Building an Online Community with Twitter

Leslie McGraw, CEO of Les Go, gave a fun and interesting presentation on Building an Online Community Using Twitter at LA2M.  McGraw works as a journalist and marketer with a variety of different groups.  “Social media allows me to communicate with all these different groups,” she said.

Leslie McGraw

To build a community it’s valuable to think about the various communities you interact with regularly McGraw suggested.  Keyword, name and hashtag searches can uncover people and organizations in your wheel house.  

Using the Discover button and localizing Trends makes Twitter even more personal and can be a source of tweet topics, following and follows.

McGraw described Twitter as “right now in the world,” and added “If it’s awkward to explain to your boss or your parents, it’s not for Twitter.”  McGraw recommended “Bring life and action to your tweets.  Use things that are happening now, things that people can do or discuss.” 

She suggested topics relating to people, places, movement, activity, dialogue, events or holidays.  Not all events have to be immediate.  Some can be ongoing, like a challenge event.  Choosing to engage one of your Twitter followers can also add interest McGraw explained. 

Foursquare adds movement to Twitter.  Other 3^rd party apps connect Twitter to Facebook so one automatically updates the other.  Some 3^rd party apps used by McGraw include Hootsuite, Tweetdeck, Klout and Quora.  It’s helpful to employ 3^rd party apps but you want to use them without looking like a machine said McGraw. 

McGraw recommended having separate business and personal Twitter and Facebook accounts. “You have your business hat on when you are on your business page,” said McGraw. 

As a business tool, McGraw suggested connecting business events to holidays through Twitter.  I

t can also be used as a connection tool between staff, interns and volunteers.  The more your group tweets together and uses common hashtags, the larger your business will look said McGraw.

Tweets are limited to 140 characters, but for tweets to be retweeted, characters need to be limited to about 125 McGraw explained.  Because characters are at a premium abbreviations are important.  McGraw listed several commonly used word and expression short forms.

b/c = because, b = be, b4 = before, chk = check, cld = could, abt = about, cre8 = create, detweet = describe a tweet, f2f = face to face, fab = fabulous, fav = favorite, nts = note to self, prt = please retweet, tff = thanks for the follow, wtv = whatever, yoyo = you’re on your own, yolo = you only live once

For more Twitter terminology and information McGraw suggested the Quick Reference Twitter Dictionary.  You’ll find McGraw’s entire presentation in the LA2M archive.  You can follow Leslie McGraw at @lesgo4it.

  

The War for the Living Room

Video games have come a long way and so have video game consoles.  Consoles are changing the way people consume media worldwide.  “Consoles are no longer about gaming, they’re about content,” said Brad Mann, Senior Business Development Manager for XBox Advertising.  Mann explained how the console space is changing the way people consume media in his talk “War for the Living Room,” at LA2M.

Brad Mann

Based on the XBox system Mann said, “Entertainment has now surpassed gaming, but gaming hasn’t gone down, entertainment has doubled.”  Xbox now has an app based dashboard allowing frictionless access to a host of entertainment options.  Some content sources require subscriptions, but others offer free media.

Xbox content is available for use on smart phones, Ipads and PC’s.  “This enables consistent use of Xbox content on the best screen available,” said Mann.  Mann explained that primarily content consumption occurs during the day on PC’s and mobile and in the evening through the console.

The Xbox system requires a self identifying log in, so demographic information for 40 million international and 20 million US users is available.  Mann described Xbox users based on this information.  62% male, 46% married, 58% HH income above $60K, average age is 35.  The figures can vary depending on the activity.

Mann said that about 60% of Xbox users are between 18 and 34 years old.  He said that around 40% of this audience consumes little or no standard television.  “Digital and broadcast lines are blurring,” said Mann.

A newer feature of Xbox and Microsoft based PC’s is Kinect.  Kinect allows users to interact with Xbox and PC’s based on a component housed camera and movement of the user.  “The 18 button controller is a non starter with people who didn’t grow up with the technology.  Kinect makes it easier to interact for everyone,” said Mann.

Kinect is used for content access for academic use as well as gaming and media.  “People use it for things Microsoft didn’t think of,” said Mann.

Part of the content that is interactive within the console is advertising.  Interaction with ads averages around 3 minutes.  Ads can include puzzles, trivia, location or product searches.  “Since the log in is the same across all platforms, behavior can be used to generate targeted advertising information contextual for each user.  Relevancy increases interaction,” said Mann.

Ad campaigns are scalable to a DMA and targetable based on demographics and behavior.  Content from other sources can be used to generate advertising messages for Xbox.  Xbox advertising is not pop up based and can be turned off by the user. 

Xbox can also be a social media experience.  “4 million messages per day are sent between gamers, making it the largest TV based social network,” said Mann.  Additional interactions and partner apps are expected in the near future for Xbox.

  

Covering Live Events with Social Media

It seems like everyone is involved with event planning.   Whether it’s through work or volunteering, event involvement is part of the picture.  Promoting an event is essential to successful results, no matter how that’s quantified.   Social media has become a cornerstone of event promotion.  It’s a vital tool in the promotional toolbox. 

Richard Retyi, Social Media Director at Fluency Media shared his expertise on using social media to promote and cover live events before a receptive audience at LA2M.  Retyi’s has impressive experience in working with social media for a who’s who of big name clients.

Richard Retyi

Retyi’s talk was an enlightening and practical step by step tutorial in maximizing social media benefit for live events before, during and after.  Any successful marketing effort begins with planning whether it’s for your own event or if your organization is part of an event.

Begin by researching who will be there and what social media channels they use.  Look for participants, influencers, speakers, bands and whatever applies to your event, Retyi recommended.  Include their feeds in an online hub that will aggregate all things informational and social surrounding your event. 

The hub you create can be part of your website or a separate site.  The hub should include access to all important event information, explained Retyi.

Create a FourSquare geo location and most importantly a hashtag that is short and specific to the event.  Use other media like email to round out your promotional picture, Retyi suggested. 

Retyi said when it comes to planning for the day of the event you need to ask yourself, “What do you need and what will work best for the event?”  He said, “You need to plan your equipment and support for the equipment and prepare for the weather.” 

Advance preparation also includes knowing what channels will be used and staffing for appropriate coverage.  “One person on site can tweet, get information and take photos,” but two is more ideal explained Retyi.

“Twitter is where live events live.  Twitter is a quick glimpse with photos, it gives people a flavor,” said Retyi.  Tweeting 5 times per hour and every other hour posting on Facebook and using on online photo book is about optimum for most events, explained Retyi.  Google+ and Instagram are also good social sharing assets.

“Make sure to send all posts to your online hub for complete updates,” said Retyi.  Photography doesn’t need to be fancy. “Get creative.  You aren’t a professional.  You aren’t getting the highest quality with mobile. So get unique,” advised Retyi.

Coveritlive can generate a unique live interactive experience that allows for live chat, video and more.  Google Hangout can be used for live backstage chat, Q & A and more.  Moderate and display tweets and meet ups to add another dimension, suggested Retyi. 

Build a pre-event play list on Spotify if you are promoting a music event.  Utilize Turntable.fm to create an off line music experience that replicates a live show.  These are some of the tips and tools Retyi suggested to make your event audience experience unique on and off site.

Once the event is concluded Retyi recommends doing a wrap up.  “A photo heavy blog is easiest.  The next time you do the event you can push people to the post.”  WordPress or Tumblr are suggested blog sites. 

Storify for curating hashtags, photos and tweets is preferred.  “Curate your work as a repository to use in the future,” said Retyi.  Event generated content can be re-purposed on your website, in an e-newsletter and other collateral channels.

Retyi said you can gauge the success of your event and social media promotional activities by looking at impressions for hashtags, how many impressions the account got and how authoritative the re-tweeters are.  He also suggested looking at what were the most re-tweeted tweets, as well as engagement with photos on Twitter and on Facebook.

You can follow Richard Retyi at @RichRetyi.  To view the entire presentation, go to the LA2M event archive.

  

10 Digital Marketing Resources to Impact Business Success

Derek Mehraban, LA2M founder, CEO of Ingenex Digital Marketing, author and instructor at Michigan State University did exactly what any great teacher would do.  He gave just enough information to educate and tantalize the LA2M audience on April 18^th.  Mehraban chose 10 Digital Resources to Impact Business Success from his handy book, New Media Driver’s License Resource Guide.

Mehraban has taught digital media strategy to over 1000 students and along the way many of those students have suggested informative resources on topics like web design, blogging, SEO and digital PR.  Many of the resources are included in the Resource Guide as well as resources suggested by professional colleagues. 

The book is intended to be used with www.newmediadriverslicenseresources.com which lists web sites that provide more in depth expertise on the topics included in the book.

Derek Mehraban

Mehraban focused first on SEO.  Andrew Miller offers excellent advice on not only standard web site optimization but also mobile optimization in his post http://www.yoursearchadvisor.com/blog/optimized-site-now-what/.  He also explores converting visitors to customers, building email relationships and soliciting feedback.  All of these are important topics for marketers and business owners.

Mehraban pointed out www.techmeme.com as a resource for cutting edge tech news.  The site was started in 2005 by Gabe Rivera as an automated news curation service.  In 2008 Techmeme added human editors to enhance the algorithmic collection method.  Techmeme is considered a leading news source for the fast evolving world of technology.

David Meerman Scott offers his helpful free marketing strategy planning template on his site www.webinknow.com at this link http://www.webinknow.com/2010/07/free-marketing-strategy-planning-template.html.    Mehraban said, “Marketing is a marathon, not a sprint.  It’s a long haul discipline of daily tasks” 

The marketing strategy planning template offers a daily marketing to do list to keep marketing and PR efforts on track explained Mehraban.  A diagram of suggested digital marketing tools, strategies and interconnections is also included with the template.

Mehraban said www.Techsmith.com/snagit is a handy tool for capturing and sharing information on your screen with others.  It can be used for instruction, documentation and collaboration.  www.techsmith.com also has video and audio editing and sharing products as well.

Successful and engaging blogging can be a real challenge.  Mehraban suggested reading 50 Can’t Fail Techniques for Finding Great Blog Topics at www.copyblogger.com/brainstorm-blog-topics. 

He said, “Blogging is an important tool.  It’s interactive or it could be.  It’s instant, it’s free and it could be at the core of your strategy.”  He used the Ingenex blog www.thedigitalbus.com as an example of a blog working to improve engagement through content.

Mehraban noted www.gregverdino.typepad.com as a resource for understanding the shift in marketing from mass media to micro messaging.  Greg Verdino recommends reaching out to customers and potential customers with individualized, personal marketing, especially Gen Y.  This strategy can be applied to both B2C and B2B. 

In his book, MicroMarketing, Verdino uses the example of Ford loaning 100 new Fiestas to 20 something’s active in social media.  Each participant was required to engage in a series of activities and spread the word through social media contacts.

Included in Mehraban’s book are Greg Verdino’s top picks for social media resources.  Among those are www.DarrenHerman.com.  Herman is a media, advertising and technology entrepreneur.  A link on Darren Herman’s blog connects to a YouTube video of marketing pioneer and genius David Ogilvy. 

Ogilvy talks at length about big media and big agencies using the wrong concept in marketing.  Ogilvy says mass marketing isn’t effective, big media and big agencies don’t think in terms of selling.  He recommends having a direct marketer vet ad copy before it’s presented to a client.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Br2KSsaTzUc is the link to watch the video.

Mehraban suggested reading a short article on Siliconrepublic regarding the social media strategy of the President Barack Obama’s reelection campaign.  The social media strategy of the campaign revolves around individual interaction, contact and group self selection.  Mehraban recommended visiting www.BarackObama.com to explore the complete array of social media use.

Mehraban’s final recommendation was an article on www.Brainsolis.com entitled The Three C’s of Information Commerce: Consumption, Curation, Creation that is found at http://www.briansolis.com/2010/11/the-three-cs-of-social-networking-consumption-curation-creation/.  The article covers different types of web users, on line behavior and activities, Mass Connectors and Mass Mavens.  Within that context, marketers and businesses need to understand the “egosystem” in order to effectively engage their audience, influence, brand and market.

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ou can follow Derek Mehraban at @mehraban.   

The What and Why of Mobile App Marketing

Mobile apps are a very hot marketing topic right now.  With the sale of Instagram for $1 billion, who wouldn’t want to know more!  Founder and CEO of VizNetwork and VizChef, Tom 

Crawford is a communication, app development and cooking expert.  Crawford was the right person to break down the mobile apps marketplace by category and function. 

Tom Crawford

By learning from Crawford the purpose and value of apps, business owners attending LA2M on April 11, 2012 became better equipped to decide if and why a mobile app made sense for their company. 

Generally speaking, mobile apps are used for advertising, customer interaction, marketing and fun explained Crawford.  Business owners can start by looking at what their direct competitors are doing with their apps.  Be sure to think in terms of an app idea that will help your business be more successful recommended Crawford.

Crawford used existing Apple apps as examples to describe the purposes of mobile apps for businesses.  He explained that not all companies need apps, by pointing out that 19 out of the top Fortune 25 companies have apps.  Not all apps are created by that company for that company, some may not identify the company and others may be for customers and employees only, Crawford said.

Companies use apps to push out information.  Other company apps are used to engage customers through relationship interaction.  Some companies also design apps that are subtle marketing tools that employ fun or services to engage the user.  Retail apps are also available, but Crawford chose not to explore that category.

Some apps operate like a product or event brochure Crawford said.  The Ford Mustang customizer app allows the user to design a completely unique and impossible to order Mustang that can battle against other virtual Mustangs.  GE offers an app to help potential customers choose lighting through interaction based on a photo of their room.  Trade shows can use apps for event navigation and product finders. 

Crawford pointed out that all of these are all about delivering company information.  He also mentioned school sports stats access, annual reports and other informational uses.

Customers interact with companies through apps that allow bank account access and support loyalty programs.  Customers can schedule auto service appointments, research investments, track airline points, order pizzas and even have home improvement project questions answered through company interactive apps.  All of these are intended to drive demand and entrench customer ties with companies explained Crawford.

“Pain points” are a good source of ideas for apps Crawford said.  Users appreciate company created apps that offer information like wine pairing, recycling locations, ski reports, stain removal tips, language translation and recipes.  These apps are created by companies but don’t directly push sales of their products. 

Crawford explained these types of apps are for branding and image building.  IBM has a “Minds of Math” app that enhances their image through association.  Verizon does something similar with a thought leadership app.  Activities, games, photo albums and sweepstakes are among the entertainment oriented apps available to mobile users. 

Crawford‘s overview of the types and functions of mobile apps gave those attending a framework to consider the pros and cons of developing a mobile app for their business.  In conclusion he advised, “Be unique, be useful and do it right.” 

To view the entire presentation visit the LA2M event archive.  You can follow Tom Crawford at @viznetwork or @vizchef.

To Twitter and Beyond

Mark Johnson of MARKITECT is a Twitter specialist extraordinaire.  After close to 2 years on Twitter, he has around 7,200 followers using 2 Twitter handles.  He averages 50 tweets per day and adds approximately 10 more followers every day. 

Johnson wasn’t an overnight Twitter maven.  When he began to build his following, he spent 3 to 4 hours on Twitter per day.  Now his tweets are mostly automated and his follower growth is organic.

Johnson gave some very helpful recommendations on how to get started on Twitter.  He suggested posting a short bio on your Twitter page that relates specifically to your specialties.  Johnson also suggested finding a custom background by googling Twitter backgrounds. 

Developing a following on Twitter begins by building a network of like minded Twitter users that you follow first, explained Johnson.   Twitter users with similar interests that you follow are also likely to follow you.  Re-tweeting their content also enhances the possibility that they may follow you also.  

Exploring follower lists of Twitter users you follow is another way to discover like minded users, Johnson suggested.  Following a few well known names or brands can highlight your interests and specialties.

Tweet content and frequency can also have an impact on growing your followers.  Here are some Twitter Do’s.  Johnson suggested tweeting at least 3 times per day and no more than 20 tweets per day.  Johnson said, tweets should “be useful to others”.

Recommended content includes links to blogs, websites, videos, pictures and other content.  Twitter is spontaneous without enduring impact, so including trackable links improves the longevity of the message, Johnson explained.  Relevant hash tags and brand mentions add weight to your message.

He said it’s important to thank others for re-tweeting your content.  Johnson advised using a dashboard like Hootsuite or Tweetdeck to organize your Twitter activity.  Categorizing your followers will make future tweeting more manageable said Johnson.

Johnson emphasized that tweets shouldn’t be too promotional.  He said, “Don’t push content out.”  He added, “Don’t make your tweets too cryptic.”  Some abbreviations can be unclear, Johnson said. 

Your other online media should direct your followers to your website or blog, advised Johnson.  Your tweets should integrate your other on line media which directs to your website.  Your website should have your content embedded from your other on line media.

Johnson attended a home improvement event where he tweeted at the booth of a major brand.  The tweets were noticed by the company’s social media director.  As a result, Johnson was invited to guest blog for the company.  He has also hosted home improvement industry Twitter chats that included a slide share presentation. 

He is currently managing the social media campaign for Green Builder Media’s VISION House in INNOVENTIONS, at Epcot Theme Park, in Walt Disney World.

Mark Johnson FAIA is principal of MARKITECT, a consulting practice focusing on marketing, education and social media for the design and building products industry.  He is a FAIA architect, AIBD Professional Building Designer and NKBA Certified Kitchen Designer.

Making the Ask: Referrals and More

Greg Peters, of The Reluctant Networker, is a self identified nerd, a computer programmer with a degree in mathematics and a sci fi aficionado. He told the LA2M audience he understands what it’s like to feel awkward in networking situations.  He said if you would prefer a root canal to networking, then you know what he’s felt like.

Peters explained that purpose and preparation are the keys to more comfortable and valuable networking.  Using the example of a birthday cake, he said if someone asks for a cake, they probably won’t get what they really want.  Peters said, “People want to help out,” but we need to be specific and exacting about what we want or need.

“Other people have their own lives and don’t have time to figure out what you want,” Peters explained.  He recommended asking for a referral that is exactly the right target market for you business.  He said, “The better we are able to describe it, the better the referral we can get.”

Peters said a similar principle applies to choosing networking events.  It’s important to network with the right people.  “By knowing what we want, we will know who to ask,” he said.  That applies to networking situations and existing relationships.

Perceived effort and risk will determine how appropriate a request is, Peters explained.  People generally value their reputation over any material object and a referral is lending their reputation, he said.

Peters used the acronym ART to describe networking relationship stages.  A = Awareness, which is the beginning of a networking relationship.  At this stage, it’s best not to ask for much because people are just getting acquainted. 

R = Relationship and that is broken down into 3 steps, said Peters.  R1 is the beginning of relationship development and becoming aware on a surface level of fulfilling needs.  R2 is being able to ask for referrals to some peripheral level in their network.  R3 is a more complete relationship which may include knowing about their family and their business challenges.  At this stage, each party is looking out for the needs of the other and can ask to meet anyone in their network.

T = Trust, when the people become like family or like business partners.  Peters explained that not every relationship can be taken to the trust level.  Some people are always just business associates. 

Peters said a good comparison to relationship trust is the level of water we could float on.  Is it a puddle or an ocean?  The more water, the larger the object that will float and the more trust in a relationship, the bigger favor that can be asked.

Peters said of building a relationship, “The best way is to ask how you can help, with sincerity and actually caring.  Otherwise you are a user.  You help them out first without expectations of results.” The relationship must include sincere caring and respect for the other person. 

If we receive a referral, it helps the giver if we are appreciative and offer feedback on the results.  This helps them to not waste their time.  Knowing what works and what doesn't is valuable information.  A referral may not work out because it’s not a good fit, or it just isn’t a good match.  A referral may turn out to be a great fit and a home run. 

Peters recommends rewarding someone for a referral by at the very least saying thanks.  Sometimes a lunch or a small gift are appropriate as a thank you but not as a payment.

“At the base of it, networking boils down to ‘so that’” said Peters.  It’s so that we can build our business, take care of our family, support nonprofits and so that we can create a life of significance.

Blind Date

We’ve all done it.  We like something and we pass the opinion along.  It could be something as simple as recommending the strawberries in the produce department.  We all have favorite movies or restaurants and we freely share that information with people who have similar taste.  If it turns out your tastes don’t agree, the consequences are small.

Sometimes, we are so pleased with someone who provides a personal service; we are comfortable in letting others know.  We like our hair stylist, our plumber and our veterinarian.  If we recommend our hair stylist to a friend and they have a negative experience, our friend becomes one unhappy camper.  No one wants a bad hair day, let alone a bad hairstyle or cut.

Personal recommendations are taken to a whole new level when we suggest a blind date.  We all know someone with a blind date horror story.  This may be one of the worst.  

Larry got off the elevator on the 40th floor and nervously knocked on his blind date’s door. Susan opened it and to his amazement and joy, she was as lovely and sweet as his friend Dave had promised.

“I’ll be ready in a few minutes,” she said. “Why don’t you play with Snuggles while you’re waiting?

She does wonderful tricks. She’ll roll over, shake hands, sit up and if you make a hoop with your arms, like this, she’ll jump through.”

The dog followed Larry out onto the balcony and started rolling over.

Larry made a hoop with his arms and sure enough, Snuggles jumped right through – and then over the balcony railing just before Larry’s date walked out to the balcony!

“Isn’t little Snuggles the cutest, happiest dog you’ve ever seen?”

“To tell the truth,” he replied, “she seemed a little depressed to me.”

No matter how nice a guy Larry is and no matter how well intentioned Dave was, this is a blind date Susan will never forget.  

Blind dates can also go extremely well as was the case with General Colin and Alma Powell who are celebrating their 50th anniversary this year.  They met on a blind date that both of them dreaded.  

An Army buddy of Powell's talked him into taking out his girlfriend's roommate. Powell was wary of the fix-up, but his anxiety was mild compared with Alma's.

"I definitely don't go on blind dates with soldiers," said Alma Johnson, then working as an audiologist for the Boston Guild for the Hard of Hearing.

When he arrived at her Boston apartment, however, dread gave way to delight. "He was simply the nicest person I had ever met," she says.  

After eight months of steady dating they were wed in the Congregational Church in Alma’s hometown of Birmingham, Alabama.  

Powell said, “Alma must have loved me because I was not a romantic suitor.”

This story is from “My American Journey” by Colin Powell

So, why do we offer recommendations?  Some have small consequences and others could be life changing.  We do it to be helpful, to be thoughtful and also out of concern.  We want our family and friends to be happy, so we are well meaning when we share our opinions.  

When we are concerned about a loved one, there is usually a good reason.  At that time we may think about suggesting a doctor, lawyer or financial advisor, depending on the circumstances.  Loved ones can be in situations that require a professional.  You don’t want to send them on a medical, legal or financial blind date.  

Sometimes, on advice radio talk shows, you’ll hear people call in for an opinion on an extremely important matter.  It could leave you wondering about the quality of their confidants.  Who you choose to trust can directly affect your future.  The same is true of your family and friends.  

When you make those significant referrals, you want to be confident in the professionals you recommend.  A top notch doctor, lawyer or financial advisor can be a real game changer.  Events that require a doctor or a lawyer often are things that cannot be foreseen. 

On the other hand, the wise input of an experienced financial professional can help anticipate and plan for your financial future.  Why not recommend a professional you trust?  Complicated situations are best untangled by someone who has all the right tools.

Google Tools for Non Profits

Colby Chilcote is an Adwords representative for Google’s Ann Arbor office.  One of her passions is helping nonprofits with their marketing.  Google’s policy of allowing employees to pursue other interests during work time has made it possible for Chilcote to work with nonprofits and spread the word about Google tools available to nonprofits. 

During her talk at LA2M on March 22 Chilcote detailed tools for nonprofits available through Google that generally fall into 2 categories.  Google Adwords marketing is offered free of charge to those nonprofits given a Google Grant.  Most Google apps are free of charge to organizations of 10 and under.  Google apps include YouTube, Google Earth, Google Voice and Google office programs like calendar, word processing and Gmail.

Chilcote described Google.com/nonprofits as the main hub for tools and information for nonprofits.  On the website, nonprofit groups will find case studies, information about available tools and an application for Google Grants.

Chilcote explained Google Adwords marketing.  She said it is based on businesses and organizations bidding on keywords related to their products and services.  When some searches for a topic in Google, the organic results are shown in the middle of the page and are derived from a search algorithm.  Search results listed on the right hand side of the page are advertisers and those listings are based on keyword bids.  The highest bidder is listed first and the advertiser is charged if the viewer clicks on their ad.

When choosing keywords for Google Adwords, it’s important to be specific, Chilcote said.  The more highly specific you are in choosing words that relate to your organization’s products and services the lower the cost for the Adwords bid and the greater the likelihood your organization will be listed near the top.  Adwords can be focused on key geographic areas also.

A Google Grant allows nonprofits to use Adwords free, explained Chilcote.  The organization must be a 501c3 with no commercial interests.  Organizations can apply for a Google Grant on the Google.com/nonprofits page. 

Nonprofits create their own Adwords ads.  The program is self managed by the nonprofit.  Organizations can have ads specific to certain key word searches.  Adwords marketing can be used to meet common nonprofit goals like increasing awareness, soliciting donations, promoting events and increasing membership.

Chilcote pointed out that Google Apps are available for laptops, netbooks and mobile.  Applications like calendar, documents, Gmail, chat, talk and more allow for extensive collaboration but can be structured by privacy settings.  Since the content and programs are stored in the cloud access is available from anywhere and storage isn’t an issue.  Nonprofits in the Google Grants program have access to the business version of Google Apps, Chilcote said.  Google also has a library of document templates for newsletters, mailing lists, invitations and more.

Interested nonprofits should visit Google.com/nonprofits or sign up for an appointment on the calendar for Google’s Ann Arbor location at this site https://sites.google.com/site/googa2officehours.  Businesses interested in Adwords can call 1.866.2.Google.      

Stop Hating Your Customers: Defining & Attracting Your Ideal Client

Marisa Smith began her talk at LA2M on March 14 by asking the audience if they sometimes want to avoid phone calls when their caller ID tells them which of their clients is calling.  Dodging phone calls and not following up on emails with the same clients over and over may be a sign that your business and that client aren’t a good fit. 

Smith pointed out that not all clients are the right match for your business.  She said it was that realization that caused her company, The Whole Brain Group, to evaluate their customer base and product line up.

Smith detailed some characteristics that can make a client a “Bad Fit” for your business.  How different clients match with your business depends on what works best for your company and team. 

Speed or turn-around time can be frustrating with a large client compared with a smaller business, Smith explained.  Culture and style can also be a stumbling block.  If your business is innovative, then a client that doesn’t want change wouldn’t harmonize well. 

Some clients may also expect to talk with the business owner all the time when your company works in a team atmosphere.  Smith said budget is another area of differences.  Some clients want or expect fillet mignon on a Big Mac budget.  She said, “Everything is a major ordeal,” when a business and its clients don’t mesh.

The first step toward attracting your ideal customer is to define the characteristics of the right client, Smith said.  She suggested starting by writing down client attributes that you like and “what drives you crazy about some customers.”  Smith asked the audience to share client characteristics they like and dislike.  Comments ranges from “goal oriented” to “indecisive”, as well as “value your opinion” to “don’t know how their own company works”.

Once a business has a defined profile of their ideal client, it’s time to examine services offered to see what can be improved, eliminated or added, Smith explained.  “It’s important to know who you are and what you do and what you like to do.  Then you can look for the customers who are looking for that.  Don’t try to be something you’re not and don’t try to make them be something they are not,” Smith said.  Smith pointed out that a written “value proposition” defines what makes you different and identifies your key messages.

The Whole Brain Group value proposition follows.

Our favorite clients view us as a partner in their growth, because they know we are passionate about taking an integrated approach to helping them achieve their business goals, and we strive to combine the logical & tactical (Left Brain) with the creative (Right Brain) to achieve Whole Brain Goodness! 

Smith said current clients are a good source of information on what your business does best and what you could do differently.  Self examination and change includes a hard look at marketing materials and message, Smith explained.  She said check for consistency in your on line presence including in all places where your business has a profile.  A revised marketing kit may be in needed, Smith said.

“We treated ourselves like we treat our clients,” Smith said.  She detailed looking at who her company wanted to target as new clients and what they were doing to reach them.  Whole Brain Group even reviewed where they were networking to meet new customers.  She said they use a combination of referrals, marketing and networking based on their ideal client profile to bring in new business. 

She said it’s important to quantify your progress to stay on track.  Smith said they have used a similar approach to assist their clients in defining their preferred customers; fine tuning their product line up, revising marketing to match and tracking their results.

Smith is a graduate of the University of Michigan.  She is President and Founder of the Whole Brain Group.  Smith is also the Social Media Co-Chair of the Communications Council and a member of the Executive Advisory Board for Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP), a national nonpartisan public policy organization that advocates for and on behalf of women and minorities in business. She also serves on the Boards of The Small Giants Community and the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Regional Chamber.

Your Customers Are Crazy: Why We Are All Irrational and How Design Can Help

Ross Johnson of 3.7 Designs gave an eye opening presentation about understanding human irrationality and its impact on marketing at LA2M on February 29, 2012.  He began by offering a list of seemingly related facts regarding the assassinations of Presidents Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy.  Logically speaking, the information didn’t really tie the two events together, but the human tendency to fabricate order where there is none, made it seem that there were apparent correlations. 

This was just one of many thought biases likely innate to the human mind that Ross shared.  Ross explained that being a better marketer means understanding your target market, in order to influence decisions and behavior.  He pointed out people assume they are being rational when making decisions, but decisions have nothing to do with logic.  Ross said humans vary by culture, but genetically our minds are similar.

Ross gave several examples of innate thought bias.  Hindsight bias convinces us that we already knew something because it seems based on common knowledge or common sense.  So even if two generally circulated sayings conflict, we may believe both simultaneously.  

Exposure bias causes us to believe that the more we are exposed to certain information, the more important it is.  So, for example, if there are many stories about natural disasters, we may come to believe that there are an unusual number of natural disasters.  Applying this to marketing is the frequency concept; what you say and how often you say it has an impact.

Ross used a YouTube video to demonstrate that the things we focus on shape our perception of reality.  This tendency to miss or over look things around us is often referred to as “banner blindness” or selective disregard.  Humans ignore what is normal and notice what is different.  With this in mind, marketers can benefit by stepping out of the box to attract attention to their marketing message.

Ross explained that confirmation bias causes us to buy books that agree with our opinion and ignore information that challenges those beliefs.  He pointed out that associations with images, words, context and items can have an impact on our perception without our even being aware of it.  He used the example of people in a warm room are more likely to believe in global warming or a resume presented on a heavy clip board may make that job applicant seem more qualified. 

Relative economics causes people to make decisions based on the best result for them in relative terms Ross points out.  The example he used was price comparison on a watch that resulted in a $15 savings of 50% or a 2.5% savings on an I Pad that also results in a $15 reduction.  He said people are more likely to go shop for the 50% off item than the 2.5% off item, even though the dollar amount reduction is the same.  This is something to keep in mind when marketers position a price or reduction.  Relative economics also causes humans to feel that something they own is more valuable because we develop emotional ties to objects and have possession loss aversion.

Anchoring may be an association with a number or an item said Ross.  This perception explains why Starbucks wisely renamed their coffee cup sizes to avoid comparison to less expensive options.  Ross also used the example of bidders attending an auction being asked to write down the last four digits of their Social Security number before bidding.  Those bidders with higher numbers tended to bid more on auction items than those with lower numbers.

Ross said the “third person effect” partially prevents us from admitting we are influenced by thought bias, relative reasoning and emotional associations; because people tend to believe that it’s someone else who is affected.  He pointed out that most people think they are unique and avoid persuasion, but he said that’s not true of anyone.  Ross said humans base their reality on what they focus on, are influenced by what they pay attention to and by context and associations.

To view the video of the complete presentation, visit the LA2M archives.  You can follow Ross Johnson of 3.7 Designs at @3pointross.    

Why Wait? Creating Your Own Employment Opportunities

Lindsay Blackwell is a social media strategist based in Ann Arbor, MI.  She served as Marketing Manager of the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra and is the new Social Media Director of Ingenex Digital Marketing.  Blackwell has cultivated an online personal brand through a lifetime of experience and passion for social media.  You can find her on Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, Tumblr and more.  She leveraged her online presence, combined with a one of a kind website and viral campaign to pursue her dream job with the University of Michigan.

Blackwell wanted to be hired as the Social Media Director for University of Michigan.  She realized that her youth and lack of paid experience could be viewed as short comings in a standard resume review process.  Blackwell decided to reach out the Lisa Rudgers, Vice President of Communications for U of M, with a website www.DearLisaRudgers.com.  Blackwell spent the weekend building the site, which included a Flash video and buttons leading to such topics as Why I Want This, Why You Want Me and What Is This.  Her objective was to show, not tell, her experience and qualifications. 

Blackwell knew the site had to connect with friends and colleagues in order for them to share and like it.  The site gained so much attention, she was contacted by Lisa Rudgers to schedule an interview within 12 hours of the site going live.  Blackwell also gained significant media attention and the campaign helped her build her web presence and personal brand exponentially.  She also established connections in the industry across the globe.  While the interview with Rudgers didn’t result in a job offer, the social media campaign drew the attention of Derek Mehraban, CEO of Ingenex Digital Marketing.  “We wanted to hire Lindsay Blackwell because we wanted someone who could bring that knowledge to create successful social media campaigns for our clients,” Mehraban said.

Blackwell concluded by saying in today’s job market it’s important to “be honest, be innovative, be human.”  She said a resume and cover letter aren’t unique.  “Do something creative to get noticed and demonstrate who you are,” she emphasized.  Blackwell  said “Operate in a listening framework, don’t just push content, create conversations,” by listening to what the employer wants, getting advice from people in the field to become a stronger candidate.  Blackwell can be contacted at lindsay.m.blackwell@gmail.com.

Customer Incentives: Tired Tactics or Strategic Tool

Anyone in business today, knows that the business climate has changed significantly over the last 5 years.  Everyone is looking for a deal, no one wants to pay full price.  Customers are looking for incentives to purchase products and spend on services.  Gary Yost spent 30 years is sales and marketing with consumer products companies Bristol-Myers, Reckitt Benckiser and media giant Valassis.  At Valassis, he served as VP, Marketing, CMO and General Manager of one to one products, and finally as President, International Media Properties.  His experience with those companies centered on motivating customers to make purchases and part with their money. 

Yost began by describing the current business climate as the “new frugality.”  He said, “Incentives are the way of the world.”  Yost explained that customers want and demand incentives.  Product based businesses grow through attracting new customers, current and new customer product usage and customers stocking up (pantry load).  He pointed out, that incentives attract new customers and encourage pantry load, but there is a cost to the producer through reduced selling price. 

Yost spelled out the four types of incentives, their advantages and disadvantages.  He first spoke about sale prices which he described as passive.  Sale prices attract some buyers, but not everyone that shops is aware of the pricing he explained.  Sales prices reward all customers with immediate gratification, but the potential liability is 100% or everyone who shops in the store. 

Cash back rebates work best for big ticket items said Yost.   Rebates require active participation by a customer and don’t offer an immediate reward he pointed out.  Yost said rebates are good tie breakers when making a large purchase, but don’t work well as a sole means of motivating buying behavior.  He described loyalty cards as both passive and active incentive tools.  Yost said loyalty cards are effective at re-enforcing a current customer base but involve a significant cost in data base maintenance. 

Yost regards cents off coupons as requiring very active participation on the part of the customer.  He said there is a high degree of involvement, it offers the customer immediate gratification and provides the store and producer good short term ROI.  He said couponing works well at attracting new customers.  Yost commented that contrary to common assumption, frequent cents off coupon users tend to be affluent households.  Redemption rates are now as high as 12% he remarked.  Yost said the ad component of coupons is effective at driving sales even without coupon redemption. 

Yost explained a coupon marketing campaign is most effective when it is founded in basic marketing principles.  Yost said an advertiser must consider objectives, target audience, geography, competition and customer media consumption.  Yost emphasized the importance of tracking results, considering the impact on margin and offering an effective value proposition.  He noted that clarity of design can impact redemption rates.  He suggested that incentive marketing could be effective in both B2C and B2B.  Yost can be contacted at gary.yost09@gmail.com.