As The Semester Comes To a Close...

Within a few weeks, my fall semester of my senior year will be coming to a close, and with it, my Social Media Marketing blog. Over these past weeks of the semester, I have gained much experience with the ins and outs of writing and maintaining a blog. I have taken the time to develop and learn from the feedback I have received from these blog posts. Since it will be my last post, I would like to share a list of a few things I recommend in writing a successful blog post. 

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/

1. Create an interesting post title. I learned that it is important to create a simple yet interesting title which relates back to what your blog post will be about. 

2. Break up your post with sub-headers. Sub-headers keep the readers' eye interested and breaks up what each paragraph will entail to your reader. 

3. Include photos or images to associate with your blog post. Imagery also keeps the readers' eye engaged on your content. 

4. It may seem to be a given with blog writing, but content is very important to a blog. 

5. Grammar and re-reading is essential! Keeping your post grammatically correct reflects positively back on you. 

These tips are a few of the key blog essentials I have gained over this experience. For me, the biggest take away I have from blog writing, is gaining experience and having something to show for it. Having this experience will benefit my future career, because I know many of my desired jobs include such areas. My recommendation to anyone else is to create this experience for themselves!

When Social Media Backfires

This week I wanted to discuss the hot topic surrounding allegations against Bill Cosby. As you all may have heard either from Cosby's career, or more recently, he has numerous negative publicity to address concerning sexual assault allegations. When hearing about this topic, I found it very interesting that this issue started to pick up again because of a social media back fire. Those managing Bill Cosby's website (http://billcosby.com/) had created a meme generator for the celebrity. A meme is typically a humorous image with some short blurb on it. The most popular ones tend to go viral and are seen by many. I can assume the meme generator was supposed to be for fans of Cosby and a way to have his fans be engaged. Unfortunately this backfired for the star and brought more heat to him. 

Media Gone Wrong

People out there who saw this generator decided to portray Cosby negatively and use his own troubled situations to be funny. This is far from funny for the star. Memes created by the public have opened up more questions for sexual assault allegations which Cosby has been facing through the years. His team who created the generator had initially promoted tweeting their fun creations to Bill Cosby, which made this whole situation worse because it easily grabbed attention. With the option of social media, especially Twitter, it is so easy to hashtag and search such images or posts. Social media has made it so easy to share information instantly, which can be very bad for situations such as Cosby's'.

What to Do?

http://diymusician.cdbaby.com

Those who manage Cosby and his publicity/online presence have since taken the generator down, which is a great first step. From what I have learned through my courses and my current Social Media Marketing Course, there are a few actions to take with these situations. I have specifically learned the three "A's". These are acknowledge, apologize, and act. I believe this could be part of Cosby's rebound to this situation. It does not matter whether the allegations are true or not, he needs to acknowledge what has occurred through social media. His team must apologize for the stir and share that this was of course not the intent. They need to act by taking the generator down and through positive work try to create a better image of Cosby after the meme incident. 

The Big Take Away

The big take away I provide to you all from this situation is this: expect the unexpected. Bill Cosby's team did not intend to create the meme generator for negativity, but it fell under the unexpected. There is always something that can go wrong and not everyone will take what you post the same way. 

To see more on this social media back fire:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/sns-wp-wp-root--bc-cosby15-20141115-story.html

Promotion Through Raffles

This past week I attended the Grinspoon, Garvey & Young Entrepreneurship Conference at the Mass Mutual Center in Springfield, Massachusetts. The conference was created and has been held annually "to encourage innovative thinking and entrepreneurial acumen in young people." At this event I met other students from local colleges and sat in on two speaker sessions. The speaker session I want to mention is a social media speaker session. I heard three professionals speak and answer questions in regards to social media and business.

Prosperity Candle

One of the topics from this session which sparked my interest was given by Kim Hutt, the Director of Marketing for Prosperity Candle, a company which provides handmade candles and jobs for women rebuilding their lives. During her talk, she discussed what she is doing for the social media of Prosperity Candle. One of the sites they utilized for promoting the brand is called Rafflecopter. Rafflecopter is a site which provides a service of setting up giveaways for your company or product. The slogan of the site is "Rafflecopter is the world's easiest way to run a giveaway." I found this to be an interesting way to easily offer and control a giveaway to your audience. In the image above, it shows Prosperity Candle's recent giveaway, as well as how Rafflecopter works. A company embeds their giveaway address to any or all of their social media. From there, their consumers must share the post in various social media sites in order to increase their chances of winning the giveaway.

When & Why Use Rafflecopter?

Rafflecopter is a great way to have a giveaway in a simple and easy to use format. It is a savvy way to get consumers to share your product and brand through the giveaway. If one consumers shares the giveaway via their numerous social media accounts, many of their followers will see the posts. This process gains awareness and interest into the product and brand. Kim Hutt explained the best time in which her company utilizes Rafflecopter. They tend to have giveaways, such as now, right before holidays. If they increase awareness before big purchasing periods, people will think of their company when going to buy gifts for the Holidays or Mothers' Day, for example. In the consumer pathway, creating awareness is the first stage. It is important to create this awareness for consumers to recognize and know what your brand is. Overall, I find this site to be useful for companies in creating that promotion through social media and initiating that awareness a brand needs.

http://static.squarespace.com

Sites mentioned in this post: https://www.rafflecopter.com/

                                          http://www.prosperitycandle.com/

Your New "Room"

Facebook is creating new social media outlets in the attempt to reach markets which are not going to Facebook as frequently. On October 24, 2014, Facebook released their new app called "Rooms". The app description in the Itunes app store is "Rooms lets you create places for the things you're passionate about. Pick a topic, customize the look and feel, be whoever you want to be and share with others. It's perfect for the things you love and interests that make you unique".  

 What is the goal?

This app is trying to bring back the chat atmosphere we experienced back with AOL chats. Facebook is trying to bring this back but in the mobile realm. The company is encouraging the use of nicknames and keeping the chats anonymous, if you choose. QR codes are also included for each chat room so if you share the code, people just have to take a picture of the code to access. This is the app's form of invitations. More recently we have been seeing an increase of apps which offer anonymous posting and chats. I want to specifically touch on the problems being seen in these upcoming "anonymous" apps. 

http://www.google.com

Secret, Whisper & Yik Yak

A handful of apps, only to name the well-known few, have already hit the "anonymous" app scene. Each of these apps have offered users a seemingly anonymous experience. Another aspect each has in common is the major negative side of offering anonymity. I have recently seen a lot of backlash in the news because of users abusing the apps. Facebook or any company creating a new user experience must consider cons, especially when it is something so prevalent in the news. These apps have created modifications to prevent bullying and app abuse, but my question to all this..is it really worth it to have these apps? Yes it creates the opportunity for open discussion but it also opens the dangerous window in which companies will face the negative publicity for. Could Facebook be next with their Rooms app? 

Anonymous is Never Really Anonymous

https://www.google.com/

The big take away for anyone using social media whether it be a company or an individual, is that nothing is ever really anonymous. Everyone should be conscious of this fact and share this with the younger generations to counter these issues. Posting certain things without thinking can lead to big trouble. This all ties back into my post a couple weeks ago Share with Care. http://jldamouras.blogspot.com/2014/10/share-with-care.html Employees, especially younger ones, (since these apps target the 18-24 demographic) need to be aware of what they are saying. 

Check out more about "Rooms" on CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/23/tech/mobile/facebook-rooms-app/index.html

Social Media Myth

http://www.google.com

Social Media is Free!

There are numerous people out there who will initially state "oh social media is free" when discussing social media sites. I am here to tell you what to consider if you think social media is 100% free. There are a few things to consider if you or your company are deciding to implement social media use. To start, social media is not free.

Free to Start

Initially, it is free for your company to create a social media account and page, which is great! The expense starts with the cost to maintain these sites you have now created under your company's name. If you do not maintain and update your sites it reflects poorly on the company's image. Your social media sites will not update themselves, and someone will need to take the time to focus their work efforts towards maintaining the sites. There are posts and important interactions with consumers and other brands to be made. When your social sites are just started, it takes a lot of time to build relationships and gain awareness. Social media never has a turn off point, meaning it is a 24/7 job. 

Company Wide Job 

In my Social Media Marketing class, we also discussed how social media is not just the job of the marketing department. Successful social media takes the entire company's push. All employees should be showing support for their company and products. Re-tweeting and sharing posts will show employee loyalty but also spread awareness faster. 

Paid Promotion

In order to have promoted tweets or promoted Facebook posts, a company has to pay. These services increase the reach of your chosen posts and will provide analytic information. Using these posts are also a good way to see how well your social media tactics are working. Knowing your target audience is very important when creating these posts. For example, using a boosted post on Facebook allows you to choose who you are reaching. If you are interested in seeing more on how promoted posts work, check out the link below.

https://fbcdn-dragon-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/t39.2365-6/851565_325469517585050_1513534755_n.pdf

Share With Care

My class this week discussed a variety of scenarios in which companies should have double checked their posts prior to sharing with the world. Those responsible for a company's social media postings need to be extra cautious of their words and aware of what is going on in society. We discussed how a company should never use a natural disaster or event as a way to gain exposure. Using events that are unpredictable is never a good idea. The likelihood of insulting consumers greatly increases with such uses.  

Check Before You Post

http://3.bp.blogspot.com

Companies need to ensure they are precise with their word choices and spelling. Not only can mistakes offend consumers, but basic spelling and grammar errors can hurt the company image. Who trusts a company that appears careless and uneducated? What a company posts is an extension of their brand and what they offer. Consumers are more likely to positively view a company that is attentive and accurate in what they share. This mindset not only applies to a company but also to individuals and their own personal "brands" of themselves. Employees should be thinking before they post because they are an extension of a company, especially when they mess up. I believe companies have a responsibility to remind employees that they need to reflect the company and their values. Everyone makes mistakes, but thinking ahead with care prevents avoidable mishaps.

http://kitchmedia.com

Nothing Is Private

The best way I can stress the importance of thinking before you as a company, employee or individual posts something to the internet is by discussing the recent hacking in society. A hot topic right now has been the hacking of celebrity photos and snap-chat users' photos. Even though companies are not typically using snap-chat, this example shows how easy it can be for somebody to hack with technology today. Your image and brand can be broken so easily and quickly. It is vital people realize that nothing is private anymore. Companies need to be consistent with their values and best demonstrate them to employees. 

Update Your Status: Expert ✔

People Trust Experts

A major factor I have heard and read about in multiple classes is to establish your company as an expert. This means your consumers trust you and view your company as credible. This is another characteristic of success which does not come easily. The best way Mark Schaefer describes establishing expertise in this book, Social Media Explained, is to be helpful and give reasons why you should be seen as an expert. Publishing helpful blog posts and showing your "human side" to consumers gains trust and expertise in your area. Schaefer reiterates throughout his book, "humans buy from humans," meaning consumers want to have a relationship with your company. There are numerous ways in order for a company to establish helpfulness (blogs, videos, posts). There is also a platform called SlideShare which provides another opportunity for expertise.

SlideShare

Mark Schaefer's book (the one I mentioned above), introduced me to a social media platform called SlideShare. This is a straightforward platform; you have a topic, you create slides about it, and then you upload it for sharing. I believe if the company has a niche market that would utilize this platform, it could establish expertise and better its' social media strategy. The company can share knowledge in a visual yet informative way to consumers. In my opinion, a company utilizing this platform would be ahead of the curve, which is not always easy to do in social media. As I mentioned in my past post http://jldamouras.blogspot.com/2014/09/why-you-should-social-media.html, patience is important and will pay off in the long-run. When looking into the platform, I observed that if you sign-up you can "like", share or save posts. The set up kind of reminded me of Pinterest and how you "pin" a post you like. I really found this platform to be interesting and a great opportunity for sharing and learning. 

This is a screenshot from SlideShare.

Knowledge

Another great way in which SlideShare could be utilized by a company, could be learning from other posted expertise. The image above is a screen shot from the platform. This image shows their Social Media posts. If a company is just starting out on planning their social media strategy, what better way to learn than to read other users' tips? Schaefer uses great examples in his book on how no company just starting at social media is going to be perfect. The process requires continual learning and keeping up to date.

Check out or upload your slides: http://www.slideshare.net/ 

How to Pin it Right

http://www.authormedia.com

Pinterest

In my Social Media Marketing class, we have been talking a lot about Pinterest and how it can be a big player in a company's social media. I can not say I am an avid user of Pinterest. I only have a profile because I used it for my internship this past summer. After all of this talk about Pinterest, I decided to take a deeper look and see how it can really help certain companies. 

My Search

I took some time and looked over the Pinterest website and decided to try and find companies I would want to follow. I searched for Dunkin Donuts and I personally found it hard to find the specific Pinterest page for the company. I had to Google search for any company's "official" Pinterest. I found that many other users used the company names, which is good. But my search backs up the discussion we had in my class that companies should ensure they have an easy to find name, because I found it hard enough to find specific pages. Overall, I liked the idea of Pinterest for companies because I know in the past I have searched for certain recipes or ideas and was actually directed to a pin from the website. But a quality question for your company is should you use Pinterest and how? Companies with something to sell or ideas to share about their product or organization should be using Pinterest. Sephora is a great example of a company that benefits from Pinterest. Other companies should take Sephora's experience and use it as an example in their brainstorming of how to best use Pinterest. 

                                        Sephora 

http://www.heydolly.com/

Through my research, I discovered Sephora and their journey of success with Pinterest. Sephora sells beauty products, which makes Pinterest a perfect avenue for social media and connecting with consumers. Sephora can use photos and videos to share products, tips, & tricks. In 2012, Sephora noticed the Pinterest trend and decided to take advantage of the social site. They noticed their consumers were already pinning their products, so why not join in with their audience?  As I was reading about Sephora's experience with Pinterest, I noticed they list their suggestions when working through Pinterest. They suggest using email to tie consumers to Pinterest (a tactic Sephora used) and to encourage users to pin shopping lists. I found it interesting to read some of Sephora's results from using Pinterest and email. For example, "In the month following the first email campaign, Sephora also saw 60% growth in traffic from Pinterest."  To read more about their results and other success stories from Pinterest, follow the link posted below. When incorporating social media into your business, do not over look the value Pinterest offers to numerous companies, not just beauty companies like Sephora. 

https://business.pinterest.com/en/success-stories/sephora

Strategize By Size

Social Media

In Mark Schaefer's book Social Media Explained: Untangling the World's Most Misunderstood Business Trend, he discusses which companies do not actually need social media. I discovered there are few companies which have no major need for social media sites. Shaefer discusses how those companies in certain niche markets, such as for coal, radioactive waste removal, and the world's oldest company (Fonderia Pontifiia Marinelli- they make bronze bells in Italy since year 1000) do not need to go running to social media. Every company should consider social media, but ensure it fits your company!

Big Companies.. Dunkin Donuts

http://www.brandchannel.com

No matter what size your company is, you will deal with content marketing and what it is you want and should say to your consumers about your product or company. The real question is, what content approach best fits the size of your company? Dunkin Donuts is a worldwide, well-known company because they have already done the initial hard work to become a player in the coffee shop/ food and beverage industry. So what approach should a big company such as Dunkin Donuts use? In addition to traditional media advertising such as TV commercials, Dunkin Donuts has been doing a nice job of incorporating social media. The company created and aired a Vine on the popular topic of football. Their ad was shown during ESPN's Monday Night Countdown. Throughout the season, Dunkin Donuts intends to create and show a few more Vines. 

Check out the first Vine commercial here: https://vine.co/v/h15FI6tl0dL

Since Dunkin Donuts is a big name company, they are able to do such advertisements in their strategy. Everyone already knows what it is they sell, therefore the company just needs to be creative and continue to be in touch with their consumers, especially via social media. During my current semester, I will be doing a project which will look at Dunkin Donuts' social media marketing. 

A Local Coffee Shop

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In the case of a small local coffee shop, content marketing is going to differ from Dunkin Donuts'. Your local coffee shop will not be making content to push through major outlets, such as Monday Night Countdowns. A small business will recognize this and adjust to discover what content should be pushed. A small shop will be creating content to establish personal experiences with customers. The small shop approach can be more conversational and less big business like Dunkin Donuts. Local shops should use their social media to post weekly specials as one example. Your local shop could use Vines but would it really be feasible or worth it? It would be easier for a local shop to do tweets, posts, and visual posts. The big take away here is if you are a small company, realize it, see if social media works for you, and use it to your company's advantage.