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Chris Brogan is a Genius ... and You Can Be One Too
By Lee W. Frederiksen, Ph.D.
Chris Brogan is a genius. I can say this with complete confidence — even in the absence of an IQ test — because I have seen the evidence. And he’s just not your ordinary garden variety genius like Albert Einstein or Stephen Hawkings. No, he comes from a higher plane. He is a marketing genius.
What is this miraculous piece of evidence of which I speak? It’s a blog post entitled “An Author’s Plan for Social Media Efforts”. Now, Brogan may not be Shakespeare, but his piece is a near-perfect example of how to do content driven marketing. If you are a professional services executive or marketer (and if you’re not, why are you reading this blog?), this is a piece of content you can go to school on.
On Being 100%: A Social Media Tale
By Lee W. Frederiksen, Ph.D.
Yesterday, I turned 100. More precisely, my LinkedIn profile registered at 100% complete. If you are a social media butterfly this may not seem like much of an accomplishment. But for me it was a big deal. You see, for many moons I hoovered around 40% and didn’t much care. I couldn’t see the benefit, nor did I know the way to reach this lofty goal.
So what changed to awaken me from my social media slumber? Two things, really. First, the world changed. My colleagues pointed to the need to understand and embrace social media as an important part of brand building and marketing. They were right, of course. The data were unambiguous and persuasive. If you are running a professional services firm you know it too.
Social Media and Your Professional Services Marketing Mix
By Lee W. Frederiksen, Ph.D.
It seems that just about every conversation I have with a professional services CEO these days eventually turns toward social media. Now perhaps it’s because I’m a social media butterfly (those of you who know me can stop convulsing with laughter now). No, I think it’s because social media is a topic so pervasive in the press (business and popular) that we feel like we’re missing out if we don’t embrace it.
As leaders of our firms, we should be… well, leading. Then along comes this phenomenon — time intensive, intimidating, and not clearly related to important business outcomes. Is it just an expensive waste of time? So we talk amongst ourselves, looking for something solid to grab on to.
Well here’s something solid. A new study on Integrating Social Media into the Marketing Mix was just published by ITSMA. If your not familiar with ITSMA, it’s the association focused on marketing IT services. The survey is comprehensive (277 slides!), but I want to focus on just a handful of take-aways.
What Social Media Can’t Do
By Beth J. Bates, New Media Special Correspondent
Whether your firm is large or small, it’s likely that social media has taken your marketing department (if not your entire company) by storm. To many, social media represents a sort of panacea: “How can we lose with instant connections with millions of potential customers day or night?” Right? Wrong.
Social media does offer creative and effective tactics for connecting and engaging with folks all over the world. But without a plan, it can be a long, bumpy road.
Denise Zimmerman of iMEDIA Connections recently wrote a great post called “7 Things Social Media Can’t Do.” In the post, Denise includes great tips for understanding how social media affects your business, such as:
Study Shows Small Businesses Embracing Social Media
By Beth J. Bates, New Media Special Correspondent
While opinions differ on whether Twitter is a useful business tool, one thing is for certain: small businesses are embracing social media.
A recent study, The State of Small Business Report, by Network Solutions and the Center for Excellence in Service at the University of Maryland’s Smith School of Business reports “social media adoption by small businesses has doubled from 12 percent to 24 percent in the last year.” While this statistic may seem surprising, it really makes sense.
The typical small business owner generally has a small marketing budget. Social media enables companies to extend their customer reach with minimal expense. Small businesses need to connect with their customers on a personal level — which social media provides. And with the widespread adoption of social media as a standard tool for communication, it’s very accessible and effective for business.
As with any technology, the report described both positive reactions and concerns about social media.
Using Contests to Cultivate Fans (and Ultimately Customers)
By Beth J. Bates, New Media Special Correspondent
I am a sucker for contests, especially contests that require me to be at a certain place at a certain time. I will admit that I’m uber competitive, so beating out the next guy for a prize, no matter how small, is pretty gratifying.
Recently I’ve participated in several contests held on Facebook and Twitter, and they were really fun and exciting. They not only provided that competitive edge that I love, but also brought fans of a particular brand together. Let me give you a great example of why contests work as part of a social media campaign: