Posts Tagged ‘Social Media’

Being Real is the New Deal

Friday, May 17th, 2013

Today, it is not enough to just have a great product. You have to humanize your brand and create lasting relationships among your consumer base.

Aliza Licht, SVP of Global Communications at Donna Karen, humanizes the brand brilliantly. She is the woman behind DKNY PR GIRL on Twitter and has managed to make the DKNY brand feel like an actual person. I found myself wanting to buy every piece of DKNY clothing, even though she sometimes talks more about ABC’s Scandal than the actual brand. Still, she has cultivated a loyal DKNY online community of close to 500,000 followers. In a recent TEDxTalk, Licht addresses “The Power of Being Real.” She says that the people she interacts with on Twitter are not followers, but friends. These friends embraced her when she revealed her true self on Twitter, despite her fears of being rejected. The fact that she was a real and not just a brand resonated with her followers.

Being real doesn’t just apply to us, it applies to all businesses. The human touch is more powerful and compelling than most ads you will find out there. First off, we know consumers look and listen more to their peers when it comes to making a purchase decision than the brand itself. By humanizing your brand, you become more of a peer among your consumers, thus more influential.

So you’re on Facebok, but every brand belongs on Twitter. Twitter is your new BFF, no matter what industry you’re in. Turn up the romance and start getting cozy with this social network. Once you’ve lit the fires of love, develop a set personality for your brand. After all, every human has one and so should you. Social Media Today poses these questions: Who are you? What are you? Are you serious? Are you funny? Are you a combination of both? What is the tone of your conversations? The tone of your educational material? Social media is not for those who want to remain hidden in the shadows like an over-hyped vampire. It welcomes every person on the social network to come on it and see you at face value. You are exposed to the online world and you cannot hide. A set personality that best reflects your brand is your ultimate asset and weapon.

According to Social Media Today, Jon Iwata, Senior Vice President (Marketing and Communications) at IBM, stated, “We don’t try to manage the IBM brand. We try to manage our character as a business. And we’ve never defined IBM by what we’re selling.” Being human yourself, do you only talk about your business? Probably not. You shouldn’t do this with your brand either. For example, JonO is the epitome of a BzzAgent- chatty, informative and influential.

On Twitter and Facebook, JonO is an actual person but he still represents our brand. He mostly posts quirky and unique tidbits of information, but that’s exactly how we are here! With 90,000 “Likes ” on the BzzAgent Facebook page, JonO has 8,300 people talking about BzzAgent right now. That’s over 9%, and that’s often up around 15%. It’s an amazing level of engagement considering AdAge reports that brands only see about 1.3% engagement on Facebook. Obviously, you will need to talk about your business on social media, but adding those off topic pieces allows you to be more human and connect to your audience in a different way like JonO has.

The relationships that result from humanizing your brand are one of the most important products from this process. Cultivating relationships with your consumer base can lead to long-term loyalty and sales. Social Media Today wants you to remember that real people are behind those Facebook posts and Twitter handles. Engage with your consumers everyday. Respond to tweets inquiring about something or just to thank the person for showing their loyalty. The connections you make with your consumers now will be a valuable asset for the future.

Humanizing your brand is the next step you need to take in social media. Become not only a brand to your consumers, but a friend.

Tags: aliza licht, dkny, ibm, jon iwata, marketing, Social Media
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This Mother’s Day, Think Digital

Wednesday, May 8th, 2013

Mother’s Day is this weekend, meaning you are probably going into panic mode about what to get the mom in your life. Why not go digital? Today’s moms have entered the digital age with full force, in the home and in mobile.

Forbes reports that nearly 70% of moms think technology makes them better. Marketers have begun to focus on moms specifically because they make up a large and influential demographic group. In fact, 90% of mothers use social media on a daily basis, a 20% increase since 2010 according to MediaPost. Moms are not just using social media because it is a fad. They enjoy a high level of engagement from family and friends. Mike Fogarty, the senior vice president and global publisher at BabyCenter, stated “Today’s mom is the most influential and social consumer you’ll meet.” They actually make up 32% of all online profits despite only being 18% of online users. Moms enjoy being active online, spending 6.1 hours per day surfing the web and shopping.

Even when it comes to the busiest of moms, they are still connected through their mobile devices. Social Media Today reports that 77% of moms follow 1 or more brands on social media, redeeming offers as they go. According to Marketing Charts, 83% of women in general are willing to give up their location on their mobile devices for $25 worth of in-store credit. Mobile moms can snag that credit too. With moms 28% more likely to use a tablet and 38% more likely to own a smartphone, mobile opportunities are endless for them and convenient, and that goes a long way. Now, 58% of them are more likely to make a purchase through a mobile device. Instead of pushing a screaming baby through a store, moms can make a purchase from the comfort of their couch as their child’s baby swing rocks away the tears.

Moms are embracing the digital age, so lend them a hand this Mother’s Day and go digital.

Tags: Digital, forbes, mobile, Mother's Day, Social Media
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Millennials are Breaking the Privacy Norm

Thursday, April 25th, 2013

We all protect our privacy, holding it near and dear. Today, there are many debates surrounding online privacy, and it’s safe to assume most don’t want their personal information out there for the world to see. However, Millennials seem to be breaking this norm.

Ranging from 18 to 34 years of age, USA TODAY reported that the University of Southern California’s Center for the Digital Future in conjunction with Bovotiz Inc. found that Millennials are the most willing of any generation to divulge their personal information online, even more so when there is a reward for them as a result. This is not to say that Millennials don’t enjoy their right to privacy. 70% of them believe no one should have direct access to their information or web behavior, but they do like the benefits they receive from giving it out.

Engaging with companies has become an instinct with this generation. They know the more they engage, the greater the benefits they receive. For example, there can be a 20% discount on a brands site, but if you follow them on Twitter you receive 30% off. Elaine Coleman, managing director of media and emerging technology at Bovitz Inc., stated, ”Millennials are all about exchange of information. [They say], ‘Sure, if you send me a relevant ad, I’ll tell you where I am.’ ” Growing up with technology has fostered this way of thinking because it has always been the path for these young users to connect globally.

Millennials are a significant portion of today’s marketing audience and they have a lot of influence on each other. In Marketing Charts coverage of the report, they noted that at least 48% of Millennials access social media sites several times a day, compared to only 20% of those 35 years old and above. This means Millennials have a greater potential to influence peers than those of an older generation. Millennials also reportedly contact at least 18 people via social networking sites. Since 70% of consumers trust a stranger’s recommendation, marketers need to attract this generation with special offers in exchange for their information to gain better insight into their behaviors and offer a better user experience. This can result in an increase of sales for a brand as well as greater loyalty.

Millenials’ value their privacy, but they are more willing to hand over their information if there’s a reward involved. The more information they give to brands, the more a brand can reward them, gain consumer insight and spur a series of word-of-mouth interactions. Give Millennials special benefits, and you will receive them in return.

Tags: consumer engagement, privacy, rewards, Social Media, usa today
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What Customers Value Most Online May Not Be What Businesses Thought

Wednesday, April 17th, 2013

The Internet has allowed us to reach customers on multiple platforms. Through social media, businesses have been able to connect to their customers and offer them insight into their brand. However, the Harvard Business Review has found that businesses may have incorrectly perceived why customers follow them on social media.

The authors Patrick Spenner and Karen Freeman stated:

Businesses broadly misjudge what consumers want from them online. In particular, marketers often believe that consumers interact with them on social media to join a community and feel connected to the brand. But consumers have little interest in having a relationship beyond the merely transactional.

The image to the right ranks the reasons why customers engage with brands on social media, with the right column showing what businesses perceived that to be. They ranked learning about new products and general information as top on customers’ lists, when only 52% and 51% of customers agreed respectively. Perhaps the starkest difference between brands’ and consumers’ reasons is being part of a community. Only 22% of consumers surveyed responded that they follow brands for that reason, contrasting 61% of businesses.

Customers actually follow brands because of the potential discounts and purchases, which businesses ranked the lowest in terms of reasons. Discounts and purchases are the most relevant to a customer, as they directly benefit from it. Relevancy and value are what draw in a customer’s interest. They don’t rank learning about new products very high because we know that customers prefer and are more receptive to a recommendation for a product by their peers. Instead, they look for information that allows them to gain something.

Businesses need to take a closer look at what resonates most with their customers because that is the path to greater engagement with them.

Tags: consumer engagement, Social Media
Posted in Making BzzAgent Work | 1 Comment »

Instagram is in Command

Thursday, April 11th, 2013

Acquired by Facebook last year, Instagram has skyrocketed in popularity (even with #nofilter) and is beginning to command the attention of major brands.

In an increasingly visual world, Instagram is a powerful brand marketing tool. We aren’t saying that you need to go out and create a photo campaign of images that look like they could be used on billboards. The power and beauty of Instagram is the casual air it gives off. According to MarketingProfs, consumers are looking for a more relaxed approach on this social media site, and in turn are more receptive. Instagram should not be used solely for advertisements since consumers can find that anywhere. Instead, brands need to utilize the app to cultivate relationships with their customers.

Brands can still show off their products on Instagram, but in a more natural and beautiful setting. For instance, a restaurant chain can post a photo of a customer eating a meal outside on a spring day. With a wide array of filters to enhance the image, posting a photo that is made beautiful and depicting people enjoying the services can elicit a higher level of engagement.

Aside from showcasing products and services, Instagram is a great way to bring your consumers behind the scenes of the brand. Images posted can pull away the corporate mask to show your employees as everyday people having fun with their jobs. You can show your followers the beginning stages of production, meetings, products being used around the office and employees helping people just like them. Adrienne Erin of MarketingProfs states, “Instagram is a great platform for highlighting what is unique or special about your company—like show-and-tell for grownups.”

Speaking of highlighting, Social Media Examiner suggests that you also highlight consumers. These consumers are the people who keep your brand going, and we already know how powerful peer influence is. We also know about the importance of brand advocates, so why not highlight them in a new way? Showcase your top advocates by posting photos of them. Brand advocates are crucial and their levels of engagement have been growing on Instagram. By showing them off, they’ll show you off by liking, sharing and re-tweeting your photos to their peers and offering a glimpse into your brand experience.

Another advantage of Instagram for brands is that it can be linked to Facebook and Twitter. Cross promotion is extremely important in this social media dominated society. An astounding 98% of photos on Instagram are posted to Facebook with an estimated 274 people engaging with the photo in some capacity. ”Integration between Facebook and Instagram has allowed users to have photos they ‘like’ appear in their Facebook feeds,” Simply Measured says. “The result has been a continued increase in per post engagement and a greater share of brand photos posted to Facebook.” Twitter sees a lower share rate at 59% with 22 tweets per photo. Still, cross promoting images allows your brand’s visibility to increase along with its reach.

Instagram offers a new path to consumers for brands. By engaging with Instagram, you can engage with your consumers.

Tags: consumer engagement, cross promotion, facebook, Instagram, Social Media, twitter
Posted in Making BzzAgent Work | 1 Comment »

Retailers Continue to Assure They’re Never Going Out of Style

Thursday, February 28th, 2013

The retail industry does not like to be thought of as boring. Affinity Express pinpointed that retailers are keeping up with the changing landscape of their industry. Consumers are just beginning to poke their heads out of their burrows from the recession and retailers are aiming to respond to their needs as best as possible on social platforms.

Much to our and many other social marketers’ delight, a majority of people’s time is now being spent on social media. Companies have been integrating with social media for a while now. And the benefits? Pretty great if you ask us. In a Mass Relevance survey, 59% of respondents stated that they would trust a company more if they were on social media sites. Three quarters of social media users implement those sites to find out information about a brand and its products with 91% of 18-34 year olds creating conversations about them. Retailers are getting savvy and using consumer habits to their advantage. Since 62% of consumers are more engaged with a brand on social media, companies plan on being hardcore social media users on multiple platforms this year.

Retailers are not only social, but now also mobile. In record time, consumers have adopted the habit of using their mobile devices to shop. Affinity Express states:

The technology has transferred the power into the consumers’ hands with the ability to search for product information, post reviews, look up store locations and make actual purchases.

Currently, half of all retailers have mobilized in some capacity to further reach their consumer base’s habits. With this rise in mobile optimization, more men seem to have become engaged with brands. According to facts compiled by digby.com, 68% of men will make purchases based off of mobile ads compared to 58% of women. Mobile optimization appears to have opened a more direct pathway to engaging male consumers. This year is predicted to see retailers become the driving force in mobile advertising.

Though mobile has a positive effect on shy post-recession shoppers, retailers still need to draw in consumers in mature markets. Discounts, coupons, and the ability to compare items online and offline will have a strong effect on retaining them. Globally, many new markets are opening up for retailers. Newer customers who are curious but have a high-spending power are available to brands who expand into less populated markets around the world. To maintain growth, retailers can expand and draw in new customers while cultivating loyalty and advocacy to further increase profits and growth.

Growth can also occur by invading the homes of consumers through videos. Affinity Express spoke with the creative director of Studio at Huge Matt Lawrence who stated:

Companies need to realize that video has become the primary channel for consuming content online. Quality video content balances information and entertainment that viewers can relate to their daily lives, on a visceral level. The word of the year for 2013 is story.

Videos will allow the consumer to get a 360 degree image of what their potential lifestyle and attitudes can be if they choose to purchase a brand’s product.The images used to tell the story can be extremely effective in drawing consumers to your brand.

The more social a brand in 2013, the greater its potential for success. Consumers seem to have the power this year. By focusing on their needs, retailers can simultaneously fulfill their own.

Tags: consumer engagement, marketing, retail, Social Media
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A Small Glimpse Into an Entire Experience

Friday, February 1st, 2013

Another app can now grace iPhone users’ screens everywhere. Twitter introduced its new app Vine to the Apple Store marketplace. The app has no 140 character limit! Sounds great, right? That’s because it’s actually a video app that allows users to make a 6 second clip that will play on a loop, similar to a GIF.

Vine derives it’s name from how the 6-second video is created. Users can focus on a image for a few seconds stop the reel and begin filming a new image. Each image is like a leaf on the vine and all are strung together to create a video. The videos created by the app can be shared on Twitter, Facebook and blogs making the virality of the videos more powerful.

Vine can be used to marketers’ advantage through consumers. It gives creators an “equal playing ground” because it is limited to their phones with no extra gadgets to enhance images. What some are dubbing the “video version of Instagram,” Vine has the potential to generate sales when consumers showcase a product. Instead of telling the story, consumers and marketers can show the story of a brand. As we mentioned in our last post Every Story is a Purchase in the Making, storytelling is a powerful marketing tool to reach audiences.

Social Media Today stated that Vine will force those using it to “get to the point” and remove any filler information that is typically present due to the 6 second time limit. This time constraint has the ability to spur creativity among users according to CNN. Scott Klemmer, co-director of the Human-Computer Interaction Group at Stanford University, says the following;

“One of the things we know about creativity is that constraints are essential for getting people to do creative stuff. If you come up with the right constraints, that’s a benefit, not a drawback.”

Videos can supplement the word of mouth efforts of consumers because of its visual appeal. The clips are also very short so viewers’ attention is obtained for the entire duration, which may not be the case in other instances. With a mere 6 seconds, creators will have to come up with quirky and different ways of conveying their excitement. Overall, only time will tell if Vine will lead to greater virality for a brand among consumers.

For BzzAgents who have downloaded the Vine app, it’s now your chance to deliver creative videos about your BzzKits. Check out a vine created by BzzAgent Jon O. Feel up to it? Share your Vine creations and opinions here.

Tags: Social Media, twitter, Vine
Posted in Making BzzAgent Work | 2 Comments »

The Mobile Moment has Arrived

Tuesday, January 15th, 2013

With the surplus of predictions that 2013 is the year of mobile advertising, companies appear to be diving into a rat race to churn out mobile ads. Consumers are now accessing social media through their mobile devices more than ever before and becoming more engaged through the process. Estimates say that $4 billion dollars will be spent on mobile advertising this year, with only more funds to be attributed over the next 5 years. That’s a large chunk of change for only 2% of the current advertising market. Sure, consumers are more social and mobile but word of mouth is still a cheaper and more viral way of informing consumers about a product while generating a profit.

According to eMarketer, Google conducted a survey where they found 60% of all smartphone users access social media through their devices. Companies have started purchasing ad space like a wildfire has been lit on Google, Facebook and Twitter. Each of these 3 social media giants stand to profit immensely this year from online ads. Despite pouring billions into mobile advertising, it seems many are missing the mark on connecting with their consumers.

Consumers are more likely to engage with a brand when it is more native to them. Brands have created apps to connect with their users, but they try to sell products through paid banners. Consumers are more likely to engage with a product if it’s presented in a more integrated format on the page. VentureBeat.com believes the most successful way to engage a consumer is by an “app within an app” approach. Consumers can look at the product and be able to tweet or post their generated content to Facebook immediately. However, it is still an advertisement and not the consumer’s main focus.

BzzAgent is moving faster in the mobile game. Our iPhone app is a great way to for consumers to use their smartphone to share product experiences as they happen. The app features the product as the star of the page with our Agents acting as brands’ mobile promoters.

The BzzAgent app allows for our Agents to engage with a brand’s product directly. It offers an in the moment look at our Agents’ experiences through a multitude of activities. They can access the product’s information on the go and tweet their feelings about it from our app. Our app makes the product native to our Agents, making it easier to connect with a brand and advocate for it. By being able to tweet and post photos directly, BzzAgent has seen a high level of engagement with multiple campaigns such as L’Oreal Revitalift.

Instead of throwing down a big wad of cash to draw attention to a product, BzzAgent offers a more efficient way to advocate for a brand. Word of mouth is extremely viral and a strong marketing tool that can broaden a brand’s consumer base. Instead of forking over a fortune hoping onto the mobile advertising bandwagon, why not try word of mouth marketing?

Tags: mobile advertising, mobile marketing, Social Media, word of mouth
Posted in Making BzzAgent Work, WOM Musings, Word of Mouth Thoughts | No Comments »

OMG! I Totally Need That Too!

Monday, January 7th, 2013

Becky preordered her new iPhone 5, resulting in a package simply delivered to her door. Since Becky’s BFF Ann was less savvy, she had to endure the brutal and insane task of waiting in line for hours and fighting frostbite just so she could claim one of her own. Obviously if Becky had it, Ann needed the new iPhone too.

A Harvard Business School study found that friends have a significant influence in regards to consumers’ shopping behaviors. Remember the time Johnny got that brand new Tonka truck or Jenna brought her new Malibu Barbie to school? We know you went home and begged your mom for the same thing because if they had it then so should you. Friends have influenced consumers’ decisions since their playground days.

Raghuram Iyengar, Sangman Han and Sunil Gupta of Harvard Business School found that consumers fall into three categories:

Low-status: Online users who are not well connected, interact with others sparingly and are unaffected by social pressure
Middle-status: Mildly active users who are connected and influenced by their friends online behaviors and purchases
High-status: Online users who are well-connected but like to differentiate themselves by not succumbing to social influences

Social marketing finds its money pot in the middle-status group. Upon further review, revenue was observed to have increased by 5% among companies with shoppers in that category. The Harvard study proposes that by targeting this specific group of middle-status users, it may be possible to increase a company’s revenue exponentially. Iyengar, Han and Gupta found that only 40% of users are significantly influenced by their peers, but this percentage is enough to increase sales and drive revenue.

In support of Harvard’s findings, consumer intelligence firm Market Force also performed a study focused on peer influence and resulting product consumption. Comprised of 12,000 participants in the US and UK, the company observed how their subjects interacted with varying industries through the social variables of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+. Market Force discovered that 81% of US respondents were influenced by friends when it came to purchasing.

Market Force’s results mirrored those conducted by Lithium and the CMO Council. 80% of their subjects in their study agreed that suggestions made by their peers were influential in trying new products. They also asked its subjects if a company’s posts on social media influenced their purchases – 78% answered yes. Consumers prefer to see social media posts that they can benefit from. While discount offers and incentives are an attraction, the detailed, candid and personal product reviews and recommendations from “someone like me” are what make social media so meaningful.

While companies are aiming to become more social media savvy and influential, they are still working their way up in the online world. Posts by peers are more influential than company posts because they are solely focused on a consumer experience. By taking a cue from their consumers, companies can focus more on the consumer in their posts thus resulting in a more beneficial conversation with a customer while having a direct effect on a purchase.

Tags: friends, peer influence, Social Media
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