Facebook has three main ways that you can choose to participate:

1. Create a profile
2. Create a group
3. Create a fan page

The question we often get is which one(s) are the best for our business and how should we operate them? The first answer is to create a profile, without a profile, you can’t use any of the other facebook services. Once you have created a personal profile, you need to decide between keeping your personal profile private or public – and if you are going to keep it public, you also need to decide whether you want to connect with business contacts or keep it to personal friends and family only? This can be a difficult decision, as we often blend the lines between work and friends. My best recommendation? To combine business with personal – but to only add business contacts whom you have started to build a personal relationship with. This allows you to keep it fairly personal, but also allows you to build closer personal relationships with some of your business contacts. If  you choose to keep it private, and to personal friends only, then next step is to create a small email that you will send to anyone who requests a connection that is a business person. This email should thank them for the connection, but that you keep your personal profile private (this is where the fan page or group comes in) and then you offer them to be a part of your other profile (fan page or group). The email should be personal, and should make the person understand that you value their connection but that you keep business separate.

Okay, so onto group vs fan page. In their own words, “Facebook created Pages when we noticed that people were trying to connect with brands and famous artists in ways that didn’t quite work on Facebook…Not only can you connect with your favorite artists and businesses, but now you also can show your friends what you care about and recommend by adding Pages to your personal profile”. Groups on the other hand, are more like “clubs” in real life…groups have managers that approve new members, and it is more of a social conversation than a corporate one.

So how do you choose? I believe Mashable did a great job explaining the difference and when to choose which:

“Groups are great for organizing on a personal level and for smaller scale interaction around a cause. Pages are better for brands, businesses, bands, movies, or celebrities who want to interact with their fans or customers without having them connected to a personal account, and have a need to exceed Facebook’s 5,000 friend cap.”

Which do you use? Do you have all 3?

Your business does not just run itself, you need marketing strategies, and you need to monitor those strategies to make sure that they are working the way that they should. These four questions should help you to make sure your marketing strategies are as useful as possible.

1. Did I use the time I had for marketing wisely this month? Whether you choose to attend networking events, spend time on twitter and facebook or sending out directed emails, your time should be spent doing what works the best. If you find that twitter brings you a lot of traffic, but no sales, maybe you need to tweak your strategy. If directed emails work very well, maybe you should dedicate more time to that avenue. Whatever is working, keep doing it and get rid of what doesn’t.
2. Did I handle every phone call, email and inquiry from a customer properly? If the answer is no, think about what you could have done better. Whether you can help the person or not, it is imperative that everyone who comes in contact with your business walks away happy with how you treated them. Good marketing isn’t just print ads and a website, it’s how you treat your customers.
3. Is my website up to date? You would be amazed at the number of people who have a site created and then just let it sit there. Have you worked with a new client? Have a great new case study? What about new employees/phone numbers or locations? Make sure that you check your site once a month for easy ways to make it more effective.
4. Did I build new connections this month? Your business can not rely on the same contacts every month, you need to build new connections, and increase your touch. Make sure that everything you are doing works toward building new clients and you will never have a slow month.

What other questions do you ask each month to make sure you are on top of your marketing? What about these questions – did you have quality answers? If not, you should give us a call so that we can make sure you have the right answers each month.

Today, the entire world looked on as a video showing HP’s facial recognition software failing miserably hit the mainstream. While the video was put onto youtube last week, the video didn’t hit the front pages of the news sources until today – and was met with immediate response all over the internet. Twitter was filled with tweets, the web was filled with articles, and HP was in a rush to get their statement out.

15 years ago, were a company to face something this disastrous with one of their products, there would have been no way for the world to hear about it so quickly – or through so many channels. They would have had some time to develop a statement, see exactly where they needed to target and chose the right media outlets to talk through. Now, they have to be able to respond almost instantly and in many directions. It is a much scarier world for companies who deal with customers…

While large companies have always had PR teams in place, writers ready to prepare statements and ways to spin stories, small businesses often don’t have the resources for this protection. But, that doesn’t mean it is okay to let it slip aside. It is almost more important for small companies to know what to do if your product fails because of the smaller number of customers you work with. If HP loses one customer, what does that mean to them? Not much. What if you were to lose one customer? Means a bit more, right?

Does your business have a disaster plan ready? Why or why not?

Last week, Chris Brogan wrote a great article discussing what you should do if you find yourself with an extra half-hour of time. He had many great ideas, but didn’t do much more than just list them out and ask for our thoughts. Unfortunately, if you are just getting started in the social media game, just a list of things to do isn’t as helpful as more detailed descriptions of how to do them. So, I picked out a couple that I think deserve more detail and outlined how to use these steps:

1. Reading and commenting on blog posts
   1. Find new blogs to read by checking out sites like alltop, stumbleupon, and google blog search and searching topics you are interested in. Once you have found ones you like, subscribe to them so that you see new content. It is easy to unsubscribe if you no longer are interested.
   2. When you comment, make sure to always link back to a page on your site or blog that is similar in topic to what you are discussing. If none exists, just link to your homepage.
   3. Add to the conversation – ask a question, pose an opposing idea or add more details to a thought. Just putting “good post” doesn’t benefit anyone.
   4. Comment on bloggers who have less comments. You are more likely to get a response, noticed an appreciated than if you are commenter #100.
   5. BUT…it is also good to comment on extremely popular blogs if you have something important to add for the search engine optimization.
2. Writing a recommendation for someone on Linkedin.
   1. Make sure that you only add recommendations for people you have actually worked with personally.
   2. When you write the recommendation, include specific points, not just generalities. People want details, not fluff.
   3. It is okay to ask for a return recommendation, but it is up to the other person what they choose to do. Do not expect a returned recommendation.
   4. Be picky about whom you recommend, and it is okay to turn down someone who asks, just make sure to have a valid reason why you’ve said no.
3. Investigating websites that may or may not help your business.
   1. Is there one area of your business that you struggle with? Pin-point one area to improve and search for just that.
   2. Too wide of a search will mean you can never filter through all the sites that are there, narrow focus means better results.
   3. If you find a site that may help your business, make sure to check out the company thoroughly before becoming involved, there are a lot of disingenuous people online.
   4. If you find a site that can’t help you, but may help others, pass it on! They’ll return the favor down the road…

What other ways can you improve the time you spend online?

After the recently horrible commercials and ad campaigns from pretty much every banking institution, I was pleasantly surprised the other night when I watched this commercial:

Clever. Well done. Point taken. And from a bank I had never heard of.

So I decided to do a little research, and not only did I find a few other great commercials like this one (check out the boy and his truck), I also found the answers to my questions. Their website was simple, easy to understand and explained who they were, their story and what they offer in plain and simple English. They are an online bank that offers basically all the same services as a traditional bank without the brick and mortar facilities.

What I didn’t see was how else they were marketing their bank. And this is problematic. Even great ideas can not succeed without the right marketing strategies, and for an online bank to not be utilizing social media strategies…well, I was shocked.

So what did I expect? I expected an online bank to have a facebook page, a blog and a twitter account. I expected them to be promoted on the homepage. And I expected them to be active, involved and communicating. If they are trying to change the way that people see banks, and are bringing everything into more simple and concise terms, they could do nothing but benefit from social media channels.

What do you think?

Well, I’m embarrassed again. Embarrassed for our industry and fearful of where it’s headed. The recent work done by Ford has to be the epitome of either poor staff or just downright laziness on both the agency and client sides. Ready for this? Drum-roll please……Ford. Drive one. Really? That’s it? That’s the best you could come up with? I can picture my fifth cousin rolling over in his grave – Yes, I’m related to Henry Ford although we’re not getting a heck of a lot of work out of the deal! Anyway back to their new tagline. I can almost see it in the creative session – wait this has to be the client’s doing. So they’re in the conference room and the marketing staff is standing ready to work on the “new” Ford. The line of thinking goes a little like this:

Williams: “Well what is it we’re trying to get them – the audience – to do?”

Johnson: “Buy a car, sir?”

Williams: “Yes of course we want them to do that, Johnson, don’t be foolish! It’s got to be something more, something bigger, something emotional.”

Johnson: “We want them to, um, ahhh, drive one, sir?”

Williams: “Johnson, you’re brilliant! That’s it. Ford. Drive one!”

Johnson: “Wait! We need to instill a sense of urgency. How about: Ford. Drive one today!”

Williams: “Johnson. You’re an idiot.”

Or something to that effect. I can’t possibly imagine the agency coming in for their next big pitch with a whole bunch of research and strategy around “Drive one” and living to tell about it. I know I couldn’t pitch that. I think the US Big 3 car companies need to take a better look at who their competition is and how they’ve continued to be successful. As in a previous post, they’ve never taken the time to establish a brand in the first place so falling flat on their face with “Drive one” really doesn’t hurt them any more than they’ve already hurt themselves. But maybe they should peer across the pond at what success looks like. Ooops, I’m late for my next meeting. Need to hop in the Ultimate driving machine and step on it. I have to pitch a new tag line to a consumer electronics account of ours. Ready? [Brand of TV]. Buy one.

It’s on? Really?

That’s the best Southwest Airlines could come up with. What does it even mean? What’s on? The plane? I hope so. Flight attendant attitude? Oh yeah, it’s on.

Regardless of what their thinking is behind this new slogan and because it’s so obscure, you’d think they would develop an spot – backed up with some heavy media dollars – to establish the new line or what we presume is a new campaign. But the first time I saw the line, the commercial was about your bags flying free. The spot, allegedly created by GSD&M Idea City, isn’t all that compelling for an offer that is. It shows a Southwest baggage handler driving around the tarmac from the perspective of the front of the tractor he’s driving; we watch him mindlessly drive in circles while we listen to some trite VO about the offer. Our star comes into play at the end of the spot with the line “Grab your bag. It’s on.” Huh?

Do you walk to school or carry your lunch? Let’s not forget that we the Southwest Airlines flying public aren’t the sharpest tools in the shed. If you’re going to use popular catch phrases, try picking ones that are relevant – relevant to your company, relevant to your product offering, relevant to your audience. This phrase is going to last as long as chest bump greetings and skinny jeans. Go back to the drawing board client and agency and don’t leave it until you’ve come up with something intelligent and relative. Or how about this? Just go back to “Wanna get away?” and continue to close with the familiar seatbelt “ding” and “You are now free to move about the country.”

Recently, I have noticed a trend in companies changing their logos and creating an entire advertising campaign around that switch.

Huh?

How does changing a logo qualify a company for a new ad campaign? Especially when the message they choose is: “New logo, same company”.

Basically they are saying “we spent a ton of money to get a new logo for absolutely no reason”.

So, how can a company capitalize on a new logo?

They can create an ad campaign that talks about what else is new with the company. A new logo means nothing to the consumers. They don’t care that you spent gobs of money to come up with something “cutting edge”. They do care about how you treat them, the quality of your products and the value you provide.

A new logo is not a reason to spend huge money on billboards and TV commercials.

Improved service, more stores, better products PLUS a new logo? Now that is worth advertising.

Awhile ago, I ordered some stationary from Vista Print. A site I was on had a great discount for them, so I decided to try them out (good prices, why not?). Unfortunately, my one order from them apparently read “I want you to email me with every offer you have”. About once a week I get an email with some great deal on something or other that they just didn’t want me to miss. Normally, I just trash them and don’t even look at the email. But this week, I was caught by surprise. The subject line for the email was “Sorry to bug you…” and my curiosity wondered if maybe they had figured out I wasn’t going to order anything else and this was their final email to me? So I opened the email. Nope, not the final email:

Just a clever tagline to tie into their current marketing promotion (see the little ladybug?). But what it really did was bug me even more than it would have were it a blatant “I want to sell you crap” email. I honestly thought they might really be sorry, that just maybe they were a company who didn’t want to annoy their mailing list to death and that they were really fixing their strategy. Instead, I realized even more that they are just another company who doesn’t listen to their buyers and cares even less about maintaining relationships with their buyers. The list of products isn’t even pertinent to me! I did cut off a bit of the bottom, but I assure you, not a single item on this list was stationary, the only thing I ever ordered from them. Which means this same email probably went to everyone. Really? How hard is it to create a couple different ones??

Maybe it’s just me, but I have zero understanding about why they think this mass mailing is going to work.

I don’t get it.  I go to a lot of events, many in sports.  From hockey, to football, soccer (the other football), even baseball and I love racing.  But it always kills me at how much sponsorship dollars cost, how rare they are to come by, and then to see how little consumer brands do with their sponsorships.  From what I see, it should be easier to get sponsorship dollars because all the sponsors do is provide a logo and a check and they’re done.  Event sponsored.  To coin a gross and old expression, they’re leaving a lot of meat on the bone.

Let’s use a racing example.  Take a look at the 7-Eleven sponsored Indy Racing League car driven by Tony Kanaan.  7-Eleven actually has it figured out: they only pony up a modest amount of cash for their primary sponsorship and they off-load the balance to some of the larger brands they carry in-store, like Kraft.  At the recent event I was at as a guest of the IRL, Kraft had the car sponsorship for that particular event.  It was still well-branded 7-Eleven, but the car also adorned a handful of Kraft logos prominently placed.  Not cheap by any means.  I asked one of the marketing reps for the IRL who deals with sponsorships, what Kraft was doing a the event.  He replied, “What do you mean?”.  “I mean, where else is Kraft at this event,” I said. “Surely they must have some on-track advertising, or at the very least please tell me they have promo-girls working the 100,000+ crowd of Kraft-consuming consumers with samples and coupons for their new cheesy, zesty whatever.  Where’s the Kraft RV?  Hospitality tent and suite for customers?”  Nothing. Not a person.  Not a rep. Not a slice of cheese.  Just a big check for a logo on the car for one event.  Not even a representative from the brand was present.  What if Tony won?

This is such an easy yet constantly overlooked part of marketing and only a few brands really do it right. But you might be saying, “Well, we’re just a B2B medical device company.  This doesn’t really apply to us.” Really?  You sponsored your last tradeshow by attending with a big booth, 100 sales reps, 50 corporate folks, etc.  What else did you do at the event? What in-show marketing did you deploy?  What “sampling” did you do?  How did you maximize your sponsorship dollars at the event?  You didn’t, did you?  You just showed up.  Well look at this way, you’re not alone, you’re actually in good company with big brands like Kraft.  Cheese anyone?