In a bid to survive the devastating economy, an optimistic businessman first has to overcome the unrequited love of his new marketing darling – online social media – before his muse will save him.
The cold truth about using social media for business development following my first 12 months and writing more than 200 posts.
Brand Archetype Development From The Business of StoryPark Howell
Which of the 12 Jungian archetypes best expresses the personality of your brand. You can even select up to two supporting archetypes if you like. Take this fun exploration and declare your authentic personality. And then let it inform the consistent and compelling look, feel, tone and user experience for your brand story.
Storytelling: The Ultimate Survival Tool?Park Howell
I think business leaders would do themselves well by studying what authors know about crafting and telling compelling stories. In her book, Wired for Story: The Writer's Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers from the Very First Sentence, Lisa Cron provides an interesting look at how we're all hardwired for story for no other reason than survival itself.
So why in business would we completely ignore our mind's need for narrative? Here is my quick take on the ractor beam of story from her brilliant book.
Many sustainability initiatives are like the tree that fell in the forest and no one was around to hear it. Their causes just don't make enough noise to move people into action. Wrapping their messages in powerful stories is the most powerful way to move mountains of people. Our minds are shaped for story, and when you use storytelling properly, you can nudge the world in any direction you choose. I'll show you how in this keynote presentation I made to the Arizona Business Advancing Sustainability coalition in Phoenix. The talk was given at Mayo Clinic.
6 Digital Myths Debunked: What it really takes to create a dynamic web presencePark Howell
Creating a great website takes thought, time, and money. Here are six myths that will derail every web project if you're not paying attention and approaching your digital presence with realistic expectations versus the fantasy of free and easy that prevails online.
Brand Archetype Development From The Business of StoryPark Howell
Which of the 12 Jungian archetypes best expresses the personality of your brand. You can even select up to two supporting archetypes if you like. Take this fun exploration and declare your authentic personality. And then let it inform the consistent and compelling look, feel, tone and user experience for your brand story.
Storytelling: The Ultimate Survival Tool?Park Howell
I think business leaders would do themselves well by studying what authors know about crafting and telling compelling stories. In her book, Wired for Story: The Writer's Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers from the Very First Sentence, Lisa Cron provides an interesting look at how we're all hardwired for story for no other reason than survival itself.
So why in business would we completely ignore our mind's need for narrative? Here is my quick take on the ractor beam of story from her brilliant book.
Many sustainability initiatives are like the tree that fell in the forest and no one was around to hear it. Their causes just don't make enough noise to move people into action. Wrapping their messages in powerful stories is the most powerful way to move mountains of people. Our minds are shaped for story, and when you use storytelling properly, you can nudge the world in any direction you choose. I'll show you how in this keynote presentation I made to the Arizona Business Advancing Sustainability coalition in Phoenix. The talk was given at Mayo Clinic.
6 Digital Myths Debunked: What it really takes to create a dynamic web presencePark Howell
Creating a great website takes thought, time, and money. Here are six myths that will derail every web project if you're not paying attention and approaching your digital presence with realistic expectations versus the fantasy of free and easy that prevails online.
Event Report - SAP Sapphire 2024 Orlando - lots of innovation and old challengesHolger Mueller
Holger Mueller of Constellation Research shares his key takeaways from SAP's Sapphire confernece, held in Orlando, June 3rd till 5th 2024, in the Orange Convention Center.
[Note: This is a partial preview. To download this presentation, visit:
https://www.oeconsulting.com.sg/training-presentations]
Sustainability has become an increasingly critical topic as the world recognizes the need to protect our planet and its resources for future generations. Sustainability means meeting our current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs. It involves long-term planning and consideration of the consequences of our actions. The goal is to create strategies that ensure the long-term viability of People, Planet, and Profit.
Leading companies such as Nike, Toyota, and Siemens are prioritizing sustainable innovation in their business models, setting an example for others to follow. In this Sustainability training presentation, you will learn key concepts, principles, and practices of sustainability applicable across industries. This training aims to create awareness and educate employees, senior executives, consultants, and other key stakeholders, including investors, policymakers, and supply chain partners, on the importance and implementation of sustainability.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Develop a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental principles and concepts that form the foundation of sustainability within corporate environments.
2. Explore the sustainability implementation model, focusing on effective measures and reporting strategies to track and communicate sustainability efforts.
3. Identify and define best practices and critical success factors essential for achieving sustainability goals within organizations.
CONTENTS
1. Introduction and Key Concepts of Sustainability
2. Principles and Practices of Sustainability
3. Measures and Reporting in Sustainability
4. Sustainability Implementation & Best Practices
To download the complete presentation, visit: https://www.oeconsulting.com.sg/training-presentations
In the Adani-Hindenburg case, what is SEBI investigating.pptxAdani case
Adani SEBI investigation revealed that the latter had sought information from five foreign jurisdictions concerning the holdings of the firm’s foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) in relation to the alleged violations of the MPS Regulations. Nevertheless, the economic interest of the twelve FPIs based in tax haven jurisdictions still needs to be determined. The Adani Group firms classed these FPIs as public shareholders. According to Hindenburg, FPIs were used to get around regulatory standards.
Personal Brand Statement:
As an Army veteran dedicated to lifelong learning, I bring a disciplined, strategic mindset to my pursuits. I am constantly expanding my knowledge to innovate and lead effectively. My journey is driven by a commitment to excellence, and to make a meaningful impact in the world.
The world of search engine optimization (SEO) is buzzing with discussions after Google confirmed that around 2,500 leaked internal documents related to its Search feature are indeed authentic. The revelation has sparked significant concerns within the SEO community. The leaked documents were initially reported by SEO experts Rand Fishkin and Mike King, igniting widespread analysis and discourse. For More Info:- https://news.arihantwebtech.com/search-disrupted-googles-leaked-documents-rock-the-seo-world/
Recruiting in the Digital Age: A Social Media MasterclassLuanWise
In this masterclass, presented at the Global HR Summit on 5th June 2024, Luan Wise explored the essential features of social media platforms that support talent acquisition, including LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok.
Implicitly or explicitly all competing businesses employ a strategy to select a mix
of marketing resources. Formulating such competitive strategies fundamentally
involves recognizing relationships between elements of the marketing mix (e.g.,
price and product quality), as well as assessing competitive and market conditions
(i.e., industry structure in the language of economics).
Buy Verified PayPal Account | Buy Google 5 Star Reviewsusawebmarket
Buy Verified PayPal Account
Looking to buy verified PayPal accounts? Discover 7 expert tips for safely purchasing a verified PayPal account in 2024. Ensure security and reliability for your transactions.
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24/7 Hours Reply/Please Contact
usawebmarketEmail: support@usawebmarket.com
Skype: usawebmarket
Telegram: @usawebmarket
WhatsApp: +1(218) 203-5951
USA WEB MARKET is the Best Verified PayPal, Payoneer, Cash App, Skrill, Neteller, Stripe Account and SEO, SMM Service provider.100%Satisfection granted.100% replacement Granted.
Putting the SPARK into Virtual Training.pptxCynthia Clay
This 60-minute webinar, sponsored by Adobe, was delivered for the Training Mag Network. It explored the five elements of SPARK: Storytelling, Purpose, Action, Relationships, and Kudos. Knowing how to tell a well-structured story is key to building long-term memory. Stating a clear purpose that doesn't take away from the discovery learning process is critical. Ensuring that people move from theory to practical application is imperative. Creating strong social learning is the key to commitment and engagement. Validating and affirming participants' comments is the way to create a positive learning environment.
2024 State of Marketing Report – by HubspotMarius Sescu
https://www.hubspot.com/state-of-marketing
· Scaling relationships and proving ROI
· Social media is the place for search, sales, and service
· Authentic influencer partnerships fuel brand growth
· The strongest connections happen via call, click, chat, and camera.
· Time saved with AI leads to more creative work
· Seeking: A single source of truth
· TLDR; Get on social, try AI, and align your systems.
· More human marketing, powered by robots
ChatGPT is a revolutionary addition to the world since its introduction in 2022. A big shift in the sector of information gathering and processing happened because of this chatbot. What is the story of ChatGPT? How is the bot responding to prompts and generating contents? Swipe through these slides prepared by Expeed Software, a web development company regarding the development and technical intricacies of ChatGPT!
Event Report - SAP Sapphire 2024 Orlando - lots of innovation and old challengesHolger Mueller
Holger Mueller of Constellation Research shares his key takeaways from SAP's Sapphire confernece, held in Orlando, June 3rd till 5th 2024, in the Orange Convention Center.
[Note: This is a partial preview. To download this presentation, visit:
https://www.oeconsulting.com.sg/training-presentations]
Sustainability has become an increasingly critical topic as the world recognizes the need to protect our planet and its resources for future generations. Sustainability means meeting our current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs. It involves long-term planning and consideration of the consequences of our actions. The goal is to create strategies that ensure the long-term viability of People, Planet, and Profit.
Leading companies such as Nike, Toyota, and Siemens are prioritizing sustainable innovation in their business models, setting an example for others to follow. In this Sustainability training presentation, you will learn key concepts, principles, and practices of sustainability applicable across industries. This training aims to create awareness and educate employees, senior executives, consultants, and other key stakeholders, including investors, policymakers, and supply chain partners, on the importance and implementation of sustainability.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Develop a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental principles and concepts that form the foundation of sustainability within corporate environments.
2. Explore the sustainability implementation model, focusing on effective measures and reporting strategies to track and communicate sustainability efforts.
3. Identify and define best practices and critical success factors essential for achieving sustainability goals within organizations.
CONTENTS
1. Introduction and Key Concepts of Sustainability
2. Principles and Practices of Sustainability
3. Measures and Reporting in Sustainability
4. Sustainability Implementation & Best Practices
To download the complete presentation, visit: https://www.oeconsulting.com.sg/training-presentations
In the Adani-Hindenburg case, what is SEBI investigating.pptxAdani case
Adani SEBI investigation revealed that the latter had sought information from five foreign jurisdictions concerning the holdings of the firm’s foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) in relation to the alleged violations of the MPS Regulations. Nevertheless, the economic interest of the twelve FPIs based in tax haven jurisdictions still needs to be determined. The Adani Group firms classed these FPIs as public shareholders. According to Hindenburg, FPIs were used to get around regulatory standards.
Personal Brand Statement:
As an Army veteran dedicated to lifelong learning, I bring a disciplined, strategic mindset to my pursuits. I am constantly expanding my knowledge to innovate and lead effectively. My journey is driven by a commitment to excellence, and to make a meaningful impact in the world.
The world of search engine optimization (SEO) is buzzing with discussions after Google confirmed that around 2,500 leaked internal documents related to its Search feature are indeed authentic. The revelation has sparked significant concerns within the SEO community. The leaked documents were initially reported by SEO experts Rand Fishkin and Mike King, igniting widespread analysis and discourse. For More Info:- https://news.arihantwebtech.com/search-disrupted-googles-leaked-documents-rock-the-seo-world/
Recruiting in the Digital Age: A Social Media MasterclassLuanWise
In this masterclass, presented at the Global HR Summit on 5th June 2024, Luan Wise explored the essential features of social media platforms that support talent acquisition, including LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok.
Implicitly or explicitly all competing businesses employ a strategy to select a mix
of marketing resources. Formulating such competitive strategies fundamentally
involves recognizing relationships between elements of the marketing mix (e.g.,
price and product quality), as well as assessing competitive and market conditions
(i.e., industry structure in the language of economics).
Buy Verified PayPal Account | Buy Google 5 Star Reviewsusawebmarket
Buy Verified PayPal Account
Looking to buy verified PayPal accounts? Discover 7 expert tips for safely purchasing a verified PayPal account in 2024. Ensure security and reliability for your transactions.
PayPal Services Features-
🟢 Email Access
🟢 Bank Added
🟢 Card Verified
🟢 Full SSN Provided
🟢 Phone Number Access
🟢 Driving License Copy
🟢 Fasted Delivery
Client Satisfaction is Our First priority. Our services is very appropriate to buy. We assume that the first-rate way to purchase our offerings is to order on the website. If you have any worry in our cooperation usually You can order us on Skype or Telegram.
24/7 Hours Reply/Please Contact
usawebmarketEmail: support@usawebmarket.com
Skype: usawebmarket
Telegram: @usawebmarket
WhatsApp: +1(218) 203-5951
USA WEB MARKET is the Best Verified PayPal, Payoneer, Cash App, Skrill, Neteller, Stripe Account and SEO, SMM Service provider.100%Satisfection granted.100% replacement Granted.
Putting the SPARK into Virtual Training.pptxCynthia Clay
This 60-minute webinar, sponsored by Adobe, was delivered for the Training Mag Network. It explored the five elements of SPARK: Storytelling, Purpose, Action, Relationships, and Kudos. Knowing how to tell a well-structured story is key to building long-term memory. Stating a clear purpose that doesn't take away from the discovery learning process is critical. Ensuring that people move from theory to practical application is imperative. Creating strong social learning is the key to commitment and engagement. Validating and affirming participants' comments is the way to create a positive learning environment.
2024 State of Marketing Report – by HubspotMarius Sescu
https://www.hubspot.com/state-of-marketing
· Scaling relationships and proving ROI
· Social media is the place for search, sales, and service
· Authentic influencer partnerships fuel brand growth
· The strongest connections happen via call, click, chat, and camera.
· Time saved with AI leads to more creative work
· Seeking: A single source of truth
· TLDR; Get on social, try AI, and align your systems.
· More human marketing, powered by robots
ChatGPT is a revolutionary addition to the world since its introduction in 2022. A big shift in the sector of information gathering and processing happened because of this chatbot. What is the story of ChatGPT? How is the bot responding to prompts and generating contents? Swipe through these slides prepared by Expeed Software, a web development company regarding the development and technical intricacies of ChatGPT!
Product Design Trends in 2024 | Teenage EngineeringsPixeldarts
The realm of product design is a constantly changing environment where technology and style intersect. Every year introduces fresh challenges and exciting trends that mold the future of this captivating art form. In this piece, we delve into the significant trends set to influence the look and functionality of product design in the year 2024.
How Race, Age and Gender Shape Attitudes Towards Mental HealthThinkNow
Mental health has been in the news quite a bit lately. Dozens of U.S. states are currently suing Meta for contributing to the youth mental health crisis by inserting addictive features into their products, while the U.S. Surgeon General is touring the nation to bring awareness to the growing epidemic of loneliness and isolation. The country has endured periods of low national morale, such as in the 1970s when high inflation and the energy crisis worsened public sentiment following the Vietnam War. The current mood, however, feels different. Gallup recently reported that national mental health is at an all-time low, with few bright spots to lift spirits.
To better understand how Americans are feeling and their attitudes towards mental health in general, ThinkNow conducted a nationally representative quantitative survey of 1,500 respondents and found some interesting differences among ethnic, age and gender groups.
Technology
For example, 52% agree that technology and social media have a negative impact on mental health, but when broken out by race, 61% of Whites felt technology had a negative effect, and only 48% of Hispanics thought it did.
While technology has helped us keep in touch with friends and family in faraway places, it appears to have degraded our ability to connect in person. Staying connected online is a double-edged sword since the same news feed that brings us pictures of the grandkids and fluffy kittens also feeds us news about the wars in Israel and Ukraine, the dysfunction in Washington, the latest mass shooting and the climate crisis.
Hispanics may have a built-in defense against the isolation technology breeds, owing to their large, multigenerational households, strong social support systems, and tendency to use social media to stay connected with relatives abroad.
Age and Gender
When asked how individuals rate their mental health, men rate it higher than women by 11 percentage points, and Baby Boomers rank it highest at 83%, saying it’s good or excellent vs. 57% of Gen Z saying the same.
Gen Z spends the most amount of time on social media, so the notion that social media negatively affects mental health appears to be correlated. Unfortunately, Gen Z is also the generation that’s least comfortable discussing mental health concerns with healthcare professionals. Only 40% of them state they’re comfortable discussing their issues with a professional compared to 60% of Millennials and 65% of Boomers.
Race Affects Attitudes
As seen in previous research conducted by ThinkNow, Asian Americans lag other groups when it comes to awareness of mental health issues. Twenty-four percent of Asian Americans believe that having a mental health issue is a sign of weakness compared to the 16% average for all groups. Asians are also considerably less likely to be aware of mental health services in their communities (42% vs. 55%) and most likely to seek out information on social media (51% vs. 35%).
AI Trends in Creative Operations 2024 by Artwork Flow.pdfmarketingartwork
This article is all about what AI trends will emerge in the field of creative operations in 2024. All the marketers and brand builders should be aware of these trends for their further use and save themselves some time!
A report by thenetworkone and Kurio.
The contributing experts and agencies are (in an alphabetical order): Sylwia Rytel, Social Media Supervisor, 180heartbeats + JUNG v MATT (PL), Sharlene Jenner, Vice President - Director of Engagement Strategy, Abelson Taylor (USA), Alex Casanovas, Digital Director, Atrevia (ES), Dora Beilin, Senior Social Strategist, Barrett Hoffher (USA), Min Seo, Campaign Director, Brand New Agency (KR), Deshé M. Gully, Associate Strategist, Day One Agency (USA), Francesca Trevisan, Strategist, Different (IT), Trevor Crossman, CX and Digital Transformation Director; Olivia Hussey, Strategic Planner; Simi Srinarula, Social Media Manager, The Hallway (AUS), James Hebbert, Managing Director, Hylink (CN / UK), Mundy Álvarez, Planning Director; Pedro Rojas, Social Media Manager; Pancho González, CCO, Inbrax (CH), Oana Oprea, Head of Digital Planning, Jam Session Agency (RO), Amy Bottrill, Social Account Director, Launch (UK), Gaby Arriaga, Founder, Leonardo1452 (MX), Shantesh S Row, Creative Director, Liwa (UAE), Rajesh Mehta, Chief Strategy Officer; Dhruv Gaur, Digital Planning Lead; Leonie Mergulhao, Account Supervisor - Social Media & PR, Medulla (IN), Aurelija Plioplytė, Head of Digital & Social, Not Perfect (LI), Daiana Khaidargaliyeva, Account Manager, Osaka Labs (UK / USA), Stefanie Söhnchen, Vice President Digital, PIABO Communications (DE), Elisabeth Winiartati, Managing Consultant, Head of Global Integrated Communications; Lydia Aprina, Account Manager, Integrated Marketing and Communications; Nita Prabowo, Account Manager, Integrated Marketing and Communications; Okhi, Web Developer, PNTR Group (ID), Kei Obusan, Insights Director; Daffi Ranandi, Insights Manager, Radarr (SG), Gautam Reghunath, Co-founder & CEO, Talented (IN), Donagh Humphreys, Head of Social and Digital Innovation, THINKHOUSE (IRE), Sarah Yim, Strategy Director, Zulu Alpha Kilo (CA).
Trends In Paid Search: Navigating The Digital Landscape In 2024Search Engine Journal
The search marketing landscape is evolving rapidly with new technologies, and professionals, like you, rely on innovative paid search strategies to meet changing demands.
It’s important that you’re ready to implement new strategies in 2024.
Check this out and learn the top trends in paid search advertising that are expected to gain traction, so you can drive higher ROI more efficiently in 2024.
You’ll learn:
- The latest trends in AI and automation, and what this means for an evolving paid search ecosystem.
- New developments in privacy and data regulation.
- Emerging ad formats that are expected to make an impact next year.
Watch Sreekant Lanka from iQuanti and Irina Klein from OneMain Financial as they dive into the future of paid search and explore the trends, strategies, and technologies that will shape the search marketing landscape.
If you’re looking to assess your paid search strategy and design an industry-aligned plan for 2024, then this webinar is for you.
5 Public speaking tips from TED - Visualized summarySpeakerHub
From their humble beginnings in 1984, TED has grown into the world’s most powerful amplifier for speakers and thought-leaders to share their ideas. They have over 2,400 filmed talks (not including the 30,000+ TEDx videos) freely available online, and have hosted over 17,500 events around the world.
With over one billion views in a year, it’s no wonder that so many speakers are looking to TED for ideas on how to share their message more effectively.
The article “5 Public-Speaking Tips TED Gives Its Speakers”, by Carmine Gallo for Forbes, gives speakers five practical ways to connect with their audience, and effectively share their ideas on stage.
Whether you are gearing up to get on a TED stage yourself, or just want to master the skills that so many of their speakers possess, these tips and quotes from Chris Anderson, the TED Talks Curator, will encourage you to make the most impactful impression on your audience.
See the full article and more summaries like this on SpeakerHub here: https://speakerhub.com/blog/5-presentation-tips-ted-gives-its-speakers
See the original article on Forbes here:
http://www.forbes.com/forbes/welcome/?toURL=http://www.forbes.com/sites/carminegallo/2016/05/06/5-public-speaking-tips-ted-gives-its-speakers/&refURL=&referrer=#5c07a8221d9b
ChatGPT and the Future of Work - Clark Boyd Clark Boyd
Everyone is in agreement that ChatGPT (and other generative AI tools) will shape the future of work. Yet there is little consensus on exactly how, when, and to what extent this technology will change our world.
Businesses that extract maximum value from ChatGPT will use it as a collaborative tool for everything from brainstorming to technical maintenance.
For individuals, now is the time to pinpoint the skills the future professional will need to thrive in the AI age.
Check out this presentation to understand what ChatGPT is, how it will shape the future of work, and how you can prepare to take advantage.
A brief introduction to DataScience with explaining of the concepts, algorithms, machine learning, supervised and unsupervised learning, clustering, statistics, data preprocessing, real-world applications etc.
It's part of a Data Science Corner Campaign where I will be discussing the fundamentals of DataScience, AIML, Statistics etc.
Time Management & Productivity - Best PracticesVit Horky
Here's my presentation on by proven best practices how to manage your work time effectively and how to improve your productivity. It includes practical tips and how to use tools such as Slack, Google Apps, Hubspot, Google Calendar, Gmail and others.
The six step guide to practical project managementMindGenius
The six step guide to practical project management
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“If you’re looking for some real-world guidance, then The Six Step Guide to Practical Project Management will help.”
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Beginners Guide to TikTok for Search - Rachel Pearson - We are Tilt __ Bright...
The Cold Shoulder Of Social Media
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14. Park Howell Sitting in Mama Java’s on a soaked Seattle-like morning in Phoenix. There. I finally tweeted about having coffee. Won’t EVER happen again.
Logline: In a bid to survive the devastating economy...
...an optimistic businessman first has to overcome...
...the unrequited love of his new marketing darling - online social media – before his muse will save him.
The Set-up: Park Howell runs Park&Co, a growing Phoenix agency with a growing client list. In fact, the firm is celebrating its 15th year in business on March 1. Park’s pretty proud of his team and what they’ve built. He owns his own building, works with 16 wonderful employees...
...and he and his beautiful interior designer wife, Michele, have three lovely kids, each a creative entrepreneur in their own way. Park&Co is right on track to take over the world.
Always fearful of becoming a dinosaur, Park and the agency embraces social media early and begins successfully using elements of it for their clients. • The agency hosted its own YouTube film festival to help its team become more familiar with social media • He used iTunes as a distribution channel for a client’s training videos, saving the client more than a quarter of a million dollars in DVD production and distribution. • Taking a page out of Obama’s campaign, the agency deployed social media to help rural Arizonans tell their stories of the need for more jobs to lawmakers in Washington D.C. • And they’ve used Ning to host a wedding contest for Goodwill.
Catalyst, or “Inciting Incident”: Then “Bam!” In October 2008, the world ends as he knew it with the beginning of the global recession. The “New normal” was dawning. It was not enough for Park to help his clients weather the storm with decreasing marketing resources. He had to insure the survival of his own agency. Park followed the lead of many captains in the industry, and they all pointed to online social media as more than a temporary lifeboat, but the new marketing world order.
Debate: But can he pull it off? What will it take? Does he launch his own blog or amp up the agency’s online presence? What is his story, his niche, his expertise? Which social media tools, proven or not, will he employ? How will he measure it? What will he measure? What matters? Who cares?
Break into Two (Act 2, the “Love Story”): Following a Vegas ad agency seminar, and a biz dev. gurus introducing Park to the sultry and seductive attributes of online social media for his own agency, Park falls head-over-heels.
He develops his own blog, “A Brighter Shade of Green Marketing,” that focuses on one of the agency’s successful niches: Sustainability. He takes time to listen to his potential audiences with his new accounts on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, FriendFeed. He monitors Digg, StumbleUpon, Technorati. He hosts online polls and posts videos.
He participates in webinars, creates a Ning network, and reads social media romance novels like Bernoff’s “Groundswell,” Brogan’s “Trust Agents,” Baer’s “Convince & Convert” blog, and a plethora of novelettes in the form of free eBooks and SlideShare presentations. Everyone’s a social media expert and he wants to be invited to the dance.
He is delighted and surprised when he is asked to speak about social media in a niche within his niche: Water conservation. He researches, and writes, and posts lists, and links, and insights. He comments on other blogs, reaches out to sustainability writers. ... and Tweets about everything but where he’s having coffee...
...until he relents on one rainy morning. and Tweets about having coffee. “ Sitting in Mama Java’s on a soaked Seattle-like morning in Phoenix...” he writes. Knowing he is in the clutches of the social media drug, he shakes out of his temporary stupor, and adds: “ ...There. I finally tweeted about having coffee. Won’t EVER happen again.”
Midpoint: Park finds himself in a feverish, but seemingly one-sided courtship with social media. He’s ready to round third base and head for home. Readers are going to come flooding in. The phone is going to ring off the hook. One person cautions him, “How are you going to keep this up – working four to six hours per day on social media – when you’re going to be so busy handling all of the new business?” Great question, he thinks. Then, in a figurative gesture, he puts his hand to his ear, leans forward toward the very computer he’s been banging away at for 10 solid months, and stops for a moment to hear what his efforts have earned him in the way of new business.
Crickets.
Bad Guys Close In: As Park’s doubts about his social media abilities grow, and its relevance as the new marketing beloved, the economy worsens...
...Not ready to abandon his initial romance, even though her delicate hand seems just out of reach in the way of biz dev reciprocity, he has to reinvent how his agency can remain sustainable in this new environment of more project work, less campaigns, and dwindling budgets.
All is Lost: Park travels to back east to meet with biz dev. gurus and other agency followers for a two-day session on “Best practices.” The more they talk of scheduling tweets, publishing lists because people don’t read but scan, how bloggers game the AdAge Power150, the more Park finds himself repelling from the process.
Dark Night of the Soul: Park returns to Phoenix more confused than ever about his wooing of social media and the unrequited love he has received in the form of zero new business.
Break into Three: With the help of his brilliant team back at the agency, and what he’s learned from the accumulated months of research while pursuing his social media muse, Park arrives at the greatest truth of all:
It’s not where you tell your story, but how well you tell it. She doesn’t want you to simply show up with flowers. She wants you to freely share your heart and soul. Only then will she give back. Finale: Park realizes that behind the siren song of online social media lays many virtues that aren’t at first apparent. Online social media loves you back by: • Making you a better listener • Honing your writing skills • Recognizing and capitalizing on trends • Developing ones self as a more skilled online communicator/marketer • Building expertise in your chosen niche outside of social media • Employing your new found knowledge to guide your customers • Creating more enlightenment to innovation with easy access to thought leaders • Exercising resiliency and self-discipline in your daily development • Perfecting presentation abilities • Enhancing your own leadership skills
And becoming a better storyteller. I want to share a couple of offline stories with you first, to demonstrate the power of drama in your marketing. And when you present great drama to someone, you are helping them to tell your story for you. Word of mouth marketing dates back to the caveman, only then, it was grunt of mouth marketing.
Here are two superb examples: The Wynn Las Vegas and Prostate Net.
Wynn Hotel opening Story: “Steve Wynn is back and has created something different and more extravagant than anything you’ve seen in Las Vegas before.” Genre: “The Fool Triumphant” – After a decline and nearly fading from existence, everyone had written Steve Wynn off. No one believed he could come back or that his latest hotel would be able to compete with the Vegas heavies. Everyone underestimated him. Until it opened when people discovered that he was back and had created a truly remarkable hotel experience. This was a classic underdog tale. Now how did they tell it? • When the Wynn Las Vegas hotel was getting ready to open it targeted a particular group to open to first. Not celebrities or high rollers but cab drivers. The Wynn knew they had a great story to tell in each corner of their new hotel. Every restaurant, room, show, and table had a story of it’s own. So, to tell this story, the Wynn turned to the people who relay stories to Vegas travelers everyday. • Cab drivers had full run of the hotel to themselves free of charge before everyone else so they could discover the hotel’s stories and create their own. The entire campaign took place offline and provided the hotel and army of evangelists that speak directly to their target audience each day. • Source: “Word of Mouth Marketing” by Andy Sernovitz
Prostate Net Story: “African American men are 66% more likely to develop prostate cancer and twice as likely to die from it and no one seems to know or care.” Genre: “Dude with a Problem” – An ordinary guy in an extraordinary circumstance. The local barber is asked to take on one of the biggest problems in the African American community. Prostate Net educated the barber so he can help defeat the bad guy - prostate cancer. Barber wins by using his individuality and personality to outsmart the villain (In three months after the campaign 10,000 men had their first prostate exam). How did it work? • Prostate Net identified the audience an audience that makes their living telling stories. If they could provide these storytellers a story to tell on their behalf they’d reach their audience in an environment they trusted. • Prostate Net first educated the barbers, then once they had buy in they taught them how to tell the story. The result was trustworthy, organic marketing that made a difference. • Source: “Word of Mouth Marketing” by Andy Sernovitz
Telling a Great Story Online Emphasize that’s it not about technology. Social media works as an extension of a great story. At it’s best when used as a technology to spread a story. When you give people a reason to share, they will share – via social media.
Apple Social Media Footprint Story: “We cultivate passionate evangelists by creating the best, cutting edge, user-friendly products out there.” Genre: “Institutionalized” – Apple followers become so passionate they associate their identity with the brand. They display their devotion on their clothing, vehicles, in person via stories, and of course online. • Leveraging social media is possible without even participating. Look at Apple. According to a 2009 study by Sysomos that measured mentions across all major social media forums, Apple ranks second behind only Google and ahead of Microsoft. This is without really any social media presence. In fact, Apple discourages the use of social media among its staff. • This proves that with a great story comes mentions. Microsoft is all over the social media space yet their story isn’t good enough to overcome Apple’s. • Sources: Links above
Charity Water Story: “One in eight people in the world don’t have access to clean drinking water. We show you how urgent the problem is and with your help, bring clean drinking water to these people.” Genre: “Whydunit” – Charity Water sheds light in a problem most of us didn’t know existed before. We’re let in on the problem and are made to ask, “Is this right?” “Can I let this go on while I am so fortunate?” “What can I do to help?” • Charity Water is one of the most successful non-profit organizations out there because of how they tell their story. It’s not about the organization; it’s about connecting you with those struggling without clean water. • Throughout their website the emphasis is on telling a great story regardless of the medium - video , merch andise , the cause , and s ocial med ia . • The r esult is a c ompelling story throughout leading to 2009 results including: o 40% compan y growth o 8 .5 million dollars raised o New projects in Cambodia and Sierra Leone o 1,145 new freshwater projects added including 200 schools and 26 health clinics o And much more.
How social media fails without a great story Skittles Home Page Story: N/A Genre: N/A • Skittles looked to make a big impact by turning their homepage into a glorified Twitter feed. Their site turned into a Twitter search feed for “Skittles.” It was initially touted as revolutionary but soon people realized it was simply a feed that said meaningless things about Skittles and quickly lost momentum. Why? • It failed because the company looked at technology before telling a story. There was no story at all, no engagement, no community. Just a new technology that eventually fell on deaf ears. • Source: ZDnet - http://blogs.zdnet.com/feeds/?p=1204&page=6&tag=col1;post-1204
So, what’s your story?
Here are just a few sources that have helped me tell better stories: Blake Snyder’s “Save the Cat” outlines the 10 story genres and the 15 beats to every great story, all starting with one concise “logline.” David Mamet’s “three USes of the Knife” thesis on the nature and purpose of drama is look into what has driven great storytelling throughout the centuries. Famed scriptwriter and professor, Robert McKee’s “Story,” is the most often referenced textbook on how to craft stories worth sharing. And finally, the no-brainer of them all: Seth Godin’s, “All Marketers Tell Stories.”
For a bibliography of sorts of each story and resources I mentioned today, please visit my blog at ParkHowell.com...
...or our agency blog at ParkandCo.Com.
Allow me to leave you with this. In the low resolution communication world of Twitter’s 140 characters, who do you think, between theses two guys – one of them being the acclaimed marketing mind, Guy Kawasaki – has more followers. Guy Tweets, “How watching crystals grown can lead to faster electronic devices.” The other guy, using the handle “@Shit my dad says,” writes: “The whole world is fueled by B.S....What? The kid asked me for advice on his science fair project so I’m giving it to him.” He beats Kawasaki 1.2 million visitors to around 200,000. Why? He tells a darned fine story, don’t you think. Thank you.