mobileStorm's CEO and Founder, Jared Reitzin, schools us on branding for mobility.
What is "mobile marketing"?
The ability to market to anyone anywhere via mobile phones.
What does "brandologie" mean to you?
The science of branding
What is the difference between Marketing and the Science of Branding? With marketing there should be a direct response and a way to track the results of your selling efforts. Branding is harder to quantify. You might spend a lot of money to create a compelling website with images and copy that speaks to people and targets your customer base. You can see the draw you’re creating, but there is no direct correlation to revenue. With marketing you should have a call to action: I have a database, I’m sending out x amount of emails or SMS messages. I’m able to track these efforts and generate a certain amount of revenue. There is a direct correlation with what you spend and the results you see. You should really be able to calculate your ROI.
Why do you think mobile coupons are taking off?
Everyone wants a deal in this economy. Coupons have historically been a great way to drive sales. Couponing isn't a new concept but when you can offer someone a coupon to come in and get 10% off at lunch 10 minutes before their lunch break, that is very powerful and chances are you will get their business. And since mobile coupons are digital, you are saving a tree. Everyone wins.
How can mobileStorm help other companies build their brand identity through mobile marketing?
Like any other channel we’ve taken the approach that business needs to have multiple channels, one size doesn’t fit all. There are different demographics, age groups, genders and cultures. In some cases direct mail really works, in other cases it fails miserably. Younger demographics are going through social or text messaging channels. So providing multiple ways to communicate to various groups and demographics in a mobile storm is the way to go. Each channel has its own benefits and its own types of returns, but make sure you’re using multiple channels.
How can organizations embrace mobile marketing on a shoe-string budget?
There are companies out there like mobileStorm who have invested in the infrastructure to make mobile marketing an inexpensive and turnkey proposition. It’s easy enough now that within minutes you could be promoting a short code and keyword for less than $100 per month.
How is the current economy effecting your market?
We’re in a great recession proof industry and you can’t stop marketing from happening. What’s the old saying, 80% of business is done through your existing customer base and it costs twice as much money to obtain new customers. So you have people wanting to build databases and market to them, with mobile marketing you’re saving money to market to your existing customer base and tracking the results of your investments.
You were 22 when you started mobileStorm. How has your personal brand changed over the years as you've gotten older and more established?
I created jaredreitzin.com as a way to tell my stories and help entrepreneurs. I believe this site has really helped increase my personal brand and established me as a small business entrepreneur. The one thing I do know as the years go by is that there is still a lot more to learn, but I just love business. I am a scholar of it.
More about Jared Reitzin
Jared’s website
LinkedIn profile
Jared’s digital marketing blog
Jared’s video on Vator.TV
Crunchbase profile
Facebook profile
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Friday, May 15, 2009
Mixin' It Up - Integrating Search and Social Media into your Marketing Mix
Marketing has grown leaps and bounds with the onset of search engine marketing (SEM) and social media marketing (SMM). Gone are the times of relying solely on traditional marketing methods. For those outside of the marketing realm, Kent Lewis, of Anvil Media, Inc., describes traditional marketing as “corporate and agency-driven messaging, broadcast in a one-to-many fashion, over long-lead, expensive and difficult-to-measure media.”
For comparison purposes, he states, “online/interactive marketing may utilize a collaborative message development platform with two-way conversations, and provides a real-time, cost-effective and measurable media format.”
The question now is how does one incorporate SEM and SMM into the traditional marketing mix? The five areas looked into include search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC), social media marketing (SMM), online reputation management (ORM) and measurement/analytics. For further enlightenment, read the full article here.
Now that you're all squared away with the concept of social media and its advantages, my guess is you're wondering how to take those elements and create a successful social media marketing campaign. Never fear! Lewis has gathered some pointers for interested parties. In his article he mentions how 3 steps, 1) Monitor & Measure, 2) Create & Communicate and 3) Engage & Empower, can ensure your social media marketing efforts stay focused and relevant.
For comparison purposes, he states, “online/interactive marketing may utilize a collaborative message development platform with two-way conversations, and provides a real-time, cost-effective and measurable media format.”
The question now is how does one incorporate SEM and SMM into the traditional marketing mix? The five areas looked into include search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC), social media marketing (SMM), online reputation management (ORM) and measurement/analytics. For further enlightenment, read the full article here.
Now that you're all squared away with the concept of social media and its advantages, my guess is you're wondering how to take those elements and create a successful social media marketing campaign. Never fear! Lewis has gathered some pointers for interested parties. In his article he mentions how 3 steps, 1) Monitor & Measure, 2) Create & Communicate and 3) Engage & Empower, can ensure your social media marketing efforts stay focused and relevant.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
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.
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.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
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
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/
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/
Friday, May 8, 2009
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: 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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