Here’s another one for your book of best social media campaigns. Ikea recently hosted an in-store sleepover in their Essex store for 100 lucky social media contest winners. (See video above.)
The campaign is clever and sure to earn the furniture company a collection of media mentions, but what’s especially compelling is the fact that Ikea didn’t need to hire a team of developers for some fancy Facebook app. This is a social media campaign executed through pure cleverness. Here’s how you can do the same for your company: Continue reading “5 Steps to Creating a Social Media Campaign That Won’t Kill Your Budget”
Lots of bloggers and marketers have participated in social voting sites like Digg and then give up because they didn’t see many of their posts get to the front page. What is really possible if they participated in a more effective way with these sites?
Social SEO is a hot topic right now. It refers to the social factors that can influence search engine results. If you are overly focused with your on-page efforts you may be missing this component. One solution is to put yourself in the position of your audience. In your experience what information has prompted you to comment or share with your network? It is likely including these factors in your writing will propel your content through the social pipes.
Considering all the social networks available today, LinkedIn isn’t usually at the top of the list. Should LinkedIn be at the top of the list for certain businesses and individuals?
Few organizations have the resources for a full-time dedicated employee to handle emerging trends like social media. For most, it falls into the purview of an already totally slammed communications department…or single communications person. Either way, it’s a social media time crunch.
Have no fear. Your organization, no matter how resource-strapped can engage in social media successfully. Here’s how.
Emory, it’s great to have another interview! The last one was on cost per action marketing and it was popular, but today you have something else on your mind, specifically digg. When did you get started with digg and what kind of success did you have with it?
I started using digg on 4/22/06 and had zero success. I loved the idea of reading news stories that had been voted into popularity rather than picked by editors. But, I admit in the forefront of my mind was the possibility of nudging some of my underappreciated content toward the top of the digg front page. So, like any noob would, I submitted my own posts to digg, sat back, and watched them fall flat, rarely if ever getting out of the single digit range.
So you finally decided to jump on the e-commerce bandwagon and get yourself a Facebook Fan Page. You’ve linked your store front, filled it full of merchandise and ways to make shopping and checkout easier. All that’s left to do is sit back and wait for the customers to find their way over. You’re full of high hopes, based on the old saying, “If you build it, they will come.” While that’s a nice thought, the reality is you’re going to have to bring those clients in yourself. Attracting fans and turning them into customers can be a challenge, especially if you don’t know how. Here are four steps to follow to achieve that goal:
At a recent Atlanta SEMPO/AiMA event on social search, speakers from Google, Bing and Newell-Rubbermaid discussed their efforts in social media and incorporating social networks in with search.
So, how did Digg rise to wild popularity, fall to mediocrity and give birth to numerous social voting sites?
Digg really was “The Great White Hope”, so to speak, but they blew it with Version 4. They made a classic mistake that so many companies make. When they tried to reinvent themselves, they did not play to their strengths. Coca Cola made that same mistake with New Coke.
So what exactly makes content “sticky?” Are we talking some type of adhesive or is it more of a gel? In the online world, sticky means good things…particularly when you’re talking about content. When it comes to the Internet, “people go online for hard facts and information,” says Enzo Cesario, Chief Creative Officer of Brandsplat. “But if you can make those hard facts and information entertaining in some way, you’re one step ahead.” Sounds simple enough, but as Enzo goes on to discuss in his recent Capture Commerce interview, creating pass-along content is much easier said than done.
There isn’t much of a difference between “sticky content” and “infotainment” – both do the same job. Infotainment requires that you “start with the premise that nobody really cares about a product or service…and [if you] approach your marketing efforts as such, you will soon see that your main goal is pretty simple; to just get people to like you/your brand/your product/your service.” This is very literally true in the cases of social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter that allow your clients to tangibly express affection for your product by Liking or Following your brand.
Capture Commerce recently had the pleasure of speaking with Enzo Cesario, resident online brand expert and Chief Creative Officer at So Cal’s Brandsplat. Enzo had some interesting thoughts concerning brand marketing in the digital age, and he pulled no punches when addressing Twitter as a marketing component. As it turns out, Twitter is a lousy sales tool. Here are a few ways you can maximize your online branding strategy without Tweeting until your fingers fall off…
Remember that Twitter alone won’t sell: As Enzo puts it, “From snake oil salesmen of the wild west, and even as far back as the Senate of ancient Rome, people have always pitched their wares in a public space.” This means that Twitter is in no way a sensational information dispenser, just a new medium. It’s hard not to feel like you’re doing some good by constantly talking about your brand on Twitter, but remember that essentially yelling about your product won’t get it done. Enzo hates when clients ask him “how to get more followers on Twitter,” as getting followers is such a small part of a bigger issue. The real money comes in engaging customers, not just beating them over the head with the same message.
Do you know the great feeling you get, when you cleaned up your office or desk? When everything is neat and tidy and everything you do now will come nice and easy? Then let me introduce you to a tool, which will give you a similar feeling, just when you are online.
By making use of Buffer for your twitter account, you will have tweets planned out for a consistent timeline on twitter. When you have all the buzz and notifications coming in, you can still be sure to always keep your followers posted with great updates.
Last summer Papa John’s conducted Papa’s Specialty Pizza Challenge, a crowdsourcing campaign. Consumers were asked to create and submit recipes for interesting new pizzas.
Having a blog is like having a song on the radio used to be. There are millions out there, so why would anyone listen to yours? The name of the game with blogs is standing out, so people will be talking about it and you will have a popular item on your hands. Contrary to popular opinion, it doesn’t take a major publicity stunt a la Paris Hilton or Lindsay Lohan for people to get talking about your blog. Here are 5 easy ways to do it.
Why a large percentage of a small pie might be more valuable than a million “friends”
By Gail Z. Martin
It’s easy to get caught up in the numbers game on social media. Lunch companions brag about how many thousands of friends or followers they’ve amassed. Pop over to a competitor’s page, and “friend envy” takes hold as you realize their list is bigger than yours.
Here’s a radical thought for you: Bigger isn’t automatically better, especially on social media.
As you seek to promote your business online, you are likely pretty focused on bringing in as many new site visitors and customers as possible. This is a noble goal, but don’t ignore the sometimes hidden land of plenty that your current and past customers represent in your online marketing efforts.
You are already familiar with the term “viral marketing” right? Well, the best way to get your business promoted virally is by tapping into your customers. These are people who have bought from you and who are fans of your business. They can, and will, help you grow your business.
If link-building is all about establishing credibility on the Web, and it has to be if you want favor from Google, think for a moment: if my business and website were top of mind and authoritative, where would I expect it to be listed or referenced on the Internet? Where are my competitors referenced?
The most powerful and credible links on the Internet are those that are placed by individuals who have influence over your online target audience. These influencers are often bloggers, editors, industry speakers and have numerous social media followers. Wouldn’t it be good to have an industry influencer who likes you and promotes your stuff by mentioning your business to his vast audience?
factors that can influence search engine results. If you are overly focused with your on-page efforts you may be missing this component. One solution is to put yourself in the position of your audience. In your experience what information has prompted you to comment or share with your network? It is likely including these factors in your writing will propel your content through the social pipes.
full-time dedicated employee to handle emerging trends like social media. For most, it falls into the purview of an already totally slammed communications department…or single communications person. Either way, it’s a social media time crunch.
and get yourself a Facebook Fan Page. You’ve linked your store front, filled it full of merchandise and ways to make shopping and checkout easier. All that’s left to do is sit back and wait for the customers to find their way over. You’re full of high hopes, based on the old saying, “If you build it, they will come.” While that’s a nice thought, the reality is you’re going to have to bring those clients in yourself. Attracting fans and turning them into customers can be a challenge, especially if you don’t know how. Here are four steps to follow to achieve that goal:
Google, Bing and Newell-Rubbermaid discussed their efforts in social media and incorporating social networks in with search.
type of adhesive or is it more of a gel? In the online world, sticky means good things…particularly when you’re talking about content. When it comes to the Internet, “people go online for hard facts and information,” says Enzo Cesario, Chief Creative Officer of 
with Enzo Cesario, resident online brand expert and Chief Creative Officer at So Cal’s Brandsplat. Enzo had some interesting thoughts concerning brand marketing in the digital age, and he pulled no punches when addressing Twitter as a marketing component. As it turns out, Twitter is a lousy sales tool. Here are a few ways you can maximize your online branding strategy without Tweeting until your fingers fall off…
