10 New Social Articles on Business 2 Community |
- Social Ghosts – Catching the Eye of Big Companies
- Identifying Your Business’s Key Influencers on Twitter – Should You Care?
- You Cannot Ignore Google+ For Your Business
- Revisiting Facebook Brand Pages For Social Media Marketing
- Facebook Upgrades Insights Analytics Tool
- Social Media Test for 2012
- Want (Recurring) Donations From Blog Readers? Just Ask!
- Game Mechanics for Bloggers: Video Interview with Gamification Wizard Keith Smith, the CEO of @bigdoor
- Trust Dynamics of Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus and Triberr Revealed
- You Know What I Hate About RSS Readers?
| Social Ghosts – Catching the Eye of Big Companies Posted: 15 Jan 2012 02:00 PM PST
As companies salivate over the new found data to be scraped from social media, they do it with great fear – the fear that comes from seeing social apparitions. Social ghosts are the shimmering images of potential customers. Companies feel comfortable dealing with real customers who are measured by the sales revenue they generate. The scary thing about ghosts is you aren't sure if they are real or what they can do to you. To companies they have always measured marketing to sales on an instant breakfast timer. Measuring relationships and customer influence is foreign for them. Social media is seen as something less than real…a ghost. Big business should know that short-term thinking wont convert the interested into customers or brand ambassadorsCompanies have tried to talk to the ghosts before… "Hey there, ghost, would you like to watch my ad for macaroni and cheese?" Since they are dealing with relationships that require more than a 15 second advertisement, they have fell short with most attempts to use social media. So who do they call? SocialBusters: social media autopiloting companiesThey hire a firm to be social for them and they ask them to advertise to the ghosts… Some unscrupulous companies may take their money with little real return for the company, only to teach them that using social media is like trying to talk to the dead – and to set everything possible on autopilot. Automated content, auto-responders, and autocratic comment moderation… Corporations biggest downfall is that they are short term thinkers. If they can't see the ROI they don't believe in it. Are social ghosts real? Can a company really make money through connecting and engaging with their customers? Can the money making machines pass over into the other world where spirits (their customers) live? Yes… but it isn't easy. The first thing they need to do is understand the metrics and see how those metrics lead to revenue and sales. Second, they need to stop thinking spam, and start creating relationships, making connections, and finding their best and most influential customers. How can they do this? Social metrics Companies like Klout and others have attempted to put a number on it (shout out to Beyonce). They have created metrics to determine how influential a person may be. Now many social media lovers are going to cry foul on Klout, but they are simply one of many that will develop ways to measure social influence. Influence it seems is the ghost that has always been in the house of business and enterprise but nobody has been able to get a clear picture of it. Brand influence is clearly present in the marketplace and has kept many companies alive when their businesses were failing. Social measurements are going to be a valuable currency in the new socially connected world. People can invest now and spend their influence later. Companies need to see the value of customer relationships and learn how to know who their most influential customers are and treat them even better. There is a whole new world available to companies if they can cross over and touch a ghost.   |
| Identifying Your Business’s Key Influencers on Twitter – Should You Care? Posted: 15 Jan 2012 01:00 PM PST No doubt there are people online who can make or break a product or service with a review or comment. Conversely, a chorus of tiny screams might not even get noticed. Yet they are all important to some degree. After all, these are your customers. The reality is that all the opinions matter. But they matter to varying degrees. And what confounds that is the employees of a brand have a fairly fixed bandwidth. The looming question for many brand managers and business owners is this: How can I pay the right amount of attention, the right kind of attention, to the right audience, to have the best (not necessarily the largest) impact on my business? Enter the notion of influencer identification. In a nutshell, these tools do what we've all been trying to do manually for a long time: find the people who matter and who people seem to seek. Many of these tools are digital and track some form of social footprint to see where these people are online, who pays attention, who shares their content, what they talk about, how much juice they have, and the like. Each of these tools computes these scores a bit differently, and that's frankly what sets apart one tool from another. I won't review them all here. David Srtom of ReadWriteWeb did a nice job of this back in October 2011 in “17 Alternatives to Klout.” If you include Klout, you have 18 options. And I can't stress enough what David emphasizes in item 1 of his issues list: "There is no single number that can really be universally useful." That is, use these tools with a shaker of salt. Which is not to say that they are not to be trusted. But PR and communications professionals performed the task of influencer management long before these tools were around. That type of sleuthing work doesn't stop because there are some new digital kids on the block. Instead, look for ways to take the output of these tools and augment what you, as a PR pro, communications pro, or business owner are already doing: listening, reading, identifying, reaching out, forging relationships, long before the ask and long before any sale. A tool I like to use is called FollowerWonk. See 5 tips here from Christopher Penn on how (and why) to use FollowerWonk. It's a bit manual, but the mathematics behind it are transparent. As in, there's no guessing why so and so ranks higher in influence for such and such than someone else. Another powerful Twitter search tool is Topsy (not 100 percent squarely focused on influencer management, but it flags influencers). Topsy is just Twitter search on steroids, but if you squint a little, you can use the results in a different way to help you uncover some insights. It just takes a little work. So, if you have money, go with one of the paid tools. If you have time (instead of money), use some of the free tools. In addition, comment here, or find a discussion group on LinkedIn for others who are using free tools and techniques to identify and dissect influencers. And if you have both time and money, I suggest you do both. Digging in manually and then comparing what you find to what the tools discover will be immensely valuable.   |
| You Cannot Ignore Google+ For Your Business Posted: 15 Jan 2012 11:30 AM PST Google+ cannot be ignored. When Google+ emerged last summer, people's reactions were to be expected. The early adopters were all over it. But for most people who were already suffering from social media fatigue — their response was "oh no…not another site for me to maintain!" And many people simply opted out, not wanting to use/try yet another social networking site. All along, I have been saying that it simply could not be ignored. (like here) Let's look at time line for those of you who aren't familiar with how this played out.
This newest set of features makes personalization of Google search a given. Specifically, how/who you are connected to on Google+ will impact your search results. Again — more ammo for the argument that businesses simply cannot ignore how this is changing the world of search. Here is a quick overview of the three new features. (email readers, click here to view video) Personal Results These results enable you to find information only pertaining to you and your connections. They show photos and updates from Google+ that include what you've shared and what has been shared with you there. You will be the only one who can access this exact data. Profiles in Search These results, also shown in autocomplete and regular search results, will display Google+ profiles of people you know or others you may be interested in following when you search for people's names. Once searched, you'll also have the choice (if you're signed in and you use it) to add Google+ users to your Circles from directly within the search results. People and Pages These results show you profiles or Google+ business pages on the right-hand side of the results page when you search a specific topic or key word/s. I don't think I have to paint the picture for you. Who do you think is going to get a higher search ranking — a business with or without Google+ content? And take my word on it — this is just the beginning. You simply cannot ignore Google+. (Go build your Google+ business page here).   |
| Revisiting Facebook Brand Pages For Social Media Marketing Posted: 15 Jan 2012 11:00 AM PST
Not surprisingly, the change has got businesses wondering when Timeline will be available for brand pages and how they can use it to attract new customers. Facebook has not commented on when the new feature will be available for businesses as of January 10. But what has been going on in the Facebook brand pages world? Our postings have recently explored new social mediums such as Pinterest and Google Plus, but since Facebook is still the king of social media, we wanted to take some time to revisit what has changed and how it can improve your business' online presence. Check in feature. Perhaps one of the most overlooked features of Facebook brand pages is the check in feature. It's fairly new to Facebook and mimics the popular social media site Foursquare. The big difference is that when users check in on Facebook, it is broadcast to all of their Facebook friends and it shows up on your Facebook brand page. Consider creating incentives for users who check in on Facebook to leverage the power of word-of-mouth. Events. What better way is there to let your followers know what you are up to than with Facebook's event feature? This is perfect for special events or weekly specials that are offered to customers. Simply create an event, provide details and invite your company's followers to attend. Insights: new and improved. With demands from users to have a better way to measure ROI, Facebook made improvements to its insights for brand pages in 2011. Users can now see statistics on likes, reach, check-ins and word-of-mouth interactions with the new "talking about this" measurement. The demographics provided are the same as they were, but Facebooks provides much more extensive measurements with the upgraded insights. Sidebar tabs. Facebook has made it easier for users to add tabs to their sidebar, which allows personalization on Facebook brand pages. Now, a landing page can be created for users who visit a page and have not yet "liked" the brand. This is especially useful for brands who are looking to use promotions to gain followers. Don't forget to use Facebook to improve your inbound marketing efforts, as well. Make sure to connect all of your company's social media channels to Facebook and provide links to the company website. We'll be watching for an announcement about Facebook timeline for brand pages and will blog as soon as we hear something.   |
| Facebook Upgrades Insights Analytics Tool Posted: 15 Jan 2012 09:30 AM PST Marketers should be adept at demonstrating the value of online marketing efforts to their client or company. Tools like Google Analytics and Compete.com provide excellent ways to measure and report, in-depth, on company website traffic and the effectiveness of an online strategy. However, tools for measuring social media marketing success have only had capacity to report on very basic statistics (# of likes, shares, comments, etc.)…until now. Last month, Facebook rolled out an upgraded version of their Insights analytics tool for business pages, providing a comprehensive look into your pages' reach and many additional metrics to support your Facebook marketing efforts. Below is a summary of some key elements of the Insights revamp: 1. Measuring Facebook Reach: In addition to "Total Likes," which has always been available, Insights now also reports three additional statistics to define your pages overall reach on Facebook: Friends of Fans: This metric identifies the total number of people your page could be exposed to, if each of your fans shares content from your page on their own account. People Talking about This: This metric identifies the number of unique people who have shared content from your page on their account in the past week. Weekly Total Reach: This metric identifies the number of people that have seen the content that your fans have shared on their own pages. 2. Influence of Post Frequency: This graph is an excellent way to analyze correlations between the frequency of posts and how that influences fans. The purple dots below represent posts to your page; the bigger the dot, the higher frequency of posts that day. If you look at the graph, you will notice that on January 4th (with an average sized purple dot), the "People Talking about This" and "Weekly Total Reach" numbers went up. Conversely, in late December (a larger purple dot, meaning more posts), the "People Talking about This" and "Weekly Total Reach" metrics aren't as high. Based on this information, marketers can deduce that frequency in content is not what influences their fans. It is more likely, in this case, that their fans are influenced by the subject matter of the content. 3. Engagement and "Virality" of Posts: The graph below displays every post made on your page, alongside a few important new metrics: Reach: This metric identifies the number of people who have seen the post. Engaged Users: This metric identifies the number of people who have clicked on the post. Talking about This: See #1. Virality: This metric identifies the percentage of people who have shared your post, out of the total number of unique people who have seen it. By reviewing these metrics for each individual post, a marketer can learn what types of posts are resonating with their audiences and make decisions about future posts, based on that knowledge. What do you think of these new tools? Will the newly upgraded Facebook Insights be taken into account when planning your Facebook strategy?   |
| Posted: 15 Jan 2012 07:30 AM PST
This test will tell you the following:
Ok – Here is the test – type the following in Google – No quotes: social media firstname lastname Here is what you will find:
Now try this test for yourself! What type of presence does your name bring? People want to connect with people and they need to understand more about you. You are the living brand for your workplace. If your goal is to have a presence in the "Social Media" field, this test is for you. If you work with social media, but your company is in a different market, please do the following: Insert your company's main "product or service" with your firstname and lastname. Example ( soil testing brent pohlman) See how strong your voice is for your company's brand and which platform you are being heard the most on.   |
| Want (Recurring) Donations From Blog Readers? Just Ask! Posted: 15 Jan 2012 07:00 AM PST  Gannett Blogger Jim Hopkins By the time Jim Hopkins left his job as a reporter and editor for USA Today on Jan. 10, 2008, he had already built up a respectable following at the snarky blog he published about his employer, Gannett Co., anonymously. Called simply Gannett Blog, it kept employees of the largest newspaper company in the United States up to date for two years on almost any work-related topics, from executive compensation and ad rate increases to ethics issues and the revolving door at individual papers. In an industry pummeled by shrinking ad dollars, a dying reader base, and competition from online news sources, there was no shortage of topics. But there was no gossip, no inside dirt, no office politics—and no "official" affiliation with the company. Instead, Hopkins relied on published reports and information he uncovered from public documents. His loyal readers provided a steady stream of leads and tips, most anonymously. The day after he took a buyout and a 40-week severance package, Hopkins identified himself as the writer of the blog. He kept commenting on everything Gannett and providing updates on budget cuts and layoffs. The sources kept surfacing. The blog kept growing. But Who Will Pay the Bills? When the severance ran out, it was time to start asking readers for donations. That first year, Hopkins set a goal of $6,000 revenue per quarter from the blog. At first, the donations trickled in. Some included notes. Many arrived as cash in his mailbox with no indication of who had sent them. Thinking he was a tad too overly ambitious, he revised his quarterly goal to $4,000 and surpassed it in 2011. He made $5,000 in donations and $11,000 in Google Adsense revenue. He accepts cash, checks and recently started accepting PayPal payments. You can't help but notice the little photos of credit cards placed under PayPal's "Donate" button on the right side of his blog. He even encourages recurring payments for people who don't want to hassle with multiple contributions and all those postage stamps and PayPal transactions: And he's turned his appeal into a sort of game where he keeps readers updated on how close he is to reaching his goal. "Whenever someone gives me money, I post a note saying that," he said. They're accompanied by little photos of dollar bills and headlines like "In an envelope with no address: $60″ and "In the final stretch: another $100." "One of my readers said I should start posting those." Those seeds he's planting lead to more contributions. "It's like one of those telethons where they have a running total and say 'Here's how much we've raised…'" Keep Milking the Cow That's in the Barn Hopkins says offering recurring payment is important because online marketers must make it as easy as possible for people to part with their money. "The more obstacles there are for people to give you money, the less likely they are to do it. Obstacles can be something as small as having to click on a couple of links. You have to give them as many ways to donate as possible." Indeed. The nonprofit fund-raising arm of Wikipedia gives visitors to its website 9 ways that people can donate to the Wikimedia Foundation. Hopkins offers space in the banner ad at the top of the blog for $150 a month. But so far, no takers. "I thought there would be interest from financial advisors who handle retirements and rollovers, and from labor attorneys because lots of (Gannett) people think they're victims of age discrimination. " Advertisers might want to look twice at his blog's monthly stats:
Last year alone, the blog received 28,000 comments. These days, the 54-year-old San Francisco resident spends from 25-30 hours a week blogging and says "it's as much a hobby as it is a source of income." When I asked him how he'd respond to blogging purists who disdain any type of promotion at blogs, especially blatant requests for money, Hopkins said: "I don't have any problem with it for the simple reason that I offer a quality product and it's entirely reasonable to expect people to pay for it. I make it entirely voluntary. There's nothing wrong with asking. If you ask, some people will give." He also said the running tally shows his audience—mostly current and former journalists—the challenge of being an online publisher in 2012. "They can see what economic survival is all about." Make Your Own Blog Go "Kaching!" Hopkins' request for donations will be one of 27 ideas I'm sharing on Saturday during the webinar "27 Ways to Monetize Your Blog" from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Eastern Time. If the time is inconvenient, sign up anyway because you'll get the link for the video replay within 72 hours. Would you be so bold as to do what Hopkins does by asking for donations? Do you monetize your blog? What ideas have worked best for you? If you don't monetize it, why not?   |
| Posted: 15 Jan 2012 05:15 AM PST Keith and I sit down to chat about game mechanics and specifically, how they apply to blogging. Keith has many years of experience in applying game mechanics to online properties and is the CEO of Big Door, a Seattle-based startup dedicated to making the online world more rewarding by providing gamification technology to non-gaming websites. If you're not familiar with Gamification, it can be described simply by saying that it is the process of putting fun into work. And just in case you don't think this doesn't apply to you, bear in mind that game mechanics are EVERYWHERE. You play them when you get your buy 10 get 1 free drink-card punched at the local coffee shop. You play them when you look at your accrued airline miles. You play them when you check your Klout score. We all engage in game mechanics all the time and mostly without even noticing. Keith and I talk about how these game mechanics might be applied on your blog. Watch the video for more.   |
| Trust Dynamics of Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus and Triberr Revealed Posted: 15 Jan 2012 04:00 AM PST They may use different logos, color scheme, and have a different feature set, but all of that is superficial. Google Plus, Facebook, Twitter and Triberr are fundamentally different in the level of trust needed to connect with another person via these social systems. In this video, I talk about the underlying trust dynamics of these 4 social networks.   |
| You Know What I Hate About RSS Readers? Posted: 14 Jan 2012 06:30 PM PST They never deliver awesome content from bloggers I've never heard of. All I see are new posts from bloggers I know. Bloggers I've been reading for months, sometimes years. Don't get me wrong… These bloggers are great, if little stale. I wish, I wish…you know what would be really cool?
Sure, I could go to a popular blog and read the same ol' drivel. Sure, I could go to one of those large, newspaper-like sites that publish vetted, safe -and let's face it- boring content. Sure, I could go to a site where a team of drones decides what's good and what's not. But what I really want is a new, independent, and reader-selected content, recently published, and filed under my favorite category. Dawning of the age…Well… Friends. Countrymen. Good people of this Earth. For the first time ever, introducing just such a service. You know this service already. You love it. It has brought many-a-clicks to your blog, and now it's looking to bring even more. Triberr opened its doors in March of 2011, and since then –at the time of this writing- it has climbed Alexa ratings to become a top 900 most visited site in US. It is in the top 5,744 most visited sites world wide. It is likely that these number will be even better (lower) by the time you read this. Of course, Alexa is just one silly way of measuring site's success. Triberr also gets about 60,000 visits per month…and that's a lot of visits for a young up-start. So we decided to give this traffic to you. Anyone need some traffic?Instead of featuring few members and a graphic of what Triberr does, we decided to turn Triberr's homepage into a kind of dynamic RSS Reader. On the main page, it lists the best posts across various categories, plus it has categories listed along the side and the best posts in those category. How to get on Triberr's homepage? Easy.
Before you know it, your blog will be displayed in the main listings area or at the very least, (or perhaps even better?) in the relevant category. Give it a go. I would love some feedback on how we can make it even better.   |
Social media presents the mirage of revenue potential to companies
On September 22, 2011, Facebook introduced Timeline, a new Facebook profile layout that allows users to tell their life story through photos, friendships and personal milestones. The update is expected to forever change the way that users connect with one another and share information with their friends.
| You are subscribed to email updates from Social | Business 2 Community To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
Niciun comentariu:
Trimiteți un comentariu