Tag Archive for: social business

State of Content Marketing 2014 [INFOGRAPHIC]

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We can expect to see a lot coming from the realm of content marketing in 2014.

Content marketing, simply put, is huge. We have seen plenty of brands – both big and small – experiment with the phenomenon, some great success and some with equally great failures. All that said, there is no denying that content marketing is a trend that is here to stay, and we can expect to see a lot of movement in that field in the coming year.

This great infographic from Eloqua and Oracle and Lookbook showcases exactly what marketers can expect to see in the world of content marketing in the next twelve months. One of the more interesting trends we are seeing when it comes to content marketing is the repurposing of content.

Say, for example, you have a white paper that is long, full of numbers and simply not something people want to read. Smart marketers are realizing that this is a goldmine of content and creating several pieces of social-friendly content that can be shared to several networks, several times.

What are you doing when it comes to being innovative with your content strategy and content marketing? Tell us in the comments below or on Twitter!

content marketing infographic 2014

The Difference Between Paid, Owned and Earned Media [VIDEO]

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There are plenty of media types out there, but they all fall into one of three categories: paid, owned or earned media.

So what are the differences between paid, owned and earned media? We hear about them often enough. Every one of us uses them whether we think we do or not. But not too many of us have taken the time to really understand what the differences between these media types really are.

The video below makes it pretty clear what the specifics are when it comes to paid, owned and earned media. For a more detailed account, you can refer to this article. Otherwise, enjoy the visuals!

How to Leverage Social Insights for an Optimized Content Strategy

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When brands find themselves becoming involved in social, they need to answer a simple question: why?

Why are people interested in what you have to say? Why will they bother clicking on your links, liking your pages or posts or sharing your content to broader networks? The answer to this question rests in the content strategy you have created for your brand, and there is no better way to find that answer than by leveraging your social insights.

Where can I find these insights?

Within several networks, there is a world of insights available about your audience. Find out what types of content your audience shares most by looking at the ‘Posts’ section of your Facebook insights. Learn about your audience’s interests in the ‘Followers’ section of your Twitter Analytics. But to really take advantage of social insights about not only your audience, but your industry’s audience, you’ll want to use a higher end social listening tool.

Data gathering tools like Radian6, Sysomos and Crimson Hexagon provide you with actionable reports with data pulled from hundreds of millions of sources across the web; essentially, if people are talking about your industry, you’ll know about it.

Look at where and when conversations take place, what topics people talk about most in your industry and the sentiment around those topics to know where to insert your brand in a positive way.

What do I do once I have collected the data?

Creating your content strategy is all about sharing content that is going to resonate with your audience. This data is going to be the starting point to helping you do that and enter your brand in the industry conversation.

Based on what you have collected, determine the tastes and preferences of your audience by what they are actively discussing.What matters most to them? More important, from a business standpoint, how are you going to position your brand in this conversation in order to appeal to this target demographic?

There is going to be some significant testing involved. You will want to try different types of content and approach the discussion from a number of different angles. Ultimately, your goal is to share content with which your audience can empathize. Then they partake in conversation, share your brand’s message and help expand your reach.

Can you give an example?

Let’s say, for example, you run an office products retailer and one of your key services is that you offer your clients a free return of used ink cartridges for proper recycling. You know that this is a noble cause and a valuable asset in terms of marketing to eco-friendly businesses. Your data collection is going to be all about where people are talking about the benefits of recycling and, perhaps, why businesses should have green initiatives.

From the data you collect, you will want to begin sharing content within these conversations that relates to what is being discussed as well as the service you offer. Once you have caught the attention of your audience, it is time to employ some marketing initiatives in order to boost sales as a result of your content strategy (i.e. content marketing).

It’s a time-consuming process, but it is certainly worth the effort. The value of a well-developed, data-oriented content strategy should never be underestimated.

How are you leveraging social data in order to develop a successful content strategy? Tell us in the comments below or on Twitter!

Also, have a happy Valentine’s Day!

8 Criteria for Determining Your Target Audience

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To find success with social, you need to cater your content to a target audience.

Finding your target audience on social can sometimes be a challenge. We know whom we are targeting when it comes to selling our product, but what are our goals when it comes to social, and what audience do we need to target in order to achieve those goals? This is where the challenge comes into play.

The targeting capabilities that exist with social are so advanced that they allow you to create a target market right down to the specific interest. Therefore, we need to evaluate a few key criteria when choosing our target audience so as not to send out our message to an inattentive audience.

These 8 criteria are some of the more important ones to consider when it comes to selecting a target audience for your content on social platforms. Some might seem obvious, but remember that with the exactitude with which we can target our message on these media, they are important to answer with as much specificity as possible.

Age

Though it seems like an obvious criteria to consider, knowing the specific age range of the audience that you are looking to target will help you build your social presence on networks where you know your audience is most active.

Gender

Men and women are not necessarily engaging in the same activities in the same places on social media. Building a successful content strategy will be heavily influenced by the gender with which you are trying to engage.

Education

You will not be drafting the same content for PhDs as you will for college freshmen. They are simply interested in different things.

Industry

This can be broad or highly specified, but it should certainly be a consideration, particularly if you are creating a content strategy as a B2B.

Job Function

If you want to engage the C-suite, you’ll need to appeal to the issues they care about most. To craft a successful content strategy, figure out exactly who you are targeting in the organization and craft a strategy designed to target their needs.

Interests

Take a step back and look at the content you are trying to share. What category of interests does it fall into? Figure that out to properly position that content in front of the eyes of the right audience.

Influence

Are you looking to target industry and thought leaders or would you prefer to establish yourself as the industry leader? Both have their benefits.

Marital Status

Priorities change when family comes into the picture, and you should decide if your product or service is better marketed to single or married consumers.

Building a target profile is also a very helpful exercise. Determine your ideal customer based around these criteria and build a content strategy geared towards peaking his or her interests.

For Example

Jane Smith is a 41-year-old married woman with 2 children and 18 years of experience in the field of product marketing. She has held a job at the Manager level for over a decade following the successful completion of her MBA. She is interested in running and hiking and likes pages and accounts on social media with a focus on branding. She does not have a blog herself, but she often comments on influential blogs in the field of marketing and advertising.

Try it for yourself. What does your target audience member look like? Tell us in the comments below or on Twitter!

Why You Aren’t Finding Success with Your Social Media Tools

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Social media tools can be very helpful, but only if they are being used correctly.

This week, I have the privilege of presenting a few sessions at the Social Media Strategies Summit in Las Vegas, one of which discusses some of the best tools in the market when it comes to mining and understanding your analytics. I thought I would share some insight into what I have noticed when it comes to why so many people – from marketers to business owners – are having trouble when it comes to getting the most out of their social media tools.

The Tool Is Not Right For You

Sometimes a tool can look great and a company representative can do a fantastic job of pitching it’s benefits for your brand. This might make you sign up for a trial or even buy into it. You might find, after some time, that it isn’t doing all of the amazing things you thought it would. Maybe it’s just not that into you.

Tools – from freeware to enterprise levels – are designed to accomplish certain, specific goals. They are not right for every brand despite them looking like they have a universal applicability.

It’s important to take advantage of the trial versions of these tools in order to get an honest look at what they can do for you, and whether or not it is the right fit for your goals.

You’re Trying to Do Too Much with It

For many applications and technologies, there are a few things that they do exceptionally well. On the other hand, there are a few things that they might not do too well, or even not do at all. That’s ok – these tools are not technological miracles.

Many tools are designed to provide a solution to a specific problem. Sometimes additional functionality is added, but the core benefit of the program is to help users overcome a specific obstacle. It might take a combination of technologies in order to effectively do everything you want to do with social.

The thing we need to keep in mind is that there is no one-tool-to-rule-them-all solution out there. (At least not yet.) There are some great ones, but it might take a few of those working in tandem in order to properly execute a comprehensive strategy.

You Haven’t Taken the Time to Master the Application

This is the biggest issue that users face when it comes to not succeeding with these tools. All too often, people see one of these technologies, think that it is the perfect fit for their brand, sign up for it and wait for it to ‘work its magic’. That’s a recipe for disaster, plain and simple.

These tools take an investment of more than money, they take time. This is particularly true for enterprise level tools. If you are not willing to devote the time necessary to really understanding and properly using a tool, then it will never do all of the things you want it to.

Before making the investment in one or many of these social media tools, ask yourself if you are really going to take the time that is necessary to making it work for you. If you simply can’t afford to put that time into it, then save yourself a sunk cost and look for something else.

Social media tools can be huge complements to a social business strategy, but they need to be treated with respect and fully understood in order for users to get the most out of them.

What are some of your favorite social media tools? Tell us in the comments below or on Twitter!

Highlights from Adobe Digital’s Q4 Social Intelligence Report

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Every quarter, Adobe releases their Social Intelligence report, and the Q4 report from 2013 showcased some exciting findings!

The Social Intelligence Report from Adobe always results in some shock and awe for marketers. That is mostly due to the fact that there are always huge surges in the numbers of business-friendly stats quarter-over-quarter. Well, the fourth quarter of 2013 was no different, and there was some promising information made available when it comes to Facebook for businesses.

Where’s the value in advertising on Facebook?

Click-through rate on Facebook ads has once again increase 41% quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) and is up 365% year-over-year (YoY). That’s an impressive jump (a 1% increase in CTR every day!).

When it came to the holidays, brands really saw a spike, with a 29% increase in clicks during the holiday season. That said, as Facebook sees the potential that exists with ads, costs are starting to rise. In the last quarter alone, cost per thousand impressions (CPM) on Facebook increased 51%, and rose 437% in 2013. It would make sense that Facebook is driving up the cost of ads considering the fact that click volume is up 125% YoY.

Now is the time for brands to be capitalizing on the potential that exists within the Facebook advertising model. It won’t be long before advertisers on Facebook find themselves paying higher prices.

How have brands performed on Facebook this year?

Engagement with brand posts is up 180% YoY. Now, one could argue that this is due to the fact that there are still plenty of brands entering the Facebook market, and so, logically, it would make sense to see an increase in brand engagement. But impressions are also up 150% YoY, and further engagement (i.e. comments and shares) are up 40%.

Images are also charging ahead. In the last year, engagement rates with image-based on content on Facebook shared by brands is up a whopping 650%! That should give you an idea of what types of content resonate best on the network.

Is Pinterest still the juggernaut it was last year?

Yes, but for different reasons. Revenues from Pinterest-referred visits (i.e. revenues generated from a sale that occurred following a visit from Pinterest) are up 89% YoY and 11% QoQ. What’s more, in the United Kingdom, Pinterest beat out Facebook for referring revenue. That’s a major accomplishment from the network.

Is there a value in marketing my brand on Tumblr?

If you are selling a product, there certainly is. In the last year (since the Yahoo! acquisition) revenue per visit from Tumblr referrals is up 340%. It is clear that this is a network with huge potential (that Yahoo! will presumably take advantage of soon) when it comes to retail and the B2C world of social business.

What’s the biggest takeaway?

Costs for social advertising are still low and impressions, clicks and engagement with brand ads are increasing. Now is the time for brands to take advantage of the phenomenon of social advertising before they find that they missed the boat on inexpensive, highly effective ads.

Take a look at the full report by clicking here.

How to Optimize Your YouTube Videos for Viewer Retention [VIDEO]

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Visual content is a powerful thing, and the longer you can keep your audience engaged with your content, the better.

youtube viewer retention optimizationIf social data and trends have proven anything, it is that if content is king, than visual content is the king’s supervisor. We are constantly sharing information, articles, pictures and videos, and hoping that our audience doesn’t scroll past our content to spend time with someone else’s. And yet, when they do, our long, well-written article seems to lose out to a photobomb or video of a cat.

So what can we do to better the odds that our audience will stick around and spend time with our brand on social media?

There are a few simple things that you can do in order to better the retention you receive from your audience, and these tips will help with that when it comes to YouTube.

There are hundreds of lifetimes worth of video on YouTube, and more content is being uploaded every day. It would be unwise to think that, when there is so much people can be doing online, let alone on YouTube, they will sit through your entire video every time. That is, of course, unless you have leveraged the data you have at hand on your YouTube videos for viewer retention optimization.

It is a much easier task than you might think, and this useful video will walk you through the steps to do it yourself.

What’s the Difference Between Content Strategy and Content Marketing?

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While both content marketing and content strategy fall into a very similar category in the realm of social business, there are some subtle but important differences to be aware of.

What's the difference between content marketing and content strategy?One of the most trending concepts in the world of social business these days (both on and offline) is content marketing. We hear it mentioned by virtually every thought leader and industry member. But as with a lot of buzzwords, as they increase in popularity, they can often decrease in clarity.

People use content marketing and content strategy interchangeably. That’s a mistake. While both phenomena are closely related, they possess some notable differences that make them distinct features of a business strategy.

Why do we keep hearing about this stuff, anyway?

Content marketing and strategy are much more than simply sharing content to different media; content marketing is storytelling.

Lately, we have seen some outstanding examples of brands leveraging the power of the story. Lots of brands – from small to large – are jumping on the content marketing bandwagon to try and create an engaging story of their own, but it is a lot easier said than done.

Unlike conventional forms of marketing and advertising, the concept of content marketing relies heavily on your ability to connect with your audience. For consumers, the novelty of endless content being shared on multiple media channels has worn off. People only want to see (and, more importantly, share) content that they find interesting and resonates in some way.

For this reason, the brands that have found the most success when it comes to content marketing are those that have developed an intricate content strategy based on what they have deemed relevant to their audience.

What is content strategy?

Content strategy all starts with some good ol’ fashioned research. Sure, there are plenty of tools to help you out; after all, there is so much data to sift through that we would never be able to do it without at least a little help. But content strategy all starts with determining what your audience cares about.

This can be industry-relevant – for example, maybe you notice that your audience is most interested in learning about the difference between content marketing and content strategy – or it can be a social issue. And no, not a social media issue. A social as in societal issue. First identify what your audience cares about, then share information that they find relevant and interesting.

People do not like spending money if they don’t have to. (Or really want to.) So, when you share nothing but self-promotional content, they are more than likely to ignore you. After all, why would they listen to what you have to say if they know it is all going to lead back to a sales pitch?

Content strategy is all about avoiding the sales pitch. Determine how your brand can connect with your audience on a human level and share information that resonates from that perspective first.

How is content marketing different?

Content marketing is, by definition, a form of marketing to your audience. When people are listening to what you have to say and develop a rapport with your brand, then you can tell them about your products, services or special offers.

Considering the historical seller-consumer dynamic, there is, in many cases, an inherent distrust of the brand by the consumer. However, if, through your content strategy, you can build that trust by showcasing that you really do care and really are a brand that your consumers can relate to, there is a much greater likelihood that your audience will listen, and maybe even consider your product or service.

Your sales position needs to be in line with the issues that connected you to your audience in the first place. Maybe it is something as simple as a donation to a worthy cause from the sale of certain products.

Is there an example that showcases both these concepts?

Say, for example, there is an office products retailer than develops a content strategy around recycling. Much of the content that is shared with their audience relates to green practices and recycling.

After some time, their content begins to go viral, as their target audience – businesspeople with a penchant for environmentalism –  can relate to what they share. At this point, they begin to promote one of their complimentary services: buyers can return used ink cartridges for reuse instead of throwing them away.

There is a much greater likelihood that people will listen to the sale pitch if this is the case.

The difference between content strategy and content marketing is all about the marketing side of things. While content strategy sounds a lot like it is done behind closed doors, it is actually a very active endeavor.

Brands have to devote to learning about their audience and be patient when it comes to successful content marketing. Success with the strategy is not going to come overnight. But with patience and a strong devotion to your audience, content strategy and content marketing are sure to pay off.

Have you ever considered a content strategy or engaging in content marketing? Tell us about yours in the comments below or on Twitter!

t2social social medis marketing strategies

How to Look at Post Details on Facebook [VIDEO]

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Your post details on Facebook can give you some tremendous insights into the success of your Facebook marketing.

When it comes to marketing on Facebook, the network has come a long way. That’s not surprising, considering it is now a public company and needs to provide value to the businesses that use it.

That said, Facebook is constantly going through changes – some more drastic than others – and it is not always easy to keep up.

One of the great features that Facebook provides for marketers is the ability to look at post details on Facebook to see exactly what your audience is doing when they come across and engage with your content.

Superficially, it’s a simple feature. But when you tie it into some of the great data that Facebook Insights provides, it can be extremely valuable.

Have a look at the video below and see for yourself why the ability to look at your post details on Facebook can be a great asset when marketing your brand on the world’s largest social network.

Marketers are Moving On from ROI; Data the New Challenge

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Leveraging data is now the biggest challenge facing marketers.

social business big data leveraging dataSince the dawn of social business, one of the greatest challenges facing marketers was how they could measure ROI. It is ironic that in a field that has so long been dominated by the immeasurable – the hope that print media gets into the right hands, the dollar value of great branding – now, the most measurable feature of all was being criticized for its inability to be measured.

Marketers are now moving past this issue, particularly as they begin to understand how social media, in particular, Social Equity, can be measured. The new challenge facing marketers: leveraging data and making it actionable.

Recently, StrongView released their “2014 Marketing Trends Survey” and the results are very interesting.

What is so interesting about it?

Well, for starters, the findings seem to allude to a more evolved digital marketer. There is no longer a focus on the issues of measurability – which many social marketing evangelists would tell you was never a major issue – but rather a focus on how the vast amounts of data can be leveraged by brands.

What’s more, marketing is getting more attention. This means two things. First, on a macro scale, when it comes to business, marketing expenditures are generally a good indication of how the economy is performing. This survey found that 93% of those surveyed planned on increasing or, at least maintaining their marketing budgets in 2014, up 4% from 2013.

On a micro level, this means that the value of big data and new age digital marketing strategies is finally being recognized by businesses of all sizes. Now, the question is how to use it.

What exactly is big data?

Big data is exactly what it sounds like: it a whole lot of data. We wrote an article a little while ago detailing exactly what big data is and how it can be used by brands.

So why is it so valuable?

Well, big data provides business with insights into their audience, industry, brand and competitors that has never before been captured. There are billions of social accounts on dozens of networks out there, each capturing and publishing so much content that it is literally impossible to keep up.

It is no surprise that brands are having a tough time leveraging data.

What do you mean by leveraging data?

These endless fields of data are ripe for the harvest, but so few marketers know where to start with it. When billions of pieces of data exist out there about your industry, or even your audience alone, how can you turn it into something valuable?

Leveraging data can mean quite a few different things. First, data can be used for branding purposes. When you look at the data collected about your audience, you can position your brand – at least on social – to relate as closely as possible to them.

It can also mean more efficient marketing and advertising campaigns, both in and out of social.

Imagine knowing exactly what your audience tastes and preferences were, and having the ability to build campaigns targeted to those preferences. That is a benefit that leveraging data can have for your brand.

Again, this is much easier said than done. With so much to sift through, even the most experienced marketers are having a tough time getting a grasp on big data. That’s not their fault – this is a brand new concept, and a very exciting one at that.

What else have we learned about marketers?

The StrongView report also points out that, as per usual, there are a lack of resources to execute comprehensive initiatives. The irony here is that the biggest issue – leveraging data – can’t really be dealt with until the second major issue – lack of resources – has been addressed. But such is life.

Marketers are also looking to improve engagement, while 36% want to improve their targeting.

There are more great stats available in the summary and the report as a whole here.

So what can we expect in 2014?

It appears that data, in all its glory, will be the focal point of the marketer’s 2014. As the business world has slowly come aboard the move to social business and integrated digital marketing, it is finally time to see what great benefits these new media can have.

What are your biggest challenges when it comes to marketing right now? Tell us in the comments below or on Twitter!

Tag Archive for: social business

Case Studies: Comodo

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It doesn’t take a big brand to do something innovative that warrants a Case Studies!

Case Studies instagramIf you’ve ever scrolled through the images of Instagram, you know that food is a pretty popular subject on the photo-sharing network. Comodo, an independently-owned restaurant in New York City, recognized the app’s popularity, and decided to integrate the food photographing hobby into their establishment.

Essentially, the idea was to allow users to share their experience in a very natural way that not only promoted diners’ experiences in the restaurant, but also provided user-generated publicity, virality and some pretty nice images of dishes to a wide audience.

The video below does a great job of outlining the premise of the campaign:

The Lessons

This is a simple, cost-effective concept, but there is a lot that marketers can take away from the study.

Make Social Media a Part of Your Brand

There should not be a distinction between your physical brand and the one you have created on social media. What Comodo did was integrate their social media efforts into the dining experience. Thus, the same friendliness, fun personality they were aiming to establish online was personified in the restaurant itself.

There needs to be fluidity in all of your marketing efforts. Consistency is how you will be identified by markets that are both familiar and unfamiliar with your brand. The marketing team behind Comodo realized that and the proof is in the campaign.

social media engagement avenuesProvide Clear Avenues for Engagement

You’ll notice in the video that Comodo’s menu offered the hashtag for sharing images on the bottom. Direction is something that many brands often forget to provide, and the result is a less than optimal social media campaign.

In order to see the greatest benefits from your efforts in social marketing, you need to let people know how, where and with what type of content they should be engaging. Don’t rely solely on organic engagement, help the conversation get started. Two examples of this are Best Buy’s Twelpforce and Comcast Cares. Both are Twitter channels that provide nothing but support, and that is made perfectly clear everywhere they are mentioned.

Adapt Your Marketing Strategies to Your Audience

It’s hard to believe how unique this case study is. It was simple to execute and the results have been outstanding for Comodo. Yet, we still see more billboards and bench ads than we do hashtags when it comes to restaurant marketing.

Comodo’s success arose from the very simple fact that they adapted their marketing for a new generation of consumers. While not all of their customers will be using Instagram to promote the restaurant and the dishes, imagine how much they would lose out on if there were no social media initiatives in place! The opportunity cost of not engaging in social marketing is far greater than the cost that goes into such a program.

Although Comodo is a small, local restaurant, they managed to do something innovative, creative and successful. Social media marketing provides avenues down which anyone can create a viral sensation out of their business.

Do you know of any other small businesses that have used social media to create a viral effect? Tell us in the comments below or on Twitter!

t2social social medis marketing strategies

Social Media: Week-in-Review, May 11, 2013

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In case you missed some of the topics we covered this week, here is the social media week-in-review!

social media week in review4 Tips for Creating a Great Facebook Ad Campaign

Facebook Ads are everywhere. Whether we notice them or not, we are always seeing ads pop up on the social network; they have just done a pretty good job of making them look like business as usual. So why do we click on some and not others? Find out how you can increase click-through rates on your Facebook Ad campaigns with these great tips!

The Importance of Mobile in the Marketplace [INFOGRAPHIC]

Mobile marketing is of ever-growing importance. Every year, it is becoming more crucial that marketing strategies incorporate some facet of mobile, or risk missing out on a massive, engaged and growing audience of potential customers. Find out why mobile marketing is so important in this great infographic!

Understanding the Facebook EdgeRank Algorithm

Many of us have heard about the Facebook EdgeRank algorithm, and some of us may even have an idea of what it is. But like any proprietary algorithm, the details are often scarce and it is unclear what the exact function is. In this article about the Facebook EdgeRank algorithm, we aim to explain, simply, how it works and what you need to know about it when it comes to marketing.

Case Studies volkswagen t2socialCase Studies: Volkswagen

Volkswagen India was hoping to leverage the Indian market on their quest to becoming the largest automotive brand in the world by 2018. The marketing minds at Volkswagen decided, after some very careful planning, that their best avenue for success was LinkedIn, and their efforts paid off greatly. Find out why in this week’s Case Studies.

Social Equity: Big Value in Company Pages

Company pages, channels and accounts are available on nearly every major social network. We often take them for granted, but the value that company pages add to our business is pretty impressive. Find out about the benefits of company pages in this week’s Social Equity segment.

Have a look through some of these great articles, enjoy your weekend and have a relaxing and happy Mother’s Day tomorrow!

t2social social medis marketing strategies

Case Studies: Volkswagen

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Through the strategic use of LinkedIn, Volkswagen India was able to garner nearly 3,000 car recommendations in under a month.

Case Studies volkswagen t2socialWe often think of LinkedIn as a B2B social network. Often times, that is true. After all, LinkedIn is the professional social network, and rarely do we hear of instances where companies use the platform for direct B2C campaigns. However, through the strategic use of LinkedIn, Volkswagen India managed to receive 2,700 recommendations in just 4 weeks.

In this week’s Case Studies, we look at how Volkswagen used a carefully laid out LinkedIn strategy that paid off.

The Challenge

Volkswagen India was looking to increase their exposure in a relatively new market among professionals. But rather than simply running a conventional ad campaign, they wanted a viral component that emphasized the loyalty current customers had and influenced decision-making.

The Campaign

While Volkswagen began their marketing strategy outside of social media, they knew that social would be a large component of any successful campaign. The decision to go with LinkedIn was one that was carefully calculated. According to the Head of MArketing for Volkswagen India, Lutz Kothe, “We knew that for many people, their car affects their professional life and their professional identity affects their car choice. This made LinkedIn a natural choice to connect with current and potential car buyers among the growing professional population.”

optimize your linkedin profileVolkswagen India launched a Company Page on LinkedIn and opened it up to the public to begin posting reviews and comments about the product. As engagement increased, they created a series of Recommendation Ads, which showcased some of the brand’s recommendations from their page to other LinkedIn users that fit their targeted demographic. The idea here was to increase engagement and drive traffic to the Company Page and, eventually, the dealership.

Overall, their modest goal was to receive 500 recommendations from current and prospective buyers. Ultimately, in less than a month, they received 2,700 recommendations, over 2,300 new fans asking for more information about the models available and nearly one million viral updates about Volkswagen models.

The Lessons

There is a lot that marketers can take away from this tremendously successful campaign.

Build a Community Around Your Product

If you have a great product, don’t wait for people to figure that out. There is no shortage of competition out there, and the only way you are going to stand out is if you actively seek out a community of fans and continue to engage with them and build that community until, eventually, they are selling your product for you!

Establish Your Goals

This was a very precise, calculated effort on the part of Volkswagen India, and that paid off. If they had gone in without any goals, they would not have known where to begin, and, as the next lesson points out, would not have been able to formulate a strategy.

social media strategy t2socialStart with a Strategy

A strategy is going to be one of your greatest assets when running a social media campaign. One of the most important takeaways in this Case Studies is the need for a detailed strategy. Before the program began, the marketing team at Volkswagen India had a challenge, a step-by-step approach, a target demographic, a landscape of where that demographic is located and a plan of execution.

It may sound like a lot to do, but without that kind of planning, it will not only be impossible to measure successes and failures, but it will be impossible to launch a proper campaign!

Take Advantage of Social Media’s Marketing Features

Each network features different elements that are designed to help marketers. In this case, there was a Company Page and Recommendation Ads. On other networks, there are other such features. Use them! They are not there purely for aesthetics, they are there to provide resources to help you effectively grow your business on social media.

You can argue that this was as successful as it was because of the major brand behind the campaign. But as we noted in the introduction of this Case Studies, Volkswagen was brand new in the Indian market when this was launched. The successes here can be achieved by any brand, all they need to do is execute efficiently, just like Volkswagen did.

Have you tried to market your product on LinkedIn? Why or why not? Does this Case Studies make you see the network any differently? Tell us in the comments below or on Twitter!

t2social social medis marketing strategies

Social Media: Week-in-Review, May 4, 2013

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In case you missed some of the topics we covered this week, here is the social media week-in-review!

optimize your linkedin profileHow To Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile: 4 Tips for Success

LinkedIn can be one of your greatest business assets. However, in order to get the most out of it, you need to be properly optimizing your profile on the network. Take a look at this great set of LinkedIn optimization tips and apply them to your profile!

Handle Negative Feedback on Social Media Like a Pro

No matter how hard we try to satisfy every one of our customers, there is always a chance that someone has a complaint. And the bigger we grow, the larger that chance gets. With social media in the mix, one complaint or crisis can mean a devastating ripple effect. So to avoid this, we have put together some great tips on dealing with a crisis or negative feedback on social media!

The Importance of Influence on Social Media [INFOGRAPHIC]

We hear about social influence all the time. There are plenty of services that help us measure our influence, but what is influence on social media, really, and why is it so important? Take a look at this information-packed infographic and find out why social influence is so important.

Case Studies best buyCase Studies: Best Buy

Everyone knows Best Buy as one of the largest electronics retailers around. But a few years ago, Best Buy decided to venture in something new and establish themselves as major social media influencers. Find out what they did, how they did it and why it was so successful in this week’s Case Studies.

Social Equity: Communities on Social Media

Why are communities on social media so important? Why are they unique and so much more beneficial than traditional business networks and communities? In this week’s Social Equity segment, we look at the value added to your business from social media communities.

Have a look through some of these great articles and enjoy your weekend!

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Social Media: Week-in-Review, April 27, 2013

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In case you missed some of the topics we covered this week, here is the social media week-in-review!

seo on page optimizationEffective SEO Tips for Optimizing Content on Your Page

There is an curious irony when it comes to SEO: everyone knows that it is important when it comes to getting found, but few people understand how it works. While it may seem like a complicated endeavour to optimize your content – what with all the talk about algorithms and pandas –  there are few simple steps you can take that will make a big difference!

Social Media for Small Business [INFOGRAPHIC]

Social marketing is not something that should be adopted only y big companies. Businesses of all sizes, even small businesses, can use social media to their advantage and help grow their business! Find out how social marketing is helping small businesses in a great infographic!

What are ‘Targeted Tweets’ and How Should You Use Them?

Recently, Twitter unveiled their newest marketing tool: Targeted Tweets. This new feature brings in an entirely new advertising angle from which marketers can take advantage. Find out what these updates are and how you can use them to gain a competitive edge early!

pinterest marketing social mediaCase Studies: Honda

About a year ago, Honda noticed a growing trend and near-obsession with Pinterest. They decided that the best way to promote their newest CR-V was to launch a cost-effective campaign aimed at spreading the word virally. The approached worked and Honda created a campaign worthy of a feature in this week’s Case Studies.

Social Equity: The Effect of Social Media on Your Brand

How does your brand’s image benefit from your involvement in social marketing? In this week’s Social Equity segment, we decipher how your brand equity increases both in the short- and long-run with the strategic use of social media marketing.

Have a look through some of these great articles and enjoy your weekend!

t2social social medis marketing strategies

Social Media: Week-in-Review, April 20, 2013

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In case you missed some of the topics we covered this week, here is the social media week-in-review!

The 2013 CMO Survey: Marketing and Social Media Highlights

The February 2013 CMO Survey revealed a few astonishing facts and figures related to both social media marketing and marketing in general. This post highlights a few of those key findings and explains what they mean to social media marketers everywhere!

How Social Media Can Help Your Business [INFOGRAPHIC]

Social media can be one of the most crucial elements to the success of your business. How, you ask? This infographic does a great job of highlighting how social media can help take your business to the next level.

social media blogging6 Blogging Tips for Maximum Engagement

Blogs are a great way of attracting an audience and showcasing your expertise, but if you are not properly engaging that audience then you are missing one of the greatest benefits of having a blog! These 6 helpful blogging tips will get your audience engaged and boost the effectiveness of your blog.

Case Studies: Harley-Davidson

Harley-Davidson is known for having one of the most active social media programs out there. On the local level, however, it takes some ingenuity to take advantage of all that social has to offer. This week’s Case Studies looks at how a local dealership leveraged the power of social and mobile marketing to boost sales and traffic around the holiday season.Case Studies harley davidson

Social Equity: Blogging and Your Business

Blogging was one of the first forms of social media marketing, and it remains one of the most powerful. That holds particularly true when you consider the value it adds to your business. Find out how blogging generates Social Equity for your brand in this week’s Social Equity segment.

Have a look through some of these great articles and enjoy your weekend!

t2social social medis marketing strategies

Case Studies: Harley-Davidson

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Harley-Davidson is known to have one of the most active social media programs of any major brand, but the use of mobile marketing by Route 66 Harley-Davidson was exceptionally impressive.

Case Studies harley davidsonAt Christmas time in 2011, the local Oklahoma Harley-Davidson dealership, Route 66 Harley-Davidson, decided to launch a social media campaign, designed by 7 Media Group, that took advantage of the growing number of mobile users. The holidays are always a time for marketing innovation and that has been especially true with social media. And the 12 Days of Christmas campaign by Route 66 is a perfect example of that.

The Campaign and Goals

Route 66 had a very specific goal in mind: they wanted to maintain visibility with current customers and generate increased revenue by attracting a new customer base during the holiday season. Sounds simple enough. After all, the holidays are a great time for promoting your products since consumers are out looking to buy. But when every brand from Wal-Mart to Microsoft is promoting holiday specials, and your brand is known as a luxury item that not everyone can afford, you need to find a way to compete.

Route 66 decided they would take advantage of social media and promote a 12-day SMS campaign to their fans, followers and customers. Essentially, Route 66 created a Call-to-Action (CTA) encouraging users both in-store and online to text RT66 to a designated number. If they did, they would receive twelve days of discounts, whereby the dealership offered a 20% discount on different items each day.

For Route 66, the holidays were typically slower. People seemed to forget that there is so much more to the Harley-Davidson brand than just motorcycles. So Route 66 decided to do the most obvious thing with a social media twist: remind them!

The results were outstanding. For the items being promoted in the campaign, sales skyrocketed. For example, one of the promotions was for T-shirts. On that particular day, sales were 250% more than a normal day of business. On Helmet Day, the single-day sales equaled the previous week’s in their entirety. Furthermore, there was an increase in dealership traffic as a result, and that could easily turn into new customers down the road.

The Lessons

There are a few important takeaways from the social media and mobile marketing techniques used by Route 66.

social media call to action harley davidsonAlways Use a Call-to-Action

For Route 66, it was simply encouraging social media users and customers to opt-in. Where was the incentive? They were receiving discounts. Your CTA’s should be direct, clear and require little from the customer, regardless of what your campaign is.

Campaigns, emails, posts, and anything else you can think of with CTA’s often see at least twice as much engagement as those without. Don’t rely on people to take that next step on their own – help them out!

Cover All Your Bases

Route 66 engaged customers and fans both in-store and on social media. Why? Because choosing one or the other no longer applies when you want to have a successful campaign. As the promotion approached, Route 66 needed to ensure that every avenue through which they could engage with their audience was covered and covered thoroughly. So next time you are putting together a campaign – regardless of its nature – be sure you reach out to your leads on every avenue and do it often.

Keep Them Coming Back

Route 66 had twelve promotions over twelve days leading up to Christmas. (The campaign ran from December 12-24.) Users could opt-in at any time, and the campaign was promoted simultaneously with the live event. Don’t stop promoting your campaigns once they have started. People hate the idea of feeling like they missed out, and if you can put together a longer campaign that gives people a chance to take advantage of your offer, you stand to generate a much greater return than if you create a campaign that is somewhat exclusive.

social media keep it simpleKeep It Simple

Sure, a fancy, multi-layered campaign might wow your audience, but what it has in flash it lacks in simplicity. Simple is good. People like the idea of taking one step and reaching the finish line. Making your clients jump through hoops creates a disincentive to participate. Do you think Route 66 would have seen the same success if customers had to go online, create an account, fill out a survey, print coupons and, after all that, be in the store on the right day to redeem it? Probably not. This is a method that deters a lot of people and can be much more expensive. So, put yourself in the customer’s shoes and ask yourself, really, if you would participate in the promotion.

By engaging an audience on social media and creating a simple, straightforward campaign, Route 66 was able to do exactly what they set out to do. The goals were clear from the start and the methods were easy for both Route 66 and the customer. The results speak for themselves.

Have you tried your hand at a mobile marketing campaign? Was it successful? Why or why not? Tell us in the comments below or on Twitter!

t2social social medis marketing strategies

Case Studies: Heineken

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Social media helps brands understand what their clients want, and few examples of that are better than Heineken’s limited edition bottle redesign.

Case Studies heineken 1Social media is an excellent avenue when it comes to engaging with your fans, and if you can find a way to get their input, all the better. Late in 2012, Heineken decided to redesign their trademark bottle for a limited edition set to celebrate their 140th anniversary. Now, if we have learned anything from the numerous redesigns of the Facebook page, it is that, for the most part, people do not like change, particularly when that change involves something as timeless as the Heineken bottle. So how do you ensure that the backlash will not be severe, particularly when it is in celebration of your brand’s 140th year in business? Turn to social media.

The Campaign

Mark van Iterson, Heineken’s Global Head of Design and his team decided that they would create a limited edition Heineken bottle that incorporated past designs and contemporary twists to mark the company’s 140th anniversary. However, instead of using a small team of in-house designers, van Iterson decided to reach out to Heineken’s massive social network (measured as the top beer on social media by L2 Think Tank) and offer fans a chance to redesign their favorite beer’s bottle.

Tens of thousands of submissions came pouring in from all over the world, and five finalists were chosen for a vote. However, to further promote the efforts of those who contributed, Heineken plans to showcase 30 designs at the Milan Design Week (April 2013) and produce, promote and sell the limited edition winning bottle at the end of this year.

The Lessons

Social media is such a powerful tool when it comes to crowdsourcing. Heineken recognized that and used social media, Facebook in particular, to put together this campaign. A lot of intuition went into effectively executing this campaign, and marketers should be aware of the goals and lessons this case study showcases.

social media goal settingKnow Your Goals

Campaigns are fun, and some can be extremely successful. But in order to know whether or not your campaign was a success, you need to know what your goals are. For Heineken, the obvious goal was using their fan base to source a new design for a limited edition bottle. In an interview with ChiefMarketer.com, van Iterson states: “The goal is twofold. For us at Heineken it is fantastic to get ideas and designs that we didn’t think of ourselves. This unlocks huge creativity, and certainly will bring surprises, excitement and very fresh concepts. For a progressive brand like Heineken, always striving to innovate, improve and find fresh ideas, this is a great source.”

But what about the less apparent goals? Heineken gained a lot more than just a few bottle design suggestions. They gave their fans an opportunity to feel like they were important to the creative process. As we have noted in the past, engagement on social media builds your brand’s image. For Heineken, the goal here was to boost engagement with their fan base by offering them the opportunity to, in a way, join the Heineken team – and they succeeded.

Ask Your Audience

When it comes to social media, one of the reasons why people follow, like, or become fans of a brand is because they are already customers. In the beer world, there is plenty of competition, so when you have set of customers, your goal is to keep them coming back. How? Engage with them on social media.

Heineken had the opportunity to reach out to their audience for input when redesigning their bottle and the response was staggering. People are on social media to talk, so instead of sitting in silence, talk with them!

The New Survey, Poll and Focus Group

social media surveyWhy do programs succeed? Why do they fail? What would improve a program? Traditionally, these were questions answered by focus groups or surveys. But that’s marketing in the past. Social media is the new survey, poll and focus group, all in one place. Heineken capitalized on that fact and saved tremendously on both the cost of designing the bottle in-house and the potential cost of the bottle flopping in an unappreciative market.

Social media is a place where people lie to their friends and tell the truth to strangers. Do what Heineken did and take advantage of that.

Have you launched any campaigns asking your audience to participate? Tell us about it in the comments below or on Twitter!

t2social social medis marketing strategies

Case Studies: Burt’s Bees

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Social media selling is all about engaging with your audience, and Burt’s Bees has managed to build an engaged Facebook audience of 1 million fans and convert quite a few of them into paying customers.

Case Studies burt's beesFacebook was one of the first social networks that businesses sought to take advantage of. As a result, Facebook adapted and created pages. Burt’s Bees, the notable personal care product line, saw Facebook as the perfect medium in which to engage with their audience, and the result has been a growing, highly engaged audience that converts to paying customers.

How did they do it? Burt’s Bees uses Facebook as a place to not only build an audience and share great content, but promote their products in a fun, engaging way that does not turn people away from the brand, and actually converts them into customers.

Selling on social media is a tricky grey area. People do not necessarily want to be bombarded with promotional content, but at the same time, many people follow a brand because they either use it, their friends use it or they want to keep up to date with specials and promotional offers. Burt’s Bees recognized this fact and modeled their Facebook marketing and sales strategy accordingly. In this Case Studies, we aim to showcase the lessons social media marketers can extract from the Burt’s Bees brand in order to build an engaged audience on Facebook and convert that audience into paying customers.

1. ‘New’ is Intriguing

People are often curious about new products. There’s a certain mysterious quality about ‘new’ that tends to intrigue people. Burt’s Bees saw this and capitalized on it when it came to Facebook. One of the most prominent features of the Burt’s Bees Facebook page is their promotion of new products in fun and engaging ways. For example, one of the main ingredients differentiating their products is Cupuaçu. Nothing special about that. But when they wanted to emphasize the benefits of the new product, they took to social media to promote it by creating a video wherein they interviewed New Yorkers, asking them to try and pronounce the word.

The video is short, funny and the word stays on your mind. And there is little more than a branded sign off at the end. However, Melissa Sowry, Social Media and Content Manager at Burt’s Bees stated, “Through Facebook, we can introduce new products more interactively than in print or banner ads…and provide a space where [our consumers] can connect with one another.” So, what is this new product? People might like the word and the video, but they were starting conversations to find out more.

Lesson: Find a creative way to introduce new products and your audience will engage with your brand to find out more.

social media selling2. Social Media Selling

Burt’s Bees has integrated “Buy Now” buttons into their content and features coupons for Facebook fans. The result? Dramatically increased sales through social media.

Unlike many brands that may feature a product and a link to a store, Burt’s Bees allows users to click through to an e-commerce site from a product post that already has the product in a shopping cart. This may take a little customization on the part of the Facebook page and app designer, but any hurdles (e.g. clicking to the store, finding the product, adding to the cart, checking out, etc.) you can eliminate from the buying process means higher conversions.

Lesson: Help facilitate the buying process for your fans and you will see your conversions skyrocket.

3. Engaging and Influential Content

In addition to fun content like the video post above, one of the cornerstones of Burt’s Bees success on Facebook has come from their ability to engage with their fans in conversations. In an interview with eMarketer, Sowry said, “We also create opportunities for consumer education around skin care, for example, and sampling offers. We ran successful sampling programs on Facebook for our relaunched body lotions and new tinted lip balm.” Furthermore, the brand also asks questions and directly responds to user comments.

An active Facebook page is one thing, but to be engaging directly with your social media audience (particularly when that audience is nearly 1.5 million people large) will mean a returning audience, and that makes the social media sales process that much simpler.

Lesson: Engage with your audience and your products will sell themselves on social media.

4. Educate Your Audience

Burt’s Bees has increased their conversions on Facebook through education. By educating their fans on products and informing them as to which product best suits their needs and why, people want to buy from Bert’s Bees, and they don’t need to do too much research on their own.

The easier it is for a lead to learn about your product, compare it to the competition and ultimately make the decision, the higher the likelihood that you will see social media conversions when it comes to sales.

Lesson: Social media selling should be more about teaching people why your product is the best as opposed to simply telling them.social media selling 2

Burt’s Bees is one of the few examples out there of brands that has mastered social selling. It is not an easy task; not by any means. People do not necessarily want to be sold, but if it is done in the right way, your fans are more than open to the idea of buying from you through social media.

With regards to social selling, Facebook has been around a long time. But people still seem to struggling when it comes to engaging with their Facebook fan base and converting those fans into dollars. Burt’s Bees is a great example of social media selling done right.

What is your Facebook strategy with regards to social selling? Have you seen positive results? Tell us in the comments below or on Twitter!

t2social social medis marketing strategies

Case Studies: KLM Airlines

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This week’s Case Studies focuses on one of the most socially innovative airlines around: KLM.

When it comes to social media case studies, airlines often prove to have some of the most impressive, influential and trendsetting results. Yet, despite all of the data that supports the adoption of innovative social media marketing initiatives for airlines, few seem to be as willing to go the distance as KLM.

Case Studies klmKLM’s social media program is brilliant…and they know it. When it comes to converting social media fans into paying customers, KLM is among the most successful brands around. In fact, on the KLM Facebook page, there is a section that breaks down their social media campaigns, explains how they went about executing them and posts the results. Effectively, they are their own Case Studies as to why social is important to business. But our focus is a little deeper than that when it comes to our weekly case study. We aim to pull out the lessons marketers can learn from the KLM social media program as a whole.

The Campaigns

Featured on the KLM Facebook page are seven of their most successful social media campaigns. These campaigns include everything from “KLM Surprise” whereby special gifts would be presented to passengers who checked into flights using Foursquare or Twitter, to the “KLM Tile & Inspire” campaign whereby Facebook fans were asked to convert their Facebook profile picture into a Delft Blue tile and complete that tile with an inspiring message to be used as part of a mosaic design on a KLM aircraft that would travel across the globe. Below are two videos breaking down these campaigns.

KLM Surprise
KLM Tile & Inspire

Each campaign was equally inspired and generated similar results. For the two campaigns above, KLM reaped some considerable social benefits. The breakdown of the two featured campaigns by the numbers is below:

KLM Surprise Analytics
Foursquare 17.528 followers
Youtube 154,722 views
Twitter 1.597 followers
Tweet reach 2,6 mln
KLM Tile & Inspire Analytics
Created tiles 120.000
Number of countries where tiles were created 154
Views of the 2 videos 1.3 million
Number of destinations the 777 flew to 23

While the analytics are impressive enough as it is, the fact that KLM went on to further convert many of these fans is all the more notable. But what we wish to focus on is what KLM did that was as innovative and bold as it was simple and calculated.

The Lessons

Be Bold (But the Right Way)

KLM has had far from a conventional approach to their social media program. From presenting new meal options using Facebook videos that introduce the “chefs” (the “KLM A La Carte” campaign) to the controversial “KLM Meet and Seat” campaign that gave passengers the ability to preview their seat mates based on social profiles, KLM has dared to be innovative with each of their social media campaigns. But it is important to keep something in mind: the marketing execs at KLM knew exactly what they were doing, and these risks were as calculated as any.

By understanding the lead to conversion process, the KLM executives were able to put these campaigns together using careful market research, amalgamated and improved data from their own failed exploits (discussed below), and a clear understanding of the sales process for both the customer and the brand. You don’t garner new customers from social media by doing the same thing as everyone else (hence, the “Be Bold” part of the lesson) but you certainly won’t find them if you scare them away (and that covers the “Right Way” aspect). So keep in mind that for a social media campaign to work, you need to impress your audience and have the data to support your seemingly daring decisions.

Never Be Afraid to Try Something New

Social media is still in its infancy, and social media marketing even more so. There is no shortage of innovation out there, and with the ever-changing landscape of social media, you should never be afraid to be first to market. Your first-mover advantage will be huge when people see you doing something that no one has done before. KLM understands that and they have capitalized on it at every turn.

The airline only jumped into social media in 2009, but in these short few years they have managed to try their hand at virtually every campaign available on social media. Whether it is a Facebook campaign, a Foursquare promotion, a YouTube contest or a Twitter “Live Reply” campaign wherein the airline responded to user tweets using up to 140 REAL people to spell out the message, you should never be afraid to try something that has never been done before. When it comes to social media, people want something they have not yet seen.

social media mistakes facebook thumbs down

Try, Fail, Fix, Repeat

No one knows failed experiments better than KLM. Sure, they might have the budgetary luxury of making these mistakes, but over time they have learned exactly what they should not be doing in order to perfect their social campaigns. And on a smaller scale, you should never be afraid of the mistakes you make when it comes to social media. As we noted above, this is an incipient form of marketing; people are bound to make mistakes. But when you do, note your errors, redraft your campaign taking that into account, and start again.

For KLM, one of their big blunders came in 2011 when they offered a promotional gift to the first 50 male and first 50 female “Likers” of a post. Within minutes they had 1,500 “Likes” and no way of knowing which came when. Oops! But what is important is that KLM recognized their mistakes, fixed them and, more importantly, accepted their failures. And that brings us to our final lesson.

Humility is an Underrated Trait

People appreciate humility. It is a humanizing trait, particularly when it comes from a company as large and reputable as KLM. That is why the last important lesson to pull from KLM is that, while you might be a big brand, social media is a place for you to simply be a voice in the conversation. While an image needs to be maintained, you can be a little less corporate and little more fun when it comes to social (respecting professional boundaries, of course). As we never tire of pointing out, social media is about exactly that: being social. Not only does KLM have a post on their blog detailing some of their yearly bloopers, but they also make an important point in their step-by-step guide on running their social media program:

social media humble pie“Not that campaigns always need to be global and spectacular. Many of our establishments have successfully launched their local pages, and we’ve learned that the power often lies in simplicity — like showing the interior of a cockpit, or thanking someone for notifying us about broken lighting on our KLM sign. Our creative editorial board delivers a daily dose of captivating, engaging posts through our various channels.

Social campaigns have won us several awards, but it hasn’t been one success after the next. We’ve certainly had our share of bloopers. But rather than hushing them up, we decided to make them public and take them as a learning experience. And as it turned out, people liked us even more for it.”

Well said.

What lesson do you think is most important in the case study of KLM? Tell us in the comments below or on Twitter!

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