Author Archives 
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B2B communities: It’s not about you
With approximately 500,000 registered customers across its four primary communities—Cisco Developer Network, The Cisco Learning Network, Cisco Support Community, and My Cisco—and community efforts on all major social media channels, Cisco knows a thing or two about sustaining successful B2B communities. And that includes one key tenet: When it comes to starting a B2B community… Continue reading
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Video veritas: Who’s watching?
If you were asked who watches more video on their mobile devices, you’d probably say teens. I know that would have been my answer. Surprisingly, that’s not the case. According to the latest Three Screen report from Nielsen, 55 percent of mobile video viewers are adults aged 25-49. And on average, these users are spending… Continue reading
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Giving your customers a voice pays off
Word of mouth has always been a powerful marketing tool. I learned this firsthand when I and my fledgling cheesecake business moved to a rural agricultural community several years ago. Customer reviews are just as important and powerful in the digital realm, as well. I can’t remember the last time I made a purchase, whether… Continue reading
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Why you should make your website more engaging
You’ve got your social media strategy in place and in play. You’re monitoring Twitter accounts, managing Facebook pages, and posting videos to YouTube. But who’s paying attention to your website?
With so much attention focused on engaging customers in various social media outlets, many corporate websites have been left stagnant. You can make your… Continue reading
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Less is more with YouTube redesign
I have to admit, I never got the fascination of YouTube. What I didn’t understand was how my friends, and the masses in general, discovered these video gems. Really, my trouble with YouTube was that the site was hard to use. For me, it was like walking into a thrift store. I knew there were… Continue reading
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3 things you should know about your audience
You’re regularly (read: frequently) monitoring blogs, social networks, and websites for coverage of your industry and mentions of your company’s brand. And you’ve even created a database of influencers for your industry based on this regular trolling. But how well do you know your audience? Probably not well enough.
When I’m not creating content… Continue reading
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Why crowdsourcing isn’t a synonym for community
In these economically challenged times, what company isn’t attracted to the idea of crowdsourcing to generate free marketing content? As the saying goes, there’s no such thing as a free lunch, and crowdsourcing can actually cost your business plenty in lost revenue, customers, and perception.
Using the Internet to broadcast an open call to… Continue reading
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When saying so little can deliver so much
Much has been said about the benefits of using social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace for connecting with customers. However, there’s another much-less-touted although equally valuable vehicle for reaching customers—SMS or text-based messaging.
Nowadays, most of us probably receive text messages from someone with whom we do business; for example, a message… Continue reading
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Give an audience a social conscience, they’ll give you eyeballs
As an eco-friendly furniture components manufacturer, Hickory Springs wouldn’t seem to have an obvious need for social media marketing. After all, they make the parts for furniture that no one ever sees; the company’s customers make the actual furniture. However, Hickory Springs has launched a clever social media campaign that succeeds on many levels for multiple audiences. Continue reading
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Local Dirt creates community, brings food close to home
I love when technology solves a real problem and brings together people or businesses that otherwise wouldn’t find each other, or, at least, wouldn’t find each other easily. That’s what Local Dirt is doing for those interested in finding, buying, and selling local food.
I find this interesting not only because I’m a consumer… Continue reading
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Giving email social skills
Although the rumors of email’s demise may be exaggerated, there’s no denying that the use of email is on the decline as people spend more time on social sites. (I can attest to this with the changes in my own personal communications habits). And though email currently remains the most popular media among marketers, social media is running a very close second. For email to remain a relevant marketing tool, it needs to become “social” as well. Continue reading
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Sara Lee serves up fresh social media campaign
The first order of business for any marketing communications plan is this: Know your audience. Self-evident, sure; however, not always well executed.
Sara Lee Deli’s new campaign—Mama Sagas—is a great example of how combining the power of knowing your audience with social media (such as Facebook and Twitter and other media outlets like YouTube and… Continue reading
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Turning bad news into good business
It used to be that angry customers had only a couple options for expressing their dissatisfaction with a company’s products or services. They could call customer service, write a letter or e-mail. However, the proliferation of social media and blogging platforms have provided numerous outlets for customers to voice their displeasure. Worse, with such outlets as Facebook and Twitter, negative opinions spread faster than wildfire. Continue reading
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