At one of my recent sorority meetings, Dustin Lynch, an up and coming country musician, came to perform for us. He was a charming guy, and the fact that he played guitar and sang made all everyone at the meeting love him. One thing that him and his manager did was video his performance and he told us all that we were going to be featured on his website and facebook in that week's segment (they posted weekly videos about where his career was heading). The fact that we were going to be featured with DUSTIN LYNCH, someone who may be famous one day, made everyone that much more excited about it. Ten minutes after the meeting ended, I think it's safe to say that he had about 130 new friend requests on Facebook and 130 likes for his music page. He even went in and personally tagged everyone of us in the video after it was posted.
I think an important part of social media is actually going out and gaining a fan base, whether it be a service, product, or yourself. When you know you have something great and you believe in it, get people excited about what it is you're selling.
Dustin's proactive approach gained him huge support and started a word-of-mouth phenomenon about himself. We all wanted to see more about his music, and you better believe we went and told all of our friends and posted all of the pictures on Facebook! He also did a good job of targeting the right audience. So, moral of the story - there's more to social media than just having a blog or webpage; you have to be proactive about your approach and get people excited about your content.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/video/video.php?v=559541947769
Monday, February 28, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Taking Advice from Celebrities
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/golf/pga/2011-02-22-wgc-accenture-match-play-championship_N.htm
I recently read this article in USA Today and I realized another way that social media can be used to enhance your marketing plan. We are no doubt familiar with the classic marketing technique of using a celebrity to sell your product, whether it be through television commercials or what not. However, what would happen if we combined this approach with social media?
In the article, Ian Poulter notes that he posted a photo of himself on Twitter and his Power Balance bracelet was accidentally exposed. This slight exposure led to skyrocketing sales of Power Bracelets.
Celebrities work exceptionally hard on their own personal brand, and it seems to pay off for them. People feel like they actually know the celebrities, so they trust them. The Ian Poulter example explains how quickly the Power Balance sold, so why not feed off these personal brands through a larger, more effective medium?
The benefits you can get from Twitter in regards to your own personal brand are outrageous. If gaining a celebrity to help sell your product is not within your reach, as marketers, we need to build sites with consistent and accurate posts so we can get our customers to trust us; become almost like a friend to them so we can get across what our brand’s “personality” is all about. We can really learn from what the celebrities are using social media for, so let’s take advantage of it.
Gaining the trust of our customers is one of the most important factors in selling a product or service, and that is easily achievable through social media outlets. Conversation is key. Once we let people see what we’re really all about, as a product or a company, we can thrive.
I recently read this article in USA Today and I realized another way that social media can be used to enhance your marketing plan. We are no doubt familiar with the classic marketing technique of using a celebrity to sell your product, whether it be through television commercials or what not. However, what would happen if we combined this approach with social media?
In the article, Ian Poulter notes that he posted a photo of himself on Twitter and his Power Balance bracelet was accidentally exposed. This slight exposure led to skyrocketing sales of Power Bracelets.
Celebrities work exceptionally hard on their own personal brand, and it seems to pay off for them. People feel like they actually know the celebrities, so they trust them. The Ian Poulter example explains how quickly the Power Balance sold, so why not feed off these personal brands through a larger, more effective medium?
The benefits you can get from Twitter in regards to your own personal brand are outrageous. If gaining a celebrity to help sell your product is not within your reach, as marketers, we need to build sites with consistent and accurate posts so we can get our customers to trust us; become almost like a friend to them so we can get across what our brand’s “personality” is all about. We can really learn from what the celebrities are using social media for, so let’s take advantage of it.
Gaining the trust of our customers is one of the most important factors in selling a product or service, and that is easily achievable through social media outlets. Conversation is key. Once we let people see what we’re really all about, as a product or a company, we can thrive.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Successful Blog Story
A social media campaign that was successful was Proctor and Gamble’s Beinggirl.com campaign. Through research, they found that “tween” girls were uncomfortable about their bodies changing and were embarrassed to talk about it, yet there is information they need to know about these changes.
P & G created beinggirl.com for young adolescent women to talk about the common interest: How does it feel to go through adolescence and turn into a young woman?
I checked out the website, and I have to admit, it’s a fun, bright website that would have been helpful for me if I were 13 years old. They offer information on how to talk to your mom about puberty, how to deal with the changes, tips, etc. There are also discussion boards where visitors can read and post embarrassing stories and expressions of themselves. The main focus of the website is not about selling their products, but rather, having them included in discussions.
P & G said, “Being a girl is like being part of a club where everyone knows what you’re going through…at least on some level. Girls have fun. Girls have opinions. Girls have a lot of questions about stuff like PMS, dating, their bodies and even serious subjects like addiction and abuse – just about anything you can think of that has to do with being a girl.”
This website receives over two million visitors per month, and P & G states that their community approach is four times more effective than traditional marketing efforts. By now, beinggirl.com has reached a global audience and is offered in 50 different languages.
I believe this campaign was so successful because they do not focus on direct sales. Beinggirl.com is like a friend to these girls, a place where they can feel comfortable talking about their changing bodies. When they feel comfortable with a brand, they will want to use it because they trust it. P& G is not trying to force their product upon anyone, so the visitors don’t feel like they’re on a product’s website, but rather, and interactive, helpful website.
Sources:
http://www.contentmarketinginstitute.com/2010/12/microsite-samples/
Monday, February 7, 2011
We established in our last posts that social media is making extraordinary strides in the marketing world - that can't be denied - but, like all great things, there's a catch. Most people use their Facebook pages for social purposes instead of career enhancers. This is harmful to employees/potential employees because more and more employers loks at Facebooks to determine if the candidate will represent their company in a positive light and if their own personal branding will enhance the company's image. According to our notes, as of October 2010, 75 percent of managers use social media for background research on job applicants. With the rapid growth rate of social media, this number has likely increased since then.
As young adults, we still place great value on our social lives. It's no secret that the social scene in college isn't going to see tea parties and wine mixers; it will most likely contain a bar, frat party, etc. Since social media is raging and interaction is valued, we get excited about sharing pictures and posting stories. What we often don't realize when we put ourselves out there like that, is that we are being watched. Your Facebook site could make or break a job for you. Employers have refused to hire people because of inappropriate pictures, alcohol use, profanity, and bad communication skills.
I personally feel that social lives should be separate from your job life. We all need a special "me time" and we shouldn't be expected to have our workpants on 24/7, but that's how the world works today and it is imperative to embrace that fact if you want to be successful. Your job is a part of you, and all the parts mesh together at some point. That's why we need to use our social media sites to our advantage. So what if you don't post that trashy picture of you drunk with a lampshade on your head? Sure, it'd be funny, but it's not going to gain you respect from anyone. Most likely, your friends who want to see this can just come over and see the picture on your camera. Instead, use the site to express your creativity, display any volunteer work you've participated in, or take an educated stand on a popular topic. In his blog "HOW TO; Leverage Social Media for Career Success," Dan Schawbel says, "Think about monitoring your reputation as an opportunity to learn more about how you're projecting your brand to the world and take some of it as feedback to help you in your future career development."
I have not had any experience with inappropriate social media content, but i hae read plenty of articles of people that have. I have recently discovered the importance of branding and marketing yourself through social media outlets, and I realize that it is almost impossible to get a job today by simply filling out an applicatin and looking good on paper (unless you already have some serious connections or plan on joining the family business). YOU have to be proactive and show employers that you look good in all areas and that you will be an all-around asset to their company.
As young adults, we still place great value on our social lives. It's no secret that the social scene in college isn't going to see tea parties and wine mixers; it will most likely contain a bar, frat party, etc. Since social media is raging and interaction is valued, we get excited about sharing pictures and posting stories. What we often don't realize when we put ourselves out there like that, is that we are being watched. Your Facebook site could make or break a job for you. Employers have refused to hire people because of inappropriate pictures, alcohol use, profanity, and bad communication skills.
I personally feel that social lives should be separate from your job life. We all need a special "me time" and we shouldn't be expected to have our workpants on 24/7, but that's how the world works today and it is imperative to embrace that fact if you want to be successful. Your job is a part of you, and all the parts mesh together at some point. That's why we need to use our social media sites to our advantage. So what if you don't post that trashy picture of you drunk with a lampshade on your head? Sure, it'd be funny, but it's not going to gain you respect from anyone. Most likely, your friends who want to see this can just come over and see the picture on your camera. Instead, use the site to express your creativity, display any volunteer work you've participated in, or take an educated stand on a popular topic. In his blog "HOW TO; Leverage Social Media for Career Success," Dan Schawbel says, "Think about monitoring your reputation as an opportunity to learn more about how you're projecting your brand to the world and take some of it as feedback to help you in your future career development."
I have not had any experience with inappropriate social media content, but i hae read plenty of articles of people that have. I have recently discovered the importance of branding and marketing yourself through social media outlets, and I realize that it is almost impossible to get a job today by simply filling out an applicatin and looking good on paper (unless you already have some serious connections or plan on joining the family business). YOU have to be proactive and show employers that you look good in all areas and that you will be an all-around asset to their company.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Is Social Media Marketing Just a Fad??
In my opinion, social media is not just a fad. Although I believe marketing through social media will change and evolve, the perks of this method are too great to disappear any time soon. Current day social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, serve as the foundations for what awaits social media marketing in the future.
When someone sets out to do something, they are there for that specific purpose. For example, when I go to watch TV, I’m there to see a show, not advertisements; when I read a newspaper, it’s for the stories, not the ads that are just randomly placed on a page. The great thing about social media is that you target and attract people who are specifically interested in your product or service.
People in today’s world crave interaction. Social media allows customers to actually be a part of the advertising. By being able to offer suggestions and comment on what they like and don’t like, they can feel like they are actually being heard and working with a person rather than a company. It gives them something to get excited about.
This benefits the customers and the company because people are more likely to blog or post information about a product when they are satisfied with it, and customers trust other customers more than they would trust a company trying to sell something, according to Paul Gillin in his book, “Secrets of Social Media Marketing”. Most people no longer trust traditional ads, especially younger generations.
The companies are also given the opportunity to set up different sites to address the needs of different customers and build better relationships. They can do all this without going broke, too. Social media outlets are much cheaper than traditional advertising, according to David Meerman Scott in his book, “The New Rules of Marketing and PR”.
The social media marketing efforts have so many benefits, it would be challenging for any company to go back to relying solely on traditional methods.
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