Scott Moroney

Greatest Product Survey - Do You Prefer an A or B Hole?

Hardees launched a product survey that is brilliant in terms of making us laugh and clearly sets the stage well for their product.  You all remember the Coke vs. Pepsi wars of a few decades ago.  Well this could have been a very memorable campaign as well.  I don't recall seeing it much so my assumption, false or not, is that it was too edgy.  Please let me know if I am wrong. 

I love edgy commercials.  They stand out on TV.  How will advertisers get your attention online when the standards for acceptable content are so different online vs on TV?  This is a new arena for advertisers, but will the FCC step in and find a way to legitimize itself when we all continue to accelerate our dwindling television viewing habits?  In any scenario, media is evolving and it will be very, very interesting to be a part of it.  Are you an A or a B hole?  Take a look.

Ebook - Twitter Basics

Twitter – www.twitter.com , http://search.twitter.com

Twitter, in simple terms, is a bit like instant messaging on steroids.  Twitter is not a toy.  It is not aimless as is frequently reported.  It is a powerful tool to build a community of followers and share targeted information.  It is not all business.  It is a social tool of course.  Many people use it to create networks of like-minded or similarly interested people.  Dell recently shared that they attribute $1 million in revenue through their Twitter accounts.  It is for real.

How does it work?  Create an account at www.twitter.com and then visit http://search.twitter.com to start searching for topics, people or keywords.  The results will show you “tweets”, 140 character topics shared by users.  If you like someone or something they are “tweeting”, you simply hit the follow button.  No approval, confirmation or review.  Click follow and they are broadcasting to you and all other followers about whatever they like.  Most people on Twitter stick to some small range of topics to keep their followers interested, and to ensure their own relevance to their followers.

There are few rules outside of the good etiquette that is expected if you wish to keep these followers.  Burn a bridge and it is unlikely you will be very successful.  You are only one click away from being blocked or “un-followed” in Twiter speak.

Back to the Dell example.  This will help you understand how/why Twitter is something more than sharing what you are cooking, where you are taking the kids on a Saturday or what you are pondering in your navel.  These topics are fine if you have followers interested.  For business, Twitter takes a few forms: straight push marketing of information a company wants interested followers to see, and community building with no direct “buy” model.  Both work, both are great examples of how Twitter is growing as an effective business tool.

These are the basics.  Here are some experts who you can learn a great deal from by following them. Some are social media experts and some are just celebrities that have big followings.

 Chris Brogan.  Robert Scoble.  Shaq.  Ashton Kutcher.  Tony Robbins.

Don’t be discouraged by everyone who you follow, not following you.  Notice that the examples I provided in some cases have a few thousand followers.  It is impossible to follow everyone.  There are tools such as TweetDeck that allow you to sort who you will follow more closely and by topic.  This makes it reasonable to really use Twitter in its potential.

AS with all topics in this ebook, I will share with you how it all ties together at the end of the book.  Read on.

Twitter Trick - Hashtags in Your Blog Title

Yes, I tested it and it works.

To increase the reach of your blog or other feeds coming into Twitter, include the # (hashtag) symbol and a topic (#twittertricks, #comcast, #crazythingspeoplesay, etc...).  This will get your feed pushed into Twitter...and more importantly, the searches of the hashtag.   Keep in mind that Twitter and your Titles in a blog, YouTube, Flickr posts are character based (text).  This aligns to feed the # hashtag perfectly in the testing that I completed. 

The novelty of this idea is that you can reach people that are not already a follower, increase your following, and ultimately improve the performance of whatever you are doing using social media (promoting a cause, introducing a product, or entertaining with news/gossip/info). 

Pick a hashtag or create one and include it in whatever content you are feeding to Twitter.  The results may surprise you.

That "Social Network" Called Twitter

Annie Slater gave me a new perspective today on Twitter.  It is in fact a social network.  We talk more about "social media" as a generic item.  There are actually at least three "social" things out there for marketers to use.

Social media - the use of new tools to promote and share information in a two-way dialog (vs. the one way traditional print and Web 1.0 methods)

Social marketing - how marketers use social media and networks to promote and research markets and customers

Social networks - tools or meeting places that bring people together.  Ning, Facebook, Twitter, etc...

Take a quick read through Annie's article.  It demonstrates how a social network like Twitter can work in some potentially unexpected ways.  Thanks Annie.

It's Not All Free...For Good Reason

I believe the next wave of discussion/activity will be around how we all take the sea of social media/marketing/network tools and integrate those that will meet our business objectives. Social Smart is one company that is on the tip of this trend. It won't be free, but many things that are truly free aren't always worth what you put into them.

"We are increasingly seeing  companies and marketing agencies looking at ways of leveraging social media for themselves or their clients. A lot of companies are both looking at, and asking questions about, how to monitor the conversation, or how to measure results, how to avoid bad PR, should they be using this tool or that tool – how, what, why, when, where – that is what everyone wants to know. There is also a lot of confusion out there. They all know they should be ‘doing something with social media’, a few dabble with it if it doesn’t cost them anything – like ‘being on Twitter’. But few are prepared to spend money on a properly planned out, strategically integrated social media presence – which of course is what they really need to do if they want to successfully engage with social media. I know – its the economy. That’s fine – we’re all in the same boat. In the meantime though, companies looking at social media need to understand one thing – every company’s requirements will be different – there are no ‘off-the-shelf’ answers – you are always going to need a solution that is customized to your own particular needs."

To read the full post visit the Social Smart Blog

via socialsmart.wordpress.com

Is Social Media Alive and Thriving?

We are reaching a tipping point with social media.  The hype has our attention and by normal standards it is time to deliver on the hype.  But this is where we may need to take a new look at how we measure.  I am not sure what the measurement is just yet, but it is important to not be too quick to judge by our current standards.

Keep this in mind.

Content = Revenue

In the world of communicators (PR, Web, Marcom) a simple mantra applies.  It becomes more and more critical every day, every week, every year.  Your marketing becomes more disconnected from your customers as each day, week passes.   Why?  Their/Your customers are not relying upon the same old media sources to find you.  They are online and their buying criteria is changing as well.

Spread this as far and as wide as you like.  Keep the URL on, or take it off.  Download Content - Its ae Word File.

Integrate your social "You"

One of the great things that social media has created is the ability to integrate all your activity.  Facebook brings in feeds from so many places and then allows you to share just about anything you can find online.  See a great video on YouTube, share it.  Write a blog that your friends can enjoy, share it.  You see the trend in my story.  Share it.

That is what is great about social media, sharing.  This simple gesture can have a positive influence on someone's day...or even life if you hit just the right message. 

I am fortunate to have friends from so many different parts of my life, which also makes me fortunate to have had so many different aspects to my life.  How do I share in this with them?  I use Facebook as the center of my social world.  If you dig into Facebook enough you will see that it has some really powerful tools that are fairly easy to use.

Facebook is not the only tool/community to focus on.  This would be suggesting that social media ends with only one tool/community.  What else can you discover?  There are sites popping up all the time and there are also sites dropping off as well.  It is a fertile environment for building and composting of ideas and technology.  The future of these developments will more and more be leveraged on how well the teams share ideas and open themselves up to collaboration.  Facebook was not built alone by Mark Zuckerberg.  Twitter is not the result of a programmer's stroke of luck.  These tools come from collaboration and teamwork.  Can you imagine Microsoft opening up its API to developers in the way that Twitter has so far?  If this did not happen, I don't believe Twitter would be "TWITTER".

Get out there and relearn to be social and drop that "all for me" attitude.  Me, me, me is dead my friends.  You do need to look out for yourself, but the dynamic has changed.  You don't step on someone to climb up.  It may be tempting in a down economy, but it is actually the worst time to do it.  People have long memories and needing that favor may be closer than you realize. 

Here's to you walking past the body and starting a new you, unless the current you is fresh like social media.  Cheers.

These images are from Flickr.  Click on each to see the photographer's that were kind enough to share them with us all.

"Signaling" Change in Media

Although I remain skeptical and critical of our next president, I am encouraged from time to time on the appointments he has made thus far.  The news today of the appointment of Julius Genachowski to FCC Chairman "signals" potentially a new approach to the FCC's perception as rigid and out-of-touch. Change is needed in both consumer and governmental affairs related to the FCC. 

Many people think of the FCC in terms of wiretapping regulations, but it also plays a major role in how our communications infrastructure is developed and operated.  It also plays a major role in policies that affect how and where media development can take place.  Have you heard of Google Earth?  This happens with the help of the FCC opening up the spectrum to commercial use by companies such as Google. 

As part of the brainchild of the Obama campaign's social media outreach, Genachowski at least brings some awareness of how media is changing.  This is an important challenge in my world, and likely yours if you are reading this blog. 

We are in need of a face lift to modernize the FCC.  It is old and antiquated, even as simply in its perception to Americans.  I do not think of it as a resource currently.  I view it as a parochial body that has a fundamental responsibility to lead the development of new integration and utilization of more open communications. 

Do you view the FCC as a successful organization?

I do not.  This is why this appointment has potential.  If the campaign can be credited with being won in part through social media, can Genachowski do the same for the FCC?  The economy may not recover as a result of this appointment, but it has the potential to enable the US to jump forward in leading the development of new media...aka-social media.

Let's see how it goes.  I will reserve judgment on his boss in hopes that this is a good hire.

Respect in Social Media - Bow Hard

As a fan of Chinese proverbs, I read one everyday through a Google Widget.  Today's struck me as very relevant for social media, blogs and life in general.

"If you Bow at all, Bow Hard"

This is a fundamental message of passion and authenticity.  If you do something, do it well and do it with conviction.  The blogs that I read area  mix of commercial and non-commercial.  Those that I find the most interesting and helpful are not strictly those I consider "non-commercial".  We all have a reason to blog.  What I look for on every post read is an authentic and passionate effort to share some information and make a connection.

"If you Bow at all, Bow Hard"

Simply put, if you are going to do it, do it with your full effort.