POST 11: HootSuite Analytics, Two Top Features!

Published on March 9, 2011 in online marketing and social media. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

For the past few years I’ve been very luke warm on HootSuite.  I think it is a great social media aggregation tool, but it always seemed to lack the draw, the reason for me to make it my home page.  For this reason, I’m very excited about the release of HootStat this morning.

I included a few of my favorite features below:

1. HootStat Report Template.  Build your own or use an already developed template.  If you become Pro, you can make reports for Facebook and Google Analytics.  Very cool.

HootStat Report Template

 

HootStat Templates

 

2. Share, report, print and export.  HootStat makes it super easy to send really nice looking reports to key stakeholders on projects.

3. Love the updated summary stats page.

HootStats Summary Page

The one drawback.  You still need to use an Ow.Ly URL to get an statistics, but if you want more freedom or more flexible features, you can subscribe to a more robust social media monitoring tool like Radian6 or Lithium.

Overall, it’s such a great gesture to get most of these features free of charge.  Thanks HootSuite!!

POST 10: Standing Partnership – A Sparkling Benetwit!

Published on December 10, 2010 in social media and tips4work. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , .
Handmade glass ornaments sold to support The United Way.

Normally, I would not recommend mixing wine, beer and expensive glassworks, but Standing Partnership did the 2010 Benetwit very well. Kudos to everyone who worked on this project.  From Standing Partnership (@StandingPR) to Third Degree Glass Factory and the Social Media Club of Saint Louis (@SMCSTL), it was a hit. What a fun night.

I have a few mediocre pictures from my new mytouch.

 

Handmade glass ornaments sold to support The United Way.
Beautiful ornaments available to purchase, help support The United Way.

 

 

Third Degree Glass Factory fires up the artwork
The kilns (or whatever the industry term is).

 

 

Glassware on display and for sale to support The United Way
Glassware on display, for sale to support                   The United Way

 

For additional (and better) photos of this fun event visit The United Way Benetwit Collection on Flickr.  I met some great people and hope to see even more Saint Louis marketers and social media lovers at these events in the future.  In my opinion, the #STLBenetwit = huge success!!

Have a great weekend and happy holidays!

Social media tools I used to create this post:

Twitter, Evernote, HootSuite, and WordPress

POST 9: Confessions of A Foursquare Cheater

Published on August 24, 2010 in online marketing and social media. 3 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , .

Ok so…it happened last week.  I’m sorry.  I just wanted to see if I could.  I know there is no excuse.  I cheated on a couple Foursquare check-ins.  I promise, it was experimental.  I won’t do it again.  But, now I’m the Mayor of “Top of the Arch” in all of its corroded and rusting glory (see Exhibit A).  Please someone steal it from me to relieve my guilty conscience.

Liz Henderlong Mayor Top of the Arch Saint Louis
Exhibit A: My false Mayorship

Ah, feels good to get that out in the open…

My purpose for this post today is one-fold.  I would like to respond to @Jess3 on Jesse Thomas’s post on Mashable about location-based technologies.

I liked this post.  If I gave ratings I would give it a solid 4.75 out of 5 stars for imagination and creativity (I guess I just gave a rating).  The post really made me think about the implications of using location-based technologies and how that technology can improve.  The aspect of location-based marketing that intrigues me the most is the coupon.

Last night, I went to the 140Conf in Saint Louis at Robust Wine Bar (well, actually that is Webster Groves).  I was so excited to get a complimentary beer for my efforts.  I show up, check-in and get a free drink.  It’s the little things in life (ITLT).

However, and this is a question, why don’t companies use bar codes or QR codes in conjunction with Foursquare coupons? How do businesses track coupon usage?  Tallies?  Even if you can use a coupon multiple times, shouldn’t they track it?

QR Code weblink
Not responsible for any data attached to this QR Code, illustration-only

I think the biggest thing, in addition to Jesse’s suggestions, is for all of these location-based tools to think about what is in it for the customer.  That includes you Facebook.

What keeps you from using location-based applications?

POST 8: How do social media tools fit together?

Published on May 24, 2010 in online marketing and social media. 7 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

Recently, I’ve been trying to map social media tools and how they fit together – taking into account new changes and advances.  I need your help because I’m not quite there.

First of all, I’ve identified 7 different types of social media tools:

  • Mainstream (Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Email)
  • Aggregators (HootSuite, Tweetdeck, etc.)
  • Blogs/Microblogs (WordPress, Tumblr, Blogger, etc.)
  • Bookmarking/Enhanced Data Tagging (Delicious, Digg, StumbleUpon, Reddit, Springpad, etc.)
  • Monitoring (Social Mention, Radian6, Spiral16, etc.)
  • Location Based (Gowalla, Loopt, Foursquare, etc.)
  • And finally, content hubs (YouTube, Flickr, Vimeo, etc.)

Social Media Tools

How do social media tools fit together throughout the social media process?

Second of all, I’ve created this chart (which I hope will change and improve with your help).  Create refers to the content items that we pass around social media (i.e. photos, videos, blog posts and podcasts).  Don’t overlook my distinction between blog posts and blogs.  They’re different, “blog post” refers to the content and “blog” refers to a blog sharing tool.  Aggregators, mainstream media and bookmarks also allow social media participants to share content.

The monitoring stage is where I got caught.  Are location based/gps tools a measurement tool?  Or sharing tool?  I concluded measurement because they allow businesses to measure the impact of a social media effort, however they also allow great social media campaign partnerships like location based coupons and offers.

Of course, after the review you redo and that may require revisiting how you create or how you share.  But this chart demonstrates that it is not always necessary to start all over with content creation.

What do you think?  Please let me know if you have suggestions for improvement.

POST 7: YouTube Child Stars Where Are They Now?

Published on April 20, 2010 in social media. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

YouTube child stars.  They’re not exactly Leif Garrett (we hope it stays that way) and we haven’t seen them on VH1 Where Are They Now, but seriously, where ARE they now?  What happens after a toddler makes it big on YouTube?  I did a little digging to get us an update on David After the Dentist, Charlie Bit My Finger, and Hey Jude baby Ha Youngwoong.

1. David After The Dentist (57 million views). David After the Dentist is now its own brand, “DAD”.  David DeVore has his own blog, t-shirts and stickers.  Profits from sales go to fund David’s college education and serve to support a number of charitable efforts.  David After the Dentist is now in the running for a Webby Award for best viral video.  Catch David BEFORE the Dentist at the DAD blog.

David After the Dentist
David after he grew up a little bit!

2. Charlie Bit My Finger (180 million views) – In March, TIME ranked Charlie Bit My Finger as the number 1 viral video of all time.  But there’s more.  Harry (now about 6) and Charlie (now about 4) have a new baby brother, Jasper (who is probably almost 2 years old).  So…when will Jasper bit my finger come out on video??  I’ll get the popcorn, you get the index finger.

Charlie, Jasper and Harry
Recent photo of Charlie, Jasper and Harry in their dragon pajamas.

3. Hey Jude baby (3 million views) – Ha Youngwoong, is actually going to be 7 years old in September!  He knows about 40 Beatles songs and enjoys watching American Idol and The Sound of Music.

That’s the update on YouTube child stars Where Are They Now!  But what is the impact that social media has on these great kids?  Is it good?  Bad?  What do you think?

POST 6: What is Glocalization? And how does Social Media benefit from it?

Published on April 19, 2010 in online marketing and social media. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , .

Defn. Glocalization: A crossover between the global and local, whereby individuals understand regional/local nuances by communicating through global channels.

The Glocal Bit

Craig Stroupe from the University of Minnesota-Duluth gives a focused definition of “glocalization”. He mentions Tobasco’s Avery Island as one of the premier examples of glocalization.  Avery Island is a destination in New Orleans.  Developed by Tabasco, it draw tourists to a swamp-like paradise to experience the roots and the origin of the product.  It strengthens the brand by drawing upon the importance of “where did it come from?”

Avery Island
Avery Island Website

HowStuffWorks.com defines Glocalization as “a mosaic of traditions, societies, values and beliefs”.  Glocalization highlights the flavor of localities and regions (keeping them differentiated), but spreading this flavor around the world.

For example, Doug Hutton, a journalist for the Marketing Leadership Council (MLC), discusses the differences between advertising in the United States and Italy.  In Italy, you’ll see advertisements pasted to exterior walls or street signs.  However, in the United States this type of promotion would actually damage a brand reputation as it is seen as defacing property.  Little differences in culture can make a big difference for brands.  So how do we learn about those differences?

The Social Media Bit

Social Media is the “King of GLOBALIZATION” but it also helps to highlight these little cultural differences between regions and localities.

Social media provides research, insight and connection with other cultures via one-on-one relationships.  Media conglomerates no longer shape our image of the world as much as they used to.  We can now understand those nuances on our own.  Perhaps by talking to someone who works for Tobasco, or lives near Avery Island or Milan, Italy.  We never had this capability so readily available before social networks.

POST 5: Happy Dyngus Day!

Published on April 5, 2010 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

I heard about this Polish holiday on the radio today and decided to pass it on.  I never knew Dyngus Day or Easter Monday existed.  According to DyngusDayBuffalo.com, the largest celebration of Dyngus Day occurs in Buffalo, NY each year.  It is a post-Lenten bash filled with water fights, tree branches, and polka. Here’s an excerpt from Wikipedia that demonstrates what a big deal this festival really is:

“In 2007, the world’s oldest working fireboat, the Edward M. Cotter, received the honor of being named, the “World’s Largest Dyngus Day Squirt Gun.” “This could explains [sic] why the Cotter is painted red & white,” said Marty Biniasz, alluding to the colors of the Polish flag and the Cotter’s current livery. “It’s only right that The Dyngus Day Capital of the World should have the World’s Largest Squirt Gun. We are proud to now make Buffalo’s most loved ship part of our Dyngus Day Buffalo tradition.” As the world’s oldest working fireboat, the Cotter was built in 1900.”

Strategic Planning

Ten of thousands of visitors attend the Dyngus Day celebration each year.  If only I had known about Dyngus Day sooner, I could have done an entire  integrated campaign with fire agencies surrounding the holiday.  After all, the Edward M. Cotter fireboat is now part of the festivities!

It is so valuable to find interesting things that you can associate with your brand, things your audience will enjoy.  Always keep your eyes open for trends and events that help to strengthen or communicate your brand message.  Even if it is a goofy holiday.  I really missed the boat (or should we say “fireboat”) this year, but rest assured I’ll be celebrating next year.

Happy Dyngus Day.

POST 4: The Ultimate Publicity Stunt, 5 Things Marketers Can Learn From Good Friday

Published on April 2, 2010 in online marketing. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , .

So, I really hope this post isn’t controversial.  I want to preface my commentary by saying that I’m writing this with the utmost respect for the Holy Week and Christianity.  And yes, I am a Christian and a marketer…crazy, huh?

As I was pondering the meaning of Good Friday and Easter, I realized that marketers should try to be more Christ-like.  No really – it could work.  Even if you don’t buy into Christianity, there is a lot to learn from it.  Jesus did a lot of things that marketers should do, especially with online marketing:

1. BE CLEAR ABOUT WHO YOU ARE. Jesus said he was the Son of God, the great I AM.  Pretty clear.  Openly, truthfully and proudly represent your company.

2. BE A STORY-TELLER. Jesus didn’t smack people over the head with flighty, heavenly jargon.  He spoke in parable.  He told stories.  And people listened and were intrigued by what he had to say.

3. BE INVOLVED WITH THE CONVERSATION. Jesus would sit down with people, have dinner with people, talk to them, get to know them.  If he could find Zacchaeus in a tree, we should be able to find our target audience on Facebook and Twitter, right?

4. BE STRATEGIC. Jesus always carefully plotted the time and place where he would interact with people and tell them who he was.  He even told Peter that before the rooster crowed three times, Peter would betray Jesus .  He knew one of his disciples, Judas, would turn against him.  He knew his audience and he knew how to get their attention.

5.  BE READY WITH A PLAN. God planned for Jesus to come to earth, form a following and end with a death and resurrection.  Pretty good campaign if you ask me (minus the dying part).

So…was Jesus the ultimate marketer?

POST 3: Pricing Publicity

Published on March 31, 2010 in online marketing and tips4work. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , .

I’m going to share a recent lesson learned about working with Public Relations agencies.  In school, our communications and advertising professors teach us that PR means getting the word out about your product for free.  But it doesn’t mean that conducting PR is free…or easy.  It’s not.

On a recent PR project, four people, including myself, spent approximately 150 hours in 10 days to promote my company’s product during a big industry event.  We used websites, blogs, videos and a ton of publication call-downs.  In my mind the campaign went smoothly, but there was one little glitch.  PRICING.

We gave the agency a laundry list of goals and tasks and asked for an estimated cost.  But it would have been a lot easier for both of us if they had been given a price point and a little creative freedom.  In the end, everything turned out ok, but here is what I learned for the next time:

1. When asking for an agency quote, laundry lists don’t work. The agency is the expert, listen to them and let them get creative before paring the project down to what you want.  Who knows?  You might like their ideas better (gasp).

2. If you have a price limit, communicate that.  If you don’t have a price limit, pick one. Be specific with pricing guidelines.  Specificity leads to happy agency-client relationships.  Just don’t let specificity overshadow creativity.

3. Use common sense. If an agency says it will take 4 hours to do something you know will take longer, do not let them quote 4 hours of work.  They’re not financial advisors or project managers.  They will take more time to complete it and the project will cost more.  Consider a flat project fee if the agency will agree to that.

Pricing is best when discussed up front, do you agree?

POST 2: Writing Abandonment

Published on March 30, 2010 in online marketing, social media and tips4work. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , .

A creative director that I worked for once told me, “you never finish a piece of writing, you abandon it.”

So how do you abandon a piece of writing at a good time?

A lot of web site and copywriting is short, punchy and direct.  But I follow these 3 rules for any type writing or editing:

  1. Create a plot, even for technical writing. I recently designed a brochure for a large government agency in New Zealand.  It is an informational document designed to explain how our software works, but I wanted an engaging story.  So I formulated a “beginning” (where our company came from), a “middle” (how we’re working with this agency) and an “end” (better public safety and disaster response for all).  Even a loose fitting plot can provide a little interest and help create a logical flow of ideas.
  2. Read your writing out loud. It works!  I did this for everything from flooring brochures to baby food branding scripts.  And now, I even do it for emails to.
  3. Give it time. I have this tendency to want to finish a project.  Just get it done.  But often that results in a rushed result and a looming feeling of “that’s not what I was looking for”.  So once you’ve written something out and read it out loud a few times.  Walk away.  Don’t come back for a while.  It’s just a block of text and it probably won’t miss you.

These basic rules will not solve all of your writing problems, but they help me get past what I call the “hurdle of frustration” and on toward writing abandonment.

What other writing and editing tips do you suggest?