The Quisenblog

This week’s social media blog posts:
Monday: The two kinds of online consumers.
Tuesday: Creating a Community, Part 1.
Wednesday: Creating a Community, Part 2.
Thursday: Social Media you can own.
Friday: Giving up control.

(This is the eleventh in our series of Social Media posts for the month of October. We look forward to your feedback on this series.)

In our previous few posts, we’ve talked about using existing social networks to build an online community. These communities aren’t “owned” by you; they belong to the members of the community. Setting up and enabling a community doesn’t mean you “own” it. The conversation goes where it goes, where the participants take it.

Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn and other existing networks offer lots of users and many possible existing communities for you to tap in to, but you may also benefit by creating your own gathering place. While there is plenty of value to be realized for businesses by following the conversation, there are other times it is of value to “own” the community gathering place. The advantage is that you can present the information you want. You can also help steer the conversation, while still deepening the relationship with your community.

Media that you can “own” includes your web site, tactical micro sites (web sites built for a specific audience or purpose), newsletters, email blasts and blogs (at least your original posts).

Micro sites have become a very popular way to attract and build a community. A micro site is basically a stand-alone web site—built much like the corporate web site you already have. In fact, it may be created as a page on your web site. What generally distinguishes a micro site is its users come for one specific purpose. As an example, if you are a university, you may wish to launch a micro site dedicated to homecoming week. Everything a visitor would need to know about homecoming week, from activities to travel accommodations to player bios and ticket information for the football team, could be found on that micro.

Directing banner ad click-throughs and email blasts to a focused, content-rich micro site can geometrically improve your click-through rates over sending them to your corporate web site (remember, people are online to find quick solutions).

Here is an example of a micro site that has done a great job in building a community, becoming viral (“I have to send this to my Aunt Millie!”) and, yes, selling tons of product. It is a micro site for BlendTec blenders, a brand of rather high-end kitchen blenders. The microsite is called “Will It Blend,” and features a collection of videos that show the company’s somewhat nerdy CEO Tom Dickson attempting to blend all sorts of obscure objects, from golf balls to glowsticks to golf clubs to iPhones. These short minute-long films are entertaining, quirky and demonstrate that the BlendTec 5000 can indeed blend anything.

Micro sites often offer more chance for community feedback that a corporate site. For example, the homecoming site above could include a page of “best homecoming memories,” a photo gallery, and a page or link to help you find missing classmates and leave messages for them. Will It Blend could have visitors vote on their favorite videos or send in suggestions for future vids.

How can you tell if your micro site, email blast or other content has the potential to “go viral?” While this is imprecise to say the least, one question to ask of it is: “Is this more outrageous than what I’d see on TV?” It’s got to quickly capture visitors’ fancies. Also, try to think in terms of “narrow” and “deep.” Pick an audience that is very niche, then push your content so it’s something that resonates with that narrow audience.

In conclusion, Social Media you own can be a valuable way to have more control over the conversation while building a community.

Feedback? We’d love to hear it.

Posted by Mickey

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Mickey Social Media feedback, micro sites, online communities, solutions

(This is the first in our series of Social Media posts for the month of October. We look forward to your feedback on this series.)

A lot of folks who claim they don’t know a thing about this “Social Media” business are actually using it everyday, many times without even realizing it.

For example, whenever you check Craigslist to see if there’ve been any new listings of lawn furniture you’re engaging in Social Media.

Whenever you go to Cnet or some other site to research mp3 players, cameras or printers, and you see a host of ratings and reviews (both good and bad) from people who’ve bought the model you’re considering, you’re engaging in Social Media.

Whenever a friend emails you a link to a YouTube video and you’re so entertained by it that you view other videos from the same contributor or forward that video link on to someone else, you’re engaging in Social Media.

Whenever you accept a friend request on your Facebook page, you’re engaging in Social Media.

And whenever the florist you bought last year’s Mother’s Day bouquet from sends you an email offering 10% off on an early Mother’s Day purchase, guess what? Yep, Social Media.

In short, anything you do in the online space that allows others to converse, contribute, add to, distribute or give feedback on is considered Social Media.

In Social Media, our audiences are not just the “receivers” of our efforts, they are also the “medium” (by spreading our efforts forward) and in many cases even “creators” (adding their own spin on our information or integrating it into a greater piece).

A few misconceptions about Social Media campaigns: Social Media is not about getting selling messages out to as many individuals or groups as you can. Nor is its primary purpose to drive traffic to your web site.

Instead, successful Social Media can be described as a platform that is based on relationship, community and permission. At the core of every Social Media campaign is an implicit trust—the trust that you can help the customer solve something. It is taking part in a two-way (or multi-way) conversation (as opposed to the one-way communication of traditional media or an information-only web site) that all parties get some sort of value from.

To repeat, any time you use the online space to converse with an individual, group or community, and all sides extract some value from that encounter, that is considered Social Media.

As an exercise to demonstrate how natural and universal use of Social Media has become, I ask you to monitor your own use of the Internet for the next few days. Recognize what your Social Media encounters are, and what value you are getting from each one. Recognize the other participants. Are they people you know (either personally or through reputation), or are they totally random? When do you do the initiating? When do others come to you?

By the way, if you found this post of value, and would like to pass it on to others (yep, that’s Social Media too), just use one of the “share” links below. Feel free to submit questions (they will be visible to all visitors) and we’ll do our best to answer them.

Posted by Mickey

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Mickey Social Media cnet, craigslist, Facebook, feedback, multi-way conversation, ratings, reviews, YouTube

For the better part of 20 years, I was a loyal customer of the phone company. At least I’m sure the phone company would count me as “loyal.” After all, I paid my bills on time. Never had any big complaints. Weathered rate increase after rate increase. And gave them 100% of my telecommunications business. Yet, a few years ago, when I realized I was using my cell phone five times more than my landline (and got fed up with telemarketer calls), I dropped the phone company like a hot potato. So much for “customer loyalty,” right?

Truth be told, I never felt loyal to the phone company. Repeat purchaser, for sure. Satisfied customer, sometimes. But loyal? Would I recommend them to friends and associates? Sign up for their other offerings without checking out the competition? Or feel that they really “get me” as a customer and feel they valued my business? Heck no.

Yet this is what “loyal” customers do. Just because some customers come back to you time and again and don’t really complain, don’t leap to the conclusion that they are “loyal.” They may be, or it could be that your offerings fit what they need…right now. As conditions change in the future, it’s anyone’s guess whether they stay or pull the plug.

Now is the time to implement a program aimed at turning repeat customers into loyal customers. Start by getting to know them. Who are they? Why do they buy from you? What could you do to impress them? What would they change about you if they could? Then follow up. Start by treating them as if they are special—because they are. Focus on the relationship over the transaction. And keep an open line of communication with them so they feel they always have the opportunity to offer feedback—both positive and negative.

Wonderful things happen when a customer becomes a loyal customer. You’ll find you earn more of their business. You’ll find that they talk you up in the circles. You’ll see how they care about you and your success.

Whatever you do, try to avoid the trap the phone company fell into. They figured, either overtly or through ennui, that they didn’t have to do much to earn my business. And believe me, they didn’t.

Posted by Mickey

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

admin On Customers customer satisfaction, feedback, loyal, marketing, phone company, Spokane