Fine Print

Being a control freak on who I connect with (namely people I search out and manually click “follow” or “invite”), services such as Twollow are not my cup of tea. Snip from the developer’s blog: “Twollow lets you specify up to five different keywords which you can track and then automatically follow any Twitter user who uses those words.”

Someone followed me the other day; I visited their blog and saw a post about Twollow; so I tweeted them and asked if they “Twollowed” me; they said yes, and it was because they had used social media as a tracking term.

That’s cool, but if I had tweeted “… the mayor wanted to be more social, media were there to cover the event …” then would that “Twollower” (love all these new words!) have been disappointed in adding me, only to get no value and discard me, a fact only brought sadly home to me once I got my Qwitter alert.

I’m wary of using a service like this that might grow my Twitter network using quantity instead of quality.

~ John Carson, Senior Digital Media Specialist, GCI Canada (Twitter: johncarson)

Did you know that Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler filed suit against anonymous Blogspot bloggers who allegedy impersonated him and girlfriend Erin Brady? Me neither. But thanks to John Cass, I now have a fascinating resource of lawsuits involving blogs, a situation that will surely become a lucrative niche practice area as social media becomes more mainstream. There is also a database of cases related to social media.

I’m not interested in matters of law, per se, but am interested in seeing what people think they can get away with online, using social media and other tools, so this looks like an interesting reference point to get an overview of the legal aspect of all the 24/7 interactions swirling around us.

Cybersquatting (registering a domain name — usually linked to a company name — in the hopes of selling it at a profit) has been the subject of some contentious court battles in past years. How does that translate to Twitter and other social networks? I grabbed johncarson early, but now that more companies are embracing social media and setting up brand profiles, what’s to stop someone grabbing Coke, Pepsi and so on? (Haven’t checked, sure they’re already taken by legitimate company representatives.)

I could grab johnatcoke or johnatpepsi and pretend to tweet on behalf of that company. Social media “veterans” (of the last 12 months or so) would spot that in a heartbeat and set off the scam radar, but others might be duped. How many variations of misrepresentation are happening, or just around the corner? How far can we trust these identities?

This is a comment on a blog post this morning that puts some stuff in perspective: “Here in India many companies, let alone senior employees, have yet to establish an Internet presence. For small companies it’s understandable, but these are big multi-store organizations with no online presence at all (not even a page with phone numbers) so if you want info then you have to actually go to the store.” Source.

So, once all those organizations start to get online and establish their websites, blogs and Twitter accounts for branding purposes, there might be slim pickings. I remember someone tried (and then changed their mind) selling their Twitter account and all its followers a while back, citing it as a mini-business ready for the highest bidder. I think Twitter is too personal to be commoditized in this way.

Someone is holding socialmedialawyer.com at the moment; could be a good investment …

~ John Carson, Senior Digital Media Specialist, GCI Canada (Twitter: johncarson)

[I have no affiliation with LinkedIn.]

LinkedIn (LI) has always had a staid reputation since it launched in 2003, the year I joined it. Working for a tech publication back then, it was necessary to check out as many new start-ups as possible for story ideas and the people behind them. It was cool to see what was coming around the corner. “Social media” was just a very valuable domain name back then.

I remember critics saying LI was “boring” — after all, who wanted to join a site full of desperate people posting their resumes and looking for a job? That wasn’t the point. The success of LI stems from the accessibility factor; how else can you get “face time” with some top CEOs, gurus and other specialists, for free?

Here’s seven ways to increase your LI presence and use the service to its fullest:

1) Be an open networker. It’s great to link with people you know or have worked with, but if that’s the only reason you use LI then it just becomes a giant contact book. Request links from people in your field that you’d like to know. Do some research, source their e-mail and don’t forget to …

2) … write a personal invite note saying the reason you want to link to them. Don’t be lazy and use the default LI invite template. It shows a lack of respect: if you can’t be bothered to offer a mutually beneficial reason to be connected to that person in the 10 minutes it takes to write a personal note, what does that say about any future relationship? First impressions DO last.

3) Don’t lie about your work history, credentials or achievements. By the very nature of LI, it takes minutes to check those out with the network by asking for referrals and recommendations.

4) Make full use of the Question & Answer section, a very undervalued part of the site in my opinion. You can spend hundreds of dollars organizing focus groups or attending executive seminars. Ask a pertinent question on LI, seed it to your network (or open it up for general consumption) and you’d be amazed at the free advice that comes back, from top-notch people, usually in hours, or even minutes if it’s a hot topic. That’s a gold mine of expertise just waiting to be tapped into. And, it goes without saying, if you see a question that you can offer some specific insight into, then jump right in. You aren’t “giving away stuff for free” … on the contrary, eventually you might become a “Top Expert” or, at the very least, others will request connections with you based on your answers and request more info = instant professional relationship or new business.

5) Update your status on a regular basis. Similar to Facebook / Twitter, you can write a short sentence on what you’re up to. There were limited options at the start like “is working on …” or “is reading …” but now it’s more flexible and you can type in what you want. I have personally got some very useful approaches from adding updates such as “researching Canadian mompreneurs” or “sourcing experts in discount brokers” as part of my PR work.

6) Ask for recommendations. [Today’s post was actually inspired by this one, just wanted to elaborate a little on other LI tips.] No matter what people say, no matter how humble they are — everyone has an ego. It’s good to be praised for doing great work, hearing a “thank you” or seeing a client’s brand become successful because of what you did to help them. It validates your professional skills and justifies the fee you charge for that work. So, why is it taboo to ask for a recommendation? A few words from a client or former colleague is huge, leads to more business and establishes your credibility. LI is perfect for that, so use it!

7) Join a Group, or better still, start one and manage it. The great aspect of LI is that you can congregate with professionals with similar interests, businesses, skills and so on. The greater aspect is that you can also join Groups with people who have nothing in common with you, but whose alternate views or ways of doing business can open your eyes to ideas you would never think of. There’s a lot of social media groups I joined, one I manage and others — such as tech start-ups in Israel, for example — that offer a whole new perspective on business from another part of the world. (It is up to the discretion of the Group manager whether they accept your application or not. Again, write a personal note requesting membership, and state what you can bring to the table, it goes a long way.)

Follow those seven steps, respect your connections and LI will be an invaluable part of your social media strategy, without costing a penny.

~ John Carson, Senior Digital Media Specialist, GCI Canada (Twitter: johncarson)

This past weekend Motrin released a controversial commercial that a lot of mom bloggers found offensive — an issue they naturally took to Twitter. Suffice to say, it’s not been a good Monday for Motrin’s PR department.

People are commenting on how the company has screwed up by not doing its market research more thoroughly in the first place to anticipate such a huge — and possibly — long-lasting negative reaction to its product alignment with new moms. The bigger issue is why a lot of people didn’t realize this groundswell of protest was building at the weekend until it was too late to engage those bloggers? It seems that Motrin wasn’t monitoring them properly.

Companies will always make mistakes online (human beings run them after all) but it’s how they recover that will be the real social media trial by fire.

~ John Carson, Senior Digital Media Specialist, GCI Canada (Twitter: johncarson)

[Here’s a campaign that GCI Canada is working on for its client, Dell Canada.] 

Action! Did Star Wars or E.T. make more money? Who played the dropout in The Breakfast Club? Was The Terminator or Rain Man released first? Cut! That’s a wrap.

Ever wanted to Live Like a Movie Star? Play Dell’s movie trivia game and win one of four great prizes: A Beverley Hills shopping spree and celeb makeover; a High Rollers party weekend in Las Vegas; a ticket package for a Warner Bros. movie premiere in 2009; or a Richard Petty driving experience and DVD package.

http://flick.winwithdell.com/EN/

~ John Carson, Senior Digital Media Specialist, GCI Canada

What a cool job title if it was real! (And maybe — unofficially — it was for Toshihiro Nishikado, circa 1978, the lucky developer of the game at Taito. Must have been great going to work on the world’s most popular video game at the time.)

So, job titles in this social media day and age. Chief Engagement Officer? Not new, but has a nice ring to it. Social Media Manager? Hmmm, not so good — no one in social media wants to feel like the conversation is being “managed” or “guided,” however subtle.

More specialists are being sought in this field as companies feel the urge to jump on board, listen to their communities and get involved. What is an apt title though? Social media will be here for a while, but if not, and there’s a new fad on the scene next year, who wants a job title that might be out of date in 12 months? Is it better to be specific when calling yourself a Social Media Specialist to ensure you are relevant for the here and now, or do you play safe and plan ahead, go a bit more generic, say Digital Media Specialist? [My current title was picked for me, full disclosure.]

In the past, everyone knew what the CEO, President, Vice President and intern did — the titles were in daily use, and everyone got used to the hierarchy. But now, there are more Conversation Analysts, Community Managers and Social Media Strategists around. Can people pick and choose their own, or will the market level out and we all agree on titles?

Be realistic, choose wisely … or you could be yesterday’s Senior Vice President of Space Invaders.

~ John Carson, Senior Digital Media Specialist, GCI Canada

The Fascination of the Internet Celebrity — Independent Marketing at its most Wacky, and a Hat Tip to the Next Big Thing

There’s nothing more inspiring than watching a man dressed in a TRON costume shake hands with Jimmy Kimmel on late night television. There, I’ve said it.

I am fascinated with Internet sensations and celebrate when they’re given the prime-time attention they deserve. My glee in watching Chris Crocker talk about his obsession with Britney Spears stems not just from my love of all things wacky, or my secret crush on Britney, but from a serious marketing perspective; these individuals have donned a costume or explored character traits using viral marketing and not only received attention but applause.

We live in a digital era, where demand far outperforms supply. As consumers, we simply can not input enough information, collective fingers weary from tapping the “refresh” button. Therefore, a pioneer of independent marketing may not have known the power he or she harnessed when they originally shot footage of their hamster turning around dramatically, and added cinema horror music.

They may not have been aware that speaking out in support of Ms. Spears could be their “big break,” and could lead to celebrity status, website advertisements and even (in the case of ObamaGirl) prime-time television appearances and endorsements.

Capitalizing on this phenomenon is Saturday Night Live alum Will Ferrell, who realized that his comedic alma mater’s short-clip format could now be utilized to entertain and capture our sometimes fleeting attention spans whenever we wanted through one free online hub. Ergo, we arrived at funnyordie.com in droves, and water cooler conversation has shifted from “did you watch Seinfeld or CSI Miami” to “have you watched The Landlord?”

The hat tip in this case goes to my favourite Internet celebrity, Brandon Hardesty. He has recently been featured on Jimmy Kimmel, but I was a fan long before his YouTube clips made their way to Late Night producers. Hardesty re-enacts classic scenes from movies, verbatim, with outstanding voice impressions, clever camera work, and his parent’s basement. I recommend his re-enactments of Clerks, Jurassic Park, and Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Enjoy, and please, share with others. I’ll be at the water cooler.

~ Sam Amsterdam, Account Coordinator, GCI Canada

A long title, and a very detailed breakdown of who came out on top in the electoral social media campaign.

Can we link to it? Yes, we can.

~ John Carson, Senior Digital Media Specialist, GCI Canada

[From the start, this is not a post asking for free products, just wanted to get that out there first. It’s an opinion piece, my opinion alone, not my company’s or associates’ views.]

SuzeMuse blogged about how she tells all her friends about products she likes, and that word of mouth marketing can’t be forced. I played devil’s advocate and posted a comment; here’s the edited version: “You find a product (by yourself), you like it, and so you tell all your friends. Cool. So, on the flip side, if a company searches you out and says ‘try our product, and if you like it, tell all your friends,’ then there’s only one more step there that’s different — the fact that you didn’t ‘find’ the product you liked by yourself, but a company did (by making it, and promoting it onto you). Would you not tell all your friends just to be obstinate, admit defeat that you were marketed to? Even though you may really like the product?”

Social media is all about not being used by fickle companies or brands, jumping in to push their wares onto people, and then expecting them to spread the word. I get that. But, to be fair, if a company did aproach me and ask me to try a product THAT I ENDED UP ACTUALLY LIKING then would it be so wrong to tell my friends, “Hey guys, company X asked me to try their ice cream. You know what? It’s quite good actually.” It’s their money, not mine. Maybe they do have budget to blow with no ROI? It’s their risk.

Instead of autonomously discovering a product I liked, using my own resources and time, then liking it and telling people … the extra step of doing the legwork has been taken out of the equation, and someone else found it for me. Such a bad thing? I might hate it … might even tell my friends I hate it — that’s my decision to make, not the company who offered me the product to try.

If full disclosure is included from the start, with no expectations on either side, is it still taboo? Should companies be quivering at the sidelines of social media, afraid to be direct and respectful of participants, cut to the chase and ask them to try free stuff, blog it if it’s enjoyable, don’t if not? No harm, no foul.

I think it’s better to lay the cards on the table at the start in that kind of “relationship” rather than sneak around, dropping teasing hints here and there, making people wary. Or is that not joining the conversation, but rather dominating it?

[Update: Steve Hodson has an opinion too.]

~ John Carson, Senior Digital Media Specialist, GCI Canada

Yes, it sounds like a cute name for Paris Hilton’s latest accessory dog, but Twuffer is a service that lets you set up tweets to be sent at some time in the future. I dread to think of embargoed (still around?) press release tweets being loaded in like a shotgun to be scattered at 9 a.m. in the morning.

Or, maybe I could tweet that “hmmm, sales presentation is looking good, guy knows his stuff” knowing full well that I’m at home catching up on True Blood episodes.

I’m also curious about the privacy policy of how they use your Twitter username and password. I sent a tweet asking that question — the old-fashioned manual way of writing it and pressing Update – and will see what the response is.

~ John Carson, Senior Digital Media Specialist, GCI Canada

How did a Dutch company get a coffee shop’s freeloading students to actually buy stuff, instead of sitting around for hours sucking up the free WiFi? Brilliantly simple: they just renamed the signal. If this is not push advertising then I don’t know what is! (But feel free to let me know …)

Hat tip: AgencySpy.

~ John Carson, Senior Digital Media Specialist, GCI Canada

The Protocol for Humour as Strategy

We all appreciate a good laugh, and on Saturday night, we did.

Through economic storms and squalls, riding his own political tower of terror, John McCain stepped up to the commemorative plate and knocked it out of the park. His timely address to the nation via the most-watched vehicle for political news, Saturday Night Live, was sharp, witty, ghost-written, but poignant. And as we await the countdown to today’s vote results in the U.S., one can reflect back upon McCain’s jests last Saturday and ask a bigger question: when is incorporating humour beneficial to strategic operations? Does a gecko or caveman acting like a cosmopolitan emit a bigger response than the dramatization of a real-life crisis? Who really laughs last?

Witnessing a graphic car accident on television and then seeing a logo for car insurance slowly appear on the screen to the sound of horns blaring should evoke emotions of emergency, necessity and panic aversion. However, more often than not, those commercials almost seem to blend in with each other, and I, as an example, grow tired of the endless parade of worry. I’m mildly concerned about the last time I had the oil checked, and I don’t even own a car!  Focus group studies have proven that messages aren’t lost if placed in humour, and in fact, can be more effective because they’re enjoyed.

The chain of events is rather well-documented: being humorous leads to being popular; being popular (and being on television) can lead to becoming a celebrity; behavioural science indicates that celebrities play a much larger role in populous decision-making than previously imagined. Therefore make no mistake — the Geico Caveman, the Gecko sophisticate and yes, John McCain, are celebrities, and even role models. It is therefore clear that those who correlate laughter provided by these celebrities with enjoyment, and enjoyment with approval, might let their message linger in their minds.

These normative values are similar to loving what you do rather than not. When you enjoy what you do, like I do, you want to be involved and immersed, you take in messages and burn the midnight oil because it doesn’t get any better. When you don’t, effort and afterthought don’t come easily, a reason “warning” commercials, save for sharp tempo-driven ones such as the famous “this is your brain on drugs” ad, are usually skipped over.

Therefore I appreciate the effect comedic relief can bring to a campaign or to car insurance, and I’m fairly sure they know I do, too. I, like many, will send these humorous clips straight to YouTube, where they achieve ever-lasting notoriety and forever remain in the public eye, a factor of great corporate and indeed political value. In an era of downloading and Web-sharing, watching content through comedy like John McCain on SNL or the latest new commercial from Coke Zero is, shall I say, refreshing.

~ Sam Amsterdam, Account Coordinator, GCI Canada

You probably have a load of RSS feeds to get through every day in the task of keeping up and not missing out on anything. There’s an easy way to convert them into a PDF that you can read on the subway, plane or chauffeured limo (like me).

It’s called Tabbloid, it’s free, and (after a quick peek at the Whois) I think this is the guy behind it.

~ John Carson, Senior Digital Media Specialist

Not PR, not social media — just a great story about getting the message out there, accidentally. When was the last time you checked your out of office reply?

E-mail error ends up on road sign.

Hat tip: The Next Web.

~ John Carson, Senior Digital Media Specialist, GCI Canada

Once back across the ocean, a study on how best to get your feet wet.

In a past life, I was working and living in the United Kingdom, and before that, Brussels, Belgium. During my tenure there, I had developed significant relationships with members of the European press, and through those relationships, I had excelled at getting great coverage for my respective clients. Many of these contacts became colleagues, and these colleagues became friends that I still correspond with as often as I can.

When I decided I was going to make the permanent move back across the pond, I knew how daunting an undertaking creating new relationships in the “New World” could be.

I continue to attend as many networking functions as my time allows and I make it a point to reach out to media here at every given opportunity, appreciating the value of the phrase, “By way of introduction …”

By way of introduction: It’s now that I ask myself, “How many other ‘ways of introduction’ can I utilize to reach out to potential colleagues?”

I latched onto LinkedIn, and was amazed and eerily proud at how much my dear Facebook had grown up. Through LinkedIn, one can professionally network without fear of it being mistaken as a social greeting. LinkedIn is a professional service more so than a place to post vacation pictures, and has a unique method of utilizing the function of ‘mutual friends.’ When adding a newfound contact, there appear two boxes — one to introduce yourself, and another, to have a mutual LinkedIn colleague introduce you. This is not only an instant icebreaker, but an essential tool in social and digital media.

By way of a colleague (Fine Print’s own John Carson), I have since been able to reach out to freelancers I would otherwise have never been able to find — certain reporters defy even the mighty Google. Through social and digital networking and through his own professional experience, John has developed a multitude of relationships with Canadian and international media, and has been gracious enough to extend a hand via LinkedIn introductions. It is clear that from there, the onus is on me to build on that introduction, and prove my value. It’s a challenge I’m more than ready for.

Through my continued work, I have initiated and indeed begun to develop relationships with a wide variety of Canadian media, knowing the importance of solidifying a trust in that business relationship, and will henceforth move forward honing digital and social media to better my clients, and indeed, myself.

Please consider this a case study in making those introductions; not shying away from “mutual friend” opportunities, and engaging new contacts through every social media outlet available. Truly one of the easiest and yet most efficient ways to get your name out there is by, well, getting it out there. A cold call is essential but disappears with a dial tone. An online presence is … ongoing.

~ Sam Amsterdam, Account Coordinator, GCI Canada

Marketing Vox has a post with the headline saying that “social techies rule ‘new social order’” according to neuroscientists. That geek you bullied at school? He’s leading the pack now. Forget the lunch money you stole from him … he sold his start-up to Google for $35 million.

The article quotes a neuroscientist: “The people in the next generation who are really going to have the edge are the ones who master the technological skills and also face-to-face skills. They will know when the best response to an e-mail or Instant Message is to talk rather than sit and continue to e-mail.”

I like that answer. It relates to yesterday’s post [StumbledUpon by someone, excellent spike, thanks!] about distinguishing the people you connect to online. You may feel very familiar with them via the blog posts you read every day, or the tweets you reply to and monitor, but would you take the time to set up a face-to-face meeting with them, at your expense? Watch their facial reactions during your conversation instead of using a smiley emoticon? Shake their hand instead of poking them?

Noticing a spat on Twitter today between two marketing people, I wondered if they would throw those insults in person? Some people seem to disconnect from their real-life personas when behind a keyboard and computer screen. It’s similar to the mild-mannered person who becomes a horn-blowing, middle-finger-popping, nose-picking raving lunatic once they get behind the wheel of a car. Don’t forget the glass is transparent; we can see you!

Understandably, some do need anonymity to protect their interests, jobs or — in some cases — wellbeing, but I don’t have time for those who do it just for the sake of abusing and insulting others in a community. There’s a lot of value, knowledge and respect in social media, but also a lot of snarkiness. Time to out the bullies.

~ John Carson, Senior Digital Media Specialist, GCI Canada

Apologies to Sally Field for today’s title, but it seemed to fit in well with the theme of knowing when to un/follow someone — not just in Twitter — but in social media in general. It’s usually the case of full steam ahead in the beginning, adding people left, right and centre, only to find that … hmmm … people start to drop like flies after a while.

I’ve been using Qwitter for about a week, and it seems to work very well. It sends an e-mail update when a follower leaves you. And it also mentions the particular tweet that (possibly?) caused them to leave. I had two people depart after I tried to find a sad trombone sound. I mean, who couldn’t use a “Wah Wah Waahh” every now and again?

The upside is that new followers come in and take their place, so in the end the numbers even out. And the great thing is that the whole un/follow process means my Twitter community is constantly refreshing itself organically. As mentioned before, I find a lot of value in following people that might not be in the social media or PR world. It brings a whole new raft of ideas to the table in learning how they become successful in their respective industries. Too much inward looking into the same fishbowl gets pretty boring and can make you stale.

Steven Hodson looks at the other angle: Could social media implode from too many friends?

He asks the question: “At what point does having all these friends become just ridiculous b******t because we really don’t know who these people are and for the most part we don’t care just as long as they follow us back?”

I can see Hodson’s point, but I thnk he is using “friend” in the wrong context. I have very few friends on Twitter or LinkedIn. I call friends on the phone and be social; I don’t need to see that they are having a coffee in Starbucks in 140 characters or less, or that they’ve updated their profile to say they now work as a director of marketing = I already know! If they really are a good friend then I probably bought them the coffee or provided a reference for them in their job hunt.

People too often mix up friends with colleagues with contacts with acquaintances (the latter is the most appropriate in defining the social media community: a. Knowledge of a person acquired by a relationship less intimate than friendship; b. A relationship based on such knowledge; c. A person whom one knows).

Friendships can take years to cultivate; acquaintances can take minutes.

[Update: And thanks to a follow from @mikemayhew I now know about this: http://friendorfollow.com/]

~ John Carson, Senior Digital Media Specialist, GCI Canada

Is shock value a controversial new form of media training for candidates or corporations?

If you’re like me, watching CNN has almost become a guilty pleasure, similar to catching an episode of The Hills. (I’m not saying I did … OK, maybe once).

It seems the shock value of Lauren’s relationship abruptly ending while the latest Rihanna song blares is strikingly similar to watching Sarah Palin insinuate that Barack Obama will introduce socialism to the White House. Why? Shock value.

There must be a rational lesson in behavioural science as to why many of us take pleasure in candid snippets and scandalous soundbytes. It remains undeniable that we do; a large majority of the populous get our fill of the daily news by surfing the Net, reading the headline and looking for the attached video for rapidly changing clips in an effective and colourful package. The question is: are these words lacking wisdom made deliberately?

The answer is a resounding no … and a sly yes. More often than not, shock-value soundbytes are corporate or indeed political gaffes; misnomers or statements with which the speaker wishes he or she had used better judgment when reflecting.

However, in some rare exceptions, said gaffes are deliberate. For example, John McCain stating that terrorists may test Barack Obama is a shocking statement. One could assume he wouldn’t formally write that on paper, or send that anywhere. He was caught in the moment because he so passionately cares for his country … or he simply reiterated the words from the shock value-friendly Democratic VP nominee, Joe Biden.

McCain may today regret the statement, but I sincerely doubt it, because for that split second, everyone considered his faux pas. It caused one to ponder a potential attack for that brief moment, an experience that arched, if not raised an eyebrow.

This is clearly relative to corporate strategy in its entirety, in that this tendency to wield hyperbole could potentially create the opportunity for new marketing strategies. It wouldn’t be a bold, new standard doctrine for both politicians and corporations. It would simply follow a remarkable trend that seems to be subtly, or perhaps, not so subtly, on the rise.

~ Sam Amsterdam, Account Coordinator, GCI Canada

It’s a given that there are still a lot of people oblivious to Twitter. Car mechanics … doctors … landscape gardeners. Just by the nature of their work, they probably haven’t been exposed to it, or needed it for their daily tasks. Just like they use tools that I’ve never had to learn about.

The clue that Twitter is becoming mainstream is when you see its slang being used elsewhere. For example, notice how bloggers and commentators now use @ when they reply to someone in the comments section? If you were starting to monitor blogs for the first time, you’d wonder what the @ stood for. Twitter users are familiar with it so are already “speaking the language.”

I can’t recall another social media tool that crossed over so easily. Tweet me @johncarson if you can suggest some, thanks.

~ John Carson, Senior Digital Media Specialist, GCI Canada

Are you a hierophant? Specifically, the third definition.

Anyone who likes to blog, or comment on other people’s blogs, can be considered a hierophant. People who tweet can be added to that category too. Ahhh, social media. Making money from it yet? (Friday Fun Fact #46: “A Social Dime” is an anagram.)

Companies are still striving to monetize their Return On Engagement and work out how listening to their customers can impact their bottom line. It seems that everyone is talking about listening. Time to jump in and talk too! There’s no point in sitting on the sidelines and monitoring what is being said, if you don’t have the autonomy to make a comment yourself. Upper management needs to loosen the reigns a little, trust their staff and let them get in there and chat to those commentators.

Guess what? Those gripes and moans posted by “del_boy65″ and “lucy_in_ohio” are not just tags. They are people about to start adding to Google’s billions of lines of code stored on servers, searchable forever, with commentary such as “Waited on the phone for an hour! Their customer service sux!” or “Fifth time it’s crashed — anyone know where I can get the correct graphics driver?” etc.

Instant solution: “Hi, I’m Tim from customer support. Sorry to hear you’re not happy / need help / have a question. I will try and help you now, or get back to you within 24 hours if need be.” For anyone new to this, use your own name and not Tim’s. [That’s a joke BTW.]

So, then the customer is surprised that corporation X has actually — gasp! — taken the time to personally address them, almost immediately, with an offer to help [read: keep them as a customer and future advocate and word of mouth specialist to all their friends and family.]

That’s where Social Media can be turned into A Social Dime.

~ John Carson, Senior Digital Media Specialist, GCI Canada

Just read about this, it’s disappointing news. As a former journalist, I used to read Press Gazette in the U.K. and considered Masthead its Canadian equivalent as keeping tabs on the journalism industry and who’s moving where.

Snip: “North Island Publishing Ltd. announces today that it will cease publication of Masthead magazine after 21 years of operation. The November/December 2008 edition currently in production will be the last issue produced by North Island. The company will also cease publication of MastheadOnline.com at a date to be announced.

“We are very proud of the service Masthead has provided the magazine industry over the years,” says North Island president Alexander Donald. “But the magazine has not been financially viable for several years now and structural changes in the market have created even more challenges. We’ve taken a decision to focus our company’s resources on other projects in our other markets.”

Full story.

~ John Carson, Senior Digital Media Specialist, GCI Canada

I’ve been meaning to blog on this subject since “Joe the Plumber” found fame and — once the sponsorship deals come in — possible fortune. The AdAge article prompted me.

Seems like Nick Ragone is a smart guy. After John McCain mentioned Joe the Plumber for the fifth time in the latest TV presidential debate, he was communicating with his team the best way to use that instant buzz phrase to the best advantage of one of his clients. (I’m also sure he checked out this and this too, but alas, already taken in 2007. Good for that plumber’s page views, and probable spike in business.)

The PR manager for Ragone’s client ultimately turned down the suggested strategy, which I think was a smart move. He said: “As soon as that thing hit, we got media requests from around the country to see if there was a Joe the Plumber in their town. I got media requests from New York, Seattle, Denver and Hawaii.” The plumbing industry was hot for a brief while, and how many times can you say that? It was the fallout from a very prominent figure, mentioning the name of someone who could be one of us regular Joes [the Plumber].

I’m all over keeping an eye on what’s hot and trying to get some mileage out of it, but will anyone remember Joe the Plumber in a few months, or even do a search for it? Doubtful.

And even if a client does want to jump in, they have to move fast to greenlight it with their PR reps, or, allow them to act on their behalf and trust their insight and initiative. Be the heroes or the zeros.

It’s probably more lucrative in the long run (and, social analysts, correct me if this is totally wrong) to keep an eye on the media, try to see what’s coming down the line, and then do some speculation on potential desirable URLs. It’s worth a gamble of around $20 on GoDaddy [no affiliation] and I’ve banked a few myself that I won’t mention here for obvious reasons.

So, if you decide to snap up a few, here’s a very handy tool that claims to be the fastest domain-checker out there: domize.com/

~ John Carson, Senior Digital Media Specialist, GCI Canada

One of the most thrilling tasks that a public relations consultant can experience when working for a client would be acclimatizing to a new variable, ultimately, to change. A new client or perhaps even an existing one with a new campaign can be very exciting, as one is being introduced to new relationships and original ideas are abundant. That’s the industry — it doesn’t just move with the times, but keeps one step ahead.

GCI Canada has an abundance of creative and innovative strategists who fully comprehend the value of digital and social media. They understand and indeed wield new digital and social media trends in order to extend the reach of client messages. After reading The New Rules of Marketing and PR, I found similar inspiration on dynamic PR and its value from David Meerman Scott.

I have had the privilege to liaise with Scott in the past about new and exciting forms of digital and social media, and he has never disappointed. He regularly updates his blog, furthering his book’s teachings of frequent, credible content and streamlined communiqué, and their importance over client matters to the consumers. It’s not just the message but how many mediums it can be sent through; how important even the minutest change in policy or in practice can be to the consumer/reader.

Many books attempting to rewrite the rules of new social and digital media and their relevance to PR are usually found to be outdated by the time one is finished reading them. As an avid bookworm, I was beginning to feel dismayed. However, I’d like to give my first “hat tip” to Scott, and suggest any people interested in social media give his book a gander.

~ Sam Amsterdam, Account Coordinator, GCI Canada

Social media + measurement + tool? My interest was piqued when this request popped up in my LinkedIn network. So, in the spirit of good karma, throwing it out there for some feedback on behalf of Michael Strutton, Director Product Management, Vitrue. (It’s not a closed beta.) The tool is here if you want to test it out: vitrue.com/smi/

I was curious about this part from their description: “Based on our patent-pending technology, index scores are comprised of various online conversations from text-dense micro-blogs to multi-dimensional video sites. The Vitrue SMI score provides a snapshot in time to help make sense of the overwhelming amount of measurable data.”

I’m sure most of these services track the same sources, so asked Strutton what facet of social media his tool includes. He replied: “We look up data in real time, from varying sources. The index number presented is associated to that date. The e-mail function at the bottom will send you a unique URL to retrieve that historical report in the future. Handy, if you want to see change over time.
 
“While it’s possible to see the Vitrue SMI scores change in the middle of the day, we don’t feel that level of granularity is necessary. So, we cache results per day. In other words if you search for Starbucks (278) today the number will remain the same until it’s queried tomorrow.
 
“The data, the technology, and algorithm is patent pending, so I’m not at liberty to describe in great detail. However the tool currently looks at sample data from popular sources in the following categories:
 
“Social Networking - general sharing
Video Sharing - high engagement of viewing time and authenticity of dimension
Micro-Blogs - key influencers who chatter and actively push content
Photo Sharing - social meta data
Blogs - general blogosphere, commentary mentions”

So, no concrete examples there, but at least there are more tracking and measurement services of this type appearing now, which can’t be a bad thing.

You can read an interview with Vitrue at Forbes.com.

~ John Carson, Senior Digital Media Specialist, GCI Canada

The author of Tribes — Seth Godin — is involved in a conference call October 21 @ 2 p.m. EDT, and it’s free.

Snip: “We’ll discuss how the Internet has enabled everyone to lead a tribe and create movements with customers, employees or neighbours.”

Register. Hat tip.

[Update: Unfortunately I missed this due to some last-minute blog research work, so any insight from people who listened would be great!]

~ John Carson, Senior Digital Media Specialist, GCI Canada

When the Medium is the Message, Mean doesn’t necessarily Matter

I’d like to first take this opportunity to introduce myself; my name is Sam Amsterdam, a new addition to the GCI team, and I look forward to writing many more of these. Please feel free to share your comments as I am eager to respond!

One simply has to switch on CNN in the morning to witness a fascinating new trend occurring in the realm of public relations; bad publicity transforming in to good – or even great — PR. The latest McCain diatribe on Barack Obama has exemplified how little several “messages” can actually mean when compared to the significance of a mere mention.

McCain’s character attacks, although absolutely part of political chess, have done little to stifle the popularity of Obama, and that fact alone does raise the question of why, and, on a business scale, how is that relative?

Let’s face it — nine times out of 10, bad publicity is just that: bad publicity. But more often we’re finding that in an era of apology, a fresh start or even maintaining a positive stance through competitive adversity can give way to tremendous success. I have terrific faith in the power of the “boomerang effect” when handled tactfully, and it clearly relates to both corporate and political endeavours alike.

The answer to the aforementioned “why” lies in the power of the consumer, and reactively, in supply and demand. The average blog reader or even CNN viewer appreciates a steady, never-wavering flow of information. Be it good or bad, they appreciate the new, and in that lays a unique opportunity. Conscious repetition, even if slamming a political opponent or repeating corporate acceptance of blame and indeed moving forward can create both brand loyalty and even compassion. It creates this through the supply of unique information to meet the ever-growing demand of the viewer/consumer.

It is clearly therefore a challenge and an outright role of those in public relations to provide that output and, if necessary, outreach. To remain ever adamant on providing transparent and credible information to the consumer is to subscribe to not only a basic belief of behavioural science, but to truly change attitudes.

I’m Sam Amsterdam, and I approve this message.

~ Sam Amsterdam, Account Coordinator, GCI Canada

The title of today’s blog post is a reference to the popular TV show, Beverley Hills 90210 and the popular micro-blogging platform, Twitter. One is a hotbed of gossip, relationships and being part of the in-crowd — and the other is a TV show.

Julia Roy — herself known for being all over the social media scene — posts (late) today about Twitter Tip Tuesday, and the ethics of following and being followed on Twitter, and why you should unfollow someone. You can read it yourself, but this statement stood out for me: “Before you go and find more people to follow, get rid of those that did not follow you in return. Unless the person who did not reciprocate the follow is an influencer you admire or some other big personality, unfollow them. Don’t receive updates from those that do not receive yours.”

I can see where Roy is coming from; trim your list to make it tight and relevant, but (as I commented) and will repeat here for the record: “I don’t think it’s a popularity contest on Twitter. To me, there’s more value in following people than being followed — I have so much great info flowing across my Twitter screen from social media influencers. It’s gold, especially in my PR role.” It’s a ticker tape of knowledge coming from people, some of whom could charge hundreds of bucks for their time. (Same for the Q&A section of LinkedIn, but that’s another whole area of interaction altogether. Very underused in my opinion.)

So, if the worst does happen, how can you track who has unfollowed you? One of the commenters mentions Twitterless and I also found Qwitter. (I am testing out the latter so will see how popular my next lot of tweets are by who leaves me. *sniff*)

And, while we’re on the subject of popularity, one man very much in demand right now is Peter Shankman and his HARO. Mentioned it before here on the blog, but today we got a hit and saw a mention for GCI in an article on social media. Hip hip HARO!

Have a great weekend.

~ John Carson, Senior Digital Media Specialist, GCI Canada

Ran across this post by Jason Baer (hat tip: Larissa Fair). Apart from the always-useful “scowling Pulp Fiction-style monkey with a gun” photo, Baer dissects some misconceptions that people have about social media, how to do it and what can be achieved.

To save space, I’ll just list his top six picks (all FALSE in Baer’s opinion) and answer on my own.

1. Social Media is Inexpensive — FALSE
2. Social Media is Fast — TRUE
3. Social Media is “Viral Marketing” — FALSE
4. Social Media results can’t be measured — TRUE
5. Social Media is Optional — FALSE
6. Social media is Hard — FALSE

For (2) I would argue that, depending on how niche the community is that you’re trying to engage, good results can be achieved in days, if not hours. For (4) I would argue that (not from a technical, software-monitoring option) social media results can’t really be measured. Baer does concede that to a point: “Can those results be tied back directly to sales, and therefore ROI? Probably not yet …” [I still prefer the term ROE — Return On Engagement.]

I think that the dangerous part of social media is that it is becoming a catch-all phrase; something that people who don’t really understand it think that it can guarantee results, cheaply, without much effort and because … well … “everyone else is doing it, right?”

~ John Carson, Senior Digital Media Specialist, GCI Canada

Over at the excellent ReadWriteWeb (RRW) they’ve been asking the top bloggers and social media gurus what they earn. Might be a rude question, but the answers are anonymous, and it makes for an interesting survey — especially with the current financial climate looming large.

So … for bloggers, it ranged from $10 to $80 for a single blog post. RRW reckons that some of the full-time bloggers are pulling in six figures, which is probably true if you check out TechCrunch, Mashable and the Gawker Media Network. All very successful, opinionated and influential.

And the big $$$? “Social media consultants, expert practitioners with multiple years of success in the kinds of positions discussed above and in some cases in traditional marketing jobs, are the ones making the most money. No one we surveyed named an hourly consulting rate below $150 per hour. $300 per hour was the most common rate named.”

I am guessing all the survey respondents were from the U.S. Curious, too, as to how they pitch their services? Do they quote one fee for the advice they offer, and hope the client is happy with the results? Or — braver still in social media — guarantee certain elements of success for their fee, and collect on proven results?

Along with coverage in the dailies and a breakfast television slot, does the PR checklist now have “50 blog mentions” and “25 new Twitter followers” on it’s to-do list as a successful campaign?

~ John Carson, Senior Digital Media Specialist, GCI Canada

First, please read this article by CNET’s Caroline McCarthy, then, discuss …

Gartner analyst Adam Sarner projects that 50 per cent of social media campaigns will flop. Picking out a few choice quotes from the article, here’s some personal thoughts:

” … over 75 per cent of Fortune 1000 companies with websites will have undertaken some kind of online social networking initiative for marketing or customer relations purposes.”
That “75 per cent” stat sounds pretty high. Maybe 55-60 per cent may be closer?

“‘(Businesses) will rush to the community and try to connect, but essentially they won’t have a mutual purpose, and they’ll fail,’ Sarner said. By a ‘mutual purpose,’ he means a way to serve both the company putting out the campaign and the audience interacting with it: finding that balance is not easy. The quirkiest and most addictive campaigns often provide little value for the company and turn out to be fads, whereas marketing efforts on the Web often don’t go over as well with the public.”
I believe that if your purpose is to serve the community that the campaign is aimed at, then the company will ultimately be served down the line. [A company being ’served’ doesn’t sound appropriate; maybe ‘respected’ is a better word?] If the most addictive campaigns are the ones picked up on by the customers, then how can that provide “little value” for the company too?

“The social network is ‘more for the community than it is for the bottom line’ …”
Agree with Sarner on that one.

“‘Are you discovering what’s going to be the new black next season?’ he suggested as an example of a trendspotting-focused strategy.”
If anyone reading this knows what will happen [re. social media] in 12 months, please tell us so we can all jump in get involved.

“When asked whether the faltering economy will mean that businesses are cutting back on this largely unproven field of social media for marketing or customer relations, Sarner said he didn’t think so, and that many businesses will turn to the Web to stay in touch with consumers during a difficult financial climate.”
Sarner seems to be in agreement with the stats that Mitch Joel picked out a few days ago.

In summary, my take from the sentiments expressed is that, yes, companies do want to get into social media strategies, but are looking for ways that will benefit themselves and their customers in equal measure. I can still sense the reluctance — a little — to let go.

~ John Carson, Senior Digital Media Specialist, GCI Canada