Social Media and Small Business. Part 2 (Or, as the French say, Part Deux)

This is the second installment in a series on how social media networking and small business can begin a beautiful and mutually beneficial relationship. I should apologize for the lack of activity on the Blue Bike blog, but now that the holidays are over I will hopefully be able to blog a little more consistently. Enough excuses, here we go!

Now that we have an idea of what social media is, we can begin to identify the different SM outlets that are currently utilized. For this discussion I'm going to limit myself to just Facebook and Twitter. These particular outlets have very different manifestations under the umbrella category we call "Social Media."

We can start with Facebook, which is a wildly popular Social Media outlet especially amongst twenty-somethings. In fact, users aging 35-54 only make up about 3.5% of all facebook users. People use Facebook primarily to connect with friends. Whether they are finding new friends on the internet, staying in touch with people from their past, or connecting with the people currently in their life, the common denominator is networking with those we consider to be friends. Lately there has been a growing trend on facebook for users to network, promote and market their businesses. Scott Scheper does an amazing job of articulating the differences between facebook and twitter in his post, The Misunderstood Uses of Twitter and Facebook: Are you a Friend, Follower or a Fool? in which he say's that Facebook's main purpose is focused on "furthering and cultivating relationships with already established friends." The small business person can utilize Facebook for more than simply connecting with already established friends. Facebook offers you the ability to connect your pre-established friends with your business. It is not, however, the place for bombarding your friends with a myriad of sales pitches, specials and business updates. That's annoying. These are your friends, not necessarily your customers. The most beneficial way for your company to use Facebook is informing those people who would probably have no real reason for visiting your company's website. Why? Because these are your friends, they are the people who will recommend your company to others when the opportunity presents itself. The more information your friends have, the better they can refer your company. 

Twitter is one social media networking venue that is somewhat unique, in that the user is asked, "What are you doing?" But the user is limited to 140 characters within which to say what they are doing, which has been so aptly coined as micro-blogging. The use of Twitter has spread like wildfire within the business community over the last year or so. The reader might ask; "What makes Twitter so popular with businesses?" There are numerous benefits for businesses that use Twitter, so many in fact that there are countless blog posts about the very topic. The difference lies in the nature and use of Twitter. The primary drive behind Twitter is networking. You are able to increase your brand's awareness and network across the country (shoot, worldwide even) with people you have never met before. As Scott Scheper says in a post entitled, The Misunderstood Uses of Twitter and Facebook: Are you a Friend, Follower or a Fool? "Simply put, Twitter doesn’t position itself as a valuable use of time unless you’re a workin’ (wo)man. Twitter is a refreshing approach to social networking that benefits freelancers, designers, writers and people in the work-force."

Hopefully you now have a better understanding about a couple of the Social Media outlets available to you. As we continue our discussion about Social Media and Small Businesses we will address the particular benefits that come with the use of Social Media Networking. Stay tuned folks.

Small Business and Social Media. Part 1

This is the first part, out of a yet-to-be defined number, in a series of posts on introducing small business to social networking and how it can be beneficial for business growth. Stay tuned and it will hopefully be useful and on the verge of entertaining.

Social Media has become somewhat of a buzzword lately, or "buzzphrase," if I may, but has yet to fully infiltrate the ranks of the small business folk's vernacular in a truly substantial way. In an even less notable way, social media  has been found void in the marketing and advertising expenditures for a multitude of small businesses. With a quasi-shaky economy and the proverbial tightening of belts around the waists of marketing budgets, it's a totally logical step that "marketing professionals," (yes, I do realize that I, myself, fall into the category "marketing professionals," which I apologetically admit is laden with a young-gun, snooty and condescending undertone) are beginning to rethink the largely outdated models of yesteryear. So, the fact that social media has become a phrase that is buzzin' around  many of the communities in the business world, and perking many folk's ears, doesn't mean social media is brand-spankin' new. It just so happens that social media has been in place for a good while. But those who have continued to utilize the defunct marketing model have recently paid more attention as they look for a relatively free marketing option because of those tightened budgets. As a side note Beth Harte and Geoff Livingston co-authored a good, and funny, post about new social media "experts," called Top 25 Ways to Tell if Your Social Media Expert is a Carpetbagger

But what does this mean for the small business owner? Well, before I begin to address the benefit of Social Media Networking for small businesses, I want to define Social Media Networking as "communication online." Pretty simple, huh? Well, sort of . . . For so many small businesses in the U.S. today the only online presence utilized is a mediocre, static-website and little-to-no user interactivity. I understand this dilemma, websites that are more creative in nature and more exciting to visit can get very expensive, which is not easy to fit into the budget for a small business owner. Social media networking/marketing offers small businesses a stepping stone towards overcoming the small business web-dilemma. 

In the days and weeks to come I will be introducing a variety of social media networking outlets for small businesses, demonstrate the multitude of ways social media can be beneficial to your business and brand, and a primer discussion on how to effectively participate in the social media networking community.

Get excited to shift gears!

Waco Social Media Breakfast

I woke up bright and early this morning, well actually it was more like dark, stormy and early, but nonetheless I was up and at 'em because I was going to the fine Bar-B-Q establishment called Rudy's (I know, it's not local, but it wasn't my decision) for the first ever Waco Social Media Breakfast. Around 7:15 AM I was getting in my 1972 Jeep CJ5, which only has a bikini top (a.k.a. no sides or doors to protect the driver (me) from the elements (this morning). As soon as I was pulling out of my drive way, in the Cameron Park Residential area, the rain began to fall. It wasn't too bad at first, after all I had my handy-dandy Arc'teryx waterproof mountaineering jacket enclosing me in its bombproof construction, which is totally capable of withstanding the harshest attacks Momma Nature throws my way. Three minutes later there were gale force crosswinds bringing down epic amounts of water (I couldn't help thinking that my Jeep was the modern day Ark for the modern day Noah, sans the boatload of animals) of which I was unable to personally dodge. By the time I arrived at Rudy's I was soaked to the bone from the waist down, however, my jacket held true and did not falter. 

Okay, enough about my journey for now, I need to get to the heart of this post, which is the first Waco Social Media Breakfast. The turn out was a little smaller than expected, of which I am sure the weather had some kind of contribution, but the small crowd was good, bright, eager to learn and kind. The Waco SMB was hosted by Jay Ehret and our special guest was Bryan Person, the founder of the very first ever Social Media Breakfast. We discussed what the heck social networking media is, and what it is used for. The most laymen definition Bryan recited was, "Communicating online." The purpose behind Social Media Marketing for your company is to get the message out to potential customers, it enables you to tell your story in your own words and on your terms without the communicative filter of the media. Social media serves to show all of the personality you have, both as a company and a person, but must demonstrate authenticity in your message, because the consumer can smell a salesman from a mile away. You will draw people to you and your company through genuine connections, even though they are via the web, and the potential customer will see that you are a competent and confident expert within your profession. It's worth the time folks and it's time.

-Shift Gears

"Branding? But I don't even live on a ranch in west Texas."

What the heck is "Branding?" Branding is what conveys your company's image to the rest of the world. Your "brand" is what the consumer knows about you. That's what Blue Bike lives for, we love having the opportunity to take the conceptual perception, and metaphorical parameters, of you (whatever "you" means, whether it is a company, nonprofit, organization, etc.), and create the culture and story behind your brand. Blue Bike's brand strategy is, as well yours should be, moving forward in the creation of a brand story, the creation of a culture around your brand. There are a lot of factors that play into the creation of your unique brand story, like who you are, what you do, where you are going and who you are trying to reach. Your branding assets are also made manifest in a variety of different ways, like a website specifically designed for you and your brand, built with the with custom applications, or print design for ads and annual reports, all the way down to the logo and unique aspects of your products and services, which are branded specifically for you.

Why is developing a unique and creative brand strategy important? It's not important . . . it's imperative. There is a massive sea of blasé companies out there and the consumer has to see something that sets you apart from every other Joe Blow company. You have to be unique and conveyed in a way that shows authenticity. Talk to us . . . it's time to shift gears.

Having a Web Presence

It shouldn't be shocking to inform you, the reader, that we are currently living in a highly digital age. It should be shocking for you, the reader, and your business to not have a web presence. The way humans communicate has changed so dramatically over the past 20 years that it has entirely altered the ways of commerce. For example, in 1989 (almost 20 years ago) when Saved By the Bell stormed into the living rooms of America to quickly steal the hearts of our youth (I mean, honestly, who can blame them when there are characters like . . . Zack, Kelly Kapowski, Lisa Turtle, Screech, A.C. Slater and Jessie Spano) we thought Zack Morris' twenty pound "cell phone" was cool. It wasn't. Now we have the iPhone, the soon-to-be released Google G1 phone, the Blackberry (a.k.a. crackberry) and an assortment of other little gadgets that keep us in constant contact with the rest of the world. We can buy a new pair of shoes on our coffee breaks for God's sake. 

So my question to you is this; why the hell don't you have a website? 

And now it's time for a shameless plug: Blue Bike Marketing designs and develops custom websites!

Marketing at its Best: Obamarketing.

Sad though it may be to say, I did not coin the term "Obamarketing." I did, however, arrive at that term independent of any outside suggestions. But when I visited my very trusty friend Google to find out if I were really as brilliant as I had hoped, I came to find out that alas - I was not. Dan Goldgeier beat me to the punch with his blog post on www.adpulp.com. 

I am not writing here to discuss my political views, or to endorse a particular candidate. I am here to pay homage to the old adage that says, "advertising works." Obama's (marketing) campaign is the proof in the pudding. 

I have decided to include Dan Goldgeier's article below:

Putting policies and positions aside for this discussion, Barack Obama has created the most sophisticated marketing program I’ve ever seen.

Decades of GM, Coca-Cola, and Proctor & Gamble efforts can’t compare to what this guy’s done in one year.

In the interest of full disclosure, yes, I donated a small amount of money to his campaign. And it gave me a window into a marketing operation that should be a case study in any college marketing textbook or agency account planning handbook.

It’s a marketing program that’s both run from the top down and organized from the bottom up. Sure, he has a team of advisors and full-time campaign managers and staffers. But millions of people have become involved and engaged thanks in large part to sheer marketing savvy.

I’d like to cite a few examples.

Obama’s team created a website that not only links to a dozen social networking websites, it is a social networking website unto itself. Featuring a searchable database of local and regional groups. And where anyone can have their own “my.barackobama.com” web page, with their own personal blog and fundraising goals. A friend of a friend of mine had set one up, and that’s the page through which I made my donation. I’d never met this person—but he contacted me personally to thank me. A new connection made.

After that, I’d get e-mails from the campaign, regularly. Yes, it’s weird to get an e-mail in my in-box that’s marked “From” Barack Obama. But they’re targeted, sophisticated e-mails. Less than 30 minutes after Barack Obama was declared the winner in Georgia’s primary, I got an e-mail thanking me for my support.

When Hillary Clinton decided she’d loan her campaign $5 million, I got an e-mail from the Obama campaign trying to match the amount. The e-mail had a running total of the money raised. And every time I opened up that same e-mail again, the money amount would be changed and updated in real-time. Maybe I’m a bit naïve about rich e-mails, but that was a “holy shit, that’s cool” moment for me that no consumer ad campaign has provided lately.

Then there’s the citizen-generated content. YouTube videos, posters, songs – much of it generated by ordinary citizens, some created by professional musicians, artists, and ad people. This is the kind of marketing that’s being preached by the “let’s have a engaging two-way conversation with our customers-as-friends” crowd. With Barack Obama, it’s become fully realized. Perhaps it’s no surprise that the least impressive portion of the campaign appear to be the official TV ads. They’re good, but hardly different from most political commercials.

In the face of all this hype, adulation and fast success, Obama supporters have been called a cult. That’s OK. So are Apple fans and Harley-Davidson owners. If you think this is bad for America and politics, remember: This is the world advertising created, one where a name or a product can be made to stand for more than its functionality.

But product performance is still the key. Let’s say Obama gets elected President on the strength of this brand he created. He still has to give good customer service for 4 years. And people will be disappointed if the product doesn’t reflect the hype.

I wish more agencies and clients would learn from the Barack Obama campaign. Yes, it’s an expensive, unique campaign – but it’s also well-staffed. There are lots of people doing the work, both at headquarters and in the field. It’s a fast-responding organization despite its size.

Plus, it appears quite a few of Obama’s people, particularly the web staff, are empowered to react. They know how to move fast in a way that advertising agencies and clients don’t. Some of my clients sit on little jobs like brochures or emails for days or weeks before they approve or reject them. Some have taken a year or more to refine their brand identity. And we can’t convince them to quicken the pace for their own good. Is it any wonder people think ad agencies are out of sync with the pace of today’s world?

Perhaps someone will create an advertising model that’s built on this type of campaign—one where a large, fast, intensive, results-oriented team takes a major marketer’s $75 or $100+ million annual budget and creates a national integrated campaign. Then that team disperses and reforms as needed for other major efforts. No, it’s not the most stable of organizational models, but that’s how political marketing works, and Barack Obama showed how it can be done to generate awareness and results far above and beyond what many ad agencies accomplish today.

Too many advertising people hold their noses up at political marketing, and for good reason. For too long it’s been condescending, nasty and pedestrian, and perhaps we should get rid of it altogether. But it’s here, it’s being done well, and the advertising industry should examine the success of the Obama campaign for ideas and tactics.

Maybe then we’d get some change we can believe in.

-Shift Gears

The Land of Milk and Honey

I think Texas is one of the greatest places on the face of this green earth. More importantly, I believe this to be most assuredly true about the great city of Waco. Waco is in fact located in the Heart of Texas, and as the heart, Waco is one of Texas' most vital organs. And it only makes sense that Texans are viewed as being overly prideful, or ethnocentric. Judge not, for it is not the Texan's fault, we just happen to be enlightened by the truth of Texas' greatness. And enlightened we should be. To quote the ever-so-famous bumper sticker, which has adorned a multitude of pickup-trucks, Suburbans, Tahoes, Jeeps, horse's rear-ends and just about any other form of transportation dreamt of by humans, "Southern by Birth, Texan by the Grace of God." (Nothing short of bumper-sticker-profundity!) Another bumper sticker that particularly illustrates the draw Texas can have upon the human heart reads, "I wasn't born in Texas, but I got here as fast as I could." What, the reader might ask, is so 'profound' about these particular bumper sticker statements? The significance lies in the truth found in the subtext. I think it is sufficient to say that a divine light of blessing has shed it's beautiful beam upon The Republic of Texas. Perfectly summarized in the words Little Texas, it's  "Cause God blessed Texas with his own hand."

 

Disclaimer: The views presented herein are the sole responsibility of the blogger and do not necessarily express the views of Blue Bike Marketing + Design or its affiliates. 

Kick your shoes off . . . We'll be here a while.

I suppose this is Blue Bike's first dive into the deep end of the blogosphere pool. It only seems appropriate for me to introduce the Bike Gang. We are a group of four, incredibly talented (if I may say so myself), young professionals who are taking a ride on the wild side of business. The four partners that make up Blue Bike are all Baylor Alumni (thus, well educated) with broadly spanning areas of study. 

One might ask, "Alright then . . . what does Blue Bike do?" To answer: we do a lot. We are an entirely in-house all inclusive marketing and design firm. Some of the things we "do," a.k.a. services we provide, are web design and development. Blue Bike is one of the few, and busy, marketing and design firms that actually does both the design and development of a website in-house. We couldn't very well call ourselves a "marketing firm" if we didn't address the identity of our client's companies. That is why a lot of what we do falls into the category of "Branding," which encompasses a brand strategy that can range from logo design (or redesign), all the way to the visual presentation of a company's interior, with everything in between. However, the "do" doesn't stop there. Blue Bike is a company that takes design seriously, that's why we provide our clients with superior designs that are applied to the appropriate media. That means, your new logo, the redesign of your website, the perfect business card (please see: American Psycho, 2000), your next ad campaign in GQ or Texas Monthly (or both), or an entirely new, creative and fresh way of strategically presenting your company. That's what we do.