From Timeline to Stories… Where is Facebook Taking Us?

We’re three weeks away from Facebook switching branded corporate pages to their Timeline format on March 30th.  Almost simultaneously, Facebook is launching its premium ad service referred to as “Stories.”  The timing is certainly more than a coincidence but don’t call it a conspiracy theory… just smart business.

Similar to personal profiles, Timeline allows brands to express themselves more personally and visually than ever before. There are milestones, personal messaging options and a nice admin feature. Also, the main image option is a horizontal panoramic that lends itself to dramatically represent your brand.  But this is where some of the skepticism arises.

Like other marketers, my first thought was this would be the perfect place to insert targeted brand messages.  Wrong!  Facebook has placed strict guidelines as to what can be displayed within these cover images.  For example, no calls-to-action or contact information are allowed.

Now with the launch of “Stories” we see part of the reasoning behind this. They’ve got a business to run! Facebook is basically turning posts into advertisements.  The idea is people will be more engaged and motivated by what their friends have to say versus what advertisers tell them.

It’s a new level of advertising engagement that clearly falls in line with Facebook’s model.  In my opinion, it’s a potentially beneficial ad platform for brands although one that probably wouldn’t transfer as smoothly without the migration of corporate pages to the new Timeline format.

By removing the ability to place incentives, contact info and calls-to-action in Timeline, Facebook is leveraging their “Stories” advertising model as a more viable option for brands. Like all of Facebook’s other “enhancements,” we’ll all need to learn to acclimate to change once again.  From a marketing perspective, if you haven’t already, it’s time to roll-up our sleeves and begin working on the next great Facebook transition package!  Good luck telling YOUR story…

by Steve Iaconis, Director of Marketing and Client Services at Oblique Design

Google might be scary BUT they are doing some things right…

So, while there’s been a ton of backlash to Google’s recent announcements regarding further integration of Google+ and personal data into their search results, it’s only fair to throw them a bone for some of the things they’re doing right. I’m not an apologist or necessarily an advocate for their products but just like cool stuff when it works.

For one, Google+ is growing on me. This is mostly because it’s provided a new venue to get closer to the friends I actually want to keep in touch with versus those I accepted invites to “friend” on Facebook out of guilt. Their “circles” have also been easy to use and have kept me from insulting family members and friends alike (Given how conversations aren’t always appropriate for all audiences i.e. young nephews I support getting online but who don’t need to see partially naked pictures of my drunk friend vacationing in Amsterdam).

I’m also impressed with their new music beta and accompanying “cloud” offering. I volunteered to test their beta product for a few months before it s final soft launch in November and saw dramatic improvements over time. It’s a legitimate alternative to iTunes if you’re looking for one. I was also able to quickly and seamlessly tie my music collection to their web-based platform and connect it via their free cloud offering to my tablet and phone (yes, both Android).

One last recommendation I’d make is to check out Google Currents. It is a great way to index and organize your favorite online magazines, publications and blogs. It provides intuitive formatting for displaying pages cleanly and efficiently for tablets and has definitely lead to some cool new content discoveries.

Apologies ahead of time for what can be taken as a public service announcement for Google but definitely check these new platforms out if you haven’t already and let me know what you think…

Google+ Got You Going in Circles?

The sort-of soft-launch, of the sort-of beta, of the almost-ready-to-go Google+ is underway. Millions have been asked to participate as testers, and millions more have been invited to join over the last few weeks as the next best thing since Facebook hits the market. The big question: Will this whole thing ever catch on? And if it does, what does that mean for marketers?

So far, Google+ has only really introduced features they feel are an improvement upon Facebook, the 800-lb gorilla in the social sphere. One of the biggest nuances is the use of “circles” versus lists for simple grouping of friends, family and co-workers. This allows easier sharing with select groups. This is a nice feature but hardly enough to get the approximately 750 million Facebook members to switch to Google+. Early adoption is already taking place but moving the masses will be the challenge.

From my perspective, the opportunity lies in the power of Google’s other services.  For starters, you’re tied into Gmail while on Google+, offering easy access to an already trusted communication tool. Add a sprinkle of Google Maps, a dash of media and games from Google Wave and Buzz, a touch of Google Offers for daily deals and you have the recipe for successfully attracting consumers. The cherry on top will be access to Google Apps and mobile integration.

So far, from my personal experience with the platform, the “circling” of specific groups and ability to combine Facebook and Twitter messaging tools makes Google+ intriguing. As a marketer, though, what remain unanswered is how they aim to tackle profile pages for businesses and what advertising options will exist.

Recently, Christian Olsten, a product manager on the Google Plus team, posted: “We have been watching Google+ take shape over the last week and we’ve seen some really great companies get involved. But frankly we know our product as it stands is not optimally suited to their needs. In fact, it was kind of an awkward moment for us when we asked Ford for his (or was it her?) gender!” To put it gently, this doesn’t sound like they’re quite ready for advertisers yet.

What is set, though, is the opportunity for marketers like us to utilize the product as a consumer to see the possible platform benefits for your business and clients. So, be an early adopter or search the web to get invited by someone who is and check out “Hangouts,” send out a “Stream” update to your co-workers, hold a meeting via Google Talk and most of all … get a grip on those “Circles.” Give it a shot and share your thoughts with us!

Twitter … The Latest in Crime-Fighting Technology?!?

I came across an article recently that cracked me up but also made me shake my head at the infinite number of ways that social media helps us communicate with others no matter the reason.  You can read the full article here, but here’s a quick excerpt from the Daily Camera, the community newspaper for Boulder, Colorado:

When Elaine Ellis returned to her downtown Boulder apartment Saturday morning to find her bike lock ripped from a brick wall and her Trek Allant bicycle gone, she was heartbroken – for a moment.

But instead of simply calling police to report the theft and hoping to one day see her bike again, Ellis – known as a leader in the Boulder technology community and a social media butterfly – decided to take action.

“Have you seen this Boulder bike thief?” Ellis, 30, tweeted around 11 a.m. Monday. She included a link to her blog, where she’d posted a cell phone photo that her neighbor snapped of the crime as it happened.

Within hours, one of Ellis’ 3,558 Twitter followers spotted a man matching that photo riding her Trek along the Boulder Creek Path. The police were notified, and that sighting led to an arrest — and Ellis’ reunion with her bike. “Got my bike back!!!” Ellis tweeted Monday evening. “4.5 hours after my blog post. Well done Boulder.”

Gotta love how this two-way communication tool has the power to make such a difference in our lives. An angry complaint via a Twitter post actually saved my credit score a few points just last year. We can use social media in so many ways that it seems we’re just barely touching its full potential.

So, maybe you haven’t recovered a stolen bicycle or fought AT&T over a billing issue on Twitter, but I’m sure this medium has made a difference for you in some form or fashion.  Feel free to share
your stories with us here!

Facebook Giving Marketers Needed Face-Time

The concept seems well-intended… Facebook gives marketers a customized platform for sharing the latest advertising trends and creative ideas while agencies and companies alike learn from the “best-of-show” how to utilize the social media behemoth more effectively.

On May 12^th, Facebook Studio was launched as “a place to learn, share your work, and find inspiration. We created Facebook Studio as a way to showcase how agencies and marketers can make an impact by marketing with Facebook.” Submissions seem easy to enter and are archived in the all-inclusive “Gallery” portal in addition to the best-of-breed submissions highlighted in the “Spotlight” section.

Most marketers have been critical of Facebook in general because of the dearth of advertising opportunities combined with a general lack of communication and responsiveness to industry-related issues.  For example, in the healthcare and financial spaces, where liabilities lie around every corner, it’s been particularly difficult dealing with Facebook because of continuous platform changes creating major compliance headaches.

My take is that this may not resolve all of the issues marketers have with Facebook and their controlling nature but it’s a start.  Providing an easily accessible venue to view the best campaigns, programs and ideas on Facebook all in one place won’t make everyone happy but it can’t be ignored either.  From the looks of it, this effort will only be as successful as marketers and advertisers make it so good luck and let the fun begin!

Check it out and let us know what your thoughts are.

Qualified Leads for Less … Thanks to Social Media

Everyone needs more leads but marketers know all too well the associated costs in time, resources and capital. Thanks to social media, at least the challenge of cost is being reshaped. HubSpot has reported through their “State of Inbound Marketing” study that inbound generated leads have a 62% lower Cost-per-Lead (CPL) than outbound leads.

While this isn’t necessarily news to industry folks, what is new is how the social media landscape has helped to drive this metric. HubSpot reports that “57% of those using company blogs have acquired a customer from a blog-generated lead; this is an increase of 11 percentage points since 2010. Facebook and Twitter users reported customer acquisition rates of 48% and 42%, respectively.”

The beauty of this is the cost-efficient nature of these platforms. If companies are able to allocate internal resources toward compelling blog entries, personalized Facebook updates and timely tweets, it’s been proven that qualified leads will follow. Of these tools, research shows that blogs most effectively increase customer acquisition.

In fact, according to HubSpot’s study, blogging is the channel most frequently listed as “critical or important” to inbound lead generation. Have you found this to be true for your business? Share your experiences!

Facebook: Share and Share a-Like…

Well, they’ve done it again. Facebook has changed the rules of the playground once more, which is easy to do when you’re the ones who have created the playground! The latest update tweaks the way the “Like” button works on third-party sites.

 

Now when you click the “Like” button on a participating site or within an app, it inserts the headline, a segment of the story and an associated image for all to see. Previously, it simply published just a single line under Recent Activity.

What’s effectively changed is that Facebook is no longer developing the “Share” button functionality. The result is that more referral traffic will be driven to third-party sites that choose to link up with Facebook.  If anything, this adjustment will force us to think a second longer before we click that “Like” button. Do we truly want ALL of our friends to see that we like that particular story?

Previously, you could simply “Share” news but it didn’t necessarily get categorized as being something you actually liked. This can lead to some awkward moments. For example, I saw a note in a related forum about a scenario regarding a co-worker who had passed away. To share the news, his friends posted the story. The unfortunate result was:

 

Dave ********* passed away due to his long battle with cancer. 46 people Like this.

So, there are definitely some kinks that Facebook needs to iron out. Eventually, the modification should benefit users, Facebook and their partners equally. From my standpoint, I like the fact that (hopefully) compelling content will be more readily available. After all, the point is to initiate dialogue among friends, right?

So, a few third-party sites will see increased traffic along the way. I can handle that.  What’s your take?

Team Sheen: Are We Really All That Surprised?!?

Where to begin? Sorry to fuel the beast any further, but this has reached heights never Sheen before … sorry, couldn’t resist . So, Charlie Sheen’s long-term publicist quits. No worries! That just meant it was time to open a Twitter account. Beyond the obvious damage control, at least from an exposure standpoint, you can’t say that Sheen isn’t his own best publicist.

To top it off, the son-of-a-gun goes out and sets the world record (yes, Guinness has confirmed it) for the fastest ever to reach one million followers. (For the record, I’m not one of them). Remarkably, he did it in a hair over 25 hours.

Now, Sheen has taken the bizarre step of posting a job opening for a social media intern and is working directly with ad.ly, a company that connects consumers to celebrities through social media. Celebrities will tweet about a brand to their followers, while on Facebook they’ll post updates to their fans.

Their “celeb team” ranges from Snoop Dog to Charlie and brands include the likes of Best Buy, Sony and NBC. (I wonder whether CBS will stay away, given recent developments). Through all of this, ad.ly has gained a lifetime’s worth of press, and we discover yet another fascinating way that social media is paving its own path.

Ad.ly’s business model is smart. I view it as product placement (or in this case, simply celebrity placement) into our lives. The difference is subtle, but reveals yet another happy marriage of product and celebrity endorsement. Just the medium has changed. Good for Best Buy, Sony, NBC and the rest for realizing the benefits of this. And yes, I guess good for Charlie as well…

Buying vs. Renting E-mail Lists: The Answer Lies in Loyalty

A recent strategy session introduced a common question marketers face: Is it better to buy or rent e-mail lists for digital direct response and database-building efforts? Let’s agree that budgets, industries and business needs are different, but there are some consistent rules of thumb on this issue.

It’s widely accepted that one of the benefits to purchasing an e-mail list for either b2b or direct-to-consumer efforts is the control factor. You can now manipulate and mold the data you own. Segmentation marketing and appending data is easier as you convert these list contacts to qualified leads. All of this, though, comes at a price.

Renting an e-mail list can cost as little as 10% of the expense of purchasing a similar file. There’s also the safety factor. Rented lists are generally better protected and monitored to avoid overuse. Rental companies are more interested in protecting their valued data. This keeps the lists cleaner and hopefully increases response rates. You can see which way I lean…

What’s important, though, is if you are going to rent a list, make sure it’s “branded” by a trusted industry source.  The key is to focus on what’s relevant to the prospect.  As Dave Scott, CEO of online marketing startup Marketfish, observes, “When you rent a list, your message comes directly from another brand. The most respected brands are the ones that are going to inspire the best click-and-open rates.” 

Be sure to partner with a credible industry source that has developed a protected customer file. For example, if you rent a list from The Wall Street Journal, their branding will remain visible as the email distributor and help get your foot in the door.  It’s a fact that customers are more inclined to open e-mails from companies and brands they recognize.

In the end, it’s all about respecting privacy and trust. If done properly, e-mail marketing can still be a viable lead-generation.  I simply believe that brand loyalty is at the foundation. Let us know your thoughts on the subject.

- By Steve Iaconis, Senior Marketing Manager; Account Supervisor- Interactive Accounts, Wax Custom Communications http://www.waxcom.com/  

- Edited by Gretchen Schmidt on Wax Impressions http://www.waxcom.com/impressions/ a blog by Wax Custom Communications

- Follow Wax Custom Communication on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/WaxCustomCommunications

Make Your Own History with Social Media

I hope this won’t end up sounding like one of those “I used to walk three miles in the snow without shoes” kind of stories your dad told you when you were a kid (or possibly still does, even though you’ve now got kids of your own). I recently saw a post by the Royal Pingdom that provided global usage stats for the web for 2010. I was just awestruck by the numbers and had to share them.

According to their data, which was gathered by more than a dozen credible Internet and traditional research sources, there are now over 1.97 billion Internet users worldwide surfing over 255 million websites. I still remember back in 1996 working as part of the initial marketing team for the startup website sportsline.com (now www.CBSSports.com). We used to joke about whether “this whole Internet thing would catch on.” Back then, those of us in the business were sure it would – but certainly we weren’t in the majority.

Sure, there was the whole boom and bust, but hindsight shows us that was simply natural selection at its finest. At the time, we believed we were making history every day with our ideas since there were no textbooks on the “right way” of doing things. It was an environment where the next big idea could come from anyone in the company, no matter your position or work experience.

What’s exciting about these newly reported numbers by Pingdom? The tremendous growth we’re continuing to see in both the social media and video usage spaces. Again, we are dealing with media where there is such a short history that anyone can come across the next big thing. Even kids in a college dorm room can become billionaires and affect the lives of millions.

So, check out the numbers, and don’t be afraid to make your own conclusions and even take a bold move or two. Hindsight might be 20/20, but I’m willing to bet this whole social media thing isn’t going away either.

Have a similar story to tell? Don’t be shy and share it with us!

- By Steve Iaconis, Account Supervisor, Wax Custom Communications http://www.waxcom.com/  

- Edited by Gretchen Schmidt on Wax Impressions http://www.waxcom.com/impressions/ a blog by Wax Custom Communications

- Follow Wax Custom Communication on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/WaxCustomCommunications