Wide Angle

Whether you want to get smart or sound cool, here’s what ten commonly used social media buzzwords mean in layman’s terms.  What other jargon is your digital agency (or, more likely, your 14 year-old) throwing your way?

1.  Social Graph: A visual representation of the different connections that an individual has within a larger social network.    Click here to learn more.

2. Social CRM: A process to monitor, engage and manage conversations and relationships with existing and prospective customers and influencers across the internet, social networks, and digital channels.  Click here to learn more.

3. Geo targeting: In geomarketing and internet marketing, the method of determining the physical location of a website visitor and delivering different content to that visitor based on his or her location.   Click here to learn more. Read More »

Let’s face it: some brands have it easier than others when it comes to social media.

But while the Harley Davidsons and Coca-Colas of the world have a leg up, companies in “unsocial” industries (pharma, financial services, manufacturing, I’m talking to you) can still take advantage of the opportunity that social media offers.

Matthew Lehman, the Web Experience Director at Progressive Insurance, has some great suggestions for how companies in “unsocial” (and yes, sometimes downright unpopular) industries can use social media to boost customer satisfaction. Read More »

Tired of playing 20 questions with your legal team?  Let Lizzie help.

As Digital Web Lead at Allstate Insurance, Lizzie Schreier has faced her share of legal battles.  After jumping through hoops to persuade Allstate’s legal team to embrace (or at least accept) social media, she’s ready to share her key lessons learned. 

Here’s her advice on how you can make the marketing / legal partnership a little less painful: Read More »

We recently hosted a conference call that gathered progressive marketers from highly regulated industries (like pharma, financial services, and healthcare) to discuss how companies facing strict legal constraints could make the most of social media.  Here’s what they suggest: Read More »

It’s that time of year again – predictions and “what’s in/what’s out” lists.  Thought I’d jump onto the bandwagon by sharing some of the themes we’re hearing from leading B2C marketers as we ask them “what’s next?” for marketing.  Here are a few of the more provocative ways F1000 executives think your job is likely to change in the decade ahead. Read More »

One of the most popular questions we hear from members is: “What are my peers asking you about social media?”

After spending last week speaking with members at MLC’s executive breakfast meetings, I got an earful of what’s keeping marketers up at night when it comes to social media.

The key theme:  There’s no longer any debate on if we should engage with our target audiences via social media.  The only question left is “how?”

Your peers are running up against three key challenges when it comes to answering that “how” question.  Here’s how we’re advising them on each: Read More »

Remember the old vinegar and baking soda volcano experiment of elementary school days?   The one where you begged your mother to use her kitchen as your laboratory, constructing that pasty mess of flour and red food coloring to see what would happen if you poured in more soda?  Yeah, we know how that turned out; bet you were mopping the floor for hours.

That “what would happen if…” approach to experimentation hasn’t completely faded from memory.  In fact, it’s how most companies are thinking about social media.  “What would happen if I post my TV commercials to YouTube?”  “What would happen if I create a Facebook app?”

But while the “what would happen if…” method works well for kitchen counter experimentation, it falls decidedly short when it comes to social media.  If we take that approach, we risk significantly stunting our learning:  We won’t be able to pinpoint why something worked (or failed) or how it impacted our business (if at all).

Social media leaders take a different approach.  To learn as much as they can as fast as they can, leaders apply the test-and-learn method to add some rigor to their social media experimentation. Read More »

If Google’s Sidewiki and Seth Godin’s Brands in Public are any indication, companies can no longer afford to ignore social media.  Fortunately, most of the companies we work with have received that message loud and clear – over 80% have made their first forays into the space.

But it’s becoming clear that lingering in the “Discovery” phase of social media also poses real risks; two in particular come to mind:

• Shiny Object Syndrome: Companies just getting started in social media are prone to hop on the hottest platform before considering if it’s right for their business.  Remember Second Life?

• “Me Too!” Thinking: Those of us in the Discovery phase are also more likely to copycat competitors (another “Which Product Are You?” Facebook quiz, anyone?) in the rush to catch up to industry leaders. Read More »

Regardless of your company’s level of investment – or interest – in social media, someone on your team should be monitoring your brand online.   Depending on which you have more of – time or money – there’s a social media listening system that’s right for you.

 We see marketers taking three different approaches to social media monitoring: Read More »

Results from the first 100 companies (Fortune 1000 or larger) to take our new Social Media Opportunity Diagnostic show organizations are significantly under-investing in listening.

Largest Social Media Opportunity Gaps | Fortune 1000 Enterprises

Companies report "listening" as an important social media-related business opportunity (index 59/100), yet few demonstrate even moderate levels of competence (index 23/100).

Across the board, marketers aren’t heeding that old adage to “look before you leap.”  And the few who’ve done their due diligence have more often than not bought their way to competency rather than truly committing to listening.

That’s a problem for three reasons: Read More »