Mind on Marketing

Scott Hildebrand, CEO at Boldmouth, noted that social media is a marketing channel just like any other–and it requires the same rigor and attention. When launching campaigns in social media, you have to know what the behavior is that you’re trying to generate. Because of the expertise and time needed, he recommends that businesses outsource to social media agencies. The core of social media is authenticity and trust, and it’s important to be truthful.

The Power of Recommendations
He also highlighted the power of recommendations at the core of social networking. He recommends getting your own best customer to make recommendations for you on Linked In, for example. He says that unlike reccommendations given in the moment (when you meet someone at a party and they mention someone or something they like), on-line recommendations persist. (They’re published, you can read them, search, etc).

A hundred Facebook fans–the right hundred…
The panelists all commented on the usefulness of social media to every kind of organization, as a way of keeping an ear to the ground, to build customer loyalty through community, and to acquire new customers. Suzanne mentioned the success of a small dance studio here in Charlottesville in creating a Facebook page for their business. “They have a hundred fans, and they’re the right hundred fans,” she said. They’re fiercely loyal. The business has grown thanks to increased attendance both by the existing community and by new business–people referred by fans.

Southwest Airlines–camaraderie on board and on the web
Scott talked about how Southwest Airlines has taken the camaraderie that exists at their gates and on flights and transferred it to their web site. The site is managed part time by a couple of people who were already employees. The cost is low and it has lots of character. It offers content including recordings of funny flight announcements by pilots and attendants, cell phone photos, invitations to, and news about gate openings and other celebrations, etc.

Facebook business page: An opportunity for a more accessible version of a complex web site
Suzanne also announced a soon-to-be-announced Facebook page from the Southern Environmental Law Center here in Charlottesville. It is going to be a “USA Today” version of their complex, content-rich and deep web site, designed to make their most current activities more visible and create more engagement with the organization (full disclosure: I was a consultant some time ago). A presence in Facebook will more fully engage donors and make it easy for them to share what the organization is doing with friends who may also be potential donors.

Random ideas and tips:
Scott accepts linking and friending only with people he’s actually spoken with, not from complete strangers. It’s a better basis for working with weak links, presumably. There’s actually something to talk about, even if it’s only “Hey, enjoyed our conversation at Java Java this morning…”

If someone posts a negative comment on your blog, you can always smother it by pushing far down the page with lots of other good stuff on top (posted later). And don’t engage in a public argument with them, either. And learn what you can from the comment.

In building social networking for your business, think about who you are tying to reach, how many, what percent of the market they represent, and how much competition there is. Think about what you’re trying to achieve, their motivation, and where they congregate.

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