Posts Tagged ‘mass media’

STAPLES BizTIPs: Pitching to Media

By Small Business Expert Roger Pierce, BizLaunch

Advertising is the most expensive marketing option you can choose. While it does work, chances are your small business doesn’t have a lot of money to spend on newspaper ads, radio spots or television commercials. Instead, try to drum up some free media coverage about your business. Here’s how:

  • Talk about issues, not your business. The media won’t run a story about your upcoming shoe sale – that’s advertising, not news, so don’t waste their time. You must attach your business to some current and relevant issues that interest the media. For instance, a real estate agent might offer five suggestions to beautify a home in order to achieve a desirable selling price amidst this market of declining home sales.
  • Write a media release. A professional, one page media release should be written like a news story that’s already ran. Editors and reporters are busy people, so the less work they must do to fix up your release the more likely it will run. Use plenty of quotes and statistics, such as “painting your house can increase its value by $10,000.”
  • Follow up with media. News desks receive hundreds – even thousands – of media releases each day. Draw attention to your emailed or faxed media release with a simple follow up phone call. It’s a good idea to be prepared with a second story angle or media release in case the media person wants to pursue a different angle or needs more information.

Media coverage will put your business in the spotlight and build your reputation. It’s often more credible than paid advertising because it is a neutral third party saying good things about you.

You can learn more about this and other how-to topics in a free STAPLES BizLaunch Webinar. To find one near you, please visit http://www.staples.ca/bizlaunch today.

Roger PierceROGER PIERCE is passionate about helping entrepreneurs achieve success. Co-founder of Canada’s largest small business training company, BizLaunch.ca, he’s launched eleven small businesses of his own and personally experienced what he calls “the good, the bad and the ugly” sides of entrepreneurship.

BizLaunch advises thousands of Canadian startups through its popular how-to seminars and webinars delivered with partners such as STAPLES.

Posted by Lynnette in STAPLES BizTIPs on January 21st, 2011

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An Interview with Terry O’Reilly, co-founder of Pirate Radio & Television, and host of the award-winning CBC radio series, “The Age of Persuasion.”

By Donna Marrin

Tell us about your business and how you started it.

Terry O'Reilly

Terry O'Reilly

Pirate is a creative post-audio production company. Essentially, we create the sound and music for TV and radio commercials. We create all sound effects, write the music, and direct all the voiceovers for both mediums. Pirate has eight sound directors in Toronto, and another four in New York. Pirate is also unusual in that we have a creative department, so we write and create ideas from the ground up for clients as well. I co-founded Pirate in 1990. Pirate is the company I could not find back then. I was a copywriter for ad agencies for about ten years, and when I needed a radio script or the sound done for a TV spot, I always found myself fighting with the directors. Instead of directors enhancing my work, they were always trying to change or alter it. What I really wanted to find was an audio company that directed from a writer’s point-of-view. So that was the genesis of Pirate – a creative audio production company that worshipped and protected ideas.

In the beginning, did you have any doubts, and if so, how did you overcome them?

You always worry a bit when you launch a company. And our company had no real precedent in Canada. I never worried that ad agencies wouldn’t be interested in working with us; I mostly worried about running the “business of the business”–in other words, the day-to-day accounts payable/accounts receivable/line-of-credit part of running of a business, which was brand new to me. Thankfully, my co-founding partner was good at that. We were a good team back then. He had the business chops, I had the creative ones. Today, I have equally savvy business partners in Tom Eymundson, Chris Tait and Tom Goudie.

What was your early vision for your business, and how has it changed over time?

It was to be a “radio only” company, initially. But over time, we found ourselves doing as much TV as radio. So we became a radio and television sound company. And today, we do more TV than radio. As well, we never had any ambitions to expand past Toronto, but now we have four recording studios in Manhattan.

What has your biggest learning curve been in terms of building your business?

For me, learning the “business of the business,” as I mentioned above. And, as we grew, learning how to manage people. It was easy in the early days, when there were just six of us. But as we passed the twenty employees mark, then thirty, then forty, the demand for people management grew. A company’s culture is its biggest asset, and that means finding the smartest people per square foot. It gets more and more challenging as a company grows, because the culture strains with each person added.

Describe a day in the life…

The best part of my job is that it’s different every day. But as a rule, I will have one or two meetings with clients in the morning, then have a couple of conference calls. Next, I’ll have a recording session from noon till 5:pm. Then I’ll jump back to my desk to answer emails and phone calls. I have a two-hour commute, so I’ll listen to actor auditions for upcoming jobs while I drive. I also write and research my Age of Persuasion CBC radio show in stolen moments—mostly nights and weekends. And I do a lot of thinking about the show in the car. I record the show every Thursday. On Tuesday mornings, I have a meeting with my three partners to discuss and update the business of our Toronto and New York Pirate offices.

How do you find balance between your business life and your home life?

Very important question. Nobody is truly successful unless your family and your business are both cared for. I am extremely busy. Pirate is more than a full-time job and so is the Age of Persuasion. And I just co-wrote a book, and I’m writing another one. I have a lot of speaking dates throughout the year across the country and I’m working on a screenplay with a good friend of mine. With that said, my family is the most important thing to me. Spending time with my wife, Debbie, and my three daughters is a top priority for me. We’re a close family and we like to spend a lot of time together. You can’t be successful unless your spouse is 100% with you. Debbie is beyond incredible. She used to work in the advertising business, so she understands the pressures and demands. Our daughters are the joy of my life—so smart, so funny—they teach me a lot. This business can make you a bad dad/husband before you know it, because it’s so demanding and unforgiving, but I have to say, Debbie deserves a lot of credit for making sure that didn’t happen. She is our family’s Rock of Gibraltar.

Do you have a favorite business tool or resource?

I have to say I love Twitter. It is the best resource for sharing information I have seen to date. I am constantly reading Tweets and downloading incredible information and research, both for my business and for my radio show. Can’t say enough about it.

What is the key to your success?

Going above and beyond the call of duty. Plain and simple. Under-promise and over-deliver. It’s my motto. I am in Las Vegas as I write this, judging an award show. Vegas constantly reminds me of that thing America does so well—service. A big, bright smile and a “what can I do for you?” attitude that couldn’t be more helpful, prompt and efficient. I think Canadian businesses need to re-learn that lesson; that the highest level of service will attract the largest amount of customers.

What is the one piece of advice you would like to give to others thinking about starting a business?

Decide what type of business you want to be—a small one or a big one. A small shop can be wonderfully liberating and nimble, but has limitations. A big shop has unlimited opportunities, but you have to constantly feed the beast. It’s not a question anyone really asks, but it’s one everyone should contemplate.

 

pirate_homeTERRY O’REILLY began his career as a copywriter for some of Canada’s top creative ad agencies. In 1990, he co-founded audio production company Pirate Radio & Television, which now has eight recording studios in Toronto and New York City. Terry has won a few hundred awards from around the world for writing and directing. Marketing Magazine chose him as one of Canada’s “Most Influential” marketing people, and he was also named Canadian judge for the inaugural year of Radio at the 2005 Cannes Advertising Festival in France, Radio Jury Chairman of the International Clio Awards in Miami, and Radio Jury President for the London International Advertising Awards. When he’s not creating advertising, he’s talking about it as host of the award-winning CBC radio series, “The Age of Persuasion.” He co-wrote a best-selling book based on the radio series, published in Canada by Knopf and in the U.S. by Counterpoint Press. The advertising industry has given Terry the Les Usherwood Lifetime Achievement Award and the Fritz Spiess Lifetime Achievement Award for Television. He has a wonderful wife and three lovely daughters. Who like some of his work.

P.S. Read a review of Terry’s book, “Age of Persuasion” here.

Posted by Lynnette in Small Business Spotlight on September 22nd, 2010

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BOOK OF THE MONTH

THE AGE OF PERSUASION: How Marketing Ate Our Culture, by Terry O’Reilly and Mike Tennant

You’d have to be living in a cave to not realize that “advertising has insinuated itself into virtually every aspect of twenty-first century life” (to quote a line from The Age of Persuasion). Even in that cave, I bet there are some who took the time to brand themselves: Tom Thumb was here; Joanie Loves Chachi… you get the idea. The fact is, on any given day, at least 300 and as many as 6,000 marketing messages are lobbed your way.

Terry O’Reilly and Mike Tennant, the ad men behind The Age of Persuasion, a radio show that airs on CBC and Sirius Radio, wrote this book to provide a back-room view of the advertising industry. As an entrepreneur, you might wonder what you’d stand to gain from reading about this topic. It’s not as if you have the kind of budget that Mr. Reilly and Mr. Tennant are accustomed to, right? It’s important to note, though, that your message will always be competing with the big boys, even in your local newspaper. And, if your message is competing with up to 6,000 other messages, yours had better stand out! 

This book gives you a sneak peek into the inner workings of the ad industry. It will also inspire you to think outside the box when it comes to marketing and advertising your business—even when that advertising consists of a simple message on a business card. 

When this writer was taking her advertising courses at college, there was a big-name muffler shop whose tagline started with, “Nobody beats…” This small, mom-and-pop garage, based in a small town that I can’t remember now, based ALL their advertising on, “We’re the nobody that beats…” It was smart, humorous, and certainly left a lasting impression. 

Sure, this book may seem like it’s written for those in the business, but it offers much more than that. It takes you through the history and inner workings of the advertising business in a charming, story-telling style. Many business books read like textbooks and are a chore to get through—but if reading is an outlet for you, you’ll find that this entertaining book makes you think! 

“It’s a must-read for everyone living in this Age of Persuasion,” as written by Doug Checkeris, chief executive officer of MediaCom North America. 

TERRY O’REILLY has been promoting the Power of Radio for many years now. He has a long history in the ad business as a copywriter and director, has won several prestigious awards, including three advertising industry lifetime achievement awards. He co-founded the audio production company Pirate, based in New York and Toronto. 

MIKE TENNANT is the co-creator and writer for the CBC’s radio series, the Age of Persuasion, and often runs workshops on creative communication. He has written several award-winning campaigns for clients throughout North America.

Posted by Lynnette in Book of the Month on September 15th, 2010

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Optimizing Your Press Release: Part I

By Rick Sloboda
Rick Sloboda

Rick Sloboda

A great press release can go along way in terms of gaining virtually free publicity for your business, especially in an increasingly digital media environment.

Learning to combine old tricks and new in your press release composition and distribution can help you leverage the power of both traditional media outlets, such as newspapers and magazines, and newer ones, such as blogs and social media networks, to effectively get your message to your target markets.

What Has Changed?

A press release is defined as ‘a written or recorded communication directed at members of the news media for the purpose of announcing something claimed as having news value’ (Wikipedia).

Traditionally, when public relations and marketing professionals disseminated press releases to news media, that meant sending them to specific news editors and reporters via mail, fax, or email to consider running the story in print, or more recently, online.

However, as our focus increasingly shifts from print to digital, the role of mass media gatekeeper, normally reserved for editors and reporters, has expanded to include bloggers and regular Internet users who like to share stories they deem newsworthy with their friends and followers on social media sites. Public relations professionals must consider the power these new gatekeepers can have in propelling a story or brand message, since social networks can reach a large number of people if the story they post goes ‘viral’, or rapidly spreads across the Internet through endless networks of users.

As the PR landscape changes, certain techniques can help maximize exposure in this new landscape. For example, since online press releases are indexed by search engines, keyword optimization is a smart move. According to Melanie Waldmann, Social Media and Search Marketing Manager at Marketwire, 75% of public relations professionals now use keyword placement in their press releases. Releases can also be formatted with specific social media sites in mind, like Twitter, for instance, where headlines must fit within the 140-character status update limit.

Writing a Press Release – Basic Tips

Though the press release has evolved to adapt to the increasingly digital world, some essential elements remain the same. Following are some basic tips for writing traditional press releases that have stood the test of time:

  • Write your press release like a news story, with all the most important information (who, what, when, where, why) in the beginning (inverted pyramid). The less an editor has to change, the more likely your press release will be printed as is.

Example:

Poll: Internet Users Place More Weight on Web Design

Vancouver, B.C., June 3, 2009 — The demand for good web design is increasing, reveals a recent Webcopyplus online poll. Almost 25% of web users indicated “poor visual presentation” is the number one element that drives them away from websites.

  • Find a unique angle that makes your story newsworthy. For example, tie it to a recent event that made headlines or an upcoming holiday. Or, if your story has an unusual element, highlight it (e.g. ‘first ever,’ or ‘record breaking’).
  • Make your press release short; one page is ideal. News editors don’t have a lot of time to sift through long releases, and studies have shown that the average consumer of Internet content has an online attention span of just a few seconds.
  • Use widely understood terms to reach a wider audience.
  • Specify release date (immediate, or delayed) and ensure the timing is relevant.
  • Keep your release factual and avoid fluffy, sales-type writing.
  • Include quotes from authority figures, including sources within your company.
  • Include a call to action along with all the necessary information needed to act (e.g. enter a contest, visit a website, etc.).
  • Include a boilerplate at the end of the release. A boilerplate includes information about the source of the release that can be reused for subsequent releases. It should include basic company information and where the reader can go for further details on the company.

Example:

About Webcopyplus

Webcopyplus is a Vancouver, Canada-based web copywriting firm that helps designers and businesses increase online traffic, leads and sales with optimized web content. Clients range from independent designers to international service providers, including AT&T, Scotia Bank and 1-800-Got-Junk.

For more information, please contact:

[PR contact information]

Visit tomorrow to read Part 2 of Optimizing Your Press Release.

Rick Sloboda is a Senior Web Copywriter at Webcopyplus, which helps designers and businesses boost online traffic, leads and sales with optimized web content. Clients range from independent retailers to some of the world’s largest service providers, including AT&T (formerly Cingular), Quest Diagnostics and Scotia Bank. Rick advocates clear, concise and objective website content that promotes readability and usability, and conducts web content studies with organizations in Europe and the U.S., including Yale University. He speaks frequently at web-related forums and seminars, including Small Business BC, Content Convergence & Integration, SUCCESS and HRMA. Rick also serves as a consultant to various organizations, such as the Web Development Advisory Committee at Vancouver, B.C.’s Langara College.

Posted by Lynnette in Growing Your Biz, Marketing on September 1st, 2010

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Getting Free Publicity for your Small Business

By Will Dylan

clip_image002Imagine turning on the 6:00 pm news and seeing your business featured in a story about a current trend that your customers need to know about. Or opening the newspaper and seeing your name in print in a positive story about your business. Thousands and thousands of people would see this positive media coverage and immediately view you as a trusted business because you’ve been featured positively in the media.

Now imagine that this coverage was absolutely free.

It happens every single day to small business owners just like you. They share an idea with a reporter who takes an interest in the story, and that leads to tens of thousands of dollars worth of free publicity for their business.

Here are some of the principles you need to understand to start getting free publicity for your small business:

Reporters are in the Idea Business

The 6:00 pm news is an hour long every night, whether or not anything meaningful actually happened that day. Reporters are constantly on the lookout for the next idea that will help them put a story together to fill the newscast, especially when they are short on time and information. They need ideas that they can turn into stories of interest for their viewers and readers.

Reporters get many of their ideas from business owners like you

Every day, most reporters attend an editorial meeting with their boss to discuss the stories that will appear on the news that day. Some are obvious –a major police announcement or a popular celebrity in town will definitely be on the list. But reporters also need to bring their own ideas to the meeting to fill days when the news isn’t as plentiful (especially Sundays). Often, they get those ideas from business owners who point out a trend, or a new product, or an emerging problem affecting viewers and readers.

You are an “Expert”

Don’t assume that you can’t be featured in a media story because you don’t like public speaking or you haven’t been in business that long. It doesn’t matter as much as you think. If you own a bicycle shop, you are an expert on bicycles. If you own a bakery that makes cakes, you are an expert on baking in general, cakes for special occasions, what’s hot in birthday cakes for kids, and so on.

Want coverage? Give reporters some good ideas!

What’s new in bicycles this year? What do people need to know about cleaning their BBQ in the spring? What are the three things homeowners can do to have the best lawn in the neighbourhood this year?

These aren’t earth shattering, life-changing stories, but I’ll bet you’ve seen them all on the news, haven’t you? Look for trends, new ideas, problems that your product solves and so on. Send an email or call a local reporter to outline the issue. Naturally, you should offer yourself as a contact point for more information.

Watch the news for clues 

Watch your local news tonight and count the number of business owners who get free publicity for their small businesses. Then look at the stories they’re featured in. Like the examples above, you’ll find that most stories aren’t rocket science – they simply bring information to viewers about something new or different that they might not have been aware of. The business owner usually contributes a few comments, lets the camera crew into their place of business for some background footage (often called “b-roll”) and the reporter does the rest.

If they can do it, so can you. The next time you see a small business owner on TV getting coverage, think about the ideas they’ve put forward to a reporter to make it happen. Then apply the fundamentals of those ideas to your business and seek out opportunities to get valuable, free publicity.

 

Will Dylan helps small business owners drive free publicity and leverage cost-effective marketing strategies to drive results. He offers one of the Web’s most popular, no-charge ebooks on small business marketing.

Posted by Lynnette in Growing Your Biz on June 29th, 2010

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STAPLES BizTIPs: Attach your biz to hot news

By Small Business Expert, Roger Pierce, BizLaunch

Getting media coverage for your small business can dramatically boost sales. It’s much cheaper than paid advertising and, at times, far more credible. You could appear on television, get quoted in a newspaper or be featured on a blog.

The media industry needs experts to comment on current news stories and issues. For example, an image consultant we know recently appeared on a major market radio talk show where she discussed the look and image of party leaders running for re-election.

You’ve got to attach your expertise to the news of the day. Here’s how:

Send a Media Advisory. Send an email to your media database offering to comment on a hot news topic, such as the election, the economy, the Canadian dollar, gas prices or the environment. Explain why you are qualified to comment on a particular topic. For example, a tourism operator might speak about the effect of the weak US dollar on business.

Pursue a particular editor or reporter. Many journalists specialize in a particular “beat”, such as family, health, business, city news or politics. If your expertise is relevant to what they cover, approach them directly by email or phone.

Offer some statistics. Media love statistics, so collect numbers for them. Conduct customer surveys, compile industry data or report on buying trends. Send snippets of your data to your media contacts and offer to be interviewed.

Every day, media professionals must produce a lot of good content within tight deadlines. If you can help make their jobs a bit easier, you’ll be rewarded with some free publicity for your small business.

Roger Pierce

ROGER PIERCE is passionate about helping entrepreneurs achieve success. Co-founder of Canada’s largest small business training company, BizLaunch.ca, he’s launched eleven small businesses of his own and personally experienced what he calls “the good, the bad and the ugly” sides of entrepreneurship.

BizLaunch advises thousands of Canadian startups through its popular how-to seminars and webinars delivered with partners such as STAPLES.

Posted by Lynnette in STAPLES BizTIPs on June 11th, 2010

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Building Your Business on the Web (Part Two): Turning Online Visitors into Customers

Q&A with Rick Sloboda, Senior Web Copywriter for Webcopyplus

(Part two of a two-part series. Also see Generating Online Traffic.)

clip_image002So you’re getting people to your website, which was covered in Generating Online Traffic, the first part of this two-part series. Now, how do you turn these visitors into customers? Rick Sloboda, Senior Web Copywriter at Webcopyplus, which produces professional Web copy for businesses around the globe, including Scotia Bank and AT&T, answers your questions.

How important is the first impression on a website?

It’s essential. Studies show you have no more than a few seconds to make a positive first impression on the Web – and as little as .55 seconds. Your website should have a clean, appealing design, with relevant, engaging and informative Web copy, and intuitive navigation and information flow. If you don’t answer key questions right off the bat, Google, Yahoo and Bing will take your visitor to a competitor that does.

What are the key questions?

Am I at the right place? Can these guys help me? What makes these guys different? Several factors are already at play. For instance, is the design professional looking, does it generate trust and credibility? If you get your niece or nephew to do website design and development for $500, chances are it’ll show. That’s like selling retail products or consulting services from a lemonade stand. Also, is your Web copy clear and customer centric? Does it explain why people should choose you over competitors? Or is it full of self-centered, empty hype? Business owners need to that when a person arrives at your website, the visitor doesn’t really care about your business. They care about what your business can do for them.

That’s where experienced copywriters and marketers come into play?

Whether you write the web copy yourself, or hire a copywriter, make sure you flesh out and promote your benefits. Most business owners and copywriters write exclusively about features – what the product or service is, or has. Benefits are what the visitor gains as a result of the features. For instance, binoculars might have oversized lenses. Fine. But what will engage a visitor is the fact that they deliver low-light performance.

Benefits engage people emotionally, which is how we make decisions. We then rationalize decisions logically. For instance, does a person really need a $120,000 luxury vehicle? No. They might desire it for status, which is an emotional desire. And then they’ll justify it with rational, practical reasons, such as cutting edge brake technology, safety rankings, and so on. Benefits appeal to a person’s self-interest, and get people to act. People purchase things for three basic reasons: to satisfy needs; solve problems; or make themselves feel good. That’s why experienced copywriters often say, “Features tell, benefits sell.”

If benefits are so important, why do most websites promote features?

Because it’s easier to list features. A copywriter has to really understand a product or service, and have a good marketing mind, to define and convey benefits effectively.

So isn’t it better for a business owner to write their own web copy, as they know their business best?

Well, most people can write. But most people can also take photos. Take your own photos, and chances are you’ll have an amateurish website representing your business. The same goes for copywriting. Moreover, business owners tend to write what they want to say rather than what website visitors need to hear. A copywriter can bring an objective view to the table.

How much information is necessary on websites?

It varies. For instance, if you’re in fashion selling perfume, and want to build presence and nurture a brand, a few words might do. Visuals would play a key role. But, if you’re actually trying to get visitors to purchase a product from your website, or sell a subscription to a publication or software, you’d need a lot more web copy to make the sale.

As a general rule, web copy should be about half of what you’d use in traditional print, such as brochures. This is partly because it’s harder to read content on monitors and handhelds, and people tend to be impatient and easily distracted when using the Web. So it’s good to keep web copy concise.

What other elements are important to engage and convert visitors?

Since about 80% of people scan copy on the web, meaning they don’t read word for word, it’s helpful to provide visitors web copy in digestible chunks. To achieve this, web copywriters and designers often apply information layering techniques, using links to let visitors drill down to get more detailed information. It allows visitors to quickly access info relevant to their needs, without having to wade through huge chunks of text.

In line with keeping web copy lean and clean, you should kill any filler and clichés. Also, keep the language at about a grade 8 to 10 level, which is in line with Time and Newsweek, so you don’t alienate visitors. And include lots of testimonials. Third-party endorsements effectively generate trust, credibility and sales. Just edit them down to a sentence or two, and be sure to include a full name and city, when possible. A vague “John S.” reeks of spam on the already suspect Web. 

And, finally, ask for the sale. What do you want visitors to do? Whatever it is, it’s in your best interest to ask. This is your call to action. We might be writing copy for the cutting edge Internet, but the old-fashioned ‘ask for the sale’ still applies.

Note: This is the second of a two-part series. Also see Generating Online Traffic.

 

Rick Sloboda is a Senior Web Copywriter at Webcopyplus, which helps designers and businesses boost online traffic, leads and sales with optimized web content. Clients range from independent retailers to some of the world’s largest service providers, including AT&T (formerly Cingular), Quest Diagnostics and Scotia Bank. Rick advocates clear, concise and objective website content that promotes readability and usability, and conducts web content studies with organizations in Europe and the U.S., including Yale University. He speaks frequently at web-related forums and seminars, including Small Business BC, Content Convergence & Integration, SUCCESS and HRMA. Rick also serves as a consultant to various organizations, such as the Web Development Advisory Committee at Vancouver, B.C.’s Langara College.

Posted by Lynnette in Growing Your Biz on June 2nd, 2010

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Moving Marketing From Your Eyes To Your Hands

By Mitch Joel – President, Twist Image & author of Six Pixels of Separation

I have a personal gripe with anyone who questions what Social Media can do for their business.

We toss around the words “Social Media” as if it’s like saying, “I need a 30-second spot.” It’s a mistake. We keep on making it, and things have to start changing soon before it becomes a hollow term (or worse, a fad). Unlike other media channels, Social Media is many different types of content (text, images, audio and video) with many different types of platforms and channels on which the content plays out (Blogging, video sharing sites, virtual worlds, Podcasting, micro-Blogging, online social networks, photo sharing, mobile, widgets, apps, etc…). It’s not push marketing and it’s not pull marketing either, it’s more of a group expression (to steal a concept that Clay Shirky discusses in his outstanding, best-selling business book, Here Comes Everybody) where a concept can be explored, shared, posted elsewhere, mashed-up, expanded upon or completely re-invented.

Sounds confusing? It is.

One person’s Twitter feed is another person’s spam pit. What works for a brand in Facebook might crash and burn on YouTube. Some people are still experiencing great ROI from their current efforts in Second Life, and while many are quick to call MySpace as dead as Friendster, there are many musicians, filmmakers, authors and artists who still have a healthy and robust community (that keeps on growing) on MySpace with no plans of slowing down.

Social Media isn’t a fad, but big brands can make it look like it is.

We tend to measure the success of Social Media using traditional mass media metrics (audience size, amount of advertising revenue, etc…). We’re getting it all wrong. Social Media is not about advertising… it’s about Marketing. Authentic Marketing. Ethical Marketing. Social Media is about creating engagement with consumers and getting those that are uber-excited about your brand to connect even closer (to the brand and other denizens or evangelists). In essence, we’re mining for the quality over quantity of people who can best connect to our brands, but we continually stumble into the mass media metrics trap.

Will big brands only care when Facebook has 500 million users?

Facebook recently surpassed 400 million users, and it’s somewhat humorous (and a little bit tragic) to think that brands and marketers usually only care about a channel or opportunity when the masses are there (as if 10 million is paltry). The smarter brands are slowly weaning themselves off of this very traditional metric and are starting to look at who they are connected and not how many people they are connected to.

So, what’s the big deal?

The old Web and traditional mass media were always about “eyes” – how many people were looking at the content (remember in the early days of the Web, how excited we all got over the amount “eyeballs” and “stickiness” our websites had?) Social Media changes the body parts from “eyes” to “hands”. What are people doing with this content? What are they creating with it? How are they sharing it? How are they re-inventing and creating their own pieces of content around it?

It’s a big deal. It’s a big change.

Do your own brand analysis and figure out how much of your content, media and marketing can people simply look at with their eyes versus their ability to use their own two hands to really do stuff with it (and that includes very simple stuff like writing a short review)?

It’s a great question to ask, and I wonder how many times it has been asked in the boardrooms across this great, big world?

 

MitchMitch Joel is President of Twist Image — an award-winning Digital Marketing and Communications agency. In 2008, Mitch was named Canada’s Most Influential Male in Social Media, one of the top 100 online marketers in the world, and was awarded the highly-prestigious Canada’s Top 40 Under 40. His first book, Six Pixels of Separation (published by Grand Central Publishing – Hachette Book Group), named after his successful Blog and Podcast is a business and marketing best-seller. You can find him here: www.twistimage.com/blog

Posted by Lynnette in Marketing, Technology on April 13th, 2010

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