Marketing | Marketing Muse

Fans, Followers, For Reals?

March 12th, 2010

Ryan Puckett and I recently met for breakfast and had a fun talk about the use of the word “fan.” I said, you should write a blog about that… and here it is. What do you think of the word fan? We would love for you to chime in…

guest post by Ryan Puckett

Ok, so I have no research to back this up, but I’m absolutely convinced that one of the major barriers to more people using social media (especially in marketing) is the lexicon that accompanies it.

Last year at Blog Indiana, I remember one colleague saying that she has a hard time getting her managers to understand what a blog is and why there is a need to do it. The answer to her problems, according to another colleague, was to stop calling it a blog and just call it a web site. If she wanted to go a step further, she could call it a web site that is updated easily and frequently.

I’ve known many people to start using Twitter and they get totally freaked out when they receive that first email with the subject line, “Ryan Puckett is now following you on Twitter.”

Ack! Why is Ryan Puckett stalking me? Who is he and am I supposed to stalk him too?

The terms “follower” and “following” give Twitter a creepy vibe for the newbie, but once you realize that it’s really a subscription to somebody’s Twitter feed, it’s not so hard to get your head around it and realize no harm will be done, nor will your vacation beach photos be published on TMZ.

Another odd term is “fan.” ABC Graphic Design Company suggests you become a fan on Facebook. Really? I know the owner, but I’ve never even used their services. How can I be a “fan?”

Again, the problem is in the lexicon. When I think of fans, I think of the Jimmy Fallon in “Fever Pitch” or the scary Robert Dinero stalking Wesley Snipes in “The Fan.”

However, once you realize that being a fan really means subscribing to a company’s Facebook updates, it isn’t so hard to get your mind around it.

This week, my Twitter feed has been all abuzz about folks heading to South by Southwest, otherwise known as SXSW. Somehow, this music and film festival became a hub for interactive, marketing types in the last few years and it’s where Twitter took off and increasingly popular (and sometime annoying) Foursquare made its debut too.

I wonder what kind of new words will come out of Austin this year? I’m predicting something weird like “salute.” Can’t you just imagine getting an email that says “Ryan Puckett is now saluting you on Salute.com” or trying to explain to your manager that they need to start “saluting” their “army.”

What does all of this mean for marketers? Easy. Use normal words to explain these concepts to your clients, managers and those in the C-suite. In other words, keep it real.

Raquel Richardson

marketing, social media

blogging, ideas, social media, twitter

1 Comment

Big, fabulous ideas you take and use how you like.

Raquel Richardson

marketing, social media

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Raquel Richardson

business smarts, marketing, social media

education, ideas, marketing, sticky, tips

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Raquel Richardson

marketing, social media

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Get your Groupon, or not?

February 25th, 2010

In some circles, the notion of a coupon is a wonderful idea, and people can share and share on the deals they have found. In others, a coupon would never find its way in to a conversation. Groupon (Indianapolis) is finding its way in to conversations with the same love/hate tone.

Group is a relatively new web-based marketing tool to reach new clients, and possibly unengaged past clients, to take action on your offer. Think coupon, but with a twist. The offer works simply enough. As a small business owner, you’re able to make an offer or discount for a certain value. This part works like a coupon. The twist is that you also get to determine how many people you want or need to take advantage of that offer before you will actually release it as an offer.

Let’s take an offer from this week as an example. Source Yoga Studio offered three yoga sessions and an hour massage for $35. In order for this offer to become active, Source Yoga Studio determined they needed 35 people to take advantage of this offer. Once the 35^th person said yes, I will buy this offer, the other 34 people who already said yes, I will buy this offer, get activated and thus you have your offer. As you can see with this twist, had 35 people not found this offer valuable, one of two things can happen: 1) the people who did find it valuable may want to invite their friends to take advantage of the offer, therefore getting to that 35 number, or 2) the offer would have never activated due to lack of interest.

This video from Groupon is a great visual explanation:

Learn How Groupon Works! from The Point on Vimeo.

This is definitely a marketing medium to consider for your product or service. It is a trend in the making! This is also a low-budget and low cost way to market your company to get new leads and clients. The learning curve is minimal, especially if you match this up with other social media means you may be considering in your marketing mix, and trial and error is easy to test and adjust.

Stay tuned for more info on this as we are currently working with a client on their Groupon offer. Have you used Groupon? Pleaes share your experience in our comments section.

Raquel Richardson

business smarts, marketing, social media

advertising, branding, Groupon, local business, marketing, social media

no comments

Raquel Richardson

branding, marketing, social media

no comments

Being Funny on Twitter is Good

February 12th, 2010

Raquel recently wrote a post about using humor in your marketing – especially your online marketing. That principle doesn’t just apply to your big campaigns. You can also inject humor into your bite-size marketing endeavors. Case in point: Twitter.

Earlier today, Indianapolis-based Twitter aficionado Kyle Lacy ( @kyleplacy ) wrote the following tweet:

Follow @claymabbitt : It is very rare to find an individual that can make you laugh through Twitter. This guy does it.

Do I make people laugh on Twitter? Well, I certainly think I’m pretty funny. Apparently Kyle does, and I imagine there are at least a few others out there. Is it the tweets about the songs playing in the bathroom where I work? The inappropriate things I say to my wife? Road rage? Maybe it’s just because I make a point of following very funny people and retweeting their best stuff.

Would Kyle have told people to follow me if I had never made him laugh? Well… hmm… maybe? I do also tweet about serious stuff in the online and social media spheres, which are areas most of Kyle’s audience probably cares about. But it certainly isn’t “very rare to find an individual” who does that. (Actually Twitter is crawling with us.) Kyle decided to endorse me because he thinks some of the stuff I’ve put out there on Twitter is funny.

That endorsement had a positive effect. My new followers have spiked in the last few hours. That’s more people who get to see me be funny on Twitter. While they’re chuckling, they also get to see my occasional tweets about upcoming Silver Square seminars and new resources we have available. Because I’ve made them laugh, they like me a little bit. Because they like me, they’ll be more inclined to look for the value in the seminars and resources I’m talking about.

Does that mean everyone I’ve made laugh will become a paying customer? Not even close. My product or service still has to address some pain they have, be appealing, be in their price range, and fit dozens of other variables that go into a buying decision. But I have a bit of their attention, a bit of their interest, and a bit of their goodwill.

And that’s a good place to start.

Clay Mabbitt

branding, business smarts, just for fun, marketing, social media

humor, ideas, indianapolis, relationship building, social media, twitter

2 Comments

Dear Dove Chocolates: You’re killing me

February 9th, 2010

Dear Dove Chocolates:

You think you know me, but you don’t. We have had a realtionship for many years, and it’s been great until recently. You have consistently delivered some of the best dark chocolate little drops of bliss for years. You have often entertained me with your sayings and fortune cookie-like messages. Your most recent attempts to reach me, though, are killing me.

“Use a heart-shaped craft punch to create Valentine cards.” 0r “Ask your florist to leave out the filler and baby’s breath.” both by Martha Stewart are so missing the mark. Sugar and spice and everything nice are not the ingredients for reaching out to every woman. I’m sure you ran some amazing focus groups and tested this shift extensivly, but I would love to hear how the reponse has been.

We know women, in general, are people-oriented. We tend to be more verbal. We use our verbal skills to bond with people! Your older messages fit this broader umbrella of feel-good sayings that related to a variety of women, and even men. Introducing Martha’s chit chat to your chocolates, though, makes me feel like you think eating choclates and my ability or desire to make choclates are interchangable. No so.

I do see why you would want to share space with Martha. I do! She has a brilliant brand and business – something I admire about her. She has this amazing network of cross-polinated brands that reach much wider than you. I’m sure the added exposure she will bring will potentially boost some short-term sales. Will it last? Will you lose your loyal advocates?

For me, my contribution to your product sales will be down until this marketing project is over. I miss the messages you’re known for. I long to be perked up by a message about going after my dreams. Baby’s breath and homemade Valentine’s day cards just aren’t in my future.

Raquel Richardson

marketing

branding, marketing

1 Comment

You Are Not Your Customer

February 5th, 2010

Who is your customer? You’ve given some thought to this question. How old are they? Male or female? Are they tech-savvy? Where do they spend their free time?

Your customer and how they think should be the driving factor in all of your marketing decisions. You may love reading The New Yorker, but if your customers prefer People, there isn’t any reason to spend your marketing budget on ads in The New Yorker. Nothing shocking here, right? We all understand this.

Here’s where it gets tricky: do you think you are your customer? You’re wrong. Disagree with me? Perhaps you’re thinking, “I’m just like my customer. I am my target market. We’re the same in every way.”

same taste in music
same age
same income level
same hobbies
same politics
we read the same magazines
we watch the same TV shows
we like the same celebrities
we care about the same news
we live in the same kinds of neighborhoods and shop in the same stores

All of these things will help you understand your customer. You are a part of your target demographic. This will give you extremely valuable insights for growing your business, but you still aren’t your customer.

What’s the difference? Your expertise. Your solution. Your business.

Your product or service addresses some pain. Maybe you used to have that pain, but you don’t today. Your customers still have that pain. Every time they decide to hand you their hard-earned money, they are thinking about that pain and deciding you are worth the price you set.

Why am I making such a big deal about such a subtle difference? (And it is subtle.) It doesn’t matter if you like your website. It doesn’t matter if you like your logo. Or your copy. Or your business cards. It doesn’t matter unless they motivate your customers to buy. Sometimes the small difference between you and your customer is why you like one logo when a slightly different one would resonate better with your customers.

Obviously you don’t want to be embarrassed by any of your marketing pieces. (If you grimace when you hand someone your business card, that will ultimately hurt your bottom line.) The opinion that really counts, though, is the one of someone who needs your solution and has money to pay for it.

Sometimes that’s easier to see as a business owner when you don’t have anything in common with your customer. But it doesn’t matter if it’s easy or not. Either way it’s critical to your success.

Clay Mabbitt

branding, marketing, web

advertising, branding, key message, marketing plans

no comments

Is Fear Behind The Marketing Plan?

February 3rd, 2010

I am reading a bit about fear, how it works both to give you a boost and to paralize your efforts. I personally really like to focus on the positive side of things, which would be that boost factor I just mentioned. Most of the material I have read talks about a more mental shift and the inner working behind the emotion of fear itself. I think this makes for an interesting read, however, I have always had the mental mindset of action erases fear. I’m sure I read this somewhere, or, maybe it’s even some major quote and I’m lacking some serious props to someone. Whatever the case (sorry John Doe), I personally know the phrase is true. Action erases fear.

Let’s take this a step further and talk about clarity mixed in with action. Have you ever tackled a project without really knowing what your end result is or why you’re doing it? How well did that go for you? Big results? I’m guessing it went neither well nor had anyone writing your digits down in a book. Now think of a project that had clear action to the plan. You knew step-by-step what happened, why it was happening, who was responsible for it and how it was going to work to get you big results. Did that go differently? Were you more successful? I think so.

This is how I relate to marketing plans. I have talked to many business owners who have never done or stuck with a marketing plan. Not every time, but lots of times, the root of this lack of activity has come down to fear. Fear of thinking big, fearful of putting something out there you must obtain, fear of taking big steps to propel your company forward. However, stir in a good marketing plan with actionable steps each month toward that big vision and you have much less anxiety, much less fear and much more success. It’s seriously ingenious how simple taking a big goal and working backward from it can make marketing, or any planning, very simple, obtainable and clear. What makes this even better is that with clarity comes a whole new emotion. Let me introduce you to Mr. Excited.

When most people know what they are suppose to do, with a clear path in place, they get super jazzed. I know this is true for me! Then, once you’re exicted about the work ahead, you get some momentum, because you’re ready to tackle it, step-by-step. Then, I dare say you begin to see results!

A well thought-out plan, along with a healthy dose of action, really does erase the fear. So go ahead and dream up that big vision. Just plan it out and tackle it one step at a time.

Raquel Richardson

business smarts, marketing

fear, ideas, marketing plans

no comments

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Dear Dove Chocolates: You’re killing me

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Is Fear Behind The Marketing Plan?

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