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Social Media Strategy

Social Media Strategy

Parents on Facebook – too far?

August 7, 2009

For some time now, I’ve thought that having parents as ‘friends’ on social networks was a recipe for trouble.  This has been reinforced recently as I’ve spoken to several friends and acquaintances that have shared similar stories to my own (unsolicited, I might add).  It goes something like this: “Now that my mom is on Facebook, I have to watch what I say in my status updates and monitor my wall more carefully for friends posting things I wouldn’t want her to see.”  I have found myself second-guessing what I post in my status updates now that my mom, aunt, family friends, etc. have joined Facebook and friended me.  I remember how awkward it felt when I got the friend request from mom – I debated whether to accept it or ignore it?  My cousins were friends with my mom – did that mean I was obligated to accept?  For the record, I’m friends with my mom in real life, so this isn’t some generational rebellion story.  However, I still have the mentality that there are certain things that I just don’t feel like sharing in detail with my parents.  Isn’t this typical for most people?  Aren’t some things best kept between friends?

What does this mean for Facebook?  I believe it opens the door even wider for another network/social application to sprout up and lure the ‘younger crowd’ away.  Forget about my generation (GenX), the younger Millennials are ripe for the picking, right now.  They flocked to Facebook early on and there was a sense that it was ‘their place’ – as opposed to MySpace that had become the ‘older crowd.’  Interestingly, now MySpace is seen in some circles as the ‘young crowd’ again.  So what happens next?  Will the rapid expansion of users on Facebook be its undoing?  Perhaps in the U.S., but it’s more likely that the demographics will just shift and the site will continue to thrive.  Lest we forget, Friendster was ‘dead’ in the U.S. long ago, yet continued to have explosive growth in Asia for years after the U.S. users moved on.  Maybe a more plausible scenario is that Facebook continues to infiltrate into the mainstream, while other niche networks pop up and chip off segments of their user base.

I’ll even go so far as to suggest that MySpace could reinvent itself and peel off some of the users that have migrated to Facebook over the last couple of years, or at the least become the network of choice for Millennials once again.  MySpace has killer entertainment content (Music, Video, Games, etc) – much better and more robust than Facebook, which is appealing to a younger audience.  I think it’s entirely possible for MySpace to right the ship, so to speak.  It would require a significant overhaul to clean up its image as a porn spam infested online playground, but stranger things have happened.   Highly unlikely, but possible.

Mobile access will clearly be a defining factor for the ‘next Facebook.’  Perhaps the next mass migration will be to a mobile-only network or at least one that is designed primarily for mobile devices.  Sharing quick snippets of text, video and pictures will continue to be key drivers of interest in these applications, and perhaps simplicity will be key to the success for ‘the next big thing.’  I recently installed foursquare on my iPhone, and I can see potential in this kind of application for people to stay in touch with each other and share info about what they are up to.  I can say with almost 100% certainty that my parents won’t be on foursquare at any time in the foreseeable future.  There’s something comforting in that for me.

I’m curious to hear other thoughts on what parents on Facebook means to you.  Do you think it will push the younger crowd away?  There are some signs this is already happening, but how far might it go?  Whatever your personal preference, it’s definitely something we should all keep an eye out for.

Social Media Strategy

Remember MySpace?

November 12, 2008

With all the hype around Facebook, it’s easy to forget that MySpace is still a major player in social networking.  I’ve written on this topic before, but I thought it might be good to have a quick refresher on the subject.  I ran across an article earlier that describes how Timberland launched a new initiative using MySpace to reach out to 18-34 men by aligning the brand with a popular ‘sports rapper’ – check out the article here.  I was particularly drawn to the quote about MySpace not getting the credit it deserves.  I share that sentiment and continue to encourage our clients to explore opportunities on MySpace.  Last month, we launched a MySpace program for Zoo Atlanta, and there has been an incredible amount of engagement just one month into the program.

Earlier this morning, I went onto the site to see if the new David Archuleta album was available on MySpace Music yet (yes, I admit it – I like the kid’s voice), and although the whole album is not available to stream on the site yet, what stuck out to me was the volume of comments on his MySpace page.  All of the visible comments are from today only and the page has over 45,000 comments total!  Granted, he almost won American Idol and his album came out yesterday, but the point is that there is still a huge contingent of people who are active MySpace users despite the explosive growth of Facebook.  This is especially true when music is factored into the equation.  I have yet to discover a new band on Facebook, but on MySpace it happens all the time.

Keep this in mind as you are planning your social media initiatives for 2009.  I wouldn’t leave any stone left unturned.  Some opportunities for engagement are just too important to pass up.

Social Media Strategy

Talking is not enough…

November 3, 2008

Neither is listening for that matter.  Marketers love to talk and Researchers love to listen.  We find all kinds of ways to say things in oh-so-perfect fashion and a zillion ways to quantify and qualify consumer behavior.  But guess what?  It’s not enough anymore.  We can no longer research consumer behavior and then come up with a brilliant, slick campaign to get people to buy from us and expect these to work on their own.  It’s just not enough anymore.  Of course, we must continue to do these things, but not in lieu of ENGAGING with our audience!  Engagement is the missing piece of the puzzle for many brands out there in the world.  Some of the most well-known and most respected brands are still not fully engaged with their consumers.  Why?

I think one of the biggest problems that we are facing in the Marketing world is the lack of commitment to true, ongoing engagement with consumers.  Many executives are hesitant to engage because they see it as a big commitment and one that can be a bit scary or uncontrollable.  But why are they scared?  Isn’t this exactly what they want?  Don’t we as Marketers want to establish that connection between our brands and our consumers?  It is not the goal to get the attention of our target consumers and encourage them to spread the word amongst their own spheres of influence?  Surely we should be embracing this and becoming part of the dialog as much as possible.

Maybe they think this is all just a passing phase.  Well guess what – things are not going to go back to the way they were.  Nope – we’ve come too far.  Consumer engagement is not a fad that will be a thing of the past in 2 years.  Technology has allowed information and opinions to spread at an incredible pace, and there’s no putting the genie back in the bottle.  Can you imagine online customer reviews being a thing of the past?  What about blogging – can you envision 3 years from now blogs being a joke?  Next year, could people decide that they no longer want to share videos and photos with each other online or connect with each other on social networks?  Of course not!  So what is stopping so many brands from doing what they need to do to fully engage their audience?

The PR departments of forward-thinking companies get it.  They know that they have to get down in the trenches with consumers and interact with them consistently.  Putting out releases is part of the equation, but instead of directing them specifically at media outlets, they must now be geared toward everyday consumers and bloggers who can run with the ball.  Instead of magazine editors or newspaper writers contacting them for information, consumers now expect this kind of access.  Denying them the ability to engage is as foolish as ignoring an author that wants to write a story about your brand in a respected publication.  Sending out information is only the first step – participation in the conversation that occurs as a result is the key to effectiveness.

Check out one of our clients who has recently embraced Social Media.  Zoo Atlanta took the first step by engaging on MySpace.  Less than a month into the program, there have been 2 big announcements that the Zoo has been discussing with its MySpace community.  Check out the blog entries and note the volume of comments in response.  This is a great example of how Social Media can work when you have people who are open to new ideas and are willing to dedicate the time to talk directly with their audience.  If a local non-profit organization can ‘get it’ and run with the ball, then other brands can too.  They just need the guidance to help find their way.

Social Media Strategy

Social Media’s role in the tanking Economy

October 7, 2008

It’s hard to turn on a computer, much less a television, without being inundated with messages about the gloom and doom of our current economic nightmare.  But what does that mean for the Marketing world?  One thing seems clear to me – now is NOT the time to crawl in a hole and scale back on Marketing.  To the contrary – we know from history that most companies will slash the Advertising and Marketing budgets that could turn the situation around and keep them alive.  Like a sea captain caught in a storm, the best chance of saving the ship is to turn directly into the waves.  Sure, the ride will be rough, but it’s the best strategy for survival.

Social Media and Social Network Marketing in particular has a role to play in navigating the troubled waters ahead.  Think about it – people will continue to communicate socially online, regardless of how much the Dow plummets.  Consumers might not have as much money to go out to dinner or take a vacation, but you can bet that they will spend as much or more time checking their Facebook profiles, surfing YouTube, checking out new bands on MySpace, or engaging in gaming and other applications on mobile devices.  So, this begs the question – why pull back now?  Isn’t this the time to put even MORE emphasis on Social Media?  Wouldn’t NOW be the time to show customers that you care about them and you empathize with their struggles?  Wouldn’t it be great to have positive messages about your company spreading in the midst of all the negative stuff that is spreading out there?

Going back to the fundamentals of Social Media – ask yourself what added value you can provide.  Is competitive pricing an option?  How about a contest where people have a chance to win something cool while helping others that are struggling in the process?  Can your company give a little more to charitable causes that help those most in need during rough economic times?  Remember, when times are tough, charitable organizations take a big hit, while being called upon more than ever to provide services to those in need.  If you can champion one of these causes and share this enthusiasm with your online communities, you will have gone a long way toward building goodwill and positive associations that will affect the balance sheet for years to come.

Remember, the volume of messaging will almost certainly slow down as companies scale back on ad budgets.  Seize this opportunity to double down on your Social Media efforts, or if you haven’t yet embraced it, there’s no better time than right now to get in the game!  Show your customers and potential customers that you understand the challenges they face.  They will remember your goodwill when their situation improves, and chances are they will have told a few people along the way.

Social Media Strategy

Is this the Facebook and YouTube election?

October 2, 2008

We are at an interesting junction in history right now, and it is fascinating to see how social media is shaping the political landscape in this election cycle.  Remember, in 2004 Facebook had just launched and was open to college students only, and YouTube didn’t even exist!  These two sites alone have totally changed the game and we are now in a new era of information sharing.  The old days where politicians got away with the occasional gaffe as long as the media didn’t pick up on it are over.  Now, practically every second of their day is recorded and posted almost instantly on YouTube and Twitter for the world to see and hear.  And of course on Facebook, the sharing of information and personal beliefs is occurring on a staggering scale.  Friends that I would have NEVER had political discussions with are engaging on Facebook.  In fact, instead of a 2-way dialog between 2 people, Facebook enables a multi-way dialog with a vast number of people.

Take for instance the status comments.  When someone on Facebook posts an observation or political view on Facebook, his or her whole friend network has the potential to see it.  If people comment back, not only does the original person receive alerts, but also everyone who comments on it receives an alert as well.  All of the sudden, what we think about the process can be expressed and discussed more easily with much larger groups of people.  Breaking down the physical and geographic barriers has huge implications, as we are not confined to hearing the prevailing beliefs of our particular corner of the world.

I believe that we are in the midst of a major shift in how people perceive politics.  No longer is it just for the older crowd that reads the newspaper and watches 60 Minutes.  Now everyone is talking – the question is: who is paying the most attention?

What do YOU think?  Is social media going to make a difference in this election?