Tuvel Communications Blog

Continue reading "What We're Reading, July 30th" »

Technorati Tags: location-based marketing cause marketing associations social media marketing PR Facebook geo-location ASAE

July 26, 2010

Is There Such a Thing as a Social Media Marketing Agency?

I recently read a post on the HubSpot Blog entitled Please Don't Start a Social Media Marketing Agency. Since social media marketing is a huge part of what we do here at Tuvel Communications, it naturally caught my attention and peaked my curiosity.

My first reaction was "Oh boy, here’s another article slamming social media marketing agencies and calling their services 'snake oil'." I’ve been seeing a lot of that lately, not only in blog posts but in discussions on LinkedIn (not to mention the infamous "Social Media Guru" video that made the rounds not too long ago). I really wasn’t sure what to expect – but the title, of course, did a good job of pulling me in.

Please do take the time to read the post and (try) to read through some of the comments posted as well, but I’ll give you the executive summary: can an agency be built on social media marketing services alone?

Many of the comments that followed had to do with what social media marketing is (a tool, a tactic), what it should be (integrated, strategic) and how it's typically offered (as a "throwaway" service by web design, advertising and PR agencies). There was also a smattering of comments from those who regarded social media marketing as simply "tweeting and hitting the 'Like' button all day." Although I didn't get to read all of the comments, the general feeling I got was that agencies offering social media marketing as a primary service had their work cut out for them in terms of proving their worth.

Here was my response (in part):

I'm of the perception that an agency can be built on social media marketing services, but to be a successful agency in that space, it all comes down to what it is offering. A robust social media marketing offering will consist of:
• strategy development
• metrics development
• integration with other marketing channels
• set-up, management and monitoring
• relationship-building with social media influencers
• possible client training

And, not to mention a valuable, clear and concise message. So yes, I truly do believe that an agency can be built on social media marketing alone – and I'm not just saying this because I work for a firm that has developed and implemented successful social media and community-building strategies for our clients. To make a successful go at it, an agency must realize that social media marketing is so much more than just Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn and needs to be part of a greater whole – not the whole itself.

But that's just my opinion. What is yours?

Continue reading "Is There Such a Thing as a Social Media Marketing Agency?" »

Technorati Tags: social media social media agencies social media marketing

July 22, 2010

Vote for Tuvel Communications for Inbound Marketer of the Month!

Tuvel Communications is in the running for HubSpot's Inbound Marketer of the Month Contest - and we need your votes to win!

Starting today, you can vote for Tuvel and their work with client the National Association of Broadcasters' 2010 NAB Show.

Voting ends at noon on Tuesday, July 27th - so vote early and often! Vote for Tuvel Communications today and spread the word! In fact, here's a tweet to help you tell your followers on Twitter:

Vote for @TuvelComms for @HubSpot's Inbound Marketer of the Month! http://ht.ly/2euO1 Pls RT! #imu #sm

Technorati Tags: Tuvel Communications social media inbound marketing HubSpot

July 16, 2010

What We're Reading, July 16th

Happy Friday! It's been a busy and exciting week here at Tuvel - wrapping up projects, kicking off new campaigns, seeing great results from current ones. It's always so exciting to see the fruits of our labor! Tuvel was also featured in two articles this week - from Convene Magazine and the Omnipress Blog - which are part of our weekly recommended reading list today (but don't just read them because we're featured - they are truly interesting and insightful reads)!

• Online Event Communities...A Social Media Marketing Opportunity for Exhibitors and Sponsors from The Conference Handouts (Omnipress Blog)
• Will location-based applications like Foursquare find a place in the meetings industry? from Convene Magazine
• 6 Social Media Metrics You Should Be Tracking from Mike Brown for Social Media Today
• The Boston Globe Takes Readers on Mobile Scavenger Huntfrom Mashable

Finally, we leave you this week with a fond farewell...from Old Spice Guy:

Continue reading "What We're Reading, July 16th" »

Technorati Tags: social media metrics event marketing community building Foursquare Old Spice Guy

July 14, 2010

2 Event-Friendly Location-Based Apps that Go Beyond “Checking In”

Location-based services are the newest trend in social networking, and as such the big players in the space (Foursquare and Gowalla) are getting all sorts of attention and scrutiny. While many users of such services love broadcasting their whereabouts to their online friends and earning badges and titles of distinction in the process (Player Please badge, anyone?), others are a bit wary of them and their usefulness – and are especially concerned with potential privacy issues.

Businesses, on the other hand, are starting to find value of their own in using location-based services as a marketing tool. Even event marketers are starting to experiment with location-based social networking to promote a conference, specific exhibitor, or special sessions – something we did for this year's NAB Show.

The only problem is when it comes to events and conferences, services like Foursquare and Gowalla aren't quite ready for prime time. While the concept of checking in to an event or exhibitor booth in order to drive traffic and generate interest is definitely cool, the functionality is not conducive to a conference setting due to two big issues:

• A venue page is built based on a single address – where several different events may take place over time.


• Lack of interactivity and ability for attendees to do what they would be naturally inclined to do at a conference – network with each other.

SCVNGR

Location-based gaming app SCVNGR looks like it's really going places (and racking up some points at those places, too). The Google-backed start-up combines the concept of "checking in" to venues with the fun and interactivity of an old-fashioned scavenger hunt. Players discover cool new places, find fun new things to do, share their activity with friends and can even earn virtual (and sometimes real-world) rewards. Upon visiting and checking in to a venue, users of the app are required to complete a "challenge", which could range from taking a photo to something more complex. Users can rack up points for completing challenges, which could be used to win prizes.

What impressed me most about SCVNGR is the applications in a conference setting are endless and benefit not only attendees, but also exhibitors. Conferences can create custom "treks" consisting of 20-35 locations, taking people on a certain path around the conference or expo. Imagine offering this to exhibitors as a value-add to drive traffic to their booths while interacting in a fun and engaging way with attendees/prospective customers, or even using this as a way to promote certain sessions or guide people through conference tracks. You might even create a social media hub at your event with a digital "leader board" displaying attendee names and their scores, along with photos that have been taken or other media created in the process.

It's free to create places and challenges at those places, however the creation of treks (what will link all those places and challenges together into a complete, branded experience) is only available to enterprise clients of SCVNGR. With the creation of custom treks come features like the leader board, an activity screen, analytics, game design and turnkey support.

Double Dutch

Double Dutch is really touting itself as the location-based app for events, and for good reason. It's a white-label app that is custom-built for an event – which does away with the inherent issue I mentioned above with checking in to a conference (or specific location at a conference) with Foursquare or Gowalla. This means individual booths and sessions can be built into the app for attendees to check in to within the confines of the event venue itself, and they have the option of broadcasting their conference whereabouts to only other attendees.

Double Dutch can also be used by attendees to interact with each other and at different sessions. For instance, they can use it to rate speakers and even submit questions to them via RSS. A gaming element can also be built into the app and used in much the same way as Scvngr, incentivizing attendees with custom-branded stickers for completing tasks like checking in at exhibitor booths and sessions, taking photos and even rating speakers. For those of you in exhibitor sales and marketing, these stickers can be sold to exhibitors as a way to market their presence.

Double Dutch clients can also create leader boards and have access to an analytics dashboard to monitor activity, speaker feedback and how people are engaging with the app. They can also use the Double Dutch API to connect Facebook, Twitter and blogs to the app – allowing attendees to post their whereabouts and reviews to those places if they choose. The fact that it combines the gaming element with additional ways for attendees to interact with each other and with exhibitors and speakers makes this a valuable tool for event marketers.

Double Dutch is currently available on iPhone only at the moment, but should be available across all platforms soon.

The Verdict?

I think both of these apps have massive value to offer for event marketers and organizers – both from an attendee and exhibitor standpoint. There are costs involved in working with both Scvngr and Double Dutch, but I also think the potential for generating ROI on either one is huge, not to mention the opportunity to engage attendees directly with fun games, event networking and built-in feedback loops.

Have you used either of these apps for an event? Tell us about your experience!

Continue reading "2 Event-Friendly Location-Based Apps that Go Beyond “Checking In”" »

Technorati Tags: location-based apps event marketing geolocation social media SCVNGR Double Dutch

July 09, 2010

Is your online communications program in need of a tune-up?

Photo by Andy Henley

An ongoing dilemma for companies and organizations is defining successful online communication and outreach programs. If this is a dilemma you’re currently facing, then perhaps your online communications program is in need of a tune-up.

But, how do you know for sure? Try asking yourself some of the questions that follow:

Many communication and marketing departments define program goals before executing a campaign. Such strategic planning allows us to compare results to expectations. For example, are you trying to drive traffic to a website or event, create awareness, sell more products or services, build a house e-mail list, or perhaps raise funds? Have you assigned metrics to these goals? Maybe you want to grow an e-mail list by 10 percent, drive 500 new attendees to an event or even raise a million dollars. Preliminary numbers or even educated guestimates can provide a baseline for future efforts.

Another way to gauge success is to compare the results that your program is getting against industry standards. Typically, a grassroots online outreach campaign is executed via email, so we’re referring to metrics such as open, click-through and bounce rates. You may also measure success by the number of responses you receive from those on your outreach list.

Most importantly, however, is how well your program is converting for you – are people acting on the communications you’re sending? Are you selling or signing up more people as a result of online communication efforts? This is where it’s important to track your campaigns from first click to final conversion using tracking URLs for your campaign links. For instance, we use tracking URLs provided by Google Analytics.

In terms of deliverability success, have you tested your content, headers and footers against a spam content checker? Doing so will help you track how your messages are treated. Another best practice to aid with deliverability is to implement a list hygiene program to routinely clean your lists by removing bad names and incorrect e-mail addresses.

Some organizations rely on customer feedback to improve outreach programs, and it is important to have that feedback loop in place. Are customers engaged and providing feedback? When’s the last time you asked customers and supporters what information they wanted to receive? Along the same lines, do customers pass your communications along to friends and colleagues? Would you even know if they passed the word along about your company or organization? Do you make it easy for them to share your communications – such as through email and social networks?

In the world of communications 2.0, consumer-generated media such as blogs and social networks (i.e. Twitter and Facebook) are helping to define success and your online presence. It’s important that you’re actively and regularly monitoring these mediums. In addition to customers, what are others saying about your organization or brand? Have you Googled your company lately? What’s the buzz in your sector or industry?

Lastly, are you doing all that you can to make your programs a success? Do you syndicate content through RSS readers and partnerships? Do you make it easy for decision-makers to find your company or offerings through search engines and your website’s media room? Have you explored other communication and content marketing vehicles, such as wikis, video and podcasts? Are you delivering a consistent message across both traditional and interactive channels?

For information on how you can put a Tuvel Communications program to work for your company, organization, product, service or event, just contact us.

Continue reading "Is your online communications program in need of a tune-up?" »

Technorati Tags: online communications communications 2.0 social media PR email marketing online reputation blogger relations

July 02, 2010

What We're Reading, July 1st

Happy 4th of July weekend! If you live in the USA (or even if you're an American living abroad), you're more than likely gearing up for some serious food, festivities, and of course, fireworks, and we here at Tuvel Communications hope you have a spectacular - and, most importantly, safe - Independence Day!

To help you wind down your week, here are a few selections from our weekly reading list. Enjoy!

• Seven Reasons to Keep it Real in Social Media from: Marijean Jaggers
• The Debate on Scheduled Tweets from Jenise Fryatt (guest post at Liz King Events)
• Olay, Gap, Pepsi Run Geo-Social Campaigns - but Not on Foursquare from: ClickZ
• Welcoming New Members to your Online Community from: Laurel Papworth (via Social Media Today)
• Social Media's Impact on Healthcare from: Joel Selzer, HCNM Keynote

Continue reading "What We're Reading, July 1st" »

Technorati Tags: social media online community building Twitter Foursquare geo-location 4th of july video

June 27, 2010

VIDEO: Tuvel's Mitch Arnowitz on the Digital Media Conference's Social Media Marketing Panel

Tuvel Communication's managing director Mitch Arnowitz recently participated in the Social Media Marketing panel at the Digital Media Conference, which took place on June 25th in Tyson's Corner, VA. The panel was moderated by Elizabeth Shea, President and CEO of SpeakerBox Communications, and the panel members were:

• Mitch Arnowitz, Managing Director, Tuvel Communications LLC


• Hooman Radfar, CEO & Co-founder, Clearspring


• Matt Goddard, CEO, R2integrated


• Neal Sinno, VP Business Dev., Arkadium

Some of the topics covered: Social media marketing is growing as brands and marketers embrace the social web as one of the most effective ways to create buzz, attention and loyal followers. What are some examples of successful social media marketing campaigns? What are some of the pitfalls and practices to avoid? What is the future for social media marketing?

Continue reading "VIDEO: Tuvel's Mitch Arnowitz on the Digital Media Conference's Social Media Marketing Panel" »

Technorati Tags: social media marketing digital media digital media conference

June 16, 2010

Dealing With Sticky Situations in Social Media

Photo credit: somegeekintn

As social media marketers and online community builders, many of us have had our share of bumps and bruises along the way. But, how do you deal with the really sticky situations that come up when running online communities and executing social media campaigns?

Following are some real world situations that we’ve faced. Along with these sticky situations are resolutions or, how we dealt with them; however, we’re more interested in finding out how you would deal with these situations. So, I ask that you please read these through and leave your comments below about how you have handled similar situations, or if there are different sticky situations you’ve encountered.

Here we go:

Your research uncovers a blog whose content is spot on and has tremendous reach but, a highly questionable title.

We decided to engage the blogger in question and, as luck would have it, they were a top performer in Google Analytics during an outreach campaign. The client didn’t question having their brand associated with the blog but, did question validity of the traffic. Over time, the client became more comfortable with the blog. On our end, we changed the name of the blog in all reporting by reducing it to an acronym!

The wrong URL is sent out in a large mailing.

Our outreach campaigns ask influencers (such as bloggers, forum admins, social networkers and e-mail list owners) to pass along messages that they deem valuable. A group took us up on our offer and created a stand-alone mailing for its 1,500 members. Due to a webmail issue, recipients that clicked the link in the e-mail were taken to an incorrect log-in page. We could have tried to contact the group that sent out the message, but we didn’t have a relationship with them. Instead, we chose to wait it out, responding to every e-mail where the sender had a problem. Murphy’s Law ruled the day with lots of members responding over a long, hot weekend.

Your hashtag is hijacked.

A couple of years ago, an event occurring at the same time as our client’s started to use our client’s hashtag in outbound tweets. By this time, we had built up a sizable list of followers. At first, we took a ‘wait and see’ attitude. Eventually, we asked the client to contact competing show organizers and discuss best marketing practices. The competing event stopped using the hashtag.

Someone who loses a contest complains loudly across outposts.

Our client ran a contest for member generated content. Several entries were submitted and a winner was chosen. One contestant felt that he should have won. In fact, he felt so strongly about it that he began to publicly complain on Facebook and Twitter. Specifically, he questioned criteria used to determine the winner. True, this person made himself look foolish. But, he wouldn’t let it go. We opted not to engage him, and instead we waited it out because no other contestants we’re chiming in. The complainant eventually went away.

An attendee creates a lookalike blog that is mistaken for the ‘official show blog’.

An attendee at a client event set up a blog that was inadvertently being mistaken for the 'official' show blog. The attendee also created a Twitter feed to go along with the blog, all of which was launched before the official show blog was. Like many bloggers, his identity was anonymous. The last thing we wanted to do was create a Sampson and Goliath scenario. We asked the client to send him an e-mail that invited dialogue and gently pointed out that his blog was being mistaken as the official one. Thankfully, the blogger was simply very passionate and excited about the event – the reason he created the blog in the first place. He did not have any malicious intentions and responded positively to the overture, so we began to build a relationship.

Technology companies offer free services during 9/11 to the chagrin of list members.

An online community that we created found several company members offering free community building platforms to e-mail list members in the aftermath of 9/11, wanting to make it easier for people to congregate online. Several list members objected, claiming that these companies were trying to sell product under the guise of 9/11. We tried to calm tempers on the list but eventually had to pull the plug on the conversation.

A contact sends a spreadsheet of prospects over the transom.

During a recent campaign, a contact sent us an unsolicited spreadsheet of individuals, along with contact information. While our contact didn’t know these people personally, he vouched for how information for individuals and groups was collected. The issue, of course, was the relationship our contact had with those on the list. The contact assured us that the names were solid and they appeared to be qualified prospects; however, since it was sent unsolicited and we had not vetted the list ourselves, we opted not to mail to the list.

Exhibitors feel there’s value for all community members in hearing about show specials.

A LinkedIn group we created for a recent client conference started to get traction. Exhibitors, as well as members of the group, took notice and started to push offers through the community. Now, we do realize that there can be tremendous value in the show specials exhibitors offer, but we were concerned about these posts being construed as spam. So, we decided to set up an exhibitors sub-group specifically for the purpose of posting show specials, which we even promoted to the main group members and via Twitter.

Mom sends a note to the entire e-mail list by mistake.

Several years ago, a mom responded to a note from an e-mail list that we moderated, thinking that it was only going to the list owner. Unbeknownst to her, all e-mail list subscribers received her musings. The communication, while embarrassing, thankfully contained nothing earth-shattering. There was nothing that we could do but apologize and wait it out. Oftentimes, you can’t be certain of the direction that a community will take, and this was no exception. Several list members ended up corresponding with this mom, telling her how much they missed their parents or hoping that their mom would write more often!

Have you ever dealt with similar situations? How did you resolve them?

Continue reading "Dealing With Sticky Situations in Social Media" »

Technorati Tags: social media PR online community building blogger relations email marketing

June 11, 2010

What We're Reading, June 11th

Here's this week's rundown of some of the more interesting social media, online marketing and digital media articles, blog posts and other media we'd like to share with you:

• 13 Ways LinkedIn Supports Event Marketing from: Engage 365


• Is this Foursquare or Bore-square? from: {grow} Blog


• Facebook Launched Revamped Analytics Tools from: All Facebook


• 9 Tools and Trends to Help Planners Do a Better Job Right Now from: BizBash Toronto


• Upward-Facing Associations: Part 2 from: SmartBlog Insights


• Very funny video from the folks at PitchEngine, entitled "A Fond Farewell":

Continue reading "What We're Reading, June 11th" »

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June 08, 2010

9 Steps to Finding Your Rock Stars for a Community Outreach Program

In my previous post, I talked about the importance of a community outreach program to find your rock stars. To reiterate what community outreach is, it's engaging and building relationships with your influential customers (your "rock stars") in order to generate positive word-of-mouth for your company, organization, and/or products. I highly recommend reading the previous post to get a better idea of the importance of and principles behind community outreach, but today I'm going to talk about how to find your rock stars through community outreach.

Community outreach is more of an art than a science – it is, after all, about relationship-building. There are certainly different methodologies depending on the audience and marketing channel (blogs, forums, groups, social networks, etc.); however, there is a set of best practices that form the foundation of any community outreach program.

Today, I'd like to share with you Tuvel's outreach methodology in the hopes it gives you a better understanding of these best practices.

Step 1: Articulate Goals & Develop a Plan — Like with any marketing and communications campaign, it’s very important to define achievable goals and lay out a clear plan for your community outreach program. Ask yourself these questions:

• What is the purpose of the outreach campaign? Increase awareness, increase sales/donations/membership/other type of conversion, or all of the above?


• How many influencers do you intend to find and reach out to?


• What is your timeframe for the campaign?


• What kind of response and/or conversion rates are you expecting? What are other metrics are important for determining success?

Step 3: Identify & Validate Groups — As you conduct your research, be sure to validate each group and individual for overall effectiveness as message carriers, based on criteria such as marketing opportunity, activity (has anything been posted recently?) and relevance. Actually read some of the posts on each blog, forum, or group to get a good idea of the hot topics and how you can best be of benefit to them.

Step 4: Create Contact Database - Include information for researched bloggers and other new media publishers. Each entry includes the name of the communication vehicle, marketing channel, contact name and e-mail address.

Step 5: Communications Planning - Develop appropriate campaign messages based on audience, marketing channel and mode of communication for those identified, then test messages to determine the most appropriate formats for online dissemination. It’s also important to give a very brief background and get to the ask as quickly as possible – don’t make the message too long or heavy with marketing-speak. Speak to your community in their language.

Step 6: Program Execution — Once messaging is right, begin rolling out the campaign:

• Customize and personalize each note you send, referencing a specific post you found of interest.


• Make it as easy as possible for them to post something, whether that means providing sample text or a link to the information they need.


• Engage in discussions within the community – It’s important to engage in open and transparent conversations with your community influencers on their blogs, forums, or other platform. This means representing your company, but identifying yourself honestly and not hiding behind a logo. For instance, posting thank you comments in response to blog posts published as a result of your efforts is a way to further engage blogger and build relationships with them.


• Encourage others to pass the word along by providing an easy way for them to share your message.

Step 8: Program Reporting and Analysis - You’ve already determined your metrics for success as part of step 1, so now it’s time to analyze the effectiveness of your program and return on investment. This also includes gauging response and feedback to your program from those to which you reached out. Don’t wait until the end of your program to do this – it’s important to gauge effectiveness throughout the campaign (see step 9).

Step 9: Revise, Improve and Do It Again —Revise your messaging based on feedback and campaign response. Test different messages to determine best response.

Our methodology will, of course, differ from other methodologies for outreach programs – but this will still give you a basic idea of how you can find and reach out to your rock stars – and build lasting relationships with them. For examples of how Tuvel has implemented community outreach on behalf of clients, check out our case studies for the National Association of Broadcasters and Share Our Strength.

Continue reading "9 Steps to Finding Your Rock Stars for a Community Outreach Program" »

Technorati Tags: community outreach blogger outreach

June 04, 2010

What We're Reading, June 4th

Welcome to the newest feature on the Tuvel blog, "What We're Reading"! This is a weekly rundown of the articles, blog posts, videos, and other media we found interesting and thought-provoking enough to share with you, the discerning reader.

Here's what we were reading this week:

• PR stunt or the new journalism?: The titans of public relations are going direct to viewers and readers from: The Independent


• The Twitter Experiment in Face-to-Face Learning from: Interactive Meeting Technology Blog


• 8 Must Haves For Your Twitter Contest from: Small Business Trends


• Niche Networks: Should One Be Part of Your Marketing Mix? from: Chief Marketer


• eBook - Social Media Marketing GPS: A New Media Roadmap For Creating A Social Media Strategy from: Diva Marketing Blog


• National Donut Day Draws 80,000+ RSVPs on Facebookfrom: Mashable


• HOW TO: Download Google Pac-Man Game for Free from: Mashable


• 100 Tips for Trade Show Lead Generationfrom: B2B Lead Generation Blog

Continue reading "What We're Reading, June 4th" »

Technorati Tags: social media social media marketing PR event marketing lead generation Google social networks Twitter journalism

May 21, 2010

7 Not-to-Miss Twitter Chats for Association, Non-Profit, Event and B2B Marketers

We here at Tuvel LOVE Twitter chats! We host and moderate Twitter chats for clients (like the NAB Show and Share Our Strength) to help generate interest in a cause or event - resulting in donations, registrations, and overall awareness. We also participate in quite a few Twitter chats, and I'd like to share a few where you might find @TuvelComms, Mitch (@mitcharno) and me (@KariRippetoe) joining the conversation.

In case you're not sure what a Twitter chat is, here are some tips for participating in a Twitter chat. Also, here's a pretty comprehensive list of other Twitter chats covering a wide variety of topics and interests.

The following are chats that focus on marketing and communications, particularly for B2B, event, non-profit and association marketers. I hope to see you at one (or more) of these chats sometime (and be sure to say that Tuvel sent you!).

• #engage365: Hosted by the Engage 365, the online community for using social media for events, this chat takes place every Friday at 1pm ET.


• #assnchat: This chat takes place every Tuesday at 2pm ET and focuses on hot topics in the association world.









• #npchat: Non-profit profs share ideas for mobilizing supporters, generating awareness, and increasing donations every Wednesday at 3pm ET.


• #b2bchat: Participants talk about B2B marketing topics of all kinds, from social to search to email and everything in between. Takes place every Thursday evening at 8pm ET.


• #imcchat: Looking for ideas on creating integrated marcomm strategies? Join the the Integrated Marketing Communications Chat every Wednesday evening at 8pm ET.


• #eventprofs: Chat for event professionals about event marketing strategies - online and offline. It takes place on different days and times, so check out this schedule for the next one.


• #archat: This is a chat for marketers and business profs from all walks of life focusing on "influencer relations" - Analyst Relations (AR), Public Relations (PR), Investor Relations (IR). Takes place every Monday at 1pm ET.

Continue reading "7 Not-to-Miss Twitter Chats for Association, Non-Profit, Event and B2B Marketers" »

Technorati Tags: Twitter marketing event marketing association marketing B2B marketing social media tweetchat Twitter chats #assnchat #engage365 #b2bchat #imcchat #eventprofs #archat

May 19, 2010

HOW TO: Use Foursquare for a Conference (or an Exhibit Booth)

Tuvel Communications is the online PR firm for the NAB Show, and in addition to being the "voice" behind the show's social media outposts (Twitter, Facebook pages, LinkedIn group), we also devised and implemented creative pre-show and on-site social media promotions to engage attendees, drive registrations and generate excitement.

This year Foursquare became a major player in the social media game, and although we did not implement a full-scale location-based program, we did monitor how people were using Foursquare at the show, plus we came up with a last minute on-site contest that utilized the geo-location social network. What we learned was quite interesting and makes all of us here at Tuvel very excited about the possibilities Foursquare presents for the event marketing and conference business(s).

What did we do?

• We created a Foursquare page for the NAB Show using the address of the Las Vegas Convention Center, where it takes place every year. Here's how to do this:




1. Log in to Foursquare, or create an account if you don’t have one already. If you don’t have a smartphone, that’s OK – you can still create an account without it.


2. Set your location to the city where the event is taking place.


3. Click on Add Things at the top of the page.


4. Click on Add a New Venue.




• We came up with a last-minute contest to drive traffic to a particular session (namely, a session called "In Conversation With: Stan Lee", moderated by comedian and G4 Channel personality Chris Hardwick). We wanted attendees to check in to the session for a chance to win a copy of "The Amazing Spider-Man" comic book, autographed by creator Stan Lee himself. So, we created a Foursquare page by following the steps above and including all the pertinent details for the session (session name, event name, room number) in the Name field. We then promoted the contest the morning of the session via Twitter, Facebook and a post on the official NAB Show Blog.

I mentioned earlier that throughout the show, we were monitoring how attendees were using Foursquare on-site. We found that in addition to people checking in through the show page we created, others were creating their own NAB Show pages on Foursquare and checking in through those. We also found that some exhibitors had created Foursquare pages for their own booths, using the same method outlined above (they used their company names and booth numbers in the Name fields).

I recently talked about our use of Foursquare in a discussion on the Engage 365 Community, and a great comment was made by John Barber that "the more event Foursquare pages that are added by your method, the longer becomes the flat list of places that all come up at the venue's main geo-location." This is a great point, and I would certainly not say our implementation method was in any way foolproof. This, however, is more attributable to the limits of the tool itself. When it comes to Foursquare's use at conferences, it's definitely not ready for prime time (although I hope to see that change soon).

As for our Stan Lee session contest, we garnered a grand total of 15 check-ins. Considering that it was a last-minute guerilla marketing tactic with literally a morning's worth of marketing to promote it and where we were basically experimenting with Foursquare's use at an individual conference session, I would say it worked pretty well.

Have you ever seen Foursquare used (or used it yourself) for event marketing? What were the results and how did you gauge them?

Continue reading "HOW TO: Use Foursquare for a Conference (or an Exhibit Booth)" »

Technorati Tags: Foursquare social media NAB Show geo-location location-based social networks event marketing

May 10, 2010

11 Lessons Learned: Social Media & Event Marketing

Here at Tuvel Communications, we have executed conference and expo social media programs for clients like the NAB Show and 1105 Government Information Group. We've learned several lessons along the way, and I thought it would be useful to get these thoughts down on digital paper to share with you so can be better prepared when it comes to social media marketing at events.

• Start early. It takes time to build a relationship. You don't want the first communication from your event to be about passing a promo code along! We always try to keep in mind the old Internet adage to give and then take. We typically like to begin outreach efforts 6 months prior to an event.
• Create excitement! Content doesn't create excitement, people do. We were recently charged with driving attendees to an expo. People love to win, so we created Twitter raffles and contests. People got really excited about winning a conference ticket. We also ran a recent Facebook promotion where 'likes' (aka: fans) were asked to post photos from past shows. People got excited about posting and seeing each others photos (especially the ones from shows 15 or more years ago).
• Don't underestimate the power of face-to-face. This is really a lesson learned from Netpreneur/Coffee & DoughNets days. Developing an online relationship can be cemented by a face-to-face meeting. Nothing beats the interaction we see at client events. Strong online community building and networking done prior to the show complement offline meetings. Even better is if attendees are located in the same market as the event and you can bring them together before and after the show.
• Feedback and buzz are huge! Our company is metrics focused. Whether it's 'ROI', attendee increases or exhibitor traffic, we look to the numbers to partially determine our success. Other program metrics include size of the communities and how well they're engaged, profile traction, website analytics, and promo code tracking.

  Having said all of that, don't underestimate the importance of feedback from conference organizers, attendees and exhibitors. It's easy to feel excitement in the air when you hear comments like "you guys are doing something different this year" or "there really is a lot of activity, I notice it."

• Think through, take a deep breath and consider implications before acting. We recently identified a potential conflict when an attendee at a client event set up a blog that was inadvertently being mistaken for the 'official' show blog. We took a very deliberate 'honey vs. vinegar' approach of not reacting in a negative or aggressive fashion. Instead, we began building a relationship that eventually led to shared traffic. It would have been fool-hardy on our part to do anything else.
• Don't be afraid to try new things (or, you never know unless you try). At a recent client event, show organizers were nice enough to offer us a vacant booth, which we turned into a Social Media Suite. We got some perplexed expressions and strange questions for sure. Traffic was light, so on day two of the conference, we made a CVS run, dressed up the booth and held a Tweetup. We produced a Twitter chat for another client, unsure if anyone would even show up for the party. We ended up doubling registrations as a result of the hour-long chat.
• Beware of technology (or, the best laid plans...). We had a great on-site social media plan for a recent event, only to find out that lack of stable wifi prohibited us from uploading any photos, tweeting or posting. On another occasion, we were all set up for a Twitter chat only to have chat tools slow down to a screeching halt. Moral of the story: don't be surprised when inevitabilities of technology happen.
• Be patient. It takes time to get traction. We 're big on momentum and were dismayed when a couple of recent promotions didn't get off to a quick start. It took time for the word to spread and traffic to build up. But, we soldiered on and both promotions ended up going well. Thankfully, we didn't pull the plug before they took off.
• Always follow best practices. This goes without saying, but I figure it's worth repeating. Following best practices in terms of transparency and communication isn't only the right thing to do-- it's just good business.
• Its not just the numbers, it's who they are and where they're doing it that also count. We'd trade larger groups of passive readers for a handful of passionate supporters any day.
• Ask for referrals. We execute word-of-mouse campaigns. As soon as someone posts or passes our message along, we ask for referrals - bloggers, moderators, social networkers and list owners in their network. These folks might be interested in our communication and nothing beats an introduction!

Continue reading "11 Lessons Learned: Social Media & Event Marketing" »

Technorati Tags: event marketing social media marketing social media for conferences outreach word-of-mouth marketing

April 29, 2010

Marketers: Do You "Like" Facebook's Open Graph?

With last week's pivotal announcement of Facebook's Open Graph, the "one graph to rule them all" as it’s been referred to rather humorously (and yet, at the same time quite ominously), the Interwebs have been all abuzz with talk of how this will affect the web as we know it. While the ubiquitous term "Web 2.0" refers to the next generation of the web - an increasingly social entity due to social media and networking sites like Twitter, YouTube, and of course Facebook - the question on many minds is how the web will evolve with the introduction of Open Graph and whether it will now become one big social network.

As an online marketer, however, I've been more interested in how Facebook's new set of Open Graph features can be used to extend the reach of a brand and its content. Gone is the ability to become a "fan" of something, whether it's a brand, product, or business. If you have a formerly-known-as-"fan page" (not sure what it's called now – just a "page"?), then your fans are now people who "like" you. Kind of reminds me of those little notes we used to pass to each other in school ("Do you like me? Check Yes or No").

Using the new set of social plugins provided by Facebook, "Like" and "Recommend" buttons can now be integrated into virtually any website - so if you're signed in to Facebook and you visit a website with these buttons perched next to its content, you can share that content with your Facebook friends with just a click.

On top of that, Facebook now also has widgets that display content your friends recommend and like on a website. For instance, when I visit CNN.com, I can see from the Facebook widget on the homepage the articles with which my friends have interacted in some way – recommended, liked, shared, and commented on.

Can you imagine the possibilities here? These widgets can be integrated into blogs, news sites, e-commerce sites, and online communities in so many different ways. While there has been a bit of a backlash in response to Open Graph regarding privacy concerns (aren't there always when it comes to Facebook?), I see this a positive boon for marketers and the social web as a whole.

Your turn: What are your thoughts on Facebook's Open Graph and its marketing possibilities?

Continue reading "Marketers: Do You "Like" Facebook's Open Graph?" »

Technorati Tags: Facebook Open Graph social media social media marketing content marketing

April 02, 2010

Social Media Myths and Truths

(reprinted from ShowSmart March, 2010 issue) by: Mitch Arnowitz

Myth: A Tweetup is all you need to drive booth traffic.
Truth: A Tweetup can be a powerful event marketing tactic when used as part of a mix that includes both traditional and digital media ingredients.

A Tweetup is an event for people that use Twitter, enabling them to not only interact online, but also come together to meet in person. Twitter is a micro-blogging tool that enables its users to send and read brief messages—known as tweets—of 140 characters or less. From a marketing perspective, Tweetups can be used for lead generation, featuring demos, creating general awareness and/or driving booth traffic. They're also a way to maximize the increased usage of Twitter at trade shows and events. For attendees, Tweetups are great opportunities for networking over a common interest.

While on site Tweetups can be a good way to drive traffic, they should also be part of the relationship-building process. Pre-show engagement through Twitter feeds, like the 2010 NAB Show's feed @NABShow, help establish rapport and build excitement. Building your network of friends and followers increases the number of those that may attend a Tweetup and pass your message along. Tweetups should be part of a marketing mix that includes traditional media, collateral' and other digital media. Position your Tweetup for maximum exposure!

A well thought-out plan helps ensure a successful Tweetup. Will your Tweetup feature an event such as a demo, or are you more interested in general traffic and awareness? While having a Tweetup at your booth is good, a Tweetup that drives traffic to a booth demo at a specific time may be more useful. Will you reward those that show up for your Tweetup? How will you identify participants? Has booth staff been alerted?

Tweeting and Tweetups are also being used to enhance on site customer service efforts. Many attendees may use Twitter to converse with your booth staff, especially if the show venue is large. Resources should be available to carefully monitor and quickly respond to these inquiries as well.

Continue reading "Social Media Myths and Truths" »

Technorati Tags: twitter NAB Show mitch+arnowitz event+marketing

March 02, 2010

Social Media Myths and Truths

(reprinted from ShowSmart October, 2009 issue) by: Mitch Arnowitz

second in a series

Getting involved in Social Media can be intimidating. So much so that you might not know where to begin. Here, we’ll uncover some of the myths and truths about today’s hottest marketing medium.

Myth: Build it and they will come.
Truth: Success in social media requires relationship building and time!

In the early days of the Internet, companies created billboards or websites in cyberspace. Unfortunately, these same companies thought that customers and prospects would flock to the websites. Many learned the hard lesson that 'build it and they will come' doesn't play well on the Internet. The same philosophy holds true for social networking communities like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Outreach to similar groups, joining online conversations, and offering value to participants are some of the ways that you can drive traffic.

Building relationships takes time! Content and conversation help to establish a sense of community. Relationships are built by listening; this is especially true in social networking. Finding the right attendees to build relationships with also helps to drive traffic. The Internet's golden rule is to give, then take. Offer information, add to the conversation, or help someone before making the ask!

Consumers have choices of established and newer brands to reward with their loyalty. Those companies that offer real value- a reason to visit and return- will do well. Through social networking efforts, you can build a community of loyal prospects and attendees!

Continue reading "Social Media Myths and Truths" »

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February 16, 2010

Social Media Myths and Truths

(reprinted from ShowSmart January, 2010 issue) by: Mitch Arnowitz

first in a series

Myth: Social media is Facebook and Twitter
Truth: Social media is web forums, e-mail lists, video, photo sharing, wikis, social networking and social bookmarking.

Many people falsely believe that 'social media' is defined by websites such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Social media certainly includes these social networking services but also encompass other content channels. Wikipedia defines social media as "media which are formed mainly by the public as a group, in a social way, rather than media produced by journalists, editors and media conglomerates."

Consumer generated content can be found in Internet forums such as Creative Cow, Yahoo! Groups e-mail lists, blogs, podcasts, YouTube and vimeo videos, photo sharing services such as Flickr, wikis, and social bookmarking websites like Delicious and StumbleUpon. Rather than broadcasting messages, social media outlets engage prospects and attendees while building relationships. In the new communications paradigm and shifting landscape, consumers create their own value through the use of social media. Some companies harness this activity and turn passionate customers into a public relations bonanza while others misstep in their approach and become negative case studies.

Social media efforts should be managed by a stakeholder or someone with a vested interest in your product or service! Utilize all networking vehicles available but maintain a seamless approach so that conversations and relationships are woven together. Grow your relationships through social media by participating in conversations while listening. Let prospects and attendees help define your presence while driving traffic to 2010 NAB Show!

Continue reading "Social Media Myths and Truths" »

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February 08, 2010

Crucial Keys to Driving Event Traffic Through the Use of Social Media

(reprinted from College of Association Marketing February, 2010 newsletter) by: Mitch Arnowitz

Using social media is vital to your marketing plans today, especially for increasing attendance at your association’s events. Here are some tips for success.

You need good information about potential event attendees, which means knowing whom to reach. Create a strategy and define goals and metrics. Then, hunt for people who are passionate about and likely to be interested in your event. Some of our best promotional efforts have come from out-of-the-box thinking—we pick up unlikely “rocks” on the Internet to find those whom others respect, and our research landscape includes social networking sites along with e-mail lists, web forums, user groups, e-newsletters, online communities, niche websites and individuals, along with a human search engine, conversation tracker and e-mail list finder.

Your message must include a clear, concise value proposition. For it to get delivered, you have to find real people to send it to—that’s why we don’t send to sales@, info@ or pres@ e-mail addresses. If you build relationships on a one-to-one basis, you get great contact information! We use syndicated calendars to spread the word, and make it easy to pass along information by supplying a sample newsletter or blog post.

Program execution includes personalizing all communications, and visiting blogs and other marketing vehicles before reaching out. Best practices include asking publishers to pass the word along. Be transparent: Identify yourself in outbound communications, and follow up promptly.

We use Google Docs for organizing, sharing information and streamlining the process. We track activities and report on progress with free tools like Google Alerts and targeted sites for comments, reach, trending and blogs, and an RSS reader.

A successful social-media campaign has all communication components in sync—there really are no shortcuts to delivering awareness, excitement, attendees and ROI. Have fun with it and, above all, be social!

Continue reading "Crucial Keys to Driving Event Traffic Through the Use of Social Media" »

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January 31, 2010

There is no doubt about it, 2009 was ...

There is no doubt about it, 2009 was the year that Twitter came into its own. It was everywhere. Suddenly the social network found itself transformed from a niche tool used to network and share idea among geeks to one of the biggest buzz words of the year. You couldn’t turn on the local news without there being shown random people’s “Tweets” about everything happening. Even Oprah made an account. The perception has quickly become that if your company or organization is not on Twitter you are falling behind. Twitter has reached critical mass.

So where does that leave us now and what does it mean for your organization? It's important to remember that just because a social media tool is widely popular it still needs to fit into your organization’s marketing strategy. One of the main reasons a lot of social media initiatives fail is because tools like Twitter are utilized without a good strategy to back them up.

When using social media to engage with the consumer it’s always important to take a step back and ask yourself what your end goal is. Why are we here? What purpose does being on Twitter serve us? Remember, the end goal is to not have thousands of followers, it's to have thousands of targeted followers who will engage in a two way communication with you and receive a real benefit from your interactions.

Your real ROI is achieved when those who are passionate about your brand find you and have a connection. One thousand followers who care about your brand and are truly engaged are worth 10,000 who are not. These followers are the ones who will Retweet you, participate in your promotions and spread the word about you.

Twitter is an amazing tool, but it’s just that, a tool. At the end of the day it takes creativity, forward thinking and an ability to take a step back and look at the big picture to make Social Media marketing work.

Not so different then any other successful marketing effort, really...

Continue reading "There is no doubt about it, 2009 was ..." »

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July 07, 2009

Social media: how do YOU gauge success?

The following discussion was recently posted to the AdMarketing list. You can follow the thread here.

There, of course, has been much written about social media metrics. The topic has come up lately with a couple of our clients. Following are the metrics or measurements that we use. I know what the experts say but am more interested in your opinions.

How do you define social media success? What measurements do you use? Can you add to or revise this list?

Metrics

- Actual leads, donations, registrations or, whatever the call is. These are tracked by source or promo codes.

- 'Buzz', excitement, awareness, education- we do a lot of events so this can be tracked by Tweetups, exhibitor and attendee feedback.

- Traction in social networks (Ning, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc): discussions, friends, followers...

- Website traffic (Google Analytics, Webtrends, etc)

- What else? Thanks, Mitch

Continue reading " Social media: how do YOU gauge success?" »

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June 19, 2009

Twitter: past, present or future?

The following post comes from the AdMarketing list. You can follow the conversation here.

The list has been quiet for wayyyy to long. I trust this note finds everyone doing well and getting ready to enjoy the summer!

Interesting topic lately is (of course) twitter. Many are saying that celebs have tarnished the landscape.
Others are saying that its demise will be caused by newer collaborative tools coming onto the market, like Google wave. Still others point to #iranelections as an example of twitter's prominence.

So, what say you? Is twitter the future, part of the past or a present day tactic used in your day-day activity?

More:

Why Twitter will soon become obsolete

How Twitter Will Change the Way We Live

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November 02, 2007

[AM] Getting plugged into DC

Posted to AdMarketing list
-----
Hi everyone--

While doing client research, we discovered a ton of 'newer' groups, blogs and start-up offerings in town.

Pointers for a Tuesday morning:

DC Tech Events calendar (great roll-up of user groups + more, offers
feeds)

The DC Technology Network (new social network, join and start a group)

Alice Marshall's Tech on the Potomac blogroll over on Blogdigger

Refresh DC

nextDC

TECH cocktail in DC

The Webpreneur (interesting thread)

There's other activity going on including this past weekend's Startup Weekend DC last summers barcamp and upcoming WidgetDevCamp.

This is in addition to the tons of DC MeetUps available and flickr groups.

This is all, of course, in addition to this week's New New Internet 2.0 conference in town.

Have any other pointers? Send them into the list! Txs, Mitch

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December 06, 2006

newspapers and citizen journalism

WashPost had a great article on changes that newspapers, and others, are going through. The article details the well documented saga of consumer journalism and shrinking circulation.

The best part of the article though is the last lines:

On the other hand, none of the sources Myron dealt with in two assignments on consecutive days seemed to grasp that what he was reporting and writing about them would go to the News-Press Web site.

"They ask me, 'When's what you wrote about me going to be in the paper?' " Myron said. "I have no good answer."

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September 17, 2006

Ronald McHummer Just Say No

EWG and HybridCars.com have teamed up to bash the McDonalds Hummer relationship. The Ronald McHummer website lets you create and download your own sign, tell a friend and take action.

(saw it at BL Ochman's whatsnextblog.com)

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July 06, 2006

Angry Customers Use Web to Shame Firms

Here is yet another article about the ease & power of the Internet
when it comes to spreading the word about bad customer service. Things have changed quite a bit (thanks to Web 2.0 services like youtube) with consumers understanding how to get the word out beyound putting up a Web site like AOL Watch.

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June 12, 2006

Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox: Surviving Inbox Congestion

Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox for June 12 is now online: Email Newsletters: Surviving Inbox Congestion

Observations:

Our main conclusion remains the same: Email newsletters are the best way to maintain customer relationships on the Internet.

1. This is a strong statement. With all the talk about engaging and opening up the dialogue, it's interesting that Nielsen's research shows that a broadcast is still the best way to grow the relationship.

2. Using the term 'news feeds' makes more sense that 'RSS'- very true. I still can't find contacts that know what an RSS feed is but they do understand 'news feed'. The challenge though is explaining, in English, how feeds work. Nielsen's idea of using My Yahoo! as an example for feeds is a great idea.

3. Feeds are not a relationship builder but newsletters are- I never thought that we'd consider newsletters to be warm and fuzzy...

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May 08, 2006

Building an Effective Marketing Program

(read it on Potomac Tech Wire)

Lisa Martin, of Leapfrog, recently interviewed Gerald Gordon, Ph. of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority.

It's encouraging to see that this short touches upon online communications with the following:

5. What are some of the most cost effective marketing tactics for a small company today?

Networking with groups that make up your potential clients, targeted trade shows, targeted letters with a call-to-action and something inside that will get it opened out of curiosity, targeted online communications, guerilla marketing, e-mail sponsorships or e-mail campaigns directed toward core audiences. But, the number one tactic should be following up with your leads. It sounds simple, but I’m amazed at how many people don’t do it.

Lead gen follow-up is so true. This is something that Brian Carroll over at the B2B Lead Generation Blog discusses quite a bit.

Continue reading "Building an Effective Marketing Program" »

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January 11, 2006

Everyday Hogwash

Steve Rubel points to a good marketing campaign. VoIP company SunRocket has started a website called Everyday Hogwash. The idea is for people to post rants about everyday companies that stick it to you through mouse type, bad customer service or whatever. Link back to the promotion and get entered to win prizes. The message, of course, is that SunRocket is the 'no-gotcha' company void of hidden fees that typically send consumers over the edge.

(disclosure: our firm did some grassroots work for SunRocket before they launched).

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September 12, 2005

Hurricane Katrina Resources Page for Marketing, Advertising, & PR Professionals: MarketingSherpa

Diva Marketing points to an interesting MarketingSherpa list of Hurricane Katrina Resources for Marketing, Advertising, & PR Professionals. Meanwhile, a conversation over on AdMarketing asks if marketers have a civic responsibility to use our abilities for the greater good--especially in times of crisis?

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August 23, 2005

Lead gen and free chapters

I have always been a fan of free chapters as a way to sell more books. After all, some really well known marketers have been doing this for years.

We are in the middle of a B-B lead generation campaign that uses a book as an incentive. We just discovered that the publisher gives away a free chapter. What we're unsure of is whether the chapter increases the value of the offer or prompts someone to take the wrong action.

I should probably post this question to Brian Carroll's blog...

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July 29, 2005

hand written notes are a nice touch

On the good practices front, I met up with the head of a Washington, DC PR agency last week where we discussed potential partnerships between our firms. A couple of days later, I received a hand written note. What a great touch-- someone taking the time to send a personal response. This also reminded me of a comment by Robbin Zeff during an on line advertising & marketing conversation a few years ago.

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July 26, 2005

Name a company, win $100.00

The AdMarketing list has an interesting conversation going on. Internet marketer Marcia Yudkin has announced a contest to come up with a name for a web design/search engine optimization company. The winning name (and namer) gets $100.00.

Some AdMarketers think that the contest stinks while others are OK with it. Seems some are insulted to be paid $100.00 for the effort while others are glad to have the opportunity. $100.00 for a name seems like a pretty good deal. Question is, who's it a good deal for? More.

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July 13, 2005

Naming Fred's New Ping Service

Our friend Toby Bloomberg, of Bloomberg Marketing, is trying to name Fred's new ping service. Fred's service saves time-- especically the option that saves your settings to bookmarks!

More: Diva Marketing (Blog): Help Naming A New Ping Service 

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June 27, 2005

LISTSERV Choice Awards program

The LISTSERV Choice Awards program is back again this year. LISTSERV is the brand name of parent company L-Soft's email management  software package.  Self-nominations are welcome!

It's worth checking out last year's award winners. It's also worth following and finding email conversations at CataList, the company directory of lists.

The contest invites all LISTSERV email list enthusiasts to participate in the only industry-wide recognition program honoring the most interesting, creative, innovative or exemplary usage of email list, email campaign and mailing technology. This year's 2005-2006 contest features four different nomination categories: LISTSERV Discussion, LISTSERV Newsletter, LISTSERV Announcement and LISTSERV Innovation.

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June 20, 2005

The Gilbert Email Manifesto (GEM)

More oldies but goodies... Michael Gilberts email manifesto created quite a stir when it was released in 2001. Like with the other list recently published, these points make as much sense today as they did yesterday.

What do you think? Repeat after me:  "Email is more important than my web site!"

Michael's list:

Rule #1: Resources spent on email strategies are more valuable than the same resources spent on web strategies.

Rule #2: A web site built around an email strategy is more valuable than a web site that is built around itself.

Rule #3: Email oriented thinking will yield better strategic thinking overall.

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June 15, 2005

Top 10 Internet Marketing- 1995

I'm doing some research for a client and came across the following Top 10 List of Internet Marketing Do's and Dont's.

Internet marketing has certainly may have changed over the past several years but this list is still relevant. It's also interesting to read a communications list developed before the world of blogging took off.

The list:

DO

   1. Use a sig file.

   2. Ensure that your email address is included on stationery, your business card, brochures and advertisements. Include your web site URL, if you have one.

   3. If you have a web site, keep it simple and straight-forward.

   4. Find a way to stimulate dialogue with visitors to your web site.

   5. Consider news groups and mailing lists important resources for gathering marketing-related information.

DON'T

   1. Announce your web site until it is completed and fully functional.

   2. Broadcast your message indiscriminately, unless you enjoy being flamed.

   3. Lose sight of the fact that it is the user, not the advertiser, who foots the bill for Internet advertising.

   4. Make your email messages or news group posts any longer than they need to be.

   5. Underestimate the speed at which bad news can travel throughout the Internet, or the negative impact this phenomenon may have on your company.

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May 05, 2005

Meeting Nan Dawkins

I had the pleasure of meeting Nan Dawkins earlier this week. Nan is a principle over at Redboots Consulting and truly an expert in the areas of search engine marketing and optimization.

I learned a few interesting things for sure. Like how press releases are being used to improve (news) search engine rankings. More here. It also amazes me that most brands STILL do not check search engine rankings. This means that many companies are not aware of what customers and detractors are saying about them.

It's sometimes difficult to have perspective but my sense, after meeting with Nan, is that we're still early in the game of online communications.

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April 14, 2005

Dear Meetup Community

Dear Meetup Community,

We have some news to share that we don't think you're going to like. There's no point in dancing around it so here it is. Starting May 1st, every Meetup Group will have to pay a monthly fee. Read on for the details.

I am sure that the coming days will produce the reasons why Meetup feels it necessary to charge groups to cover costs but you have to admire the way they delivered this news...

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April 07, 2005

AMS Interactive becomes Acuity Media Group

Mark Dorf just wrote to say that his company AMS Interactive  has merged with longtime partner American Media Services to form Acuity Media Group.

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March 30, 2005

Cluetrain free for the reading

I just found the Cluetrain book entiely online and free for the reading. The book has become required reading for bloggers (thanks to Steve Rubel for pointing to Hugh Macleod that pointed to the Cluetrain website).

It doesn't seem that long ago that the Cluetrain boys came to Washington, DC and spoke to Netpreneurs...

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March 29, 2005

Open Standards – A Call To Action

NTEN stands for Nonprofit Technology Enterprise Network and is an organization that "works to support the diverse people and organizations who help nonprofits understand and employ technology effectively".

Their blog has an interesting post on open standards:

Open Standards – A Call To Action
http://nten.typepad.com/forecast/2005/02/open_standards_.html

Despite recent innovations, technology in politics and the social sector too often limits rather than enables people and organizations to collaborate, share information, and solve problems.

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March 22, 2005

LISTSERV Choice Awards

disclaimer: L-Soft powers AdMarketing, and other Morino Institute lists that I'm involved with. I also like the company.
   
L-Soft, the email management list company, recently celebrated its 10th anniversary with the LISTSERV Choice Awards.  The Awards recognized the "seven most interesting, creative and innovative LISTSERV e-mail lists in the world".

The award list is interesting. DorothyL: A Unique Community of Mystery Lovers won the The E-Mail Community Award Winner.  The other study to check out is: E-Mail Marketing Award: Stockholm International Fairs.

"Today our database contains over half a million registered email addresses of visitors who receive their exhibition tickets and other information via the Internet," explains Kinna Jonsson, project manager at Stockholm International Fairs. "By using email we are able to deliver customized information and new services to optimize visitors' experiences."

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March 01, 2005

What is Open Source Marketing?

Scoble points to the ChangeThis Manefesto: What is Open Source Marketing?

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February 20, 2005

vermin of communication

Amy Gahran, of CONTENTIOUS, has written a really good series on Handling Porcupines, Trolls, and Other Online Vermin.

Contrary to popular opinion, the internet is not really about technology. It’s about people, specifically how people communicate.

In my time on the internet, I’ve encountered just about every kind of online vermin. At times, I admit, I’ve even participated in the pestilence. Over the years I’ve learned some useful strategies for handling conflicts with each of the major online pests. In this series, I’ll share these tips.

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February 16, 2005

Email is dead (again)

UPDATE:

Actually, email is still dead. ;) Since I was the first person to stick my neck out there and SAY that, everything old is new again.

Chris brings up a great point with his comment to this post. Everything old IS new again. People use the term 'newsreader' when they talk about RSS feeds. Last time we heard about newsreaders, Deja News still archived newsgroups.

If I close my eyes and listen to talk of RSS ad opportunities, I think it's 1995 (?) and I'm listening to Phil Tanny of OakNetPub.com or Ros Resnick talking...  When I hear the talk of 'citizen journalism', I think back to the earlier days of community building.

Let's just hope that CEOs don't start talking about 'monetizing members' to soon...

===========
Chris Pirillo likes RSS. Who doesn't? More: Bye Bye Email? (compliments of adrants)

RSS is 'push' without the 'proprietary,' Pirillo pointed out. "Right now, it complements email, (but) tomorrow, it will replace news delivery.

Spam, which is the 800-pound gorilla responsible for most enterprise email blacklists and whitelists, is impossible via RSS. "Because the user controls his or her subscription, RSS subscriptions imply confirmation that he or she wants to receive your message," Pirillo added.

I guess this means that we're OK until companies and others start to push out unwanted info. through RSS readers.

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February 10, 2005

Why Craigslist works (Poynteronline)...

Steve Outing, who has recently posted on citizen journalism, has a nice entry on Craigslist's classified ad model: Poynter Online - E-Media Tidbits

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Shady Web of Affiliate Marketing

Wired News: Shady Web of Affiliate Marketing (from reachcustomersonline)

The biggest annoyance on the internet is not the guy trying to sell you a knockoff watch or prescription painkillers, it's the marketing scheme that rewards spammers who drive customers to his site.

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February 09, 2005

Tips for better webinars

You can't argue with Brian Carroll's B2B Lead Generation Blog results when he talks about a 255% increase in webinar registrations. He also has a nice graphic that shows where webinars fit into lead generation.

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January 10, 2005

Most Hated Advertising Techniques (Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox)

A recent column from Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox.

Most Hated Advertising Techniques (Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox).

People often have strong negative visceral reactions to ads that commit the sins listed in the table. One user, referring to an ad that automatically started playing audio, wrote: "IF ANYTHING COULD BE WORSE THAN POP-UPS, THIS IS IT. I HATE THIS AD. HATE HATE HATE."

Another user entered the following comment on a major website's feedback form: "You people should be ashamed of yourself! I did not ask to have 3 pop ups come across my screen when I visit you. I do not visit singles sites, and I don't want to add 4 inches.

As a matter of fact, I don't use any of the services that pop up on my screen. I think it is disgusting that you money hungry bastards have infringed on my computer for your own selfish gain. From this moment on, I am boycotting you, and I am advising EVERYONE I know to do the same thing. Down with you and your pop up ads."

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January 04, 2005

Missed opportunity

With all of the good press that companies like Amazon and Apple are getting for helping out tsunami relief efforts, it's surprising to see this global firm's homepage broadcast the message but not include a link...

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January 03, 2005

Zack Rosen's advice for the News & Record

More citizen journalism...  This advice for the Greensboro News & Record Newspaper comes from Zack Rosen-- founder of CivicSpace and nephew of Jay Rosen. Jay actually began the conversation about this newspaper here.

Zack Rosen: My Advice for the News & Record

My Uncle Jay gave me a writing assignment last Thursday:

    I want 400 words from you on what you think the News & Record and the bloggers of Greensboro should do...

I’ve been enjoying my nearly two year school work hiatus but there was no getting out of this one.

"Look to Kos. He has a real community. 10,000+ active particpants regularly participate in his space. They converse, peer-moderate, scheme, and organize day in and day out on his site. They come up with incredible ideas, rally their fellow 'kossacks' around them, and galvanize them into action..."

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December 24, 2004

Links matter

Last night, I checked my blog's referrer logs. Traffic is obviously light but I'm interested in how people find me (note to self: bloglines).  In the referrals, I saw that someone had visited through a Google search on advertising. The actual search was on Cary Hatch advertising. Cary Hatch runs Washington, DC ad shop MDB Communications.

I wrote a short entry on Cary some time ago. Googling Cary's name + advertising now brings up my blog as the 1st search result, even before her own company! When I Google just Cary's name, my blog still appears in the Top 5 listings.

Searching Cary's company MDB Communications doesn't include the blog in search results, but I wonder what would happen to the listings if I did blog the company (vs the owner). I also wonder how much Cary paid to optimize her website and what their linking strategy is?

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December 22, 2004

Yahoo! Mail vs RSS

Well, I just got the latest copy of the well respected EmailUniverse Ezine-Tips with the subject line: [Ezine-Tips] CAN-SPAM ACT New Rulings Heads Up.

Only problem was that it ended up in my Yahoo! Mail [BULK] filter...

Funny, I have no problem getting Chris Knight's other, most excellant [EmailUniverse] newsletters through my RSS feed.

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December 14, 2004

AOL with your paper and coffee?

This morning, I was greeted by the friendly AOL mascot shrink-wrapped with my Washington Post newspaper. The AOL offer and CD included 1099 hours FREE and 10 Games FREE. 

While marketing employees come and go, it seems one tried and true AOL acquisition program remains to be the CD-ROM give way.

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December 12, 2004

More citizen journalism

Steve Outing has an interesting post on citizen journalism and big media companies. He mentions local start-up backfence that seasoned entrepreneur Susan DeFife is involved with.

While at the Netpreneur Program, I got to know the folks over at restonweb. I think that they had the same hyper local, advertising idea as some of the newer websites. This was years ago so it'll be interesting to see how much has changed.

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December 06, 2004

E-Mail Creative: The HTML/Text Struggle

Jeanne Jennings mentions several AdMarketing subscribers and a recent list discussion in today’s ClickZ:  E-Mail Creative: The HTML/Text Struggle

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June 13, 2004

Bobquits.com

Bobquits.com

The Bobquits.com campaign is plastered around Washington, D.C for the month of June. The campaign uses traditional exposure/billboards and the Internet to spread the word. The online portion is geared towards those with broadband access. The stories that readers send in are the best part of the website.

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