I just read a guest post from Scott Bishop on the Spin Sucks blog entitled “Is your brand navigating the social stream blindly?” Within the blog, Scott comments about “flying blindly” -

“Brands that navigate blindly think social media is more or less a guessing game, a craps shoot. I assure you, there is little room for guessing. Guessing costs time. Guessing costs resources. And it rarely works.”

The longer we consult and work with our clients around social engagement we realize how many companies are “flying blindly.” Those companies that are looking at metrics are focusing on popular indicators such as “unique visitors” and “page views” for your website and “Likes” and “Followers” for social media platforms like Facebook & Twitter. These are good indicators of traffic, but I would challenge these measurements effectively tie into key business goals.

It is my feeling that there is currently a ”mash-up” of departments involved in what we are labeling marketing and communications efforts such as social engagement. For example, these communications efforts typically reside and are being managed by marketing or communications teams internally. While the web analytics and measurements are being managed by the web development or IT teams and once leads have been generated on the website, those contacts are then being handed off to the customer-facing teams such as sales and customer service.

I would claim that we (marketing and communications professionals) have an absolute obligation to become more analytical with our support and efforts. The days of laying claim to “branding & awareness” are behind us (NOTE: I still believe these things are important, just are impossible to measure). I say “obligation” because we now have the technology and tools to tie into Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that are important to the business goals and objectives of our clients and their management team.

Please take a minute to do a quick analysis of your marketing and communications efforts by asking yourself these 3 questions:

1. Have you clearly identified and incorporated your business goals into your communications plan?

2. Do you have the right measurement tools in place to ensure that your communications efforts are impacting these business goals?

3. Are you listening to these measurements and conversations and adapting your communications efforts accordingly?

I would go as far to say that implementing a communications plan today without focusing on measurements, analytics and metrics that truly impact your business is a potential detriment financially to your company.

What are you doing to be more focused on “Analytical Marketing”? Do you believe marketing and communications efforts should be so directly tied to business goals? As always, I’d love your thoughts on this subject. 

Before I construct this conversation, I will unequivocally take the position that, “yes, I believe your company’s communications efforts must tie into sales.” I’m tired of all those in communications (marketing, PR, advertising, social media, etc.) toeing the line on this issue.

I hate to be so literal and direct, but let’s look at the overall Webster’s definition of “marketing” (NOTE: I realize not all of you view communications within marketing…but I do) -

1a : the act or process of selling or purchasing in a market
b : the process or technique of promoting, selling, and distributing a product or service
2: an aggregate of functions involved in moving goods from producer to consumer

Do I believe this is an accurate definition of marketing today? No. Do I believe the principles of marketing are to generate sales? Yes.

Personally, I’m tired of “awareness” and “branding” as default measurements of our communications efforts. While both are significant effects of a solid communications effort, I would question one’s ability to measure either.

The evolution of “Social Engagement” and technology enhancements have allowed us to closely measure the impact of these conversations. While interactions, sentiment, engagement and insights are all valuable ways for us to better understand our audiences and how to help them, they don’t always result in direct sales. What does generate sales are “call to actions” with these audiences that result in clicks, conversions (sharing information with you) and the leads or direct sales that are generated from these efforts.

We shouldn’t limit our ability as communicators to tie into the sales process through our online and social engagement only. Shouldn’t we (marketing/communications) be aligning ourselves with the subject matter experts (SMEs), sales and other customer-facing teams internally to ensure that the most valuable communications and content are being created and shared throughout our company?

I was fortunate enough to have discovered a technology called SAVO. While SAVO prides itself on being a “sales enablement” tool, I’d like to view the on-demand software platform they’ve created as “Marketing’s Holy Grail.” I encourage you to explore their site and blog to learn more about how their technology works, but realize that their platform incorporates all important aspects of fostering such a marketing & sales relationship internally with it’s social networking design (share, comment, rank) and measurement capabilities (ties directly into most CRM systems).

Ultimately, SAVO provides marketing & communications teams the ability to directly tie and measure the sales effectiveness of all forms of communications. Keep in mind, “garbage in, garbage out” so each piece of communications and content must address the specific needs of your sales teams and other customer-facing teams internally.

This certainly gives us all something to think about and consider!

How do you measure the effectiveness of your communications efforts? Are you directly impacting sales?

Yesterday, Forrester Research released a new report on social media trends called A Global Update of Social Technographics which revealed a number of different key findings as noted by two of their blog posts by Jackie Rousseau-Anderson and Augie Ray.

There are a number of key findings in this report namely the fact that the number of “creators” (those who generate social content) has reached a plateau over the past year…although in the US more than 1 in 5 online adults are exhibiting a creator behavior – which to me seems pretty high.

As Ray says in his blog post, “This will cause marketers and those who produce social tools to focus more on how social content is consumed rather than how it is produced.”

While the number of creators has leveled off, the number of “joiners” (those with a social media profile) continues grow significantly.

Ray continues to share his valuable thoughts, “The fact that Joiners continue to grow means marketers must continue to focus their attention and budgets on social networks in 2011. More people will spend more time and get more information through social networks, and where consumer time and attention goes, so will marketer investment.”

Do these high-level findings result in a potential social dilemma or opportunity for agencies, consultants and communications professionals?

I continue on to review Rousseau-Anderson’s post on the study where she shares some additional insights into what Forrester is calling “The Social Technographics Ladder”

The updated stats reveal the following about consumers (who can fall into more than one category):

• 23% Creators
• 31% Conversationalists
• 19% Collectors
• 59% Joiners
• 68% Spectators
• 19% Inactives

My take on these stats is there is a tremendous opportunity for businesses who decide to take a well thought out strategic approach to their social engagement efforts. The initial wave of consumers using social media has halted and we now need to focus on creating value for those that are there.

On the other hand this could be a dilemma for those brands that don’t take a social media strategy seriously.

As always, I’d love and appreciate your thoughts on this topic…what do you think lies ahead – social dilemma or opportunity?

I’ve had the great opportunity to work with many different sized businesses around the topic of “social media” or as I like to refer to it as “The New Word-of-Mouth.”

On October 12, I’ll be teaming up with Gini Deitrich author of one of my favorite blogs Spin Sucks, Diane Rayfield of Harp Social and Marty Higgenbotham of The Stage Channel for an event with Crain’s Chicago Business called, “Mapping Social Marketing Strategies.”

In preparing for this discussion, I was thinking about how social engagement is different with big brands vs. small business (since our panel is for their “Small Business Forum”). What I’ve come to the conclusion on is that too many businesses (big & small) are getting way too caught up in the popular platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Don’t get me wrong, each are powerful tools or tactics in the scope of the larger strategy, but too many businesses haven’t taken the time to develop a plan or strategy before plunging into these new waters.

As a result, here are 2 Reasons Why Social Platforms Don’t Matter:

1 – Traditional Communications Habits Don’t Fly Socially – I recently wrote a post entitled, “Top 3 Reasons Traditional Marketing Will Fail” which summarizes that taking a traditional marketing/communications approach (one-way, distribution, push, marketing-speak) to social engagement just doesn’t work. Too many businesses see these platforms as just another distribution tool before putting their engagement hats on seeking two-way conversations, prepared to listen & learn, and genuinely solving problems for the audiences they serve.

2 – Popular Doesn’t Always Mean Better – How many times have you heard businesses say, “we need to get out there on Facebook and Twitter” without taking the time to truly understand their “customer persona” and benchmark how these audiences are currently engaging online? For me it has become a daily conversation that is very hard to explain in two minutes:). Businesses need to take the time to do a sound 360-degree analysis of their audiences before they make such platform (tactical) decisions. Better yet, keep it simple and just start asking your customers where they might like to engage with you further…

I could have probably listed 3, 5 or 10 reasons but would really like to hear back from YOU about how businesses need to be prepared and strategic with their approach before plunging into these social media waters.

Let’s talk!

Let me begin by saying I define “Traditional Marketing” by the marketing or communications folks who still believe the best way to help their organization is through advertising, media relations, direct mail, etc. In the right situation with the right company, each are important to the overall communications program, but every day the Web grows these tactics have less and less of an impact.

I just finished reading David Meerman Scott’s book The New Rules of Marketing & PR (for the 4th time in 3 years). Scott originally published this book back in 2007 and in an e-book format back in 2006, yet the principal direction of the book is very much alive and meaningful to communications and marketing professionals today.

Like watching a great movie multiple times and experiencing something new each viewing, I have a whole new set of “key learnings” after reading Scott’s book this morning. Throughout the book Scott hammers on the reality that “on the Web, you are what you publish” and that we live in a self-publishing time when businesses don’t need to rely as heavily on third-parties to connect with their buyers.

I’ve come to the conclusion that anyone married to traditional marketing methods and overall approach will undoubtedly fail in today’s communications climate. Here are the Top 3 Reasons Traditional Marketing Will Fail:

1 – Failure to align with business goals – It has always angered me to believe that marketing and communications professionals (self included) consistently fail to tie our strategies, plan and tactics into actual business goals and objectives like increased revenues and client retention. In today’s age of “Corporate Publishing” (or “Brand Journalism” as Scott discusses) we have the ability and responsibility to solve customer problems, gain their trust and point them to our solutions (when appropriate). We must stop leaning so heavily on metrics like website traffic and media clips in our communications plans and start making ourselves a more credible contributor to business goals.

2 – Talking AT instead of WITH key audiences – Every form of traditional marketing is one-way and salesy in nature. Our websites are structured around OUR products/services instead of allowing our target audiences to clearly identify with our brand when they visit our site. Social networking, blogging and the rapid dependence of the Web and powerhouses like Google have put control back in the consumer’s (no different in business-to-business) hands. Next time you’re considering a big media buy or ad campaign, take a minute to ask your customers how they might appreciate being communicated WITH…not at.

3 – Consumers are in control - An extension of #2, we now live in an age of ME Media where consumers are in complete control of the brands they wish to connect with and when. Even traditional media is filtered to the consumer as a result of technologies like RSS (real simple syndication) feeds, DVRs (digital video recorders) and satellite radio. Many brands have embraced and empowered their customers to have a voice for their company including Ford, Whole Foods and even those brands we may not have expected like Comcast. We must provide our customers with a voice and perhaps even a figurative seat at your board if you wish to connect with them moving forward.

I realize these might come as no surprise, yet I consistently fail to see marketing and communications professionals integrate these “New Rules” that Scott has clearly laid out in his book – back in 2006.

How have you made this shift? What aspects of these new rules have you incorporated into your traditional marketing plan?

YouTube, celebrated its 5^th birthday last month and earlier this week the power of video achieved yet another milestone as Mashable’s Ben Parr captured in his story, “YouTube Surpasses Two Billion Video Views Daily.” Keep in mind that this figure is nearly double the prime-time audience of all 3 major broadcast networks combined. Here are some more figures from Ben’s story to ponder… 

• 24-hours of video is uploaded to YouTube every minute and the average person now spends 15 minutes a day on the site
• 209.43 million – the number of times the most popular YouTube video, Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” has been played
• More video has been uploaded to YouTube in 60 days than all 3 major broadcast networks created in 60 years

The stats speak volumes on their own but we as marketers we can’t ignore the fact that video must be a part of our communications solutions efforts ASAP. Here are 3 Reasons Marketers Can’t Ignore YouTube & Video:

1 – Consumers are lazy – I mean this will all due respect, but we are experiencing The Shift in the way we communicate with folks in this new world of ME Media. Consumers are in control and are demanding that video be a part of their “experience” with your brand and as a result, they can easily share with others via email, Facebook, etc. YouTube has become a force that dares any marketer to consider the full impact of the notion that if a picture is worth a thousand words, then moving pictures on YouTube are worth thousands if not millions of engaged viewers who virally share video content across their social networks.

2 – Making video doesn’t have to break the budget – The barriers to creating video have fallen so low in terms of cost and ease to produce that anyone anywhere with a $100 Flip Video Camera in their hands can create and share content worldwide within minutes. The reality that is hard for companies to embrace is letting go of the polished and professional-looking (expensive) videos and going with the more “raw” video files produced by Flip Video and others.

3 – Puts a human face on your brand – If done well video is an imprinting medium that will allow your company to put some human qualities around how you are solving problems for your customers and fans. People remember what they see and with the power of the camera you can put your organization’s story in the context you want your key audiences to view it in.

This list could have just as easily been 10 Reasons but I believe with this recent milestone from YouTube, the three listed above clearly spell out a case for the use of video by every marketer.

I’m anxious to hear your thoughts around this subject and how you are using video – Happy Friday!

Within the past 24 hours I’ve received 18 pieces of direct mail that quickly landed in my recycling, I fast-forwarded through several dozen ads via my DVR and quickly hung-up on 2 automated “marketing” calls on my cell phone…from companies I had never heard of before.

I’m sure you’ve continued to experience similar examples as marketers continue to speak to not with consumers. Today we live in a world where technology has enabled consumers to turn traditional marketing upside-down – a world of “Me Media.”

Never before has the phrase, “the customer comes first” been so incredibly true. Last week, Harish Kotadia had a smart post entitled, “How Customer Engagement will determine winning brands in Social Era.”  Within Harish’s post he talks about a study from ENGAGEMENTdb which ranks The Top 100 Global Brands. As Harish points out (as does Danny Brown in his post today entitled, “The Metrics of Social Media“) there are clear ways that companies are leveraging and measuring these new social technologies against the key business metric – sales.

Here are 3 Steps To Creating a “Customer Engagement” Program in this new world of “Me Media”:

1. Gather Data-Driven Customer Insights – If your company doesn’t have good customer data, engage with a company like Anthem Marketing Solutions or others that do an amazing job of becoming your customer insight engine. Without objective data points on your customer, you might be “assuming” more than you should about your customer or prospect.

2. Develop Customer-Driven Messaging – I’m always amazed at the number of companies that don’t have any messaging architecture in place and I’d estimate that 99% typically don’t have messaging that helps solve customer problems as discovered from their customer insights (see #1)…but instead tries to sell their product or service. If your goal is selling to a prospect, try speaking with them vs. at them.

3. Engage Your Customers In The Business - It’s one thing to be having conversations with your customers and prospects via social media, but it is another to actually engage them in the business. Many call this “crowdsourcing” as you empower your customers to help you make important business decisions. Earlier this week, USA Today talked about how several large brands like Papa John’s, Mountain Dew and American Express were using social media for this purpose.  

At the end of the day we need to ensure that our communications efforts are truly engaging our customers and prospects. If you do nothing else after reading this post, please spend a few minutes evaluating how your business is currently (or could be better) engaging with your customers and prospects.

Happy Thursday!

I just read an interesting study from the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) that said, “80% of businesses plan to boost investment in social networking.” I can’t say this surprises me too much and don’t know what their definition of “boost” might be going into 2010 budgets:). I do think that as communicators and advocates of social media we need to be cognizant that social media isn’t our savior.

Okay, I won’t go as far to say that social media isn’t right for business – I actually do think there is a place in social for every type of business. What gets me the most excited is what the practice of social media has now uncovered in business communications. For example, I believe that businesses are now smarter about how they are distributing their stories to the audieneces that matter most…through social and traditional means.

As a result, here are 3 ways your organization can benefit from implementing a formal Story Distribution process:

1 – Leveraging Existing Communications – One of the biggest mysteries in the world of corporate communications is why so many useful and amazing studies, stories and facts are bottled up internally as if it were a map to the Holy Grail. Instead, look at each of these valuable communications tools, wrap your company messaging around it in an email and send it off to your employees, clients, investors and prospects.

2 – Actually Deliver an ROI – There is nothing more frustrating as a communications professional than having to quantify how awareness and branding effect a company’s bottom line. You know why? It doesn’t! Before you jump all over me…give me a chance to explain. There is significant value in landing a media story, having bloggers buzzing about your brand and unbelievable engagement across your social platforms. It may even result in a sale or two or several for your company. But it isn’t and shouldn’t be a direct tie into sales…until your Story Distribution process came along. Now imagine all of the validity, awareness and branding that you’re helping establish for your company is repurposed throughout the organization and among your targeted audience by the sales team, HR, investor relations, customer service, etc. In essence, you would be hedging your bet by doing so and allowing your communications to actually tie into your company’s bottom line – a true ROI.

3 – Because It Already Exists – What I mean here is the communications tools and channels already exist within your organization. Your sales, HR, investor relations, customer service and marketing teams already exist. You just need some real time communications tools developed around each story being distributed in a way that is complimentary to the platform and process that already exists. If Sales need it in a PowerPoint slide – it happens. If HR needs it in a 500-word article for their weekly newsletter – it happens. If Customer Service needs it in scripted bullet points – it happens.

I’ve always been a big believer in Story Distribution processes although I have also been caught up in the traditions of clip reports and focusing on the results. Today, I’m happy to say that I believe my job begins when the story takes place because now it is time to share that story with others…through social media, through additional media coverage, and through hand-delivering the story to your key audiences.

Do you use Story Distribution in your communications strategy? If so, how is it working and what makes it happen? If not, why not?

Should it be of any surprise that consumers think of themselves and their personal needs before the brand they’re buying from?! Not to me…

I just read today’s SmartBrief on Social Media - if you haven’t subscribed to this newsletter, please do so ASAP – it’s great! Below is a link to my video response/reaction to a study that recently came out from The Razorfish Digital Brand Experience Report 2009.

Take a look at the report yourself as I’d love your thoughts on the findings! Thanks!

Sifting through my email this morning I read my regular blogs including Chris Brogan’s. I was fortunate enough to see that Run Level Media captured a recent talk he gave at New Media Atlanta last week. I’ve been fortunate enough to see Chris talk a few different times on the topic of social media, but this one seemed a whole lot different (see video below).

Throughout the talk, Chris hits on several points that I believe are so relevant for businesses participating or looking to participate in social media. After hearing Chris talk I was inspired to put together the Top  3 Ways Businesses Must Embrace Social Media:

1 – Listen & Learn: How often do we forget as marketers that our organization’s biggest fans aren’t fans because of the product, service, upgrade, enhancement or features that we offer & often promote through our various communications platforms. The reason your organization has fans, advocates and perhaps even a growing Tribe is because you make them feel special. I believe part of triggering such feelings and emotions with your audiences are to spend some time on these various social media platforms listening & learning.

2 – Solve a problem: Once we have observed our audiences through listening and learning about their problems, we must do whatever we can to begin answering these questions, solving their problem or referring them to others who can. This act is so incredibly humbling and selfless and should be done in a way that may not immediately feel so comfortable…but in its essence is so incredibly natural.

3 – Give others a voice: You can be a large Fortune 100 company or a small business with very few customers and perhaps no other employees. Regardless, your end result across all of these social media platforms should be to empower and educate others to be the voice of your organization. You should view social media as your organization’s opportunity to create a tribe, army, nation of individuals that will do one of your hardest jobs for you – promote the value of your organization to others.

I’ve been blessed over the past two years of diving in head first into social media. I’ve learned so much from folks like Allan Schoenberg, Kelly Olexa, Sarah Evans, Chris Brogan, Arik Hanson, David Mullen, and literally hundreds of others. If for nothing else, I hope that you can add to this list in your comments below and pass along to others that might add to these “best practices” and/or perhaps learn from them.

Thank you & have a wonderful day!