House Viewers Cope with Grief Via Social Networking
posted by Jeanannv on April 15th, 2009For what is probably the first time in social media history, a television show is helping its viewers cope with the loss of a character via social networking. Last night, I was catching up on my dvr’ed tv episodes when I came across last week’s House episode. If you haven’t watched it yet and want to see it, check out the Fox site where you can still catch it. And note that what I am going to say next will completely spoil the plot of said episode…because within the first 15 minutes viewers are shocked to find that one of the shows most likeable characters (Kutner) has committed suicide.
WHAT?? I almost choked on my nighttime bowl of Cheerios. I sat straight up in bed, jostling the dog, spilling the milk 
and generally causing a ruckus. I mean, this was completely out of the blue…no warning signs at all. And while this is shocking, it is not necessarily relevant to the readers of Social American, exept, what Fox did next was at the same time, horrifying and amazing.
The producers of the show partnered with the National Alliance of the Mentally Ill (that’s the amazing part), hopefully to share a resource to people who are struggling with suicide in their families. But they also created a memorial page for Kutner in Facebook, complete with family photos, an obituary, comments from his colleagues on the show, and a widget (?) of his medical badge.
Clearly, this is all meant to stimulate discussion, generate press and market the show. And it is succeeding on all counts. But I have to give this a big two thumbs down. Capitalizing on the suicide of a cast member within social media spaces is not a good online marketing strategy for building a brand…even for edgy shows like House. I know the show’s purpose was to get people thinking, get them riled, but the ensuing marketing tactics are far beyond good taste. Not that it matters on a grand scale, but they have definitely lost a loyal viewer.
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Social Media and Publishing: It’s a Brave New World
posted by Jeanannv on April 14th, 2009It is a strange time for publishing. The mass adoption of the blog by popular culture, the economic crisis, Amazon.com and saving the environment have all led traditional authoring, online marketing and printing methods to be called into question. And if you are reading this, you are likely one of the new generation of authors who have realized
that as the old paradigm crashes, you finally have a chance to get your amazing, incredible, no one has ever seen before, material into the hands of the people who are dying to read it.
A book, whether it is print or electronic, is still an incredible marketing tool. If most of your readers have only experienced you in the social spaces, you have likely been speaking in 140 characters or less. By expanding your thoughts in book form, you give readers a chance to really embrace your philosophy, your company, your brand. Clearly, it should not be a 200 page advertisement or marketing brochure, but creating a high value, well branded book is an excellent way to firmly position your brand and potentially serve as a customer recruitment tool.
Sites like Lulu offer authors a chance to upload fully written books as .docs or .pdfs. Users can then create full color covers and purchase ISBN numbers, distribution packages, etc. Though it can be a bit difficult to learn to navigate, the end result is worth the struggle. And for better or worse, the author has complete control of the final product.
Your fantastic read can also serve as a way to monetize all of that content you have been generating in your blog. Blurb will slurp up your blog and spit out a perfect bound book. This print on demand service costs you no money, but is available as an option for your readers to order.
Keep in mind that writing a book is no small undertaking. Plan on spacing it out over the course of a year or so…particuarlarly since you will be the one who will be writing and marketing your product. There are great sources for support, many of the self-publishing or POD sites have social networks attached. Connect with others who have already experienced the process and seek their support.
It’s a Brave New World out there in book publishing land. If you have always wanted to write a book, but were baffled by the publishing process,with services like Lulu and Blurb, you will have your work in public in no time! Now, where did I put that pencil?
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Green Social Networking Sites
posted by Jeanannv on April 9th, 2009Save the Earth and be social…who doesn’t love a combination like that? Green social networking sites are springing up across the web, some are focused on businesses, others on consumers, but all with a similar mission. And while it would be difficult to be an active member of them all, if y
ou have an eco-friendly business, these sites are a great place for brand marketing.
This list is just a few of the many I have found cropping up of late.
- Crazy Green: The site intro says: Welcome to CRAZY GREEN™ your source for products and tips on “greening” your home and business. I think this is a relatively new site, still building a membership base.
- Project ecoBrand: The site’s Who Is Page: It’s your free eco-forum to connect with other eco-conscious professionals, organizations, services and individuals. Use this free networking opportunity to introduce yourself and/or your company to other Project ecoBrand members and site visitors locally, regionally, and from across the nation. This site could be a good source for green networking.
- Super Eco: This is a massive site that is a hybrid traditional website with social features. The About page tells us: Super Eco is the website for people who want to live a more environmentally conscious life but may not know where to begin, as well as for those tracking breaking news and trends.
- Care 2: Another massive site, this one with a focus on activism and green news.The About letter says: The idea is simple: Make it easy for everyone to live a healthy, green lifestyle and impact the causes they care about most. This highly interactive community partners with more than 400 nonprofits and mobilizes its membership for a good cause.
- Tree Hugger: A large site owned by the Discovery Company, it has a ton of eco-information, plus several social features. The About page says: At TreeHugger we know that variety is the spice of life, so you can find all you need to go green in our up to the minute blog, weekly and daily newsletters, weekly video segments, weekly radio show and our user-generated blog, Hugg. A great source of information and an easy way to connect quickly with others.
Any one of these sites provide an opportunity for you to build a profile and share information about your business. Essentially, the creators have done part of your work for you and have recruited your target market and provided them with a means to communicate. By engaging in a relevent and authentic way, you can share information about your products and services to an audience that is very likely to be interested.
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Finding Followers on Twitter
posted by Jeanannv on April 1st, 2009Part of building an effective online marketing campaign is identifying your target audience. On sites like Twitter, that means finding people who are 
interested in your topic. Rather than use the people finder on twitter, which is still fairly ineffective, there are several different ways to search. Here are some of the different categories, and some specific sites, but this is by no means all inclusive. Since Twitter is an open source site, these kinds of applications pop up every day.
- Twitter Directories: Something like a phone book with search tags, these sites let folks sign up in categories that they feel most fit their profile. JustTweetIt, Twellow, TwitDir, WeFollow
- Twitter Searches: Twitter Search is a search engine that can be used to find people, it isn’t very user friendly though. There are other sites that have a search function in combination with other services. Twitter Search, Twitter Grader, TwitterTroll, Twitseeker
- Twitter Recommend Sites: These sites can recommend people to you according to your tweets or bio. They also allow you to recommend others. Mr. Tweet, Twibes
- Twitter Groups: Twitter has a Groups page that let’s folks create their own topic centered groups. And while I am not nuts about the design, they are great repositories for finding people. Twitter Groups
- Twitter Trending Topics: These sites keep track of hot topics on Twitter…and you can search them by topic and find out who is talking about things that interest you. Twitscoop, Twitturly, Twist
- #FollowFriday: This is a Twitter phenomenon that happens every Friday. Tweeple post their favorite people and the #followfriday hashtag. It is a fun way to connect with others, particularly since they are being recommended by someone.
Again, this list isn’t all inclusive…and I am fairly sure I left out some major sites that just don’t come to mind. If you have suggestions, please do leave them in the comments section. I would love to know how you find the people you like to follow.
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Traditional and Social Media Keywords
posted by Jeanannv on March 24th, 2009There is a myth out there in online marketing land that says traditional SEO keyword lists are applicable to social media interactions.As we talked about in the SEO and Social Media post, this is partly true…you don’t have to create a whole new language to connect in communities. But traditional keyword lists are full of terms people use when searching for a product, not necessarily what they use in conversation about said product.
A basic keyword list is critical, you want people to find your site easily. And the fact is, search engines don’t use 
language like humans do…so using the exact phrases your potential customers are using to describe your products or services is a must. Use this list as your platform…and make sure it is a solid, well-researched list from a reputable SEO business.
Once you have the basics accomplished, it is important to make sure it is in alignment with your brand. And if it’s not, you might need to update your brand. Keep in mind that while your messaging will vary dependent upon the medium and the audience, your brand will not.
This is a great opportunity to engage your communities in brand development for your business. By test piloting your messages, you gain real time market feedback about both your brand and your product. This type of feedback is critical to providing a product and a brand that not only sells well, but is well respected.
Take the time to get to know the language of your customers. It really will make a difference in your ability to succeed as a small business owner.
SEO and Social Media
posted by Jeanannv on March 20th, 2009It is tempting to say that a traditionally developed keyword list is sufficient for use in social media marketing strategy. But the reality is that while those words may be at the top of the search lists, it doesn’t mean they are the most frequently used in social media conversations.
I am a big fan of researching search terms to understand the language being used to find products or services similar 
to yours. Particularly since search engines can’t use abstract or generalized language to find information. If you enter a search term of “green living” it will bring you sites that use that specific term, not sites that use “living green”…unless, of course, the site uses both phrases.
But social media keywords are used in real conversation. And anyone who has taken a look at a keyword list knows that the phrases we use in searches are not the same as what we would use in conversation with each other. For example, you might use “organic garden how” in a search box and in conversation say “How do I start an organic garden?”.
Which is why it is important to build a language around your business. Starting with a keyword list and expanding it to include other language. There are several keyword tools like Google Adwords, that can help with SEO. But in order to discover social media language, you need to search through conversations on those platforms to find repeat phrases and topics. Tools like Who’sTalkin and Social Mention are free ways to do just that. There are also site specific searches (like Twitter’s search function) or meta search tools (like Yahoo Pipes) that can help you aggregate data with a minimum of hassle.
Once you have collected keywords and conversation, it is time to build out your messaging. But don’t think of this as a static event. You will adjust and alter your approach as you engage and become a part of the communities using this language. And staying relevant is one of the most important parts of successful social media marketing.
TweetGrid and Girls Night Out
posted by Jeanannv on March 19th, 2009This week, I was invited to be a guest Tweeter for Girls Night Out (GNO). GNO is a weekly virtual tweetup that covers specific topics. This one was about living green, specifically gardening…which is right up my alley. In order for everyone to follow the conversation, the use an identifier at the end of every tweet (#GNO). And they use an internet marketing tool called TweetGrid to capture the information streams as they roll by.
Now, I am a TweetDeck evangelist…it is without a doubt my favorite Twitter application…but this TweetGrid business has great possibilities. Below is a screenshot of a portion of the 1 x 10 layout. Usually, there are 4 columns…I truncated it so it would fit the confines of my blog post.
These columns represent 3 different Twitter accounts, but they could just as easily be three (or four) different search terms. At the top of the page is a box for entering your tweets with a secondary box at the end for hashtags. This is a great feature…if you are using hashtags at the end of each tweet, it can get tiresome entering them over and over. This feature allows you to set it and forget it.
There is also a box for your twitter ID and password. This can be changed to allow you to log in and out of various accounts in order to tweet from multiple ID’s. Aside from Twirl, I don’t think there is any other application that allows you to manage multiple accounts at the same time.
TweetGrid has tremendous potential for small businesses…this has to be about the most efficient way to manage multiple accounts, participate in hashtag conversations, discover trending topics and run mulitple searches all at the same time. You can also share your grid with others, which is particularly handy if you are having a conversation with multiple people about a specific subject. And I love that GNO has Twitter interviews utilizing this platform.
If Twitter is a big part of your online marketing strategy, you really should take a look at TweetGrid. It has the potential to catapult your tactics and strategies into hyperoverdrive.
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Bebo: Who the Heck is Using This Site?
posted by Jeanannv on February 16th, 2009I have resisted building out a profile on Bebo…mostly because I have 800 other profiles on networks that I prefer to use. But today, I decided I was being a bit unfair and should really give them a try. After all, this is one of the biggest social networking sites on the net.
I have to say, I found the user interface a bit clunky and a very small selection of apps. At the end of my profile build out, I was left wondering what this network had that Facebook and MySpace don’t. So, I thought I would do a bit of research and see if I could find out who Bebo is…
And the first thing to note is that they were acquired by AOL in the spring of last year. This wasn’t a tag sale either, it was a cool $850 million in cash. That’s a lot of money to invest without seeing some immediate return. I mean, I would expect AOL to throw themselves into network development full throttle. I suppose they have, though not in a way that appeals to me. But then, I am not their target market.
Bebo appeals to a much younger demographic. By far, the biggest group of users is in the 12-17 year old range, and between that group and the 18-34 crowd, that’s 76% of all users. They are also primarily female, (63%), and outside of the US, the UK and New Zealand being at the top of the charts.
Generally, Bebo is known for its music and gaming followings. Instead of apps, there are thousands of fan pages. Which makes sense when thinking about the demographic. Bebo Bands is probably the main draw to this network. Artists can can upload an unlimited number of tracks, something that is capped on competitor sites like MySpace.
Is this a site that is worth your time? Well, that greatly depends on your target market. Bebo has an estimated 5 million visitors to its site each month. That’s a whole lot of people. And really, that number alone makes it worth filling out a profile and taking advantage of the backlinks to your website.
But in order to justify the amount of time it takes to build followers and connect, you really need to have a target market that fits the demographics well. If you are in the music or gaming industry, or sell a product that appeals to young females, then this is a gold mine. If not, and you are an old skeezer like me, this just isn’t your bag.
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What Does it Take to Find a Great Social Network Application?
posted by Laurenc on February 11th, 2009Marketing Trends: What’s Does it Take to Find a Great Social Network Application?
My colleague, Jean Ann Van Krevelen recently wrote a post about “Using Applications is Social Network Profiles.” She writes, “Social media platforms, particularly social networking sites, have made the use of profile applications an integral part of the user experience. And while some of these apps are fun, there are others that can really increase the functionality and effectiveness of your marketing efforts.” I agree with Jean Ann 100% that applications are an extremely useful tool for social network profiles, and over the past few weeks I have spent a great deal of time evaluating and testing a variety of applications on Facebook, Myspace, and LinkedIn, in order to develop a better understanding of the variety of applications out on the web.
The results of my evaluation was rather disappointing. I searched through hundreds of applications on Facebook, MySpace, and Linked in only to wind up dissapointed in the quality of work and variety on applications. On the three sites, LinkedIn has the best applications by far, and the small number of applications they offer tells me that they are interested in providing quality applications, not quantity (like Facebook & Myspace). Facebook, on the other hand, has thousands of applications, but many of them have extremely poor quality, functionality, and design, and are not worth wasting your time for.
To help you sort through the abundance of options, and weed out all of the junk, I am creating a list of some of my favorite applications on the three social networks that will provide real value to your profiles.
My Favorites
- LinkedIn Polls – LinkedIn Polls allow you to easily find answers to your business and market research questions.
- Company Buzz (Developed by LinkedIn) – Every second thousands of people are sending out messages about topics and companies through twitter. Company Buzz lets you tap into this information flow to find relevant trends and comments about your company. Install the application and instantly see what people are saying.
- SlideShare – With SlideShare on LinkedIn you can check out the presentations of your colleagues, find trusted experts, and share your own presentations with people in your network. It’s a great way to share your portfolio, resume, or presentations, market your ideas to other people, and learn from other people.
- TripIt – See where your entire professional network is traveling and when you will be in the same city as your colleagues. Meet up at the next industry event or re-connect with old friends. Add the My Travel application to display your current location, upcoming trips and travel stats within your network.
- WordPress – Connect your virtual lives with the WordPress LinkedIn Application. With the WordPress App, you can sync your WordPress blog posts with your LinkedIn profile, keeping everyone you know in the know.
- Business Cards – With this application, you can create a Facebook Business Card, attach your Business Card to Facebook messages, and promote your service offerings by creating a customized business card signature.
- Simply RSS – Simply RSS provides an easy way to add feeds to you profile. It supports all versions of RSS, two major versions of ATOM (0.3 and 1.0) and a number of other namespaces.
- Poll (built by Kresma Design) – This is the premier polling application on Facebook. This application will allow you to create polls for your Facebook pages and Profile pages, allowing you to gain valuable market research from your user group.
- YouTube Video Box – YouTube Video Box is the best way to share your favourite YouTube videos on Facebook. Quickly find videos with our integrated search, show off your favourite videos on their very own profile tab, import your favourite videos from an existing YouTube.com account and much more.
- MyFlickr – Flickr photos meet Facebook with the My Flickr app. With My Flickr, you’ll be able to display your Flickr Photos and Photosets to your Facebook friends for them to comment on with or without making them leave Facebook.
MySpace – Let me start this list by first saying that of the three social networks, MySpace’s applications scored the lowest in my book, due to poor quality, lack of functionality, and disappointing design. Because of that, this list is much shorter than the above recommendations.
- Poll Daddy - This application will allow you to create polls for your MySpace pages and Profile pages, allowing you to gain valuable market research from your user group.
- RSS Reader – RSS Reader add your Blog RSS feeds to you profile, allowing to to have a live feed from your blog right on your main profile page.
- YouTube Favorites – This application will allow you to display Youtube Favorite Videos, Artist Vids, and more on your profile.
- Happy Flickr – Happy Flickr displays your Flickr photos on your profile. This app requires that you have a Flickr account.
So there are a few of my favorites – Do you have some applications that you love? Let me know by leaving a comment!
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Friend Connect: Web 3.0 in Action
posted by Jeanannv on February 10th, 2009With the release of Google’s Friend Connect in December of last year, Web 3.0 seems just around the corner. Adding a layer of supreme connectivity across multiple sites brings fantasies of virtual neighborhoods where we all run into each other at the corner store. This, of course, has the potential to drastically change the way we build and execute website marketing strategies.
And if Google is successful, this is a much more natural method of communication. I bump into friends in my community for a variety of reasons. Proximity, special interests, organizations…there are multiple intersections where we coalesce. I enjoy seeing the familiar, remembering that we are not all alone in the vast sea of the city.
I often have that feeling on the internet. There are so many variables that “accidentally” bumping in to someone is a rare occasion. It is more akin to bumping in to someone I know at a random intersection in New York City. For me, that is fine, because I know how to search and find people. But for the average person, there is sense of disconnection and isolation.
Just today I discovered that I could add easily add my site to the directory of Friend Connect businesses. Of course, I had to stop everything and give it a try. Easy enough to complete the profile information. Once that was finished, I had to upload two files to my blog, then add two widgets. My challenge came when I had to add the two widgets…only because the design of my blog caused the widgets to show a partial display. A design issue, to be sure…Other than that, it was a snap.
I then joined my own community and set about searching through other community listings to find my friends. Sadly, I only found one Twitter contact that was a part of the 440+ people signed up for Friend Connect…but I know that will change. I friended a few people and joined a few communities so I could get a sense of how this platform functions.
The crazy thing about Friend Connect is that it has integration with Google Reader…and although I don’t have the full information on this, I have read that when you become a member of a blog community, you are automatically subscribed to the feed in your Google Reader. This could be a very interesting marketing opportunity…to say the least.
Though this platform is still in its infancy, I expect there are many great things to come. I, for one, am looking forward to breaking down the silos that prevent me from connecting with my friends. And, I can see in the future where we will have independent web pages that contain all of our information (like Chi.mp) and floating communities across all of our websites. I have seen the future and it rocks!
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