writer of the article) has taken the sometimes overwhelming facts, findings, and figures flying willy-nilly around in the social media ecosystem and arranged them into a lovely little Zen garden of wonky social media serenity.
Adding to our general sense of tranquility is the simple fact that esteemed old-school establishments like the Harvard Business School are digging into the channels in the first place. When fair Harvard’s academic researchers (and not just its former students) start holding sway o’er old Facebook, it’s safe to assume that when it comes to social media, we’re no longer dealing with some kind of passing fad.
Some of the observations that stuck out:
People Don’t Like Reading: “People just love to look at pictures. . . that’s the killer app of all online social networks. Seventy percent of all actions are related to viewing pictures or viewing other people’s profiles.”
Gender Dynamics on Twitter: “According to the research, there are more women on Twitter than men, women tweet about the same rate as men, but men’s tweets are followed by both sexes much more than expected by chance.”
Well, It Makes Sense When You Think About It: A large chunk of MySpace users are typically from smaller communities in the south and central parts of the country.
“Alabama, Arkansas, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Florida. They aren’t in Dallas but they are in Fort Worth. Not in Miami but in Tampa. They’re in California, but in cities like Fresno. In other words, not anywhere near the media hubs (except Atlanta) and far away from those elite opinion-makers in coastal urban areas.”
Since online music and bands are MySpace’s bread and butter (link that proves this), the idea that people huddle online around music more when they live in places that are interested in music but have a relatively hard time being able to go see/hear it is a completely logical idea.
Here’s our favorite part, from the “social strategy” section:
“For one thing, findings show that people don’t click through on advertising on social networks. ‘A good analogy is to imagine sitting at a table with friends when a stranger pulls up a chair, sits down, and tries to sell you something while you are talking to your friends. You will not get far with a strategy like this. To be successful, you need to shift your mindset from social media to social strategy.’”
This paragraph, if nothing else, is what it all boils down to: social media, and the Internet as a whole, is not something meant to be reflexively observed. It’s not a book to be printed, read, and put back on the shelf when you’re done with it. It’s all part of a living, breathing organism, one that is born and bred for interaction and engagement. The days of simply buying an ad, then sitting back, doing nothing, and waiting for it to do its work are over.
Just understanding your audience isn’t enough- you need to know how to use that understanding in order to effectively interact with not only the environment, but the people in it. It’s all well and good to know your garden, but it’s how you get involved and interact– how well you rake the sand– that’s the real key.
Sometimes It’s Both: Writing for the Social Web
Monday, September 14th, 2009
You’ve heard that it’s not what you say, but how you say it that triggers that “buy” part of someone’s brain. In a world where everything you say is broadcast to your network and beyond, the importance of the actual words is shining through as those messages fall into the streams of those who might not know you and your style.
Sarcasm has been at war with the Web since the ICQ days. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve typed something that sounded perfect in my head, only to realize that the recipient wouldn’t get the point because I said it sarcastically. Here are five tips to writing well for the social Web that will help you avoid the sarcasm void and other missteps along the way:
Write Well – I usually lead with this tip when people ask about blogging, because I’m a journalist at heart. Writing well means using correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar – regardless of if it’s a tweet, blog post, or Facebook update. I cringe whenever I see a post from a C-level executive containing spelling errors. Yes, space can be limiting, but sacrifice filler before you sacrifice readability. When I write something that is too long, I take out all the fluff before I start abbreviating.
Avoid Hyperbole – The Web is one of the most skeptical environments you’ll find, other than walking into a skeptics convention wearing your “We Landed on the Moon” t-shirt. Being honest in your writing will go a long way in convincing the public of your message. Avoid things like “HUGE NEWS” and simply linking to your Facebook profile (if not for honesty’s sake, at least because UNNECESSARY CAPITALIZATION IS ANNOYING). Web users are savvy and will take the time to dig for the truth.
Use Your Inside Voice – While the Web can seem like a shouting match, it’s not always a place where the team with the bullhorn wins. Just like that crying baby on the plane from Seattle to San Francisco, eventually people learn to tune it out. Know your audience and speak to them, the others will come along.
Do Things by the (Style) Book – I’ve professed my love of all things Associated Press before, but if you’re looking to get your tweet, post, or any other sort of Web-based communication picked up by anyone with access to a teleprompter or major news network Website, you’re going to want to make it easy on them. By knowing little things like AP abbreviations for states , or which schools are actually in the Ivy League (challenge: see if you can name them), reporters and those holding the velvet rope back will be more inclined to let you and your message through.
Choose Your Words Carefully – Once your tweet, blog post, Facebook update, or any number of other forms of communication hit the Web, they’re out there. At that point you can only wait and see if the words you crafted are received and interpreted as you intended. So choose your words carefully– not only because you’re dealing with limited time and space, but also because you only get one chance to write and share a piece.
Have any other tips for writing for the social Web? Let us know.
Spring Creek Group Sponsors Upcoming Twestival
Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009
Spring Creek Group is extremely pleased to announce our sponsorship of the upcoming Twestival to benefit YouthCare, a local leader in providing services to homeless and underserved youth. The Twestival will be held at Spitfire Grill on September 12, at 7 p.m. We hope that you can all attend and contribute to this extremely worthy cause.
For more information on the Twestival, or to see how you can take part, please visit the Twestival homepage or follow @TwestivalSEA.
