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Posts Tagged ‘Social media’

The Power of Place.

By Josh Lysne, May 12, 2010

It is easy to put the blinders on and tell yourself that your content is reaching your audience because your blog had some views, the link in your tweet was clicked or your group has lots of followers. Purely looking at the numbers at a high level won’t really tell you what is going on. You need to dig deeper into what the numbers mean, and who is making up those numbers.

I wrote a blog post called “Automation vs. Humanization” that was posted on our AdFarm website. A few months later, I created an account on Social Media Today, and decided to submit that post to them. It was picked up by them and turned into one of the top posts of the day.

After watching the views rise quickly, I decided to compare the results. Here is what I found:

Views on the AdFarm blog: About 150
Views on the Social Media Today blog: Over 3,200

Tweets on the AdFarm blog: 10
Tweets on the Social Media Today blog: 82

Are you talking to yourself?

Purely looking at the high level numbers will also be deceiving in regards to “who” is reading your content. I work at an agency, and it is pretty typical for several co-workers to read my post after it has been published. That’s great, but if your goal is reach and thought leadership, which will ultimately lead to new clients down the road, those internal views are essentially like talking to yourself. Removing your internal traffic from your analytics will tell the real story.

Unless you are a hands down market leader/thought leader, just putting your content on your site will not reach the masses (most of the time). As the numbers above show, it is sometimes necessary to go outside your platform to extend your reach.

It’s not just blog posts though. The size of your Twitter following is sometimes used to measure the reach of your message. Quite often I hear people say something like “I can reach over 4,000 people through twitter” because that is how many followers they have. Yes, you are posting it out to 4,000 people who have the opportunity to see your message, but how many of them are actually logged on to Twitter at the time of your post? And even if they are logged in, how many of your followers can keep up with every tweet that comes through? It is easy to get caught up in a dialog (Twitalog?) and think that thousands of people are listening in, but the reality is, they just aren’t.

NOTE: If you are smart enough to make a tool that can tell how many of your followers actually were logged on to Twitter at the time of a tweet, or logged in after the fact and scrolled back to the tweet so it appeared on the screen, that would be helpful. Extra credit if the tool can actually guarantee that the tweet was read. GO!

When I look at how the agriculture industry is engaging in social media, the vast majority of efforts seem to be preaching to the choir, not reaching the masses. Looking through Facebook groups, most are made up of other farmers and friends. Looking at conversations on Twitter and in blogs, the majority of comments are made by like-minded people. The message may be reaching others, but not in a way that makes them want to engage further. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, but for the most part, that is what I am seeing.

Keep in mind that social media is not about collecting names, it is about engagement. It’s not about the biggest group, it’s about the most active groups. It’s not about the most eyeballs, it is about the most eyeballs that matter to your business.

Have you had luck reaching the masses (if that is your goal)? How did you do it, and how did you measure success? Please comment and share, we can all learn from eachother.

With a deep and diverse digital background, Josh Lysne is engaging AdFarm clients in the social media conversation every day. Follow @jlysne on Twitter or contact him directly at Josh.Lysne@adfarmonline.com.

Posted in Digital/Online, Marketing, Social media | 2 Comments »

Tags: conversations, measurement, place, relevance, Social media

The Art of Interpersonal Communication Goes Beyond Technology.

By Bob Wilhelm, April 30, 2010

I just spent three days at the National Agri-Marketing Association conference in Kansas City. Many of the attendees at this yearly event come from the marketing and communications industry. Lots of business people at the conference were talking about the latest challenges in communications and marketing.

Lots of interesting topics were presented in the seminars. Lots of experts and professionals were milling about – and certainly there was lots and lots of conversation. But…with each other?

One evening, I spent an enjoyable dinner with a group of AdFarmers – we were joking about the pervasiveness of Twitter. “If you haven’t tweeted about it, it hasn’t really happened!” At one point, we all were sitting around the table, looking at our individual hand-held devices. No one speaking. Later that night, I was at the wonderful annual Brownfield party. Standing at the bar, I found myself surrounded by 4-5 people, all of whom were either on their cell phones or their blackberries. No glances at nametags to see who was who. No conversation. Back at the hotel, I found myself with five people in the elevator. Silence. No one glanced up from their smart-phones long enough to do anything more than press the button for their floor.

All this at a professional conference where everyone could at least offer camaraderie, and at the most a great idea, some business or a job offer!

This is where it gets personal.

My point: don’t forget that e-mails and blogs and tweeting and Facebook, while important, aren’t as important as the interaction and networking – the personal communication — you can do at a gathering. As marketing professionals, we’d give anything for a venue at which we could personally meet and talk with targets or prospects. So, when you’re face-to-face with people – talk with them. Build contacts and network. Talk about issues and ideas. Find out what others are thinking. Put together your thoughts and try them out on people. Get their input. Walk away with at least five people to whom you want to send a follow-up note (and yes, e-mail is just fine for that!) Summarize for clients or prospects or your colleagues the key things you learned.

Sure digital and social media, cell phones and blackberries, blogs and websites are incredibly important to us as marketers and as communicators. And that importance will continue to grow. But after you leave such an event, you’ll find that the most value you received was not through a screen or a device – it was through the people and the ideas and the conversation and the networking available at the event.

And that’s so much better than keeping your face pressed to your iPhone!

Where do you think technology fails us when it comes to maintaining business relationships?

Bob Wilhelm uses his vast experience to provide every single AdFarm client with personalized, strategic, and second-to-none service. He can be reached directly at Bob.Wilhelm@adfarmonline.com.

Posted in Culture, Digital/Online, Social media | 1 Comment »

Tags: communications, customer relationships, networking, Social media, technology

Will Twitter’s paid search be a fail whale?

By Shawna Robinson, April 19, 2010

When it comes to paid advertising in social media outlets, Twitter has been a hold out. For the past four years, generating a revenue stream has not been part of their business model – making Twitter one of the last remaining social media outlets without an infiltration of eager marketers keen to take advantage of the over 18 million users.

Let the keyword auction begin.

Last week, a “promoted tweet” business model was announced. Similar to paid search advertising, advertisers and Tweeters will be able to bid on keywords. A promoted tweet – only one per page – will then appear with the search results. Tweeps will then get a targeted message presented at the top of their twitter stream. As a real-time information network, with a massive quantity of information available in a single stream, is this system really going to be effective?

Cutting through the Twitter clutter.

Many marketers have been successful in the twittersphere without the use of a paid advertising model. Companies from @SouthwestAir who post promotions and deals on flights and hotels – to @Starbucks and @HoltRenfrew tweet their latest deals and news all while supporting their customers with real time response. To avoid getting stuck down a rabbit hole of information overload, RT’s and #’s are two twitter functions already built in to connect, cross-reference to easily locate content. Promoted tweets are going to have to have a super juicy offer to make a user click through so their message doesn’t get buried and lost in the twitterstream — along with the dozens of other tweets that don’t catch your attention in the first 40 characters.

Getting the right message out to the right people in more ways is one to ensuring good product or corporate awareness, but loyal twitter users may find the promoted tweets tool a distraction. However, only time will tell.

Do you think Twitter’s promoted tweet model will be a successful tool for marketers – or just another post lost?

Shawna Robinson has the heart of a farm girl and a razor-sharp mind for strategy – and spends as much time online as offline with her clients to keep their campaigns fresh and current. She can be reached directly at Shawna.Robinson@adfarmonline.com.

Posted in Digital/Online, Social media | 1 Comment »

Tags: marketing strategy, paid search, Social media, twitter

Three problems more pressing than your social media strategy.

By Jacob Edenfield, March 3, 2010

For some companies, social networks are kind of like monsters under the bed. Instead of thinking about the great upsides, these folks worry about over-sharing by employees, losing control over intellectual property, damaging their brands, losing productivity, fielding sensitive questions, unleashing embarrassing secrets and all manner of other bumps in the night.

But when you think about it, none of these things are any more of a threat because of social media. They stem from deeper business problems. And deeper business problems make prime fodder for snarky conversations on social networks.

So, while I believe it’s a great idea for every company to have a social media policy and a functioning understanding of the various channels, there are sometimes more pressing matters than choosing the right Twitter handle.

If any of the following apply to you, it might be time to work on something other than your Facebook Fan Page.

1. You’re leaky

If your company holds onto private information as well as a sieve holds onto water, the problem might be your employee training or internal security practices.

Journalists will tell you most of the whistleblowers and leaks they talk to are people who feel they’ve been silenced or punished for disagreeing with something they find objectionable. Fixing the problem might be as simple as training employees and managers on how to better voice and field complaints. It might also mean fixing what I call confidentially overload – or overusing confidentiality and secrecy to the point where they lose their seriousness. Product development memos are confidential. Birthday party memos probably don’t need to be.

2. You create customer service horror stories

If you’re a regular feature on The Consumerist, social media shouldn’t be your top priority. You may want to review your procedures before you start fielding complaints on the public stage. It’s a proving ground everyone can see, so if you say you provide great service, it needs to be a promise you can keep.

Handling customer issues can make or break your brand. And if you do a bad job, you’re undermining all your other efforts. That’s just as true online.

3. You ignore and/or take legal measures against your critics

If this applies to you, you’ll find your entry into social media a bumpy ride. Odds are there’s a flotilla of critics just waiting to take shots at you. And while I think you should absolutely face your critics wherever they may be, you need to figure out how you’re going to do it first.

Letting your lawyers do your dirty work only gives your critics an incredibly effective us vs them story to tell. Half-hearted apologies feel just as fake to those who receive them as to those who give them. Fighting emotion with pure fact works against everything we know about the human brain.

Honest dealings are the second most valuable currency online. The most valuable is reputation, and you’re not going to make a very good one if you can’t deal with disagreements.

Anything else?

Sometimes we all miss the forest for the trees. Take a step back and see if you can think of some other fundamental business problems that prevent companies from finding success in social media. I came up with three. Let’s see how many you can come up with in the comments.

Jacob can do horrible, unspeakable things with words. But he’s chosen to use his powers for good, not evil. Follow him @jacobedenfield or contact him directly at Jacob.Edenfield@adfarmonline.com.

Photo courtesy of http://jesshillis.com

Posted in Marketing, Social media | No Comments »

Tags: business problems, complaints, critics, leaks, Social media, social networks

The Freshman Years — is technology more important than an idea?

By Shaun Crockett, March 1, 2010

I am an art director. I went to school and learned all the cool programs — the ones that are now obsolete. I did all the faddish type treatments of the day -- the ones that are now outdated. But the thing I did in school that is still relevant was learning.

Even though I’ve finished my years of classrooms and homework assignments, The learning never stops. Technology is passing everyone by, you can’t keep up, you are lucky to hang on. The tools we use today didn’t exist 3 years ago. Knowing what’s out there is only half the battle.

The other half, or dare i say larger portion is the idea behind it.

New software, new tools, new filters in photoshop, are only a click away, but the one thing you can’t click a button to get – is an idea.

An idea, a concept – a good one, will be relevant for years to come. Don’t believe me? Take a look through an old Communication Arts sometime, and revel in the genius of those who have walked before you. Those ideas are the result of constantly looking at the word, taking in all you can, and distilling it to that idea – that nugget of connection – that makes it great.

I take refuge knowing that the great designers such as Goodby, Bogusky and Sullivan didn’t always have the stellar idea, they started out in the trenches learning long after the bell rang.

Here is a blog that shows you virgin ads done by designers. Some are better than others, but they are always learning, and I bet their next ad will be even better. I challenge everyone to always be curious and never stop learning.

And, you can check it out on facebook, too.

I’m not saying that the tools aren’t important.

But they are a small cog in the machine of advertising. A bad idea sent across the cosmos through your twitterbookblog account isn’t going to help you. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Good ideas will elevate you – bad ideas will cripple you. Our culture is quick to point out a wrong move and hang you for it. Those tools you were so excited about using are now the ones hammering your coffin shut.

Without an idea worth sharing, the tools don’t matter.

How are you making sure that the technology doesn’t overshadow the idea?

With his passion for learning and smart design sense, Shaun Crockett is finding the right solutions for Adfarm clients every day. He can be reached directly at Shaun.Crockett@adfarmonline.com

Posted in Digital/Online, Marketing, Social media | No Comments »

Tags: design, online marketing, Social media, technology

Automation vs. Humanization in Social Media — Do You Have the Personal Touch?

By Josh Lysne, February 24, 2010

Automation can make all of our lives easier, and it does play a role in social media. HootSuite allows you to enter in tweets and set the time you want them to be sent out. Blogging software can allow you to create blog posts for the entire week and publish them on a schedule. Marketing Automation software allows you to send email based on consumer action.

If you have regularly scheduled announcements/posts/etc. then it makes perfect sense to automate. You can’t always be at your computer when it is time for the push, so this can keep you on schedule.

All of those examples have one main thing in common. They all center around publishing content, not engaging in conversation. This distinction gets lost far too often.

Nothing bugs me more than automated responses from companies, or an automated Direct Message on Twitter after I have followed someone. I recently sent an email to Northwest Airlines asking a question about my account. It was clear that the reply was either automated, or a canned response since they asked me to try things that I had already told them I have tried.

Automation in the form of a Direct Message has become a standard after you follow someone on twitter, and it is a lazy response. Here are a few examples of DMs I have received after following someone on Twitter:

Thanks for following me, I’m excited about knowing you! Please join me on FB too! (link to their FB page)

Thanks for following. Keep me posted on any marketing insights or groundbreaking ideas you may come across.

Thanks for following, Hope you are having a nice day!

And my personal favorite:

I just gave you “peace and happiness! Check it out: (Link from them) You should send me a gift back

On a very rare occasion does a DM response to my follow even have my name. Very lazy, very automated. On the other hand, responses that address me, and who I am get my attention every time. This is key in social media and building relationships.

A great example of this happened to me a few weeks back. David Armano (@armano) who writes the blog Logic + Emotion, (a must read) replied to my Direct Message after he followed me. Here is how it went.

My Direct Message:

Thanks for the follow David. I’ve been following you since the Twitter 20 with @jaybaer. Have a great day!

His Response:

Cool, I appreciate you reaching out. always nice to hear from a real live person.

This is from a guy that has almost 20,000 followers on Twitter. Just to prove my point, I talked to David and asked if he responds to all of the Direct Messages he gets. His response was that not only does he not reply to the automated responses, he sometimes blocks them. Adding a personal touch made me stand out.

Another example of good customer service and listening courtesy of Boingo.

My Tweet:

@Boingo Your connection keeps cutting out in the Mpls airport. Great when it is working, but getting frustrating.

Within minutes I had this back from them:

@jlysne What part of the airport are you in?

That response immediately told me that someone was listening and was ready to help troubleshoot my problem. Even though I had some trouble with the connection, I know that customer support is ready and listening if I have problems in the future.

Farming is a social business built on relationships and communication. Your digital/social solutions don’t need to change that. It is imperative that your communications remain personal and relevant to each consumer. Don’t use a canned response and a one size fits all approach to your social strategy.

Think about this next time you want to add more automation to your process. Yes, it plays a big role in making us more efficient, but if you are trying to build relationships or enhance customer service, it can be your downfall.

How does automation help you be more human in your social media campaigns?

Josh Lysne leads the AdFarm Digital team with razor sharp strategy and innovative online and social media solutions. Follow him @jlysne or contact him directly at Josh.Lysne@adfarmonline.com.

Posted in Digital/Online, Social media | 2 Comments »

Tags: automation, campaigns, Digital, humanization, online marketing, Social media

Building Connections Through Social Media.

By Katie Pinke, February 3, 2010

At AdFarm we have three brand promises. One of those three promises, is building connections and utilizing them on behalf of our clients and the industry.

As I sat in my hotel room in Sacramento last Wednesday preparing for a meeting the following morning, I checked my Twitter account. There on my home page I saw a tweet from @JeffFowle that said something like “Just got to SAC. Going to BJ’s for a burger. Mtgs at CFBF 2morw”. Jeff Fowle, a rancher from six hours north of Sacramento, was going to the same location as me for meeting the following morning. I did not know Jeff. But I have followed him on Twitter for a couple months and admired his advocacy for agriculture. I direct messaged him letting him know that I also was going to be at the California Farm Bureau in the morning and would like to meet him. He said he would be there by 8 AM and that we could meet prior to attending our separate meetings.

Sure enough, the next morning as our @adfarmtweets team pulled into the parking lot, I recognized Jeff Fowle walking into the building from his Twitter profile picture. We met in the lobby and did a brief video interview, talking about how he as a rancher in northern California is utilizing Twitter to get out a positive agriculture message, countering the negative messaging in the mainstream media and providing a primary source of information for the consumer from the pasture to the plate.

What was the most fun in meeting Jeff was that through social media I was able to build a connection to him and then meet him face to face. He is now is a connection I have and can help tell his story.

You can hear it straight from Jeff here.

As a kid growing up in North Dakota, unless you attended a National FFA or 4-H event, or got to travel to a national tradeshow because one of your parents served on a board, you did not meet farmers and ranchers outside of your state or region. Today, technology has advanced so that I can connect with a rancher from over a thousand miles from my home through social media and know he is the same town and going to the same location as me. What an amazing connection builder.

AdFarm’s Director of Digital Strategy, Josh Lynse (@jlysne), saw my excitement yesterday morning in meeting Jeff and said “Everyone has their ‘it’ moment where it all comes together and you understand how social media builds connections and this was your moment”. Indeed it was my moment.

Using social media to meet innovative and proactive farmers and ranchers is a connection builder that I will continue to tap into daily. Certainly not because I have extra time on my hands to be tweeting. But instead, because I believe in building connections and the importance of them.

I truly believe agriculture has a story to tell the world that needs to hear. Through social media I can now partner with people like Jeff Fowle to connect the world to the face of agriculture.

What connections has social media helped you make?

Posted in Events, Social media | 2 Comments »

Tags: brand promise, innovative farmer, Jeff Fowle, Social media

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