Follower Fail: Like Us ... Or Else

In between creating marketing strategies for clients, launching new projects, and spending time with the hubs and kidlets, I've developed a bit of a secret stress-relief habit that I'm really not too proud of and certainly didn't ever want to share with my friends and clients.

But, for the sake of my clients and helping them learn from bad social media marketing examples, I'm coming clean. Here it goes ...

I am a fan of those certain "real" housewives. Doesn't even matter which town - the OC, Beverly Hills, New Jersey, the ATL, or even the completely dull DC cast, I turn off my brain and happily watch their over-funded, often near-hysterical antics.

In fact, every now and then during the work day, I would even go to a certain gossip website that dished the dirt on the "characters" of the Beverly Hills cast. I liked to quickly peek in there, like when you're on line in the grocery store and you browse the tabloid headlines when you think no one is looking. (Come on, you do, don't you?)

And this is where I encountered that really poor example of social media marketing I mentioned.

After perusing the home page list of salacious headlines, I selected one, clicked, and received the following page:

As you can see, after just a few lines, a little purple ad box with no "close" button covered the copy. Not paying much attention and not even reading the ad box, I back buttoned it to the home page headlines, selected another, clicked, only to have the same thing happen again. Looking at the box more closely, I realized it said this:
Basically, to read the article, the website was forcing me to "like" them on Facebook. Where the whole world would see that not only do I like those real housewives, I tend to frequent a gossip website that discusses their important issues - like getting a nose job before season 7 begins. The humiliation - right?

Then, I began thinking about it like a marketer. First, this little ad was literally forcing me to do something I didn't want to do, giving me a bad feeling about a brand I had been fond of; effectively giving me an instant negative opinion of that brand.

Then I thought, what if you switched the venue from an online site to a brick and mortar store? Say you like specific type of underwear from Kmart, or you like bargains at TJ Maxx, but don't want people to know. One day you go to the store and before you can enter, an associate bars the way and makes you yell at the top of your lungs, "I like Kmart's 100% Cotton Beige Granny Panties and am about to purchase some right now!"

Which brings me to my point - we must always remember that communicating with our target audiences online is as personal an experience as communicating with them in real life, because even though they can't be seen through the monitor, they are still real people.

To be successful in online marketing, the same rules for professionalism, courtesy, and dare I say it, discretion and privacy, must apply when we communicate with customers and potential customers online.

Have you ever had an experience online like this? How did you feel? React?

Five for Friday: Facebook Edition

It's been a while since our last Five for Friday, so we're bringing it back with a special Facebook edition. Here are four informative run-downs of the recent Facebook changes and how they will impact your small business Facebook page. And of course, one fun link. Happy Friday!



"Like" Is Not Enough"
Getting many followers to "like" your page is no longer enough. If you already have a Facebook business page, over the past couple weeks you've probably noticed that announcement telling you that as of October 31, key tab features as Blog, Discussion, and Review are going away. Users can also now click a little tab located to the right of each post, and mark it as a "top story", "hide it", report it as spam, or worst of all, "hide all." Users can now sort their Facebook friends and likes into groups, creating further need for engaging content to win their eyeballs. This means that what was a best practice just a few weeks ago - providing content that users actually want to communicate with - has now become the only way to remain relevant and have your marketing messages touch your consumers. This Mashable article, "What Facebook's Changes Mean for Marketers" is a great overview to what your business page will need to do to move ahead sucessfully on the "new" Facebook.

Contextual Sharing Is Key
Contextual sharing is the buzz phrase of the day, but go ahead try and find a (not so) concise definition of it. Simply put, in the terms of this Facebook discussion, it means that when a Facebook user is using a specific app, such as the digital music service Spotify, they can click a setting prompt once and then each time they listen to Spotify, it shares the title of each song they listen to in the new Ticker in real time. To find out what this can mean for your Facebook page and your followers, here are two great articles, "How Facebook's Features Will Affect Digital Marketers" and "Facebook Changes Again: Everything You Need to Know".

Timeline Will Change the Face of Facebook
Timeline is the new graphic interface/content layout that all Facebook profile pages will soon share. Upgrades include a great new "cover" image in addition to your little profile head shot, a two column content layout, and an actual timeline navigation tool that lets people see a chronological chart of all your Facebook posting.

I downloaded the beta version for my personal profile and think it holds a lot of potential for small businesses.


The whole point of Facebook marketing is to build relationships with your Facebook followers, and the new Timeline offers a wide range of opportunities to do this. To get up to speed on Timeline, try reading "Tell Your Story With Timeline" , "Facebook Timeline" , and "Facebook Timeline Redefines User Profiles". As for the launch date, there is still some mystery around that ...


Subscribe Button, Confuses But Could Be Useful
Have you noticed the new Subscribe button or people complaining about it? Applied on your Facebook page in a strategic manner, it could be a useful way to share secondary content and like followers, in such a way as the "followers" and "following" users features work on Twitter. A great run down of this feature can be found at "Introducing the Subscribe Button" and "Facebook Launches Subscribe Button for Following Anyone's Public Updates".

And Finally, The Fun One!
No matter how Facebook changes, creative geniuses will find fresh and exciting ways to make the best use of those changes - and hopefully inspire you to find new ways to communicate visually through your own Facebook business page. To see the creativity in action, check out "10 Facebook Timeline Designs That Will Blow You Away" and "Facebook Timeline: 10 Stunning Designs".

Cobbler's Shoes and Client Success

There's an old saying along the lines of "the cobbler always has the worst shoes," and if the last post date of this Simple blog is any indication, our Simple shoes are looking a little worn.

It's something I see with my clients all the time - the actual work of customers and sales takes precedence over your own marketing. That's where Simple swoops in, produces great plans and work, and frees up our clients' time to do what they do best.

This week, we're taking the time to do a little marketing for ourselves, by sharing a great case study on the value of living your brand and charitable marketing to create real relationships with your customers.

The Case Study
Insignia Engraving is a company that creates highly detailed engraved stone and glass commemorative items for Virginia Beach military commands and community. The owner/artist is herself prior military and a military spouse, so a huge part of starting her business was to fulfill this brand promise: "for the military by the military". And from the start, a big part of her business plan was to donate part of her sales to charities that support military-related causes.

On August 6, a helicopter carrying 30 SEAL, EOD, and SWCC team members, the majority from the Virginia Beach, was shot down in Afghanistan with all on board lost. This tragedy spurred Insignia Engraving into action to put its time and talent where its mouth was.

Within 24 hours of the tragedy, the owner had created the For The Families They Left Behind fundraising program.

Within 48 hours, we worked together to:
-- Create special products for the fundraiser
-- Program, populate, and launch an online store
-- Work with suppliers to get discounts on materials
-- Add content to the website announcing the fundraiser

Within 72 hours:
-- Create Facebook posts, notes, and links discussing the fundraiser
-- Gather and post links from other Virginia Beach volunteer/fundraising opportunities
-- Placed Facebook ad announcing the fundraiser
-- Update followers on fundraiser sales status

So, what happened? Within six days of launching the fundraiser:
-- Multiple sales of fundraiser items made at local retailer
-- Half a dozen online sales of fundraiser items
-- Insignia Facebook page audience doubled (and continues growing as I type)

But the most important thing that happened is something that you can't measure in analytical terms: Insignia established and grew their relationships in a real, meaningful manner with old and new customers alike.

How? They proved that they are "for the military by the military", not by what they were saying - but by what they were doing. And even more important to those relationships, they gave their customers a way to do something they believed in as well.

So beyond buying a mug - customers and followers became a part of doing something good. Not just by buying a product, but also by following links to learn more about the Navy SEAL Foundation, by learning when a local Sunday school group was gathering donations, by being inspired to donate their time to answer phones at a helpline. By taking a tragedy and becoming a helpful and hopeful part of the community - even from many states away.

The part of all of this that is most remarkable is that huge corporations do charitable marketing all the time, but this particular case study proves that small business owners can it just as effectively; perhaps even more so, as they provide opportunities closer to the source of giving, of local communities, less removed from layers of corporate structure.

Moving forward, Insignia will deepen its relationship with its customers, not because it is a clever marketing scheme, but simply because it is built into this small businesses code of ethics and their marketing has found a way to communicate that code to like-minded customers and potential customers.

It makes you think, doesn't it? What is the brand mantra of your small business? Are you living it? Are you building better relationships with customers with it?

Five for Friday

Time again for the Simple round-up up of this weeks most useful links to small business marketing resources and one fun link to inspire your creative marketing imaginations. Have a great weekend!

Study: Good Customer Service Earns Rewards

Big business is finding out what small business owners have always known: great customer service means more money in your pocket. This MediaPost article reveals the numbers behind that truth. With social media outlets and good old-fashioned interactions, like how you communicate with customers on the phone and in your shop, you have more opportunities than ever to offer excellent customer service - and make more cash.
(Source: MediaPost)

BtoB Networking Secrets of the Fabulously Connected

If you're a business-to-business entrepreneur than this free webinar sponsored by the national chapter of SCORE (Service Core of Retired Executives) could be an hour well spent toward getting more sales in the door. Led by Jeanne Rossomme (MBA Wharton, 20 years industry marketing experience with Fortune 500 companies) the webinar will cover networking with a purpose and effective networking online. Registration is free and easy; webinar is scheduled for Thursday 12, May at 1:00pm.
(Source: SCORE)

How To Sign Up Users Even Before You Launch

You might not believe this, but if you have an intriguing enough business offering and you announce it in the right way, people will rush to get involved with it, even before its ready to go live. This Mashable article looks at four start-up companies that are using social media marketing to do it and might inspire some good ideas for how your own small businesses can gain new followers.

(Source: Mashable)

How To Poll Customers on Facebook

Want to know what your customers are thinking? Ask them. Last month Facebook made its polling funcaitonality more robust and there are several services available for polling on social media. This Open Forum article shows you not only how to do polling, but how to do it in a strategic way that results in data you really can use to help build better relationships with your customers.
(Source: AmEx Open Forum)

5 Easy Ways to Liven Up Your Facebook Stream

The key thing about social media isn't that its just a new way to reach customers - its a new way to communicate with customers. Not just tell them about your company - but learn more about them and, as a result, create lasting relationships that turn followers into loyal customers. This article offers five "conversation starters" that you may want to try for your small business social media. Just remember: base your conversations on your own branding/marketing strategy.
(Source: AmEx Open Forum)

And now for the fun one:

Can Advertising Be Art?

Way back in 2005, Sony hired ad agency Fallon London to create a spot that would launch their new BRAVIA LCD televisions. The resulting ad was unique for many reasons - it's debut airing ran 2 minutes 30 seconds long, an entire commercial viewing segment, and it literally shows the launch of 250,000 rubber bouncy balls down a San Francisco street. But perhaps the most notable thing about it is it's staying power.

Today, six years after it's initial launch, the ad is often found on Best Ads of the Decade type awards lists and you can find links to dozens of versions on YouTube with tens of thousands of views for each entry. Personally, I tend to re-watch it every month or so and oddly, when my two-year old was having a particularily nasty meltdown the other day, I happened to bring it up on the iPad. It immediatly calmed her down and she watched it twice.

So, we're wondering - can something as seemingly crass as advertising transcend its medium and become something more? Why not take a look in the post below and tell us?

Sony Bravia Ad: Art or Advertising?

Five for Friday

It's hard to compete with streaming Royal Wedding festivities and tornado tragedy in the South, but if you are ready for a coffee break from your coffee break, here are today's Five for Friday:

SCORE Launches New Website

Today SCORE (Service Core of Retired Executives) national launches their new website and new branding. SCORE is a free service organization that provides small business owners with expert advice and assistance in starting up and running their companies. The new site features a cleaner, more contemporary look and feel and easy-to-scan copy and navigation. SCORE has also introduced a new theme line, "For the Life of Your Business" which is marvelous because it points to two great facts about the organization: they help bring your business to life when you're just starting out and they provide continued resources and support as your business grows. Yes, Simple is both a client and a fan.
(Source: SCORE.org)

How To Start Marketing on FourSquare

Like Gowalla (which we discussed last week) FourSquare is a location-based app that people use to let their friends and followers know where they are and what they're up to. There are rewards for the users (like badges, awards, and special savings for frequent check-ins) and for business owners alike. With a community of 8 million users, a new interface that makes it easy for businesses to participate, and the fact that it is FREE to use, there are some good reasons why you should consider adding this tool to your small business marketing strategy. This easy-to-follow How To article has screen shots and simple overviews of how and why to use the tool.
(Source: Mashable)

Small Business Marketing and Community Service

"Charitable marketing" is a hot buzz phrase in marketing these days, especially for the "big guys." But chances are, as a small business owner and a part of your community, you've been engaged in charitable marketing for years. Buy an ad for the local high school yearbook? Allow the Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts to hawk their fundraising treats in front of your shop? You're doing it. This brief, easy-to-scan article has some good tips for taking it to the next level and some reasons why. (One word of caution though: the article mentions paying bloggers to help you spread the word. Before offering bloggers cash to write about you, make sure you know what their particular policies on the subject are. Many bloggers would consider being paid to write their opinions a conflict of interest.)
(Source: SmallBizTrends)

7 Facebook Contest Ideas for Small Business

When you're creating your social media content strategy, looking for "conversation starters" or ways to engage people into communicating with you is key. This article presents seven fun and effective strategies for doing just that. Again, with minimal cost outlays and a moderate effort posting content and really communicating with your followers, social media proves to be a cost-effective brand and relationship builder that pays off in the long run. In fact, a current Simple client began running a promotion this week that is similar to one of these concepts. We'll be posting her results in a case history soon.
(Source: AmEx Open Forum)

And now for the fun one:

Foodspotting

Whether you're a fanatical foodie or just someone who wants to find the best burger or burrito in your area, Foodspotting is for you. Touted as "a visual guide to good food and where to find it," Foodspotting basically enables people to take and easily upload pictures of their favorite restaurant food to share with their friends and the whole Foodspotting community. With a website, smartphone app, and Facebook page, Foodspotting provides many access points and ways to interact, or play with your food. They also have different themed days and topics, which keeps the content fresh and topical. Bon appetit!

Small Business Spring Cleaning?

In most states (sorry Michigan!) it is finally becoming warm and as they say, spring has sprung. Now that it is here, have you considered doing a little spring cleaning for you small business?

Being organized is a powerful tool that small business owners can use to head toward success, and a good spring cleaning can give you a jump start of motivation for the coming months.

Here are a few short-cuts Simple uses:

List. Before Spring cleaning make a few lists of the different areas of your business that need your attention, such as billing, filling, merchandising, marketing, new business development, purchasing, and so on. Under each heading, bullet point the tasks you need to knock out.

Schedule. Once you have your lists, pick one week and then one hour of each day of that week to devote to knocking out the tasks on your lists. Put it on your schedule for each day.

Prep. Take a look over your lists and see what materials you need. Need more file folders and storage boxes? Jot all the things you need down and make one shopping trip before you begin.

Note. As you are spring cleaning, you'll probably get ideas of things you want to do to move forward in the year ahead. Keep a notepad or iPad handy to jot down your ideas.

Plan. At the end of your week of spring cleaning, review your notes and enter these ideas as action items into your schedule so you actually do act upon them in the coming weeks.

Here's to a successful spring and summer season to our small business owners every where!