Secrets of Social Media Marketing

Secrets of Social Media Marketing Paul Gillin PRSA Teleseminar May 19, 2009

10 Secrets of Social Media Marketing

Secret #1: Don’t Fear Negativity

Old Tactics No Longer Work “ Please remove the posting located at the following link: http://consumerist.com/consumer/insiders/22-. .. It contains information that is confidential and proprietary to Dell.” June 14, 2007 Dell's 23 Confessions Now's not the time to mince words, so let me just say it... we blew it…. instead of trying to control information that was made public, we should have simply corrected anything that was inaccurate. We didn't do that, and now we're paying for it. June 16, 2007

Be Human “ If a company does something wrong and then fixes it, it stirs up much more customer loyalty than if they didn’t do something wrong in the first place.” Ben Popken Editor-in-chief, The Consumerist

Secret #2: Start With the Goal, Not the Tool

Strategy Drives Technology ● ● ● ● Humanize The Company ● ● ● Generate Website Traffic ● ● ● ● Expose Employee Talent ● ● ● Customers Conversation ● ● ● ● ● Crisis Management ● ● ● ● Counter Negative Publicity ● ● ● ● ● Build Customer Community Recom-mendation Engine Private Comm-unity Social Network Video Podcast Blog Social Media Tool Business Goal

Tools at Your Disposal

Discussion Forums – tactical and impersonal

Blogs – The online equivalent to publications

Microblogs – Short, fast and frequent

Podcasts – Add depth, lose interactivity

Social Networks – Listening posts

Social Bookmarking Sites – Drive awareness

Online Video – Flexible but complex

Search Engines – Your traffic driver

Secret #3: Embrace Niche Markets

Niche markets are:

Knowledgeable

Engaged

Responsive

Helpful

Spenders

Secret #4: Empower Your People To Speak For The Company

The New PR Mandate “ A company’s true character is expressed by its people. The strongest opinions – good or bad – about a company are shaped by the words and deeds of its employees…It is the responsibility of corporate communications to support each employee’s capability and desire to be an honest, knowledgeable ambassador to customers, friends, shareowners and public officials.” --From The Authentic Enterprise: Relationships, Values And The Evolution Of Corporate Communications Arthur W. Page Society, Dec., 2007

The Power of Peers

Secret #5: Listen Before You Talk

Listening Posts

Little-known Gems Social bookmarking sites Meta Search Specialized Search

Secret #6: Think Like a Publisher

Traditional Media in Decline

Decline in circulation of top 10 newspapers in 2008: 635,000

Average age of daily newspaper reader in US: 57

Reduction in US newsroom staffs since 2001: 25%

Magazine newsstand sales growth, US, 2008: -12%

In 2009: -22%

Growth in NBC prime time audience, 2008: -14.3%

Age of average network evening news viewer: 63

Percent of time teenagers spend with television, compared to their parents: 60

Percent they spend online: 600

Growth in Twitter membership, 2/08 - 2/09: 1,400%

Percent of Americans who say Daily Show and Colbert Report are replacing traditional news outlets: 33

Information Democratization

Advise and Educate

Secret #7: Ditch the 13-week Campaign

Social Media Campaigns Take Time

Daily visits 3X to 4X week 14 average

Consider spinoffs

53+

Make top 10 results for targeted queries

Traffic becomes self-sustaining

40-52

Gain search traction

Generate inbound links

14-39

Build awareness

Show steady growth

1-13 Goal Week

Many Ways to Influence PRE MEDIA AGE MASS MEDIA AGE SOCIAL MEDIA AGE Consult a professional Readers letters Phone in; TV / Radio Talk to shop worker Personal blog Social network page Widgets Photo sharing site Chat rooms Message boards Video sharing site Comments on blogs Comments on websites Viral emails Wish lists Ratings on retail sites Reviews on retail sites Auction websites Social Bookmarking Chat room Price comparison sites Social shopping sites Talk face to face Consult a professional Readers Letters Phone in; TV / Radio Talk to shop worker Phone call Talk face to face Phone call SMS Email Instant Messenger Talk face to face Talk to shop worker Consumer influence channels Source: Universal McCann Erickson

Influence Inversion Courtesy Digitas

Secret #8: Put Communities to Work

Ready-made Markets

The Value of Communities Needs Definition Product Architecture Iterative Development Field Testing Viral Marketing Peer Support Product lifecycle

Opinion Panelists

Deputized Designers

Product Developers

Secret #9: Use the STRAIGHT Principle in All Communications

Play it STRAIGHT

S uccinct

T ransparent

R esponsive

A ccepting

I nsightful

G enuine

H umorous

T imely

Secret #10: Give to Get

Offer Value Artful Homes Community Woot Community Jockey’s Customer Reviews

Tap customer innnovation

Thank you! Paul Gillin 508-202-9807 [email_address] www.gillin.com Twitter: pgillin Available on Amazon or from www.NewInfluencers.com Available on Amazon or from www.SSMMbook.com Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter at gillin.com