Making the Most of Social Media

With so much going on in the realm of social media, it's becoming increasingly more difficult to manage the myriad of profiles. But, are you really getting the most out of them? Or do you even realize the value you can obtain from them? Kent Lewis, our resident optimization expert, has given numerous presentations surrounding the topic of social media and says he’s “been surprised at the number of blank stares from crowds…” as he promotes the value of LinkedIn and Twitter.

Why focus solely on these two tools? “The reason is that I believe they are and will continue to be the most powerful of the social media platforms for marketing and reputation management for individuals, executives and companies alike. Both can be set up for free within minutes, and have the opportunity to significantly increase your visibility and credibility, even if you're a social media dimwit,” Lewis explains.

While many business professionals have LinkedIn profiles, they’ve barely touched the tip of the ice burg when it comes to personal branding and optimizing their accounts, and most have never heard of Twitter, let alone have an account. Interested in learning more about how to bolster your online presence? Click here to access Kent's in depth article.

Forward '09 Speaker Preview: Mike Sommers with KickApps

Mike Sommers is the Senior Vice President of Product Management with KickApps, a leading social media platform company. KickApps offers a "Social Graph Operating System" and a suite of social networking and user generated content applications that plug into it. Get a taste of what Mike has to say and register for the conference to meet him in person.

What does "brandologie" mean to you? "Change we can believe in" or "Yes we can"?
“Yes we can,” for sure! Doesn’t that make you feel like you are in control of your own destiny? That you are personally involved in the challenges and the successes that lie ahead? As a brand, aligning your interests with the interests of your customers is key!

What does KickApps mean by a "Social Graph EngineTM"?
The "Social Graph" is generally defined as a representation of a person's online identity, activity and relationship to other people, media and ideas.

Different social graphs are designed to create and collect different types of data. Facebook, MySpace and Google social graphs are fed with data collected from those general purpose social networking portals. By contrast, KickApps Social Graphs are designed to collect contextual data that is specific to each of our customers’ audience, content and activities.

By deploying KickApps, you will create a social graph of your site's audience. This data is associated with your users’ registration, public and private profiles, commenting around editorial and user-generated content, media tags, friend and group relationships and all other site activities. The net result is a deeper understanding of your audience, enabling you to deliver more intelligent content, ads, and other things, based on the nature of your business and your relationship with visitors to your web site.

How do you get people to participate in a social networking application for a company like Kraft?
How you get people to participate in any social network is totally dependent on objectives of the brand. Are you trying to generate page views? Are you trying to learn about (or influence) your customers’ buying habits? Are you trying to provide tech support in an open forum? Are you trying to sell them a new product? Are you trying to get them to vote for you? Each of these objectives requires a slightly different approach in terms of getting people to engage with your brand online. Also you have to consider the online behaviors and habits of your customers. Are they tech savvy? Are they on Facebook and Twitter? Once you’ve answered these questions you are most of the way to figuring out how to reach these people and get them to do things for you using the social media tools that are at their disposal today.

Both the Obama and McCain campaigns had social networking applications. How do you think this will impact future political campaigns?
KickApps actually powered John McCain’s social network at www.mccainspace.com during the 2008 campaign, so I have quite a bit of insight into just how powerful social media can be in terms of connecting with and energizing a constituency during a presidential campaign. That said, I don’t think social media is going to change anything fundamentally in our political structure. Really, what social media brings to the table is a few more tools that politicians can use to connect with their constituents, and vice versa. If it’s true that a politician’s main purpose in life is to serve the needs of their constituents, I can’t think of a better time to be a politician than right now… it’s so easy be connected to (and informed by!) the people that support you.

To learn more about Mike Sommers:
http://www.mikesommers.com/
http://www.linkedin.com/in/mikesommers
http://odeo.com/episodes/23736905-Mike-Sommers-KickApps-com-SVP-Prod-Dev-All-About-Web-2-0-Development
http://www.crunchbase.com/person/mike-sommers

Content Perspectives with Evanta's Director of Content Development

Portland's AMA Advisory Board member, Meredyth Jensen, Director of Content Development with Evanta sat down with the Forward '09 Brandologie Conference communications team to chat about her pespectives regarding branding.

What does "brandologie" mean to you?
"Brandologie" means knowing your customer in the broader context of their life. Knowing what drives their values, passions and goals. Understanding what triggers and directs their purchasing decisions.

How does branding in the public sector differ from the private sector?
Whether you work in the public or private sector there may be different strategies and tactics to brand-building but at the end of the day, it's still the same thing: a brand is a promise.

Which would you rather have: US dollars or Disney dollars?
Neither. I'd rather have Euros.

What's your favorite "West Wing" episode?
Episode 1. Aaron Sorkin's ground-breaking pilot script sets the tone for what may arguably be the most compelling TV series ever written.

What's it like to do marketing in Transylvania?
Marketing in post-Communist Romania was a huge education. For starters, the Transylvanian Alps (Carpathian Mountains) are grossly underrated.

You like cupcakes. Who makes a better red velvet cupcake: Saint Cupcake or Cupcake Jones?
Sadly, the cupcakes in Portland can't compare to the delicious red velvets I used to get at Buttercup Bake Shop when I lived in NYC.

To Learn More about Meredyth Jensen:
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/6/a16/b14
http://www.facebook.com/people/Meredyth-Jensen/743124403
http://www.utexas.edu/news/2000/11/13/nr_competition/

This Week's Top Tweets

RT @OregonBusiness: new column to help sm biz Steve Strauss, author of Small Business Bible & USAToday blogger. http://tinyurl.com/o39wza
less than a minute ago from TweetDeck

RT @KGWNews: PDX Commissioner Nick Fish says City Hall will provide what local businesses don't donate to save concerts. http://tr.im/kz10
2 minutes ago from TweetDeck

RT hey @jessicalegg: that doesn't sound right... @OregonianBiz: Bush Garden closes; blames recession, construction http://tinyurl.com/q7am9m
3 minutes ago from TweetDeck

RT @socialmedia2day: Do U Tweet The Elite..Make The Connection or Get The Rejection..Master The Possibilites of Influence http://tr.im/kPVg
4 minutes ago from TweetDeck

RT @socialmedia2day: Brad Feld on How to Raise Capital as a First Time Entrepreneur http://tr.im/kSx9
5 minutes ago from TweetDeck

RT @OregonianBiz: LaCrosse Footwear to buy eco-friendly startup http://tinyurl.com/q3wtw6
5 minutes ago from TweetDeck

RT is this why the FB app sucks? @socialmedia2day: Apple Destroys iPhone Apps credibility By Encouraging Bad Ratings http://tr.im/kSQb
6 minutes ago from TweetDeck

#brandologie speaker Jody Turner is blogging for Fast Company! Check it out: http://bit.ly/fNRxm
about 22 hours ago from TweetDeck

RT @heatherhuhman: Public relations internship in CA: http://tinyurl.com/ctjyao #PRintern
3:52 PM May 7th from TweetDeck

RT @socialmedia2day: Like sand through an hourglass? Karen Post on The Ageless Entrepreneur. http://tr.im/kK1z
9:43 AM May 7th from TweetDeck

The Boston Globe gets to stay in print. Anybody else think it's weird the NYT co owns the globe, @nytimes & about.com? http://bit.ly/pxuye
9:41 AM May 7th from TweetDeck

RT @socialmedia2day: What happens when social media meets multiculturalism? Tac Anderson has a cautionary tale. http://tr.im/ktRG
5:54 PM May 4th from TweetDeck

RT @OregonianBiz: Career Fair at Convention Center http://tinyurl.com/ctre6n
5:54 PM May 4th from TweetDeck

Reading "Are you micromanaging yourself?" http://bit.ly/fdNCb
5:53 PM May 4th from TweetDeck

RT @OregonianBiz: Family leave mandate clears Oregon House http://twurl.nl/0hvycr
2:10 PM May 4th from TweetDeck

RT @OregonBusiness: Southern Ore.'s wine industry is maturing like a fine pinot noir... http://tinyurl.com/ct7dwz
2:10 PM May 4th from TweetDeck

RT @OregonianBiz: Gates Foundation gives grants to 'out-of-the-box' ideas http://tinyurl.com/cw4ur6
2:09 PM May 4th from TweetDeck

RT @robindoussard: We've launched a new columnist to help small business, and I'd like more people... http://tinyurl.com/cuoph3
2:08 PM May 4th from TweetDeck

RT @socialmedia2day: Y would U choose 2 join or leave a social network? I am writing a piece on Social Network migration http://tr.im/ksEb
2:07 PM May 4th from TweetDeck

RT @socialmedia2day: B2B Social Media Leads and Efficiency: Many professionals don’t realize the significance of social... http://tr.im/ksEd
2:05 PM May 4th from TweetDeck

Social Media Week in Review

Erika Kirkland our social media follower gives her .02 regarding Social Media for this week's Week in Review:

I frequently find myself falling into the void that is social media, in particular Twitter. I think it’s because it’s short, sweet and to the point, very much like myself. Even after not being a part of it for a day, I find myself floating around looking for articles I might have missed, but I also notice a day away makes me more susceptible to random tweets. I usually try to balance between RT’ing articles, but I also tend to ramble on about nothing in particular. The latter I’m sure is a Twitter “don’t.” Anyway, I found this post to be particularly interesting, as I’ve been trying to cope with climbing out of the vortex, and it provides some insight on how to do just that:

http://www.twitip.com/how-to-avoid-making-twitter-a-procrastination-tool/

This post I found interesting as it seems to state the obvious, but it’s a topic I feel most people taking on the social media endeavor forget about at times, you need to like who you are:

http://www.conversationagent.com/2009/05/you-need-to-like-who-you-are.html

It applies to the same scenario while looking for a job; you need to be confident in yourself, which goes hand-in-hand with liking who you are. Otherwise, you’re screwed. People are a lot more transparent than you’d think, a lesson I’m still learning.

With social media raging forward at a pace that is almost overwhelming to keep up with, I think this article is quite pertinent to building your online presence:

http://tiffanymonhollon.com/blog/2009/05/08/personal-branding-pr-social-media-debate/

Just one more post about personal branding, will it survive into Web3.0?:

http://www.conversationagent.com/2009/04/will-personal-brands-be-in-in-web-30.html

Week In Review: 4/25-5/1

Throughout the week, committee members find interesting links and post them to our various social media platforms. At the end of the week, we include them in a blog post. We encourage you to add any interesting links you’ve found through the comments tool.

Taraneh Foster recommends:
RT @YahooBrett 60% Of Twitter Users Quit After A Month: Oprah isn't the only new user already bored with Twitter. http://tinyurl.com/cqyrur
7:50 PM Apr 28th from TweetDeck

Erika Kirkland recommends:
Ten Tips for Marketing Job-Seekers 2009
http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/4707/Ten-Tips-for-Marketing-Job-Seekers-in-the-Class-of-2009.aspx

Jobless? Get Noticed in New Economy
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103613245

Rita Ogbeama recommends:
Dan Schawbel is the leading personal branding expert for Gen-Y. He is the author of Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success (Kaplan, April 09), as well as the publisher of both the award winning Personal Branding Blog and Personal Branding Magazine. http://personalbrandingblog.com/

Jenn Lackey recommends:
The Shiny Green Button, a blog focusing on brands, communications and sustainability managed by AHA! Alling Henning Associates, Inc. This is a company with a team of stellar writers with keen eyes toward strategy and creativity focusing on business communications.
http://shinygreenbutton.com/

Branding: The Three-dimensional Point

When I decided to get involved with the AMA for this year’s forward ‘09 Brandologie conference, I didn’t spend a whole lot of time pontificating about branding. I’m one of those people that think it’s easy to be confused between branding, marketing and advertising. Unless you have a reason to stop and ask what differentiates the three, it’s easy to think they’re all the same.

However, I’m not here to bore you with evolving definitions. Having the opportunity to work on this project and talk with some of the stellar branding experts speaking at the Forward '09 conference June 3rd, one theme that repeatedly sticks out, I think is worth sharing:

More than ever branding is three-dimensional thanks to technology. But you’re only as good as your weakest link, no matter how you differentiate or define branding, advertising and marketing. It’s all connected. Each channel depends on the other to be successful.

Illustrating how interconnected branding has become, Ken Smith, Account Director with Wieden + Kennedy, spoke to us about new media and how it offers a way to monitor valuable feed back, which wasn’t available until now. “You have to think of all the new media as an opportunity, not as a threat. Ask yourself, given all the new ways to talk to consumers and to have them talk back to us, how do we fit in given our brand personality? If we really think of our brand as a person, would we have a facebook page? Would we twitter? How would we interact with consumers and what are we open to hearing about ourselves? How much control are we willing to give up?”

Smith continues, “I recently read a great post called Top Ten Reasons Your Company Probably Shouldn't Tweet. Number two was, ‘Every tweet has to be approved by legal.’ Our Oregon Tourism client decided that is was a better overall consumer experience if they allowed posts from consumers about their visits to Oregon on their site, even if some didn't have a great experience. If you are really smart, you're monitoring that feedback and looking at negative posts as an opportunity to improve and possibly win a consumer back.”

The example used earlier in our Forward ’09 March 24th Brandologie blog supports Smith’s point. Don’t judge too quickly. We won’t, shows how Americaquest Mortgage missed the mark when it didn’t incorporate the You Tube factor during its Super Bowl advertising. I think it’s safe to say the ads hit the money for being cynical and funny targeting Gen Xers who want to position their investments to bounce back from beleaguered financial markets. But as the blog post argues, Americaquest lost the opportunity for interactive feedback when it didn’t use new media as a branding tool.

Jared Reitzin, CEO and Founder, mobileStorm is helping companies build their brands via mobile marketing. He talked about how advertisers can embrace mobility to sync with their client’s brand strategies. With digital marketing Reitzin says advertisers have the opportunity to create an interactive experience and easily track results. “Instead of just throwing up a billboard with an image and copy, throw up a billboard and ask your audience to access a digital coupon or respond to a poll. You can text reply with your email address and we’ll send detail information about a product or service,” says Reitzin. “I can track how many people have been to my website, how many people have downloaded a [digital] coupon, how many have responded to an email or text message.”

I think Reitzin said it best when put simply, “Text is key to the short word now.”

If you’re interested to learn more from our speakers and sharpen your branding chops, stay tuned to our Brandologie blog. We’ll continue to post full interviews from the speakers who will showcase their expertise at the Forward ’09 event June 3rd. But these are just a tease. If you want the full deal, attend the conference and register.