1. You Can Dance if you want to…

Today’s younger generation may not believe this but once upon a time in the not so distant past, people actually attended concerts in relative obscurity. They listened to the music, danced along and maybe…just maybe…used a cigarette lighter to show their support by lighting up the night along with fellow concert attendees. Of course, those fire-hazards soon gave way to more safe glow-sticks and then eventually cell phones. Today’s concert goer is more likely to click and share than sway to the music (all that dancing ruins the video!). End result – thanks to social media sharing, attending a concert is a much less physical and much more social endeavor than in years past.

2. You Can Run but you can’t hide…

Remember the early days of the Internet where nobody knew your name much less face and daily coffee intake? Critics of early internet content constantly issued warnings about the inability to provide credibility to online content due to the anonymous nature; a quaint idea that is nothing more than a distant memory. Thanks to the proliferation of Smart phones and social media, the average citizen can be tracked from morning to night. Their every preference, social network, likes and dislikes are archived in vast storehouses then sold to marketing companies in a near continuous stream of updates. The amount of information has increased 9x in the past 5 years alone and shows no sign of slowing!

3. You Really can have it your way…

It’s hard to imagine but the early Internet was little more than a jumble of DOS code; plain text that required extensive memory and a lot of practice to master…and provided very little in terms of real satisfaction. Socialization basically consisted of email…eventually. The first major breakthrough came about by adding pictures to the Internet in the form of animated gif’s. Today photographs, video, sound and data have all merged into something entirely new…and that is just the beginning. Still in the early stages, contextual search, audio instructions, comparative data and much more allows users to access and exchange data in new and exciting ways.

4. You Can Have the time of your life…

Ever wish there was a way to record all those special moments in life? The first time your baby walks. The impromptu expression of first-love, the last time you see that special someone….life itself is made up of fleeting moments where the unexpected meets the transient nature of time itself. Soon – very soon – it will literally become possible to not merely track and record the dull events of the day (business transactions, what time you paid for that morning cup of coffee and which route you took to work) but even those special moments. Short-term sharing is exploding (see our prior article about Snapchat) and with it, data storage devices becoming affordable and accessible. It will soon become possible to record every living moment of every single day of every single person on earth.

5. You Can be a star...

It is said that every person has 15 minutes of fame; thanks to social media not only is that becoming more and more common it may soon actually be the norm. Already experts are tooting the benefit of incorporating yourself, social media makes it possible to gain a strong personal following even if you aren’t a celebrity. In fact, social media is creating more celebrities than traditional sources as print and music increasingly offer contracts to those that already have a built-in following. As wearable computing and the Internet of Things becomes the norm, expect to see even more individualized followers.

6. Baby you can drive my car…

Speaking of the Internet of Things, social media is increasingly integrated with gadgets of all types. It’s this human/device interaction that is likely to make social media sharing less obvious – and more pervasive – in the near future. Everything from Google Glasses to road conditions will become the domain of social interaction and social intervention.

7. You Can call me Al…

Actually, in the near future you can call Al and anyone else in your social network using devices that mimic phones but are oh so very much more. The same way that the Internet has blurred the lines between television, magazine, book and other forms of media…new devices will soon blur the lines on what is considered a “phone”. More than a simply device for talking and communicating, wearable devices will help patients communicate with their physician, help parents keep track of kids and even allow law enforcement to track offenders. It’s a brave new world of social media with ample job opportunities and business grade investments available to those who are willing, innovative and ready to take on the challenge!

The Visual Web 101

For those unfamiliar with the term, the visual web refers to that portion of the Internet dominated by pictures and video. Deemed one of the fastest growing segments of the Internet, the visual web is an increasingly important part of social media marketing. On average, nearly a half BILLION photographs are shared each day and that number is expected to double, reaching nearly 1 Billion images (per day) by the end of next year.

Fastest Growing Visual Web Site

So, which site lays claim to the fastest growing visual web site in existence? If you are like most social media users you probably would think Facebook. You would be wrong. Perhaps Twitter’s new Vine feature comes to mind. Once again, you would be wrong. No, the #1 spot goes to Snapchat, a company that is growing so fast it puts nearly everything else to shame. Although Snapchat isn’t the largest site (that claim to fame still goes to Facebook), nor the largest in terms of video (an accolade belonging to YouTube), Snapchap is notable due to the absolutely stunning level of growth taking place. The company reached the 1 Billion landmark in just over one year of operation…a success story by any measure. Yet surprisingly, a significant number of small business owners have never even heard of Snapchat much less used it yet. Keep reading to find out what you’ve been missing!

Snapchat Defined

So, by now savvy business owners should be wondering “What the heck is Snapchat?”. Good question! Snapchat is a “…new way to share moments with friends”. Users simply snap a photo or quick video, add a caption and send it to friends. Once received, the image disappears. Entirely. Part of the allure is in the transient nature of the moment or as Snapchat says “enjoy the lightness of being” (A great movie by the way!). Sending a message is simple; simply select the desired recipient(s) and hit the ‘send to’ button.  The sender decides how long the image can be viewed although it may be possible for viewers to take a screen shot. Images are not reviewed prior to being sent which allows for maximum flexibility.

What’s the Big Appeal?

Wondering what the big appeal is about a photo/video sharing service that doesn’t seem to store anything, barely allows a quick glimpse and then vanishes into “thin air”? Believe it or not, it’s that elusive nature which makes it all the more exciting. Users like the impromptu nature of the social sharing application and sometimes prefer a site that doesn’t log in every single message or archive every move. However, users should still understand that it is possible to obtain copies of messages in the event of legal misconduct or via policy violations, illegal activity etc…  Messages or snaps are deleted from the server after 30 days even if it was not opened or viewed. Likewise, messages are “wiped” from the temp files of user devices after the initial view. If a screen shot was taken, a notification will be sent to the original sender.

Who Uses Snapchat & Why?

Of course the burning question is exactly who is using Snapchat and why? Well, teens and young adults have clearly taken to the application leading some to believe this is nothing more than a sophisticated way to circumvent parental controls on photo and video sharing. For those concerned with such issues, see Snapchat’s guide to parental controls at www.snapchat.com/static_files/parents.pdf. Others point to the potential abuse by sexting or even online sexual predators; a complaint sure to inspire additional caution. However, there are also plenty of legitimate uses for a social sharing application like Snapchat; flash offers used in conjunction with social media marketing, impromptu messages and informal communication where each party may not wish to have a permanent log of the conversation. Even quick social support tools where users can help send vital visual information without worry of long-term security breach. In fact, after giving it some serious consideration, Snapchat is gaining a significant level of support from industry insiders who see the full potential of short-term social sharing of visual information.

How to Get Started

Interested in trying out Snapchat? Simply visit www.snapchat.com to get started. You will be prompted to download the app, set up and account and complete a few initial questions before sending and receiving snaps.  Share your thoughts! Will you use Snapchat for business or pleasure?

In the past we’ve spent a lot of time discussion ways to create great content, curate content and even how to inspire more people to share content…as a social media consulting agency, content is the cornerstone to nearly everything else that follows. Today we are going to discuss a topic which initially seems obvious but in fact, is nothing short of genius; seven distinct types of content that actually work. You see, small business owners are increasingly at a disadvantage when it comes to competing against the big boys of business. They have A/B testing and huge budgets at their disposal to find out the exact words that will resonate most with viewers. But small business owners need results…fast. Today’s article cuts through the clutter and gets right to the point; keep reading to discover the top 7 types of social media marketing with a proven track record of success.

1. The Maximum Value Message  -

The main message is how to maximize value for the client…not your business! Emphasis should be on a very specific or specialized issue. It’s 100% content without other offers or cross promotional specials. Keep this simple, make the benefit immediate and provide instant action plan that viewers can do right away.  The formula for this is Problem, Resolution Plan, Action Item in 500 words or less.

2. The People Person Message -

Allow social media fans an authentic glimpse into who you are and what makes you (and your business) tick by writing a short story or anecdote which allows insight into your personality.  For example, maybe you are a bit of an adventure seeker who enjoys high adrenaline sports. Talk about your latest enterprise and how it relates to risk-taking, courage and discipline. There are as many variations on this as there are individual human beings; don’t be afraid to share your personal style with others. Chances are it will resonate with those that share a similar outlook or even become a point of distinction for those that don’t. Just keep it authentic and personal.

3. New Content, Product or Information Updates -

New content is just that…new! Do not make the mistake of passing off stale, rehashed or repurposed content as new. That is a recipe for disaster. Instead, be sure to share exciting new product releases, relevant information about updates or other items of interest….and remember, content doesn’t just mean text. Social media content may include nearly any type of data ranging from YouTube video’s to a podcast.

4. Selective Social Media Sub-Listings -

A perfect example of a social media sub-listing took place during a recent visit to St. Augustine during Memorial Day weekend. Like most tourists, shopping, dining and visiting tourist attractions made up most of the day but one shop in particular stood out; an antique and fine arts dealer with a vast selection of hard-to-find collectibles. Now, this antique and arts dealer clearly has an extensive list of clientele but by using selective sub-listings, it’s possible to further refine the offerings. So, for example, coin collectors could be sent updates on new acquisitions while those inclined toward oil paintings may receive a different offering. General updates would include mention and cross promotions but special attention and exclusivity makes social media sub-listings particularly effective methods of communicating with followers. Use social media sub-listings when you have a second niche offering that is different yet more exclusive than the ordinary offer.

5. Help Yourself -

Empower people by providing content that encourages others to lend a helping hand…even if it is to help the reader his/her self! These high action messages should be short, to the point and easily shared with others. It could be as simple as voting for their favorite idea or sharing with someone new. Emphasis is on short, actionable items that are easily shared and beneficial to the end user.

6. Angst & Agitation -

Have you ever felt a sense of urgency about a product or offer? If so, that is the general idea behind the angst & agitation message. It could be a time-limited offer, it could be a product that is so popular and/or in-demand that it will naturally sell-out almost immediately…whatever the reason, the A&A message has a special strategy of immense use to small business owners; it creates an “open loop” for future communication and/or interaction. For example, let’s say a hot concert is about to take place in a certain town. Tickets are sure to sell out and your business is planning to give away a promotional offer for the first 100 new subscribers. Let’s break this down…there is a clear sense of urgency, it is in high demand, a clear call to action is presented and it creates an opportunity for future communication! It’s the perfect A&A message cycle.

7. Freebies, Special Discounts & Sponsored Long Sales -

Whew! Sounds like a lot doesn’t it? Although these could each be considered a distinct type of social media message, in reality, each does more or less the same thing…they “prime the pump” for future sales. The emphasis is on educating, enticing and/or informing the client about future buying options. Rather than attempting to engage and immediately make a sale, content is used to start building a relationship with the prospective buyer. The more expensive the final sale, the greater the need for intermediate steps that include education, information and other offers. Today’s tech savvy social media shoppers understand the need to comparison shop and are doing more of it than ever before! The average house buyer reads realtor blogs for nearly 6 to 8 months before listing or buying a new home. The average car buyer researches nearly a dozen different makes and models before making a final decision. Even jewelry sales now have long lead times. Other than purely impulse type purchases, most business owners now need a longer sales time to demonstrate value, differentiate product and support as well as close the deal.

Demographics versus Psychographics

Before delving into the nitty-gritty details, let’s first define a couple of terms you will encounter frequently; demographics and psychographics. Demographics tend to deal with the common characteristics of a given location such as age, household income, education level etc… Psychographics explore the underlying psychology such as political or religious orientation. Combined, these two measures provide powerful insight into the client base of nearly every business. In the past, this type of information was only available to big business but thanks to ready access to immense amounts of information, today’s business owner is able to tap into this data for free!

What You Will Need to Get Started

To get started only a few items are needed:

• Business email address – Your business email may be needed to authenticate your own site when signing up with the sites below.
• Http://www.quantcast.com – More in depth insight into demographic and psychographic trends. This helps provide detailed data about your target audience.
• Http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo – This is a quick look at competitor sites including incoming links which can save time and money when deciding where (or if) to advertise. Identifying robust sources of traffic is especially beneficial for local small business owners.
• Url’s of your favorite competitor domain address. An especially helpful bit of information for new business owners, find out who is linking to competitors and where their traffic comes from. Don’t re-invent the wheel; duplicate it instead!
• Quantify or Not? Quantified data is more reliable but be sure to remove internal pages from the equation! You don’t want to measure your own employees. To quantify the data, you will simply need to embed a short bit of code which then tracks information specifically. Non-quantified data is estimated and does a pretty good job but is less precise. Both options are free.

Understanding the Information

Of course, access to information is only as good as the ability to interpret and understand it. That is where things tend to get tricky. For example, in the early days of SEO marketing, many small business owners were impressed to see huge amounts of traffic reported on their site…only to later learn it wasn’t actually individual visitors but rather cookies. Understanding the difference between cookies and actual people is important especially when evaluating the viability of incoming links and advertising. Remember, every individual visitor may actually have numerous cookies associated with their activities as they browse from home, work, mobile access or even different browsers. It’s also important to distinguish what types of technology people are using to access your site; for instance, a local restaurant owner might change marketing to attract more take-out menu’s in response to a high rate of mobile users or simply post the special of the day earlier in order to accommodate patrons from a business complex nearby.

Narrow Down the Data

Local social media marketing is now entering the phase where it’s possible to target individuals; combined with the ability to refine demographic information it presents enticing possibilities. For example, using site information pay close attention to the following in order to create the “ultimate client profile”:

Traffic Frequency – Which clients visit most often? Every site has three different categories of visitors; those that simply stop in now and then (1x per month or less), regulars who interact with a site a couple times each week and addicts who are there nearly each and every day…sometimes multiple times per day. Addicts make up roughly 12% of an audience but comprise 2/3 of ALL site visits! Use the data to discover all you can about this group of people because they drive your business!

Geographic Location – Where are your best clients located? Are they from out of town or just up the road? Are they visiting your site from home or work? What time is preferred and why?

Become the Solution

Last but certainly not least, visit these three sites to find out what type of information people want to know about and/or what problems they need solved then create content to address that concern. For example, maybe you are a local Chiropractor and find that a significant number of people are asking how to deal with lower back pain while playing golf…rather than cast a wide net, it’s now possible to perform highly specific local social marketing to attract golf players with back pain within a 10 mile radius of your office.

1. http://answers.yahoo.com

2. http://alltop.com

Introducing Moolta – The Most Challenging (and just maybe the most stupid) social media site in existence!

Moolta.com has been described as a cross between Kickstarter, Vine and a reality TV show and here is how it works:

• Post a Challenge: People and post a challenge. Why would you want to post a challenge? Perhaps you simply want to see if it can be done. Maybe your business wants to sponsor a competition or generate some user interest. Maybe you want to raise funds for charity. Maybe you delight in seeing other people engage in utter stupidity or maybe you just want to challenge your college buddies to a good-old-fashioned fun but oh so embarrassing competition like this speedo wearing library patron at the University of Florida! Whatever your reason, Moolta does have some base rules that must be kept in mind such as no promotion of illegal anything and nothing that would result in the injury or harm of people, animals or others. No prohibited materials, activities and so forth. In short, keep it fun!
• Accept a Challenge: Decide to accept a challenge? If you accept the challenge, you take a video of yourself doing the stunt or activity to prove that it was done then upload it for proof. Why you accept the challenge is entirely up to you. Maybe it’s simply for the fun of it. Maybe it’s a rite of passage. Maybe you want your 15 minutes of fame. Maybe you just want to earn a few bucks. Moolta doesn’t really care; it’s all about access to the inventory of absolutely crazy video’s.
• Sponsor a Challenge: Maybe you aren’t the type to issue or accept a challenge but you can still get in on the fun by sponsoring one instead. Help others raise money, awareness or otherwise put seemingly stupid moves to good use by sponsoring a challenge….and there are oh so many to choose from!

 Why Moolta Works

Okay, so Moolta is clearly a fun social media site but is it a real business? Believe it or not the answer is “yes”. Moolta is small but growing fast and the key to social media success in this case is the ability to generate a lot of user interest, audience participation (posting the challenge, doing the challenge and sponsoring a challenge). The video is the critical element. You can bet that each participant will share (and share and share) these crazy stunts and outrageous challenge events with friends, family, coworkers and nearly anyone else. People can’t get enough of crazy entertainment and Moolta makes it easy to find totally outrageous examples that are pure entertainment and where people talk, people share at least in a social media society.

 How to Harness Moolta for a Fun Social Media Campaign

As a social media consulting agency Moolta won’t be for everyone but it can certainly provide a super fun way to showcase talent, inspire a lot of fun participation and generate immense user interest. Sponsor a competition that challenges people to visit your location wearing a super-hero costume or singing a theme song in public. Make a series of employee based events and donate to a local charity. Encourage others to volunteer, run a marathon or do almost anything for a good cause. The list is almost endless. A quick look at the Mooltas of the day include running the Pittsburgh marathon for charity, volunteering to work on a farm for a week (!!), collecting penny’s from a fountain and showering in a public fountain in Gainesville Florida.

It’s fun, it’s a great way to build exposure and raise funds for a terrific cause. What will you do with Moolta.com? Share your challenge here!

A Dozen Can Do It

Yesterday we showed how very small, highly targeted, personalized local social media marketing campaigns can indeed form the foundation of a successful campaign…assuming everything worked out right. By focusing efforts on a very select few people it’s possible to reduce cost, increase success and generate immense results with very little budget.  Of course, things don’t always go as planned which is why it’s imperative to formulate the right mix of people from the very beginning. From yesterday’s example it’s clear that a dozen people can truly saturate a town of 100,000 people and form a firm foundation for business success but how can you maximize the chance of success? By picking the right people from the very beginning.

Let’s See How it Was Done

Cindy Gordon, VP of New Media Marketing at Universal Orlando started with only 7 people; estimates indicate the campaign reached roughly 350 Million! How did an initial social media campaign comprised of only 7 people manage to reach over 350 Million? Clearly exponential growth but that would not have been possible without the “right” 7 people to begin with. So, let’s take a closer look at who and how those initial 7 people were selected.

Who Would YOU Choose? The Selection Process

If you were given the task of selecting only seven people with which to launch a successful social media campaign who would you choose? Chances are you might seek out the most powerful person in town or perhaps someone with a lot of local name recognition. Maybe you would try a strategic approach and find the leader of a major organization or business entity or you might choose to connect directly with a social media manager. Gordon did none of the above!

Nope. Despite the fact that Gordon had access to big business owners, major media outlets, high profile movers and shakers none of those were selected as the top seven! Instead, the top seven people on the biggest Harry Potter fans sites were selected (by hand). Warner Brothers, Gordon’s Universal team and Rowling herself all provided input into the selection process. This highly exclusive group represented the most loyal of all fans and followers; they had a demonstrated track record of success, a known love of the storyline, a passionate interest in the topic and were known brand advocates but they were otherwise all but unknown to these people personally. Instead, these 7 people were selected solely and exclusively for their high degree of interest, use of social media and history of being a “brand advocate”.

Keep it Exclusive!

Step two; after narrowing down their choice to a total of only 7 people, an exclusive webcast was hosted by the VP of Universal Creative. The webcast invitation was extended to only those 7 people in addition to the design team and other key staff members. Even more surprising, it was scheduled for midnight…an untimely event if we’ve ever heard one! But remember, these are die-hard fans who use social media extensively….and that is exactly what they did with the information. Report it to their own fans and followers – people dedicated to the idea of everything Harry Potter. Now, unlike our prior example from yesterday where an average of 8 people per share is used (for the sake of simplicity) we know that in real life, some people don’t share at all while others share and share and share. Clearly every business owners wants the latter and that is exactly who these initial 7 people were…major social media users who shared and shared and shared. They were passionate about Potter and routinely engaged in sites with other passionate fans. By launching the news among social media users first,

Broaden the Scope

Step Three: Next, the team sent out an email announcement to their opt-in list of followers. Team members were also allowed to share the news with friends and family. A micro-site was set-up to allow bloggers and others to learn more, view the proposed map and features plus share with others. Notice, to this point only 7 people were targeted, a webcast was set-up and an email blast with micro-site established. How much would this cost? Not a lot. Certainly much less than trying to reach millions in one swoop. No agency was hired. No television commercials needed. No giant national campaign. Just the right people at the right time with the right information.

The Recipe

We promised a recipe so here it is; make your site, information and other as relevant as possible to the “right” people at the “right” time. Provide the right tools. Listen to what people say about your site, about your business and about your offerings. The most important piece of advice is to focus as much attention as possible on a select but important and powerful fan base.

Share your thoughts – have you identified your dozen most important and loyal brand advocates? What incentives are you providing for all their time, effort and sharing?

The Rise of Anti-Social Marketing?

Imagine you are the leader of new media marketing for a major entertainment empire ready to open a brand new theme park. How would you go about marketing it? Chances are you would run television advertisements, SuperBowl ads, place promotional pieces in magazines, insert previews in big hit movies and so forth….OR, you might take a decidedly different approach and tell only a handful of people. 7 to be exact. That’s it. No SuperBowl commercials, no magazine advertisements, no radio promotions, nothing. Just target 7 select people and let it grow from there. That is exactly what one courageous, forward thinking VP actually did in anticipation of the new World of Harry Potter theme park. Yep, in what may soon be one of the biggest trends in social media marketing, Cindy Gordon, VP of New Media Marketing at Universal Orlando Resort launched the Wizarding World of Harry Potter by telling seven people.

The Big Benefits of Small Social Networks

Would you have the courage, tenacity and smarts to pull off a similar stunt? Unless you are absolutely crazy, probably not. That is because it won’t work for just anyone or just anytime; in fact, when used properly, this isn’t a crazy nor even particularly risky stunt at all. It’s pure math. As a social media consulting firm, this isn’t exactly common knowledge but then again, we aren’t you average consulting agency! Today we are going to share insider secrets that you simply will not, cannot find anywhere else! The power of 12 for local social media marketing.

You see, advertising to a highly select group of social media contacts has many benefits; super niche marketing, a customized message optimized exclusively for the benefit of one person at a time, much higher than average “conversion” rates (nearly 100% if done right) and best of all…nearly no expense. Imagine if it were possible to grow your business from the ground up merely by targeting 12 people. Gordon did it with only 7 but because you don’t have the pull or expansive network power of those 7, we’re going to show you how to increase the odds by using a dozen people as a foundation.

Is Small Social Media Marketing the Next Big Thing?

Of course, savvy small business owners and social media consulting agencies both want to know; is small the next big thing? There is evidence which support a strong “affirmative” answer to this approach. Small allows the most targeting, requires the least money and may yield amazing results when done right…it’s that last one that is the kicker. It takes math, exceptionally strong “know how”, proven networking and the reliable use of exponential growth.

Understanding Exponential Growth

The backbone of all marketing has always been word-of-mouth marketing. Social media is a new format that allows an easier way to reaching new people but it’s really only a different modality or technology. The actual underlying message remains the same. People tend to share what they find important, interesting and exciting. Get the right message to the right person and s/he will share it with 8 others. Those 8 in turn will share it with 8 (now at 64 people) who will share it with 8 more (512) who share it with 8 more 4096 and so forth and so forth and so forth. This type of exponential growth is the foundation for all viral marketing…including social media marketing.

Why 12 in a Local Social Media Market?

Okay, so clearly exponential growth matters so why is starting with 12 people so important. Well, unless you happen to have incredibly networked and powerful friends like that of the Potter executives, the long held tenants of small world theory and/or 7 degrees of separation will need a bit of tweaking. On the other hand, thanks to the smaller size of most cities and locations, 12 properly selected people can indeed form the foundation for a fabulous social media marketing campaign. It’s all in the math!

Let’s take a look at an optimized – but quite viable – example. Our business owner resides in a town with 100,000 people. S/he needs 1,000 steady clients upon which to build a steady business (why 1,000? See our prior article on the subject!). There are two ways to go about this; cast a very big wide net and try to capture the interest of roughly 10,000 new subscribers in order to gain 1,000 loyal patrons or focus heavily upon about a dozen key individuals who then, via the power of exponential growth, do the work for you. Remember, the average person will share information with 8 other people so, let’s see how many levels are required to reach those key levels:

• Level One: You target 12 people with highly selective, totally personalized message.
• Level Two: Those 12 share with 8 people each for a total of 96.
• Level Three: Those 96 share with 8 for a total of 768.
• Level Four: Those 768 share with 8 for a total of 6,144.
• Level Five: Those 6,144 share with 8 for a total of 49,152 by which point our small business owner has either been bought out, expanded or is nearing a nervous break-down.  
• Level Six: Now a potential of 393,215 people theoretically could have been reached…except that is more than the number of people in town. At this stage, the entire community is exposed and re-exposed to the message. Awareness is everywhere.

Of course, this is all theoretical and assumes a perfect response rate at every level; something that won’t happen. However, if 10 out of the initial 12 do a good job communicating to others, and 9 out of the next stage do the same, only 7 or 8 out of the next level continue the trend and so on and so on then it still results in exceptional growth rates far in excess of what most business owners need to thrive in a local social situation.

1. Thou shall have not take brand advocates for granted.

Do you know who your brand or business advocates are? If not, find out…fast! These are the people who have taken their limited time and effort to help build your business, write reviews, share information with others and provide client testimonials. Don’t ignore them! Send out a regular written thank you note expressing your very real gratitude. Better yet, let them know their efforts on behalf of your business are appreciated by providing a small incentive or token of your gratitude. Not only is it a taxable deduction but there is a strong likelihood they will share the response with others while providing the perfect example of how well you treat clients.

2. Thou Shall Not attack negative criticism…

especially in a public profile. The names of the guilty have been changed but suffice to say, this was not only a real situation but one with a sad – and totally avoidable – outcome. We share it to provide much needed instruction on what NEVER to do when confronted with constructive criticism. A local restaurant owner received a message via Facebook about bad service; rather than deal with the complaint, staff removed it from Facebook and provided no response nor resolution. Not surprisingly, this resulted in negative reviews on several major search sites as well as a local word-of-mouth group. By that point, the owners responded with accusations and advertisement spam resulting in even more negative publicity. In the end, a long time patron was lost, several negative reviews appeared on Yelp and other review sites and numerous prospective clients shunned the business due to the perceived negative response by management.

3. Thou Shall Not remove constructive criticism.

Deal with it Instead! Why? Because research shows that taking the time to resolve a customer complaint is actually more likely to increase positive word of mouth marketing and turn them into a loyal brand advocate. Allowing the problem…and resolution…to remain visible demonstrates a strong dedication to client satisfaction, transparency and overall service.

4. Thou Shall Not make false claims or exaggerate real claims.

Be careful what you say especially on a local social media site. Someone, somewhere out there knows the truth and is willing and able to tell everyone else!

5. Thou Shall support other local small business owners and charities.

We’ve already examined how one restaurant owner brought about a flood of negative publicity due to the improper management of a client complaint so let’s see how it works in reverse. Another restaurant owner has made local social media marketing their best friend by actively engaging with users, supporting local charitable causes and taking the time to comment/provide feedback and a bit of free publicity to other local restaurants! Yes – you read that right! This restaurant owner embraces everything that is good about local social media marketing. Each time he eats out at a new restaurant in town, rather than seeing this as potential competition, he takes the time to write a review which he posts to his personal page and often shares on other local review sites as well as professional Facebook page etc… His reviews tend to carry above average weight due to their perception has unbiased, fair and highly visible. His steady stream of charitable contributions via his restaurant further instill a sense of community confidence and pride.

6. Thou Shall remain respectful.

Few things are likely to turn away a good client than to mix bad politics, religion, discrimination or other highly controversial topics into your business communications. What you find funny may be hurtful or downright detrimental to the mental health of others. Sure, it could be a joke but an uncomfortable one that turns away clients…and those that support a given cause or concern. Tread lightly when it comes to jokes or controversy especially in a local market.

7. Thou Shall offer incentives.

Get creative and mix it up. Incentives don’t always mean monetary discounts. For example, make a donation to a worthy local cause or put together an event that benefits many local business owners all at once. One entrepreneurial social media user set out to discover the best brand of local pizza; by taking user suggestions a list of privately owned pizza shops was collected (generating literally hundreds of responses) followed by updates and an eventual pizza show-down. It’s now an annual event that builds excitement, free word-of-mouth marketing and lots of participation for local business owners.

8. Thou Shall make dreams come true!

Here is another heart-warming true social media story that truly exemplifies the best of local social media marketing. One small business owner operates an adventure travel destination which tends to cater to the well-to-do, highly mobile and well connected clientele. Business mainly consists of leisure travelers and business building workshops but from time to time, the owner engages in deeply discounted services via Groupon etc. Rather than providing basic service, the owner personally oversees every aspect of the service including specialized attention to disabled patrons. Although no publicity is sought, this considerable act of kindness has resulted in literally exponential returns due to the touching word of mouth generated by making dreams come true for those less fortunate.

9. Thou Shall not stop growing.

Local social media marketing can start to feel stagnant from time to time but that only proves it’s time to take stock and do something different.

 10. Thou Shall have fun!

It’s simple but effective. People love to have fun and it’s contagious.

The Promise -

Once upon a time in the not so distant past, social media sites like Facebook promised to keep things free for everyone, seemingly forever. It was a great idea if not just a tad optimistic. Thanks to the need to monetize social media offerings, sites like Facebook have found the need to charge. Paid promotion now means the average user will need to fork over about $75 to assure everyone is able to actually see the message; of course, that is just an average. Total cost may vary (considerably) depending upon total traffic.

The Reality -

Facebook is still free…sort of; yes, if a business wants to actually reach ALL of their fans or followers then a paid promotion is needed otherwise it’s a bit of a guessing game. Users can still access their favorite sites for free…assuming they take the time to view each page in person otherwise, FB in their ever growing wisdom select what viewers are privy to and decides what will be kept from them. In short, business owners and clients are getting more than a little fed up. Roughly 1 out of every 6 people will see any given post or to put it another way, clients will see only about 1 out of every 6 messages sent out. Neither the sender nor follower get to decide which ones.

The Bottom Line -

So, is it worthwhile for a small business to pay to have each message viewed? It depends. As a social media consulting agency we work with a lot of small business owners that deal with relatively narrow margins. Let’s take a look at a few examples to see:

Example #1 -

A small local restaurant. They have a great reputation and strong social media following but would like to increase traffic on slow days and times as well as attract new followers. A clear goal is in place so the next step is to perform a basic “break even” estimate. Assuming it costs $75 to assure all 1,000 of their followers actually see the message a “cost” of .75 cents each is used as a place-holder. For roughly the cost of printing and mailing a direct mail piece, this restaurant can increase awareness among 1,000 followers. Not bad but so far it’s not generated any type of measurable ROI (ie, Return on Investment). Our sample restaurant has a lunch menu where the average meal costs $10 with a $2 “profit” per meal average. To break-even our restaurant must attract an additional 36 patrons who purchase a meal. Prior research shows that the average table hosts 2 people during lunch hour so 18 tables would need to be filled. That represents a conversion rate of 3.6 percent…a realistic response rate given a solid social media marketing campaign.

Example #2 -

Our second local business is an auto dealership. Here the goal is a bit different; rather than work on volume repeat sales like the restaurant, the auto dealer must make a few large ticket sales to a steady supply of infrequent buyers. In this case, the average “profit” is $1,500 so the business owner only needs to attract 1 sale to more than pay for the total cost of reaching the entire online audience. On the other hand, even with 1,000 online followers, the vast majority may not be entirely ready and willing to make a purchase. Some may have just bought a new car and are already out of the market. Others may be in the early stage of research. Still others are merely window shopping in the hopes of seeing deal they can’t pass up. Whatever the reason, the fact remains…out of those 1,000 followers, there is a likelihood of not actually reaching 1 single person willing to buy based upon the promotional message. On the other hand, those 1,000 followers almost certainly know someone else who is searching for a new vehicle; put the power of the people to work by offering an incentive or promotion to increase your reach by having them share with others. For example, at least one very smart used car salesman in our town offers a $200 cash incentive for each and every referral that resulted in the purchase of a car. One enterprising elderly lady in a Florida retirement community managed to pay her first year’s car payments by sending in a dozen referrals!

Does it Pay to Promote?

In most instances it does pay to promote assuming you have an engaged client base however, even for those instances where slim margins make it more difficult there are a few ways to engage clients without the need for paid sponsorship. For example, one local restaurant started offering daily deals which are then updated and posted via their Facebook page. Even if people don’t get the daily update, they know to visit the page in order to see the daily special. On the other hand, this can be tricky – a change of staff or failure to post the daily special often results in numerous irritated clients trying to plan their lunch break or call-in an order. Large ticket items may seem like an easy profit but in fact, it can be tough to measure buying behavior over a long period of time. Instead of trying to promote a one-stop sale, instead focus upon building long term awareness and an incentive to maximize social media marketing efforts over time.

Wow! That is the official word on Waze, one of the hottest new start-up sites in existence and probably the most elusive. How elusive? Well, ask nearly anyone on the street if they have heard about Waze and you are likely to get the same answer from each of them “Waze – What’s that?” Don’t let the relative obscurity of this site fool you because Waze has gained the attention of some big names in technology including heavy-hitters like Facebook, Apple and potentially even Google. As a social media consulting firm we make it our business to keep your business “in the loop” and today’s article provides the inside scoop on what may become the most well funded, hottest start-up and competitive acquisition site that nearly nobody has ever heard of! Keep reading to find out what all the fuss is about and how Waze may change the way you and everyone else does things in the very new future!

What’s Waze?

Of course, inquiring minds want to know; what is Waze and who cares? It’s instructive to answer this in reverse. Who cares? A lot of very big technology companies who may be in the midst of competing for a buy-out (or maybe not according to Google) even as this goes to press. Rumor has it that technology giants like Facebook, Apple and maybe even Google (who denies it…but Google has a history of denying nearly all pending acquisitions which later have a habit of becoming reality). Clearly there is intense interest in this all but unknown start-up at least among major tech giants with negotiations continuing despite a confirmed offer of up to $1 Billion from Facebook.

What about capital? Well, Waze has already attracted significant financial support in the realm of nearly 70 million in VC Funding from well known and highly diversified VC firms. Waze has offices in the United States as well as Israel (Waze was created in Israel – one of the world’s hot-spots for R&D technology) but has managed to attract the attention of venture capital funding across the globe.

So, what is behind this obvious show of intense support among tech giants and VC funding alike? Waze is a social traffic and navigation app (yes, an app!) which will allow drivers to share real-time read information and contribute to the “common good” by reporting accidents, road hazards and other pertinent information. According to Waze “Imagine 30 million drivers out on the roads, working together toward a common goal: to outsmart traffic and get everyone the best route to work and back…”

What Waze Could Do in the Future

Social mediated traffic sounds like a good idea but is it really worth $1 Billion dollars (or more!)? Consider the fact that Instagram went for roughly $1B and then calculate the future potential of something like Waze to enact lasting change on our entire way of life….it’s a good guess that Waze is the start of big change. In fact, as a social media consulting firm we have reported on this exact trend in prior articles including the Internet of Things (IOM). Waze is perhaps one of the first of these brave new breeds of IOM app’s; where social media moves beyond a simple screen and instead, becomes a pervasive presence in society itself. People move within a social world where information is sent and received in real-time, powered by the integration of technology and people to generate the best and most up-to-date information possible.

Future Scenario’s – Social Media Meets the Traffic & Driving

Imagine a not so distant future where the Internet of Things has merged previously distinct segments of your day into a cohesive whole; for example, traffic. As you get into your car it automatically checks the pressure in your tires, tunes into your favorite Internet radio station and relays messages from your digital appointment book to provide a GPS map. Wave alerts you to road conditions including those of the weather, traffic reports and even potential ticket risk. You decide to take a slightly slower route and avoid the speed traps because cumulative research shows one road is especially likely to increase the risk of an accident or traffic ticket.

As you continue the drive, a real-time update on a road hazard is sent by 3 or more drivers who report a large pothole is coming up in the right lane a mile ahead; you switch into the left lane saving a potential re-alignment later in the week. A few miles up the road, a slow-down is reported on an entrance ramp…no problem! Waze calculates the best alternative route and updates your GPS unit to reflect the new destination.

As you pull into the parking garage, it automatically notifies you of available spaces in accordance to the size and fit of your vehicle along with pre-defined criteria such as security, access to disability parking, stairs and elevator.

After work you realize it’s time to fill-up the tank; Waze will point you to the cheapest gas station on your route as reported in real-time. After a quick stop to fill-up the tank, you see that a few other friends have just stopped in for a bite to eat at a restaurant a few blocks away. It’s a great way to avoid that rush hour traffic while getting in some face-time with family and friends; besides, your favorite social media discount coupon site just loaded up a free drink offer and who couldn’t use a bit of refreshment after a long day at work? After relaxing for a bit you head out the door to continue your destination only to be alerted to a potential drunk driver on the road. Waze users report erratic driving and police data shows a known DUI offender who just blew a higher than average test on the built-in breathalyzer. You switch routes to avoid a slow down and navigate your way home safe, secure and assisted by social media all the way.

Of course, this is just a future-facing scenario…it’s not all available (yet!). Let’s hear your feedback – would you use Waze? Is this the future of social media or simply a somewhat creepy and intrusive application?