Here at Wheeler Advertising and Social.Motive, we’re all about giving back to our community and others across the country. So, as expected, our hands have been full this time of year. They’ve been full of goodies given to the soldiers down the hall from us on Veterans Day, canned food collected for a local family shelter and Salvation Army kettles from volunteering at our local mall!
You see that we walk the walk, but we also talk the talk. We encourage our clients to get involved with charities close to their hearts and in their cities to raise funds via Facebook or other social media. The months of November and December offer limitless cross promotion opportunities, which can help you build a relevant, local fan base. Consider holding contest and promotions that involve non profits like:
Local Schools
Pet Adoption Organizations
Food Banks
Veterans Organizations
Here’s a short video we did for a joint promotion between a Arlington High School and The Salvation Army Arlington/Mansfield:
Are you partnering with an organization to make a difference in your community this holiday season? If so, we want to hear about it!
Call me crazy, but I’ve worked in Marketing for 12 years and in Business for even longer and I’ve never heard any of my clients say, “No thanks, I have more than enough customers. I’m not really interested in getting the word out, possibly breaking into new markets or strengthening my brand’s position.” So imagine my surprise when I came across an article in the RV Daily Report telling dealers not to pursue Social Media.
Being the experienced professional I am, I could easily take what the author was saying at face value. I understood the bigger concern for this Website Coordinator was that she was under the impression that Social Media directs potential customers away from your website. In actuality, nothing could be further from the truth. One simple line of HTML code can keep that from happening.
Social Media is a sophisticated hybrid of Relationship Selling and Guerrilla Marketing designed to drive people to your website who may not have found you otherwise. It represents the best of both worlds. In other words, Social Media brings you new customers!
Guerrilla Marketing
Low cost, unconventional promotions
Rely on time, energy and imagination rather than a big marketing budget
Relationship Selling
Long term value of customer relationships
Extends communication beyond intrusive advertising and sales promotional messages
An well-integrated Social Media strategy will keep customers and prospects engaged with your brand for longer. In an independent 2010 survey, the Social Media Examiner asked marketers how social media has affected their businesses and the results were mapped into the graphic below:
Now, I could infographic you to death, our I can give you cold, hard facts from other RV and auto dealerships just like yours:
On average, our RV and Automotive clients receive well over 250,000 impressions a month (even with as little as 150 Facebook fans – because, let’s face it. Social Media is more than just Facebook.). Throw in a contest and that amount can double or even triple! Throw in a text ad and those impressions can almost top 2 MILLION.
When was the last time your website got 2 million pageviews in a year? Unfortunately, simply having a website doesn’t keep your dealership competitive. You must implement an Integrated Marketing strategy to continue that pace. If and when it did reach 2 million pageviews, wouldn’t you need help to handle the influx of customer questions, demonstrations, etc.?
Think of how much 2 million impressions would cost in any other medium? Or here’s another scenario, what would happen if you contacted your local TV station and told them you’d like to triple the impressions you receive for the same media dollars? Smart companies know that Social Media is now what websites were 10 years ago. And just as your business would not be able to thrive in 2011 without a website, it will have a hard time staying competitive into the next decade without Social Media Marketing.
So the next time you hear or see someone join the ranks of companies who think Social Media is “just a fad”, remind them they’re really saying, “No thanks, I have more than enough customers.”
When I was little — long before I ever knew advertising was a career — I fell in love with taglines. But I wasn’t the only one, people my age still quote the age old Nike tagline: Just Do It, and (I’m sure I’m dating myself) Kentucky Fried Chicken’s: We Do Chicken Right. The reason people like quoting and making puns out of those now clichés is because even after all those years, those words still ring true.
Just two days ago I sat across from a prospective client of mine who was considering having us build a Social Media program for his restaurant. As he sat through our quick demonstration on how Social Media builds relationships, we were able to educate him on how those relationships turn into restaurant traffic and into dollars and cents for his bottom line. When the meeting was nearly done, I looked the client in the eye and put my own spin on KFC’s iconic gem, “I know it’s a lot of information to digest in one sitting, but if you take nothing else away from this meeting, hear this: If you can’t do it right, don’t do it.”
Do I regret saying it? Absolutely NOT! That’s how passionately I feel about Social Media Marketing. You only get one chance to make a first impression. Don’t waste your chance!
I could see the wheels spinning internally. Although he never said it, I could tell he was thinking what lots of prospective clients do. I know I need a professional Social Media manager, but how can I get it out of the resources I already have? This will take a lot of time. Do I have to hire someone?
Here are some simple do’s and don’ts of Social Media for Business:
DO:
Develop and follow a plan – Just as you wouldn’t approach any other type of Marketing without a plan, don’t approach social media without goals a budget and expected ROI.
Integrate everything – Make every dollar you spend work together to deliver consistent brand positioning and messaging. Say it well and say it often.
Share plans with your team – Be sure that everyone on your team is on the same page.
Invest Time – To ‘do it right’, Social Media requires daily attention. That doesn’t mean full-time attention, but someone should carve out a portion of their day to make your program a success.
Reward the relationship with contests, special offers, etc. – Let’s face it. Customers are doing you a favor by connecting with your business socially. Make it worth their while!
DON’T:
Ignore Social Media – I think it’s obvious to everyone that Social Media is growing and is not going anywhere anytime soon. In 2001, you needed a website. In 2011, you need Social Media.
Launch and Leave – I can’t tell you how many times my colleagues and I see people start a blog or a Facebook page and their last post was 6 months ago. If you don’t use it, your customers will not see it as a viable mode of communication with you.
Expect it grow on it’s own – If you build it, they will not come. Social Media requires implementation of your push strategy.
Impose personal beliefs – There is a place for religion and politics, but that place is not your Social Network.
Forget to make it fun – Relationship building will result in more business, because now customers aren’t buying from the [restaurant]. They have a “friend” in the [restaurant] business.
As for my potential client in the restaurant business, I’d like to tell you he made the right decision and hired Social.Motive to manage his Social Media program, but the jury’s still out on that at the moment. Either way I hope he gets the chance to ‘do it right’ like KFC.
Have you ever seen the movie Minority Report? I’m not a a science lover, but I do love the occasional tech-heavy sci-fi movie, and Minority Report (2002) definitely delivered. Set in the year 2054, shoppers can pay for purchases and are even served ads with a simple scan of their eye’s retina!
In a classic instance of life imitating art, imitating life a company called the Hoyos Group has developed a device that unlocks your web accounts using your eyes, without you having to ever type in the password! The makers say using Eyelock is easy:
The way to use it is also very easy, simply by connecting Eyelock to your computer through USB connection. Then, you choose the websites or applications on your computer to be protected. For an example your Facebook account, to enter your account you wont have to fill in the username and password column aymore.
By using EyeLock from Hoyos Group you simply aim your eye towards the Eyelock sensor. The device then will recognize your retinas characteristic, then will generate a special password to be filled automatically to the account column on your Facebook. So each time you open your Facebook account, you just simply look into the Eyelock sensor, and your account will open automatically.
However, relating to the security issues for this hardware, one of the company officials based in America, Tracy Hoyos, mentioned that the security made by Eyelock is not easy to hack. This device costs US$ 99 dollars is considered unique, besides able to change an input from the retina sensor into a new password, the device can also combine letters and numbers into the password.
What do you think? Is it creepy? Or is it like the rest of the technology we see in the movies — ahead of it’s time?
Sometimes when I tell people what I do for a living they don’t really get it. I mostly get responses along the lines of, “So you play around on Facebook all day?” or “All you do is write a status update?” or “You better start looking for a new job, because that won’t last.” While all of those statements are vastly untrue, the worst is the assumption that I will be out of a job when this “social media fad” is over. Social media is not a trend or something like Giga Pets that we will all get really excited about (I wont lie. I had a dog and a pony..it was awesome.) and then discard and completely forget about after a few years.
Admittedly social media is entertaining, it is fun to see what your high school friends are doing or to be able to watch your cousin’s baby grow up from 500 miles away, but social media has also changed marketing and the way you can build relationships with your customers. Here are a few reasons why social media is going to stick around (especially for businesses):
• Simple to Learn.
Unlike other forms of marketing online that require a lot of technical details and understanding, social media is relatively easy to implement once you learn the basics. It’s just a matter of defining your message, finding your audience and spreading the word. And most importantly, being social!
• Can connect you directly with your target market.
Small business owners are always looking for ways to meet the needs of their market. It might take months or years to develop a relationship with a member of your target market via email marketing. But social media is like personal networking on hyperdrive. You can connect with your market in real-time on issues that they care about and become part of their trusted network of friends and advisors.
• Helps build consistency.
When it comes to marketing your business online, consistency is key. Inconsistent marketing efforts will produce disappointing results. Fortunately, social media makes it easier than ever before to be consistent with marketing. You can set up your updates ahead of time – a week at a time – and let them run automatically. This consistent presence helps build your brand and produces better results.
• Makes businesses more personable and approachable.
Other forms of online marketing can put layers between you and your ideal customers. But with social media – you’re right there! You get to see what they are up to, what they are reading and what they care about, and they get to know you too. It’s win-win!
What does this mean for your business? When used correctly, social media can create more visibility, opportunity and profits for your business. Take the time to research your target market and see how they are interacting on social media so that you can determine how best to use this tool to achieve your goals.
If you aren’t using social media for your business. Run – don’t walk – to the nearest computer and if you need a little help along the way we would be happy to help you get started.
Are you using social media to promote your business? What do you think is the value of having your business on social sites?
RICHMOND FORD LINCOLN JOINS FORCES WITH SOCIAL.MOTIVE
Arlington, TX, July 28, 2011 –Social.Motive, an Arlington, Texas-based Social Media Marketing company, recently announced the signing of its newest client, Richmond Ford Lincoln, a 5 time Ford President’s award winner . Effective immediately, Richmond Ford Lincoln has retained Social.Motive to integrate its Social Media platform with Traditional Advertising and grow its Social Media Marketing program.
“We’re excited about working with Richmond Ford Lincoln because they carry a great selection at great prices, and that gives us something to talk with customers about.” stated Ron Wheeler, Owner of Social.Motive. “Social Media is a great fit for their business, because building relationships is key. We are excited they have selected our company to deliver their message.”
About Social.Motive Social.Motive provides Social Media Marketing expertise including: Facebook, Twitter, Blogging, Newsletters, Social Events, Social Promotions, SEO, Reputation Management and other social networks for business. For more information, visit social-motive.com
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Contact Name: Brandi Hodge, Social Media Director
Telephone: 800.678.7822
Email: bhodge@wheeleradvertising.com
People from all over the world are diving head first into Google+ and have begun learning and sharing about their experiences on the new mega-site. As we navigate our way through the applications and abilities, the basic function of the Circles can really make or break how you interact on the site. But how do you make the most out of your circles? Stephanie Buck at Mashable has listed 7 Ways Google+ Users Are Getting More Out Of Their Circles:
1. Sourcing
Technology writer +Mike Elgan will directly address people that circled him. He’ll reach out with a personal question like “Where do you live?” Not only do Elgan’s polls help him get to know his followers, but he often uses the feedback from his circles as a resource. His “What should Google users be called?” poll, for example, generated 181 responses. “I’ve crowdsourced some issues for columns I work on and taken polls to get a finger-on-the-pulse idea of what people are thinking or doing,” Elgan says.
2. Learning
+Steve Rubel, EVP/Global Strategy and Insights for Edelman has organized his circles to focus on early adopters and thus access valuable feedback and information. He uses Google+ as a virtual “Junto,” named after Ben Franklin’s original discussion forum. Rubel’s circles are organized by persona, for example, “Pluserati,” “CEOs” and “Clients.” From there, he shares “semi-private posts just to ask questions … we can explore the issues of the day, much as Franklin did.”
3. Deeper Interaction
Many Google+ early adopters are curious about their followers. Because Google+ doesn’t require mutual friend acceptance like Facebook, many users have gained hundreds and even thousands of followers in the first few weeks of registering.
Mashable‘s +Ben Parr regularly asks his public circles for responses and insight. One recent request, “What’s the name of your favorite Google+ circle?” received funny replies including Purgatory, The Circle Of Trust, The Party Posse, Inbreds, Ppl I’ve Kissed, Ppl I Want to Kiss, People I NEVER want to Kiss, Tila Tequila Wanna-bes, Guys Who Pissed Me Off in High School, Scoblized, People I Call When I’m Dying or Arrested, More Bacon Than the Pan Can Handle, Muggles, and of course, Ubergeeks.
Google+ users are finally able to put faces to their followers and interact with them in meaningful (and sometimes hilarious) ways.
4. Filtering
Google+ users are two to three times more likely to share in specific circles than in public, according to Bradley Horowitz and Vic Gundotra, Google’s vice president of products and senior vice president of social, respectively.
Google+ circles encourage user etiquette, sparing certain members of your network from updates they can’t relate to or flat out don’t care about. “You share each item with only the people who deserve to know. And simultaneously, you spare the masses from seeing news of no interest to them,” wrote David Pogue of The New York Times.
Technology journalist +Steven Vaughan-Nichols divides his circles into three basic categories: personal, work and interest. He warns about proper circle etiquette on ZDNet’s blog. “Just keep in mind that if you want to keep people reading your words, show some sense about what you post,” he advises. “For example, I can already tell you that a lot of Google+ users are already sick and tired of animated GIF graphics, no matter how cute they are.”
5. Personal Memos
Advanced Google+ users have discovered a way to use circles to save personal memos, drafts or articles to read later. Think of it as a type of Google+ reader, especially when articles that you’ve “+1′d” don’t make it to your profile.
Creating a circle-of-one (just your own profile) can function as a type of scrapbook, a history of interpersonal notes or private memos. Blogger +Charo Nuguid created a circle only composed of herself. “I created two ‘private’ circles, one for private messages and another for my notes-to-self,” she writes. “So far it’s worked out well. The posts show up in the circles. I finally have a way to keep track of my notes and the messages I post.”
6. Organizing
Technologist and startup advisor +Christopher Allenexplains his method for organizing his circles (seen above).
Although Google+ is not yet offering sub-circle organization, Allen figured out a way to organize circles within circles. For example, under “1.0 Kin,” he’s added sub-circles called “1.1 Immediate Family” and “1.2 Extended Family.” All in all, Allen has created 42 circles. It may sound daunting but it does allow him to better target his posts to specific audiences.
Still, that’s a lot of sorting to do especially if you already have a lot of followers. Allen suggests reviewing a few circles every day: “I do so by going to ‘Manage Circles,’ then selecting ‘People in your Circles’ and sorting by last name. I choose that letter of the alphabet that corresponds to the day of the month and hover my mouse over each name … If they’re in the wrong Circle, I move them.”
7. Preparing for the Future
Many Google+ users have already begun to think about future uses for circles. Although Google is still tight-lipped about additions, our early adopters have certainly been chiming in with suggestions.
Search: Mike Elgan suggests that “standard search, plus a lift on the limit of people in circles (something rumored) would enable me to follow a gazillion people without actually seeing the full stream generated by that gazillion — only the most relevant items.”
Organization: “I would love to be able to organize my circles any way I want (alphabetical, most used, etc.). I also would love to color code them,” says indie film producer +Adam Cohen.
Topics: Steven Vaughan-Nichols writes, “At the moment, Google+ circles aren’t ideal for interest circles. For example, if you were to follow me in a dog-lovers circle, I might only mention pups once every other day or two. It’s my understanding though that Google intends on making it easier to post by topics. I certainly hope they do.”
Whether we realize it or not, we take in a surprising amount of information about companies and products just based on what we see. Most companies have some semblance of a recognizable image or images which help consumers identify their brand—think McDonalds’ golden arches or the Apple logo. Beyond pure recognition, logos and other visual elements can help to build a personality for your brand and to communicate about the services you offer. For example, if you’re a company that sells traditional, formal stationery, your customers might be confused if your website uses bright, whimsical fonts and bold graphics. It’s possible they’ll be even more confused if your blog looks streamlined and ultra-professional. You want to make sure that the visual style of your online media reflects the personality of your product or service.
Your website, blog, Facebook profile, and Twitter page each give prospective clients another opportunity to find your business and learn about your product, mission, and company values. But with so many forms of media to manage, it can be difficult to make sure that your brand identity remains consistent across each one. Here are our tips for maintaining online brand integration!
Consistency is Key
When we talk about brand integration, we’re referring to the need to communicate about your business consistently across all forms of media. When a prospective client is searching for you online, they want to know what exactly it is that your business offers. What kind of work can they expect from you? How much do your services cost? What is the overall personality of your brand, and/or the product or service that you offer? Brand integration makes sure that you answer these questions the same way on every online platform you use, both in the way you write about your business and in the visual elements you choose, such as your logo, background, and color scheme.
Define your brand identity.
Before you can start thinking about brand integration, you need to define what exactly you want your brand identity to be. Is your brand feminine or masculine? Budget or luxury? Modern or traditional? Think up a list of adjectives that describe the personality of your company. If you think your brand is smart, bold, youthful, mature, energetic, powerful, romantic, etc., jot it down. Once you’ve defined what you want the personality of your brand to be, it will be easier to find out how to communicate these things in your content and visual elements.
Incorporate similar visual content on all of your online (and offline) media.
Once you’ve decided on your brand identity and developed content and visual elements that help communicate it well, try to include these elements in all of your different online and offline marketing tools.Keep in mind that you don’t have to use exactly the same images and content on every page. Your blog or Twitter page, after all, should have a slightly different goal than your website.
Likewise, the two should use different fonts and images, and communicate something slightly different; your website header can look a bit more professional, while your blog header might be more approachable – still keep the most important elements of your brand identity consistent through both headers, using the same graphic elements , general style, and font colors. This helps readers to identify the blog as an extension of your company and keeps your brand personality intact.
Update often!
Don’t let any of your online pages become outdated. If you change something on your website, make sure to check your other pages for inconsistencies. Online and social media management takes time, but if it helps you build a consistent and recognizable brand, you’ll find it’s time well spent.
LinkedIn is great social site to build contacts, connect with employers, look for an employee, connect with old classmates, or advertise your business, but it can be confusing for a college student or a recent grad. Students are different from your average LinkedIn user because they don’t have a lot of work experience or business contacts, but LinkedIn has now made it easier for students to become better LinkedIn users.
LinkedIn has added a section that is specifically for students and allows students to add their achievements including awards, projects, courses, test scores, certifications, organizations and volunteer work.
Need a little help getting setting up your student section? Here is a how to from LinkedIn:
Go to your LinkedIn profile page in edit mode, and click the blue “Add sections” bar under your profile summary.
Then, browse the available sections and select a section to add to your profile.
When editing the section, include examples and specifics about your contributions, and how the experience added to your skills and abilities.
The new section will appear on your profile – and you can adjust your profile settings to control who can see these sections.
Do you think the new student section was needed? Will you be using it when looking for interns or entry level positions?
Now that I have entered the wonderful world that is Google+ I am thinking about a few things…. 1: I am on social media overload this week 2: It’s not easy to search one by one for all 1,000 of your Facebook friends on Google+. As I sat there frustrated and to the point of screaming I found this great video that tells you just exactly to exploit the relationship between Yahoo and Facebook. Enjoy these helpful tips and hints. I know I did!
Social.Motive is a collaboration of 3 national advertising agencies. Our sole purpose is to provide the very best social media solutions to companies needing assistance in the vast Social Media world.
Here you can read blogs from our Social Media Directors David O'Hearn, Kate Carroll, Michelle Gamradt, and Shalanna Clark.
If you have any questions or suggestions on how we can improve this site feel free to email us at TheSocialMotive@Gmail.com
By Social Motive
Many Google+ early adopters are curious about their followers. Because Google+ doesn’t require mutual friend acceptance like 
Google+ users are two to three times more likely to share in specific circles than in public, 
Technologist and startup advisor 
