Archive for January, 2010

Um…how is it the end of the week again, let alone the end of the month?  Oh, well.  Time to round up what we’ve noticed in the realm of marketing, social media, and brand strategy the week of January 25:

Hyperlocal:  I finally gave in and joined Foursquare this week, amid a huge buzz around the growing power of hyperlocal social media applications.  This coincided nicely with Twitter’s (Denver-snubbing) rollout of local trending topics,  Yelp’s rollout of sundry cyberstalking technology for its app, and an extremely thought-provoking article by Andrew Hyde on the implications of this technology (and why he’s opting out).

Hyperhyped:  In case you were in a remote cave this week, I’ll break the news…Mac announced its iPad technology on Wednesday  to great hubbub and furor.  Cue the inevitable Mac/PC mockery and bickering between me and Juli (a Mac evangelist who eventually bemoaned the technology’s lack of camera and lame failure to properly use the space of the tablet).  And cue rabid fanboys, drama about its ill-conceived and poorly-tested name, and users delighted (hey, maybe it will improve AT&T’s sucky service!), bummed (wait, it won’t save print media?), and confused about various features and prices (or lack thereof).  Which all begs the question…isn’t the hype kind of the point?  Success or failure, the iPad controversy/expectation/spin machine has people talking, speculating, and refreshing their favorite sites.  Oh, for an audience of millions.

Hyperhelpful:  As websites cut the b.s. and pare down the heavy Flash and SEOverload for more nimble, flexible content management and simpler messaging, we’re encouraged to see more focus (and buzz) about helping others.  More and more, the businesses who catch our limited attention and keep it are ones that have honed in on the ways in which they serve their customer bases.  When you get away from service, you get away from your voice and your value…and even worse, you risk alienating your base.  Here’s a great article on how the helpful effect actually boosts credibility in the social media sphere (via today’s excellent SmartBrief on Social Media, one of the must-reads in my crowded inbox).  Want some ideas on how to leverage social media and Web tools to the advantage of all?  We’ve got your back.

What’s your favorite story of the week?  Let us know!

Last night I attended the Boulder Writers’ Alliance’s monthly meeting, where Steve Babcock, Creative Director at red-hot Crispin Porter + Bogusky, presented on “Writing Ideas versus Executions.”  While the presentation was a wee bit video-heavy for my liking, Steve was charismatic and fun and had a simple message:

Let ideas dictate marketing strategies and advertising executions/media, not the other way around.

CP+B is known for its polarizing, super-sticky, often cringeworthy ad campaigns for companies like Coke Zero, Burger King, and Old Navy.  And much of their success comes from their stellar ideation and struggle to turn boring old advertising tropes like the taste test and the fashion model on their heads.  They do so with what Steve called the “press release” approach, creating a one- or two-line newsworthy hook for a campaign that then dictates execution channels.

Why let ideas lead executions instead of the other way around?  Steve had this to say:

• Executions look backward.  How can you innovate when you’re strangled by preconceived notions?
• Executions constantly evolve, potentially leaving you (and your campaign) in the dust when they change.
• Executions limit your ability to discover universal insights.  Look for the insight first, not the other way around.

On the other hand…

• Ideas have no expiration date.  There’s no time period on an idea, which means it’s flexible and opens up possibility.
• Ideas can adapt to new media and new execution strategies.
• Ideas will always have value.

I came away reminded that a great idea (or voice, or viewpoint) can lead great writing.  But I also wish that Steve had touched on the reality for the rest of us…people who don’t work at an agency that’s been gifted with universal trust, unlimited funds, huge and skillful staffs, and in-house bike mechanics.  Many a contract worker or strategist works within strict budgets and with clients wary of ideas that go off the beaten path.  Still, Steve’s primary message, that your campaign is only as strong as your underlying, newsworthy idea, is well taken.

It can be easy to drown in the news surrounding marketing, social media, and brand strategy.  This week, we dredged through the good, the bad, and everything in between to bring you what we think is the most interesting marketing, social media, and brand strategy news of the week of January 19:

Social Media For Good:  With the destruction of the Haiti earthquake only beginning to be uncovered, social media and viral marketing played a huge role in fundraising and awareness-building for Haiti.  It’s been a bad week for the world, but a great one for social media, which is only just starting to live up to its potential.  Mashable points out five social media lessons from the Haitian relief effort. One writer urges us to “focus on impact, not shiny objects.” In a media void, organizations like the BBC are planning on offering podcasts in Creole to Haitian individuals and news outlets.    And the “Hope for Haiti” telecast will be available on the Web tonight as well.

Take the Tablet:  Rumors are swirling about Apple’s mysterious tablet computer.  All over the Web, Mac whores and interested ancillary parties discussed what it will look like, how much it will cost, and whether it’s already played out.  Can it cook dinner for you?  Help broker world peace?  Break the longtime AT&T monopoly on Apple cellular devices? We shall see.

Big Changes Afoot:  No matter what side of the political spectrum you fall on, you’re bound to be affected (and soon) by the recent Republican victory in Massachusetts, the closure of influential talk radio station Air America, and the Supreme Court’s landmark decision to open up campaign financing by rolling back corporate spending limits.  Expect to see huge changes in the health care debate, fueled by evolving marketing tactics on the part of both smaller interest groups and big business.  Our prediction:  the landmark shift in social discourse that began with the contentious 2008 election was just the first step in a new marketing climate that relies on niche and multichannel tactics to mobilize and organize constituents and influence decisionmakers.

Got great news to share?  Let us know in the comments below!

You’ve heard about the 90/10 rule, right (or the 80/20 rule or the 96/4 rule or one of its many incarnations)?  In Jack Humphrey’s excellent blog post on Twitter networking, he lays out the 90/10 rule so:

90% of what you share on Twitter should be made up of personal insights and thoughts along with a heavy dose of helpful links, while 10% should be made up of messages that more directly benefit you.

By keeping your “buy from/benefit/look at me” Tweets to 10% or less of your total content, you don’t lower your skeeze factor…you create a great opportunity to use your social networks to promote others.  and isn’t community what it’s all about?  Here are 10 easy ways to share the social media love:

Join the conversation:  Social media is no fun when it’s one-sided.  So get active and start conversing with your community!  Just engaging in conversation is a great way to attract attention to the worthy causes and businesses of others.

Retweet:  RTs are a great way to point your network to people you know and love.  So find relevant tweets, and pass them on!

Attribute:  Nobody likes to pass on an insight or link, only to be disregarded when it comes to attribution.  So take the time to link to the blog, Facebook page, or Twitter handle of the person or company you’re citing.

Interview:  Ask your favorite colleagues and connections for a quick interview on your blog, website, or newsletter…and remember to include their contact information.

Guest spot:  Better yet, invite contacts you love to guest blog, sharing their insights and expertise in their own words.  They just might ask you to return the favor (and at the very least will drive traffic and goodwill your way).

Follow Friday:  The #ff tag is de rigueur on Twitter these days, and for good reason:  you can generate tons of goodwill by taking just a few seconds to identify follow-worthy friends to your Twitter tribe.

Recommend:  Take a few moments to give a concise, eloquent LinkedIn recommendation or Yelp review to colleagues and service providers who have impressed you.

Star and save:  Like someone’s blog post?  Take a second and star it on Google Reader or save to your de.licio.us account.  Your recommendation will doubtless drive a bit of traffic their way.

Share plans:  Do you plan to attend a colleague’s new networking meeting or seminar?  Publicize your plans to attend and share links where applicable.  There’s nothing like showing up to an event your friends and connections have helped make successful.

Follow through:  It can be tempting to treat backscratching and cross-promotion as a short-term gig.  But remember…consistency is the enemy of mediocrity.  Follow through on your commitments and consistently promote others.  You’ll get a great feeling in addition to those elusive brownie points.

Let’s get this out there:  writing is hard.  Writing about your business?  Even harder.  As I help clients refine their communications, I am reminded again and again of the importance of voice.  Unfortunately, many business owners either never think about voice, or assume that their own will do just fine.  I’m here to challenge those assumptions.  Here are six ways to find your voice:

Know what you’re looking for.  What is voice, anyway?  It’s the sum total of your words, the impression left by your word choices, grammar, sentence length, paragraph structure, and style.  Hard to define, but easy to recognize, voice creates expectations and delivers information in a unique, recognizable way.

Go back to basics. What values and goals are behind your business?  Your voice should reflect them consistently, religiously.  If you’re committed to simplifying your clients’ lives, why are you bombarding them with complex sentences and long, droning copy?  Get clear about why you’re talking, and let voice flow from there.

Be unique.  Take a look at what others are doing…then dare to be different.  If you don’t understand what makes you stand out from the pack, how can you be sure that others will?  Take some time to brainstorm the qualities that make your company and approach unique.  Look at the list before you write.

Kick assumptions to the curb.  It’s easy to assume that your clients will respond to a certain writing style…until it turns out that they hate it, or are turned off by it, or don’t get it.  It’s even easier to assume that your writing won’t pass muster.  Question those assumptions at every turn, and chuck the ones that are getting in the way of your communications.

Trust your reader.  Writing creates relationship, a subtle give and take between reader and writer.  Resist the temptation to overtell or oversell.  You’ll overwhelm your reader and cloud your voice (two major no-nos).

Chill out. It can be scary to commit to a particular identity for your business, but guess what?  Everything is impermanent, and you’re allowed to tinker, waffle, even change your mind.  So relax…better to try and fail than do nothing.

Image courtesy of It’s Holly

Many of my clients and friends know that I sold a book in 2009…and that I then had to write the book per my Byzantine contract with HarperCollins.  What you may not know is that writing a book and learning the business of publishing has given me a huge amount of insight into the other businesses I work with and, by extension, my own.  Here are some highlights from the journey:

If you’re gonna do it, do it right.  Lyrics from a Wham! song?  Yes.  Good advice?  Yes.  When I decided to take the plunge and follow my dream of getting published, I did it the long, hard way.  I researched agents, wrote a killer query letter, and suffered through a failed attempt to sell a similar book before landing this deal.  It took three years, but it was more than worth it.  My book is going to get the audience…and the chance…it deserves.

Know your audience.  One of the first questions I ask my clients is “who’s your audience?”  When they don’t know (or don’t want to bother finding out), I know we’re in trouble.  The same thing applies to writing a book.  Luckily, having a crystal-clear picture of my audience and my ideal reader has been a great organizing principle as I write.  When I get lost, I think of my ideal reader and what she wants to read.  This works equally well in marketing and business.  If you lose sight of your audience, you can’t be surprised when they don’t respond to your message.

Know your limits.  I admit it:  I’m a workaholic.  Adding this project (a massive undertaking that my business partner has started referring to as “Erin’s pregnancy and childbirth”) to the already-huge workload of running a start-up was slightly ridiculous.  I’ve managed to do it, but there have been bumps, primarily three bouts of bronchitis that finally necessitated a solid week of rest without any work whatsoever.  If I could do it again, I’d set stretch deadlines and more realistic ones to keep myself better-paced and better-rested.  I see this tendency in the owners and employees of the companies I work with…people who tend to favor work rather than work-life balance.  Everyone has limits, and that’s okay.  Better to set an attainable goal and reach it than one you can never meet.

The best work is collaborative.  Can I tell you how scary it was to receive my first reads and edits on The Heroine’s Bookshelf? I’m talking white-knuckled, terrified reading as I searched for the worst possible rejection of the work I’d labored over with such love and care.  Though I’ve been a professional writer for years, I really dreaded the editorial process before it began.  But going through the process has reminded me that this book is a team effort.  It wouldn’t have sold without my agent’s hard work or my editor’s championship.  Once it’s complete, I’ll rely on legions of copy editors, designers, typesetters, publicists, sales staff, and others to help make it a success.  The pleasure of the process…of opening yourself up to criticism and change…is profound.  And I find it’s the same for my clients.  It can be scary to bring in a consultant, to stare change in the face and back it up with that checkbook.  But once the process becomes collaborative, you usually have the support and insight you need to keep on going.

What have you learned from the projects you pursue outside of work?

Wanna learn more about my book?  Do it here!

Image courtesy of Library Mistress