The Red Bull social media program is among the most impressive in the world, and it has been responsible for much of the brand’s success both on and offline.
While there is much about the Red Bull social media program that can be dissected and observed, it makes sense to start with the most prominent network in their social media arsenal: Facebook.
39 million fans is nothing short of amazing. And while ‘Like’ counts may not mean much, the fact of the matter is that Red Bull has created a brand that resonates far beyond the ‘Gives You Wings’ persona it created at the beginning. Sports, physical triumph and even record-breaking feats are now associated, almost by instinct, with the brand, and much of that is to the credit of their Facebook presence.
There are few key components of the Red Bull Facebook strategy that marketers can learn from. While Red Bull might be a large, worldwide brand, these are lessons that can be applied to both the largest and smallest companies on Facebook.
Let Your Persona Do the Selling
Have a look at the Red Bull Facebook page and try to find a promotional post. In fact, you would even be hard-pressed to find a post that featured so much as a logo.
The persona created by the Red Bull social media team is one that associates greatness with the brand. Red Bull has found its voice and tone and the social network, and has run with it to become one of the most entertaining accounts out there.
Though they are not bombarding their fans with constant content, each piece maintains the brand’s Facebook personality traits and is treated fantastically well by their extremely loyal Facebook fan-base.
Create Clear Distinctions
Red Bull has become famous for some of their viral content. More than one record was broken when Felix Baumgartner jumped from the Stratos and back to Earth. The YouTube record for live-stream viewers was also shattered.
While the Red Bull Facebook page featured content from the jump, it was not the primary source for fans. Red Bull created a standalone page for this endeavour, and it garnered over 850K fans. The only focus of this campaign (page) was the event and all the circumstances that surrounded it.
In this way, fans could find all of the information they could ever want in one central place, and wouldn’t have to hope and rely on Red Bull to post content to their main Facebook fan page when something new popped up.
This is a tactic that should be applied whenever a brand develops a new campaign. Whether it is something as small as an event page on your Facebook brand page, or a whole new page for your major event, something branded and separate from your primary social channels should be created.
Engage!
Look through the posts on the Red Bull Facebook page. The brand engages with their fans virtually every time it is appropriate.
Conversations and engagement are the driving forces behind successful social media strategies, and Red Bull has proven that. By engaging in conversations, it keeps not only the fans engaged, but extended networks can see and even participate as well.
There is a lot marketers can learn from the Red Bull social media strategy; these are just a few takeaways from the Red Bull Facebook program.
Which one of these tips do you think is most important? Tell us in the comments below or on Twitter!
Social Media Case Study: Red Bull
/by Corey PadveenThe Red Bull social media program is among the most impressive in the world, and it has been responsible for much of the brand’s success both on and offline.
While there is much about the Red Bull social media program that can be dissected and observed, it makes sense to start with the most prominent network in their social media arsenal: Facebook.
39 million fans is nothing short of amazing. And while ‘Like’ counts may not mean much, the fact of the matter is that Red Bull has created a brand that resonates far beyond the ‘Gives You Wings’ persona it created at the beginning. Sports, physical triumph and even record-breaking feats are now associated, almost by instinct, with the brand, and much of that is to the credit of their Facebook presence.
There are few key components of the Red Bull Facebook strategy that marketers can learn from. While Red Bull might be a large, worldwide brand, these are lessons that can be applied to both the largest and smallest companies on Facebook.
Let Your Persona Do the Selling
Have a look at the Red Bull Facebook page and try to find a promotional post. In fact, you would even be hard-pressed to find a post that featured so much as a logo.
The persona created by the Red Bull social media team is one that associates greatness with the brand. Red Bull has found its voice and tone and the social network, and has run with it to become one of the most entertaining accounts out there.
Though they are not bombarding their fans with constant content, each piece maintains the brand’s Facebook personality traits and is treated fantastically well by their extremely loyal Facebook fan-base.
Create Clear Distinctions
Red Bull has become famous for some of their viral content. More than one record was broken when Felix Baumgartner jumped from the Stratos and back to Earth. The YouTube record for live-stream viewers was also shattered.
While the Red Bull Facebook page featured content from the jump, it was not the primary source for fans. Red Bull created a standalone page for this endeavour, and it garnered over 850K fans. The only focus of this campaign (page) was the event and all the circumstances that surrounded it.
In this way, fans could find all of the information they could ever want in one central place, and wouldn’t have to hope and rely on Red Bull to post content to their main Facebook fan page when something new popped up.
This is a tactic that should be applied whenever a brand develops a new campaign. Whether it is something as small as an event page on your Facebook brand page, or a whole new page for your major event, something branded and separate from your primary social channels should be created.
Engage!
Look through the posts on the Red Bull Facebook page. The brand engages with their fans virtually every time it is appropriate.
Conversations and engagement are the driving forces behind successful social media strategies, and Red Bull has proven that. By engaging in conversations, it keeps not only the fans engaged, but extended networks can see and even participate as well.
There is a lot marketers can learn from the Red Bull social media strategy; these are just a few takeaways from the Red Bull Facebook program.
Which one of these tips do you think is most important? Tell us in the comments below or on Twitter!
4 Tips for a Successful YouTube Channel
/by Corey PadveenWhat strategies can you implement in order to give your brand a successful YouTube channel?
Provide Rich Descriptions
YouTube is a search engine. If you want to rank highly, you need to be taking advantage of all of the optimization features that are incorporated into your channel. Descriptions on your videos will be among the most important of those features.
Fill your descriptions with rich keywords and a link to more content in order to improve your rankings and drive more traffic and success from YouTube.
Cross-Promote Your Content
Someone landed on your video – great! Try and keep them around by directing them to other content from your brand (possibly with links, as described above).
In addition to tags and meta descriptions, you are going to want to link your other content in order to create a much larger presence for yourself on YouTube.
Encourage Engagement
Calls-to-Action (CTAs) that encourage users to engage with your channel – whether it is to like, share, or subscribe – will be very helpful in generating success from your YouTube channel.
Much like Facebook’s EdgeRank Algorithm, YouTube takes into account engagement levels when determining the order of content displayed. By actively seeking engagement from your YouTube audience, you better your chances of reaching the top of the rankings for your keywords.
Short and Simple
Try to avoid lengthy, monotonous videos. People have a limited attention span, and there is no shortage of content to jump to if they lose interest in what you have to say.
Try and keep your content under two minutes, and engage your audience quickly. Do not wait until a minute and a half into your video to present your argument or main topic. Get it going right away and encourage your audience to stick around by not giving them a dull moment over the entire video.
These are just a few simple tips, but they are certain to help you generate a successful YouTube channel.
What do you do to maximize success on YouTube? Tell us in the comments below or on Twitter!
5 Great Social Media Monitoring Tools
/by Corey PadveenSocial media monitoring is important to managing your brand’s presence and reputation online.
However, simply scouring the net for mentions of your brand and keywords is going to take quite a bit longer than you might have time for. Therefore, identifying high-quality social media monitoring tools is important to a successful listening strategy.
Of course, there are tools like Radian6 and Sysomos that can be cost-prohibitive, but the five social media monitoring tools below are inexpensive, efficient and will do a great job assisting you with your monitoring activities.
Yext
Yext is among the best tools for merchants, particularly local sellers.
There are not too many social media monitoring tools that allow users to listen in on conversation taking place on review sites and see how their brand is being perceived on both a local and global level. The ability to amalgamate all of your reviews, ratings and user comments is both time-saving and a fantastic advantage.
Reputation.com
Reputation management on social media is of ever-growing importance. Considering the trust people have in recommendations they read online, preventing any damage to your reputation is virtually invaluable.
Reputation.com is designed to help you manage your brand’s reputation across a number of channels on the web. One of the best features of this tool is the ability to find out what is being said and how your brand is being perceived on a local level.
Brandwatch
With a built-in spam filter, Brandwatch is among the more user-friendly social media monitoring tools around.
Users can put together a set of keywords, start a search on relevant networks, and the tool will automatically filter out results that are less than ideal so that you receive nothing more than the best, most relevant results for your searches.
Tweetbeep
Tweetbeep monitors the Twittersphere to pick up on conversations that are relevant to you and your brand.
This free tool allows users to insert keywords related to their brands, competitors and their industry and receive notifications when conversations using those keywords start up on Twitter. This is great when you need to focus on other priorities and only need to be alerted when a conversation is happening.
Put simply, “Tweetbeep is like Google Alerts for Twitter.”
BrandsEye
There are dozens of reports that can be generated using BrandsEye, including whether or not a marketing campaign was effective and where conversations are coming from most.
The reporting capabilities with BrandsEye are the real gem with this tool. Some great data can be gathered and analyzed to optimize future social media and online marketing campaigns for your brand.
Incorporating one or more of these tools will certainly boost the effectiveness and value of your social media monitoring activities. Try them out and tell us what you think of them in the comments below or on Twitter!
Social Media Crisis Management [INFOGRAPHIC]
/by Corey PadveenWhat are some of the most important steps to take when it comes to social media crisis management?
We always hope that there is never a need for social media crisis management when it comes to our brand. After all, we never like the idea of something going wrong and finding our brand at the center of a negative discussion. However, these things happen and they are usually (one would hope) out of our control when they do.
When crisis does strike and our brand is left with a flurry of negative conversation to deal with, it is important that there is a strategy in place. Simply ‘playing it by ear’ is not going to work in such cases. Without a strategy, before you know it, the issue will be far beyond any controllable level, and you will have to simply hope that the repercussions are not too detrimental.
In the infographic below from Tatu Digital, a few simple but important steps are highlighted. Whenever it comes to social media crisis management, this checklist should be observed, as it might be the key to keeping your brand above water.
Take a look at the data and let us know which step you think is most important when it comes to handling a crisis on social media. Tell us in the comments below or on Twitter!
Social Equity: Social Media Monitoring
/by Corey PadveenHow can social media monitoring generate Social Equity for your business?
The ability to track news and stories as they are evolving opens up the opportunity to share content when it is at its most relevant to an engaged audience. This phenomenon also lends its hand to Social Care, the Social Equity of which was discussed here, and provides a first mover advantage, which, as we all know, can be highly beneficial to business.
Let’s take a look at how value is added to your business from social media monitoring.
Engagement
By monitoring your brand, competitors and the industry as a whole, you have the ability to pick up on conversations that you may not have even known were taking place.
Imagine monitoring your competition and finding that a significant proportion of the conversation is negative. By engaging with these users in real-time you have an ability to convert leads that may not have even known they were leads yet.
With regards to Social Care, social media monitoring allows you to monitor your brand and prevent issues from spiralling out of control. By engaging with users speaking negatively about your brand and addressing their issues, you prevent said issues from escalating beyond your control.
First Mover Advantage
In the field of Economics, the ability to capitalize on a market before anyone else has is among the greatest advantages. Social media monitoring provides this kind of value.
The ability to watch industry conversations and analyze trends gives rise to opportunities never before made available in business. Tailoring your strategies and marketing efforts to the observed discussions allows your brand to preempt major (or even minor) changes in preferences as opposed to making said changes in a reactionary way. The value this can have both in the short and long run is virtually unsurpassed.
Social media monitoring can be an exceptionally powerful activity, yet so few brands are properly taking advantage of it.
Are you monitoring your brand, competition and industry conversations on social media? Tell us in the comments below or on Twitter!
Social Media Case Study: Armani Exchange #DressedFor
/by Corey PadveenHow did the Armani Exchange #DressedFor campaign generate buzz, engagement and a lot of publicity for the brand?
Though the campaign was launched in November, 2012, data gathered using Fashionbi – the world leader in Digital Marketing Optimization for the fashion industry – has shown that the campaign continues to generate engagement, with over 340 Instagram users sharing images with the #DressedFor hashtag in June alone, seven months after the campaign was launched.
Fashionbi also found that more common hashtags such as #night and #summer were used in conjunction with the #DressedFor hashtag, which led to even greater exposure.
Finally, after the campaign was initiated, the marketing team behind #DressedFor reached out to influential bloggers and Instagram users in the fashion world in order to expand their reach even further.
So what can marketers take away from the Armani Exchange #DressedFor campaign?
Customize Your Campaign
It might have been easier to get people talking with hashtags like #summer, but there would be no way of knowing whether or not a conversation originated due to the exposure of the campaign.
By creating a custom hashtag that is instantly recognizable as the backbone of this campaign, Armani Exchange was able to monitor their reach while encouraging users to continue talking about topics they would normally discuss.
Be sure to include some form of customization in order to see the effects of your campaigns, and know where you are successful and where modifications might be needed.
Reach Out to Influencers
This campaign would not have had as much lasting success if it were not for the efforts by Armani Exchange to reach out to influential bloggers and Instagram users in the hopes of extending their reach further.
Influencers-turned-brand advocates are the key to longevity. There is only so much a brand can do on its own. If people are not talking, there is an expiration date on a given campaign. The reason why a campaign such as this can continue to generate conversation months after it was launched was due in large part to the help of industry influencers. (Find out more about influencers in this case study on Kotex.)
User-generated content is the second secret (along with influencer-engagement) to a brand’s long-term success on social media.
By reaching out to the community around the brand and giving them a chance to share their content and have it seen by the world, Armani Exchange increased the likelihood of success considerably.
People want to share their content, that is why social media is as popular as it is. Give them a chance to do so and you can rest assured that your brand’s reach and exposure will grow significantly faster than it would have without them.
Special thanks to Fashionbi for their assistance in gathering data and disseminating the information pulled on the Armani Exchange #DressedFor campaign. You can also view this article at the Fashionbi newspaper.
Have you put together any Instagram campaigns? Tell us about them in the comments below or on Twitter!
How To Use Google Authorship to Benefit SEO
/by Corey PadveenThere can be a significant boost to SEO from the proper use of Google Authorship.
The 4 tips below provide some insight into how you can take advantage of Google Authorship to boost your rankings.
Incorporate Google+ Into Your Writing
Google+ should be included on every website where you are sharing content. Google+ is a major consideration by Google when determining the authority of a given author, and if you are properly using Google+ when you write, your articles will have a better chance of finding their way to the top of search rankings.
Don’t Ignore Google+
Having said that, it is important that you are using Google+ consistently.
Simply having a Google+ profile does not mean you are using the network – it comes with a Gmail address. You need to really immerse yourself in the network in order to see the benefits associated with Google Authorship. The more active you are on Google+, the more recognition is given to your Authorship. (It may not be fair, but it’s fact.)
Invite Credible Authors to Share
If you are leveraging your own Authorship on your blog, that’s good. If you are leveraging the authority of several qualified authors on your blog, that’s great.
When your blog is filled with articles written by authors with great Google Authorship rankings, you can rest assured that it will improve the rankings of several articles on your site. We recently discussed the Social Equity of guest blogging, and Google Authorship is one important benefit to note.
Engage with Influencers
Industry influencers, like credible authors, can do wonders for your own Google Authorship. By engaging with influencers on Google+ and seeing mentions of your profile increase, you stand to see a trickle down effect resulting in increased authority given to your Authorship.
Reach out to influencers and join in the conversation in influential groups and Communities and expect to see the benefits to SEO.
Try a few of these tips and see how they help your SEO efforts. Tell us in the comments below or on Twitter!
How To Maximize Your Reach on Twitter
/by Corey PadveenWhat are a few easy steps you can take to maximize your reach on Twitter?
There are three key issues that factor into reaching as broad an audience as possible. First, when are your sending your tweets? Second, are you incorporating all the necessary components in your tweets to increase reach? And third, are you keeping it short and sweet?
Best Time to Share Information
Studies have shown that engagement increases by over 15% when tweets are sent out on weekends. Conversely, tweets sent on Wednesday and Thursday tend to have lower engagement rates.
With regards to the time of day, keep it to the day time (of your target audience, that is). Tweets sent between 8a.m. and 7p.m. see 30% more engagement than those sent outside of those hours.
Tweet Features
What can you add to your tweets to maximize your reach on Twitter?
First, engagement increases by roughly 20% when a hashtag is used. But don’t bombard your followers with hashtags – that looks spammy. Keep it to one or two hashtags per tweet, and customize them so you can follow your topic. (For example, #SocialMedia is going to be used widely, whereas #t2SocialMedia is easily identifiable as a customized hashtag campaign.)
If you really want to reach more people, then simply ask! Asking for a retweet increases retweet rates twelve-fold! Now, don’t abuse the request. Eventually, people will get tired of that kind of promotional content. However, asking for a retweet is certainly a viable option when it comes to increasing your Twitter reach.
What’s more, you are going to want to specifically ask for a retweet and not simply RT. While using the term ‘RT’ tends to increase your retweet rate ten-fold, specifically using the term ‘retweet’ increases that rate to 23-fold.
Short and Sweet
Are you creating tweets that fit nicely into that 140-character space? Well, if you thought 140 characters was short, this might not be what you want to hear: keep your tweets to roughly 100 characters.
Engagement increases by over 15% when your tweets are 100 characters or below. First, this is easily absorbed and appears less cluttered. Second, it allows for retweets accompanied by a comment. Third, and it might sound crazy, but people are moving so fast through the content online, that 140 characters might be too long!
These are a few quick tips to help you maximize your reach on Twitter. Try them and let us know how they work out! Tell us in the comments below or on Twitter!
The Place of Social Media in Small Business [INFOGRAPHIC]
/by Corey PadveenIt is clear that there is a concrete place for social media in small business.
Study after study shows that denying the place of social media in small business is a recipe for disaster. Social media marketing initiatives are no longer quirky add-ons for major brands. Social media has a place in every business’s marketing strategy, and the numbers are there to prove it.
This is especially true in the infographic below.
The statistics showcased in this infographic highlight just how useful social media can be when it comes to building your small business. It also shows the continuing upward trend of marketers using social media for their small business, and how results from social media can be measured to prove its effectiveness in building your business and increasing your exposure.
Perhaps what is most interesting, however, is that this data shows that there is still somewhat of a lack of understanding when it comes to effective social media in small business.
The mantra is simple: social media is about being social! Engagement is the cornerstone of any successful social media marketing strategy. The fact that only 53% of marketers are using social as an engagement tool means that there are plenty of small businesses missing the major opportunities associated with engagement.
Take a look at the data below and let us know what you find most interesting or important. Tell us in the comments below or on Twitter!
Social Equity: Social Sharing with Email
/by Corey PadveenHave you ever received an email and found yourself clicking the ‘Like’ or tweet buttons? There is big value in social sharing with email.
There are two main characteristics about enabling social sharing on emails that increase the value of your business.
Rapidly Increase Brand Awareness
Slowly, we are reaching a point where sharing content on social media is becoming second nature to people. Unlike the days of the rolodex, your contacts are a click away, and those clicks happen more often than not.
By allowing people to share your email content on social media, awareness of your brand to new markets and potential clients increases dramatically. The byproduct of such reach is growth of your immediate set of contacts.
There is a certain snowball effect that arises from social sharing. Have you ever noticed how hard it is to start building a quality following on social media (whether it is likes on Facebook, followers on Twitter, subscribers on YouTube, or any other social network) but after time, your network starts to increase at a faster rate and in much greater numbers? This is due to that viral effect we all strive to achieve.
Content alone is not the only thing that can go viral. Your brand can reach those same levels of virality and a large part of that is through social sharing with email. A viral brand is a valuable brand.
Build Your Network of Leads
So what is the result of this increased virality? As people become more familiar with your brand and begin following you more closely (i.e. subscribing to the newsletter that was originally shared) your social rolodex increases. Each new member in said rolodex is a potential client. (Whether or not that is true, the goal to good business is treating them that way.)
If we have learned anything from public valuations of social networks like Facebook, the value of a large database can be greater than any physical property you might have. Big database means big value.
So the two takeaways here are as follows: a viral brand is a valuable brand, and big database means big value. All of this starts with social sharing on your emails, so don’t miss out on the potential value it adds!
Do you enable sharing icons on your emails? Tell us in the comments below or on Twitter!