Good post about the theoretical reasons for why Twitter works despite the fact that it probably should not. (Note: The author seems to like big, headsy words. Despite that, it is worth the read.)
A while ago I wrote a blog post that discussed a problem with Sonic Drive-In’s web marketing. I mentioned that Sonic Drive-In had some of the funniest commercials on TV, but they lacked a presence on YouTube. Sonic could have easily enhanced their web marketing by adding each of their commercials to YouTube. Basically, adding the videos is very little work that can have potentially huge returns.
In yet another case of “I really do believe a large corporation followed my blog’s advice (but probably not),” I recently found a YouTube channel made specifically for Sonic’s “2 Sonic Guys”. The YouTube channel shows two of the actors found in the TV commercials challenging amateurs to upload their own “sonic-esque” commercials. I am glad to see Sonic starting to utilize a great web marketing opportunity by embracing social media.
Sonic still has a long way to go before excelling at social media web marketing, though. For example, they still need to add all of their commercials to YouTube. Also, some of their newly-added commercials have been marked as private. Private? Really? Why would you mark your commercials, that are aimed at getting more exposure for your company, as private? I find that interesting.
2¢’s – Your Two Cents
Do you like Sonic’s commercials? What else could they be doing to enhance their web marketing presence? Have you added videos to YouTube to help enhance your company’s online presence? Do you ever look for funny or interesting commercials on video sharing websites such as YouTube? Let me know your thoughts in the comments. I would love to get your two cents.
In one of next week’s blog posts, we are going to discuss how different social media suits different people. Come back next week to read more.
In honor of that upcoming post, I want to see what types of social media you use. Are you a hardcore blogger? Are you one of the cool kids hanging out in the Facebook community? Do you Twitter so much that you really do actually want to just tweet? Let us know in the poll below. And because it is the Christmas season, we are going to throw in an extra (gift) poll. Given all of the communities where you are a participant, what is your favorite social media medium?
I look forward to seeing your responses.
Where do you regularly participate?
Bonus Poll – What is your favorite social media medium?
Today, I have two good blog posts I came across last week. These two articles were written by some very good social media/new media authors. I recommend you take the time to go to their blog (in the links below) and read the full articles. It is also worth your time to add their blogs to your favorite feed reader.
You were born with a personal brand by Lisa Hoffmann (@LisaHoffmann)
Lisa is a local Charlottean and she is doing her best to put the Queen City on the social media map. Essentially, her blog covers all things social media.
In this specific post, Lisa talks about how each one of us has a personal brand. I had never actually thought about this fact, but she is quite right. While reading Lisa’s article I reflected on an associated fact: individual personalities come out in web marketing. Therefore I believe it is a good practice to think about your personal brand as you continue to market your business. In social media, the two are closely tied together. The post also provides some good examples of personal branding. Read Lisa’s article.
Why I am not on LinkedIn by David Meerman Scott (@dmscott)
Simply put, David is the web marketing master. If you plan on doing any type of web marketing I highly recommend you read his book The New Rules of Marketing and PR. He also has a great e-book (in pdf format), that you can download for free, titled The New Rules of Viral Marketing.
The article I recommend is from his blog (webinknow.com) and it discusses why he is not on LinkedIn. The article does not say that you should not be in LinkedIn or any other type of social media. Rather the article addresses the fact that we cannot possibly be involved in every single social media platform available and still be effective. David provides a great analogy between social media and cocktail parties in order to reinforce his argument. Read David’s article.
After you read the articles give me some feedback in the comments below. Do you agree with my recommendations? Do you disagree with them? I look forward to reading your thoughts.
I read an article a few days ago by my new favorite blogger, John who writes over at human3rror.com. In the article John talked about a new service called Magpie. Magpie pays Twitter users to use their account as an advertising platform. Magpie regularly sends out advertisements through those individual’s Twitter accounts. In return the individuals earn a few extras dollars a month.
Used Car Dealership
What really caught my eye in John’s blog article was his last sentence: “Do as you please. [But] if I do see an advertisement, expect the email [letting you know I stopped following you on Twitter]. Expect it.” Do you think John is the only person who feels this way? Nope.
I have heard this saying a lot: “social media communities (e.g. Twitter, Facebook, YouTube) are remarkably skilled at ratting out advertisers and inauthentic participation, so this approach is likely to backfire and cause harm to a brand and the user. (Paraphrased from the free ebook The New Rules of Viral Marketing by David Meerman Scott)
The lesson here is simple: the quickest way to lose friends and alienate yourself amongst the social-side of the web is to just go out and sell, sell, sell. This warning goes for people who just want to earn a little cash on the side by tweeting advertisements. It also goes out to people who only use blogs, Facebook, Digg, etc. to sell themselves.
Rather, go out and participate in social media sites. Your passion should shine through your honesty and transparency when participating. If you write a business blog then publish content that is helpful, useful, or fun for readers and avoid the temptation to simply use it as a giant, wordy billboard. Be passionate about what you write and how you participate, but please, please, please leave the constant sales pitches to your local used car dealership.
Photo courtesy of SqueakyMarmot
One lazy Sunday a while back, I wanted to watch a little bit of TV, but there was nothing on that I cared to watch. Flipping through the channels I turned to the USA Network and they happened to be running an NCIS marathon. I decided to watch the episode that was airing and then proceeded to watch the next episode as well. After those two episodes I was hooked and have since become a regular viewer. So, how does this relate to you and web marketing. This example helps to provide a good visual aid when explaining the importance of reach in quality web marketing.
Puzzle Pieces in Web Marketing
You see, NCIS just started its sixth season. The show has been on for five years airing in prime time on CBS and I never even saw one episode. NCIS then airs on a cable network channel in the middle of a Sunday and I become a fan. CBS and NCIS utilized an important marketing concept: do not rely on just one area of marketing to advertise yourself and attract new viewers (or clients/customers).
Recently, I had a client ask me why he should use Twitter. My answer to his question was based on the same concept of why I began watching NCIS: reach. Relying on one source of marketing to drive traffic to your website limits your exposure to newer audiences. As a result, you limit the amount of potential customers that come to your website.
Twitter by itself is not the solution to web marketing, but it does serve as a valuable piece in your web marketing package. There are potential clients who will find you on Twitter that will not find you through Facebook. Additionally, there are people using Twitter who will not find you because you simply write blog articles. Similarly, you may bring people to your website from social news sites (e.g. Digg, Mixx or StumbleUpon) that you will not get from using Twitter alone.
Web marketing is a giant puzzle. Every piece is essential to making the whole marketing puzzle work. Remove any one piece and you will have a hole in your project. If you ignore various elements that make up a solid web marketing package you will discover that your gaping holes prevent potential customers from finding your website. That lack of exposure is something none of us wants.
If this is your first introduction to Twitter, check out this video:
Want to find me on Twitter? Here is my info: twitter.com/triunedesigns
Happy twittering!
Photo courtesy of CarolinaJG
