Small Businesses: Show Customer Appreciation by Recognizing Your Customers Online

Showing appreciation for clients and customers comes in many forms. Some industries have it figured out, and instead of getting creative, they just follow trends.

For example, large retail outlets have, “Customer Appreciation Days” that give customers up to 20 percent or 30 percent off their purchases. Restaurants have customer loyalty cards that give you a free sandwich (after you have already bought say 10). To most people, these seem like great deals, and in many cases, they are. If you are a regular at a certain restaurant, then the free sandwich is fun to work towards. Or if you have had your eye on a specific product that you can now purchase thanks to a double-digit discount, then it is truly helpful.

But what about small to mid-size companies that don’t have the funds to give away free product, or are working on such small margins that a reasonable percentage discount would leave them with almost no profit at all?

These are the companies that need to take advantage of the network they have built online.

What it means to recognize your customers online.

You can recognize your customers any number of ways online. These methods include the Twitter “shout out“, an interview that you post on your blog, or even a link on your Facebook Fan Page. If you are in the B-to-B world, you can write a short note or post about what the client does and link to their site.

They will appreciate it.

Being acknowledged online is an important part of any social media strategy. The more mentions you get, the more links that go to your blog, Facebook page, or Twitter account, the more followers you will get and the bigger your network becomes.

Give and thou shall receive.

Ever heard of #FollowFriday or #FF? If not, then check out the top-trending topics on Twitter any Friday, and those will be right near the top. It’s a lot of people giving shout outs to others that they think are interesting or to repay them because they got a shout out first. Acknowledging your clients will have a similar result. They will appreciate that you recognized them, and they will let their network know where to look and find their name.

Recognize your customers online regularly- not just when you are trying to push a product or launch a new campaign. Build relationships with your customers and your fans online, watch how much your engagement increases, and you will begin to realize how beneficial social media really is.

Social Media Analysis: Understanding Your Client

My most recent client project has been to put together a social media analysis. What this means is that I go through a thorough process that helps me to identify the conversations and the influencers online, and then I quantify it.

Sometimes the quantity is comments, sometimes it is hash tags, and in some cases the number is based solely on traffic. Whatever is most realistic, and can represent what the client is looking for will be the focus of my presentation. This post is not about the number I find, or the social media analysis process. This post is about how much I learn about my client’s industry while going through the analysis.

As part of the account team, it is my job to do my research, and learn as much as I can about the client and their industry. The way I typically learn it is through trade magazines and newspaper articles. This is the standard approach, and I read great information, but I also come across a lot of jargon that I don’t always understand. Sometimes this hurts my knowledge of the company or their industry because of the amount of time I spend trying to learn their language.

When I perform a social media analysis however, I am able to learn about the industry, and in some cases, the client on a more intimate level. I get to learn about them from their customer’s perspective. This approach has taught me more then I would ever learn in a trade magazine or any other large publication.

Another major benefit of performing the social media analysis is the fact that I get to ask questions. I can ask these questions as myself, or anonymously. Either way I am able to gain valuable information and feedback without having to waste any time.

Performing the social media analysis, and then putting together a report is going to be a huge help to your client. At the same time though, it will be a huge help to you and your team from a traditional and new media perspective.

This is a prime example of how important it is to recognize that traditional advertising and public relations are not dying, instead they are taking a new form that include social media as both a research and conversation tool.

The Key to a Successful Facebook Fan Page: Goals and Strategy

Here at Mason, Inc. we are getting our Facebook Fan Page started and beginning to promote it.

Because we believe in practicing what you preach, and an effective social media strategy is something we preach often, we knew that we needed to go into this with goals and of course, a strategy. We want to point out a few initial goals we set, and outline our process of getting there.

(Basic) Goals:

- Get 100 fans in the first week
- Update the page at minimum 3 times daily
- Provide useful content
- Make the page a point of contact
- Represent the Mason, Inc. brand appropriately

You will see that these are just the basic goals that were put into place while starting our fan page.

We will look at the page in about two weeks, review its progress, and identify any changes and/or improvements we should make. At that point, we will also reassess our goals and put more realistic long-term goals in place.

Our strategy for the initial page launch addressed a few key points that would lead to its success. I want to share what two of them were and how they were put into action.

Content is King:

First, and most importantly, we wanted to make sure that we had content. We did this using two methods. First, we started to actively blog. We are blogging about many topics, everything from traditional PR to New Media and current trends. Blogging not only put this content out there for the world to see, but it also got everyone talking internally and began many brainstorming conversations.

The next thing we did was gather a list of links that we get information from about our industry. This list, right now, is on an excel sheet. However, we are in the process of finding all of the sources on Twitter and creating a list there so that we can easily bring news and links from one network to the other.

Build a Fan Base:

Inviting fans started internally. We began reaching out to people at our company, and then a few of us began to suggest the page to our friends. Identifying close friends and inviting them first improved the chance that they would accept the suggestion and become a fan. To begin, it is a numbers game, it is important to create a base of fans that are influential either in the industry, or within your network online. As the fan base grows, and we provide useful and interesting content, we will see our fans reaching out to their friends and suggesting they should become a fan.

We have done a good job of managing our goals and tasks. We are approaching the point that we will review our page, and make sure we are providing value to our friends. We want to continue to add fans, and now will begin to focus on the next goal… User Generated content.

In a few weeks, I will write a post on User Generated content and its value in the social media world. It goes back to the importance of engagement online and offline. Feel free to comment here if you want to help me prove a point!

For small companies, successful social media strategies start internally

In large companies it is necessary to have a very complete social media policy in order to avoid as many issues as possible. In large companies the brand will be represented by one person or a small team, so you need to have set guidelines in place for your other employees, informing them on what they can (or can’t) say in their free time. In small companies, however, when you are setting up a social media strategy you should include everyone, from the ground up.

As your company develops its voice online, it needs to take into account a few specific things. You need to identify who you are targeting, what your message is, and most importantly, what your ultimate goal is. Some companies get involved in order to sell products or get new customers. Others, such as Best Buy use social media as a creative answer to customer service. When you know what your goal is, you can develop your strategy, and assign tasks to your co-workers.

I am a firm believer that you should hire someone specifically for social media. I think that it is an important part of your marketing strategy, and it deserves full time attention. I do realize however, that some companies cannot afford to take on new staff, and would rather not put their online brand in the hands of an intern (which I agree with). If this is the case it is a good idea to make the entire team accountable so that everyone has something to say, and everyone will be cautious about the material they put online.

One great tool to get your company familiar with social media from a professional perspective is Yammer. Yammer allows companies to have an “internal Twitter” stream. Someone can administer who is invited, and should urge people to stay involved. Yammer will keep your employees aware of what they are saying because they will know that their coworkers and bosses are reading it. This message should be translated into the real world. Keep in mind, the people that read your content online could very well be a coworker. Another great use of Yammer is to discuss industry trends, and share ideas on blog topics.

The most important part of developing a successful social media plan for a small company is to create (and follow) a schedule. This schedule can have anything on it from someone finding 10 industry blogs that can be commented on, to someone twittering at 10:00 AM, 1:00 PM, and 4:45 PM in order to keep consistency. Following a set schedule that people are held accountable for will make the tasks routine, and if you are switching each person’s role it will identify who is good at what tasks!

These are a few ways to put the strategy into action. Using these tools and bringing energy and excitement to the office will motivate your team to get involved and take part in your initiative. Social media should not be looked at as another task to your already busy employees. Instead, it should be an exciting new project that your office does as a team!

Video: Breaking through your (social media) clique

This is my first video blog, so don’t judge to harshly.  The question I am asking however, is very important.  I have recently broken out of my circle of friends at Brazen Careerist (due to a move to Connecticut).  I am currently meeting new people, talking with old friends, and generally networking as much as possible.

I am trying to do this using social media outlets, but I am seeing the importance of face to face meetings, and going to live events.  I think this is a very important observation as it reiterates the importance of companies having a complete marketing plan to go along with a social media plan.

How do we connect with people outside of the social media world?  What do you think??

Moving, Working, and Learning. All in one month.

The past few weeks have been all about transition for me.  Unexpectedly leaving BrazenCareerist at the end of August, doing a little contract work, then getting a job in Connecticut at Mason Inc., and now moving back to Connecticut after 6 years in the Midwest.

It has been chaotic, and in the past I would have had a lot of trouble with it.  I would have been anxious as can be, and wouldn’t have the ability to get any work done.  Fortunately, that has changed, and I grew up a little in the past year.  I don’t know whether it was because of the chaos that was my life at BC, or because I am comfortable in my industry and love what I do.  It could be any number of reasons, and I could say that it is easy now, and I am just going with flow…  It’s no big deal right?
Wrong, it is a big deal, and if I have learned anything in my life it is that you need to stop and take a minute to reflect.  In the past I have avoided that.  I have just gone without looking back, not caring where I was going or what I was doing, just focusing on others and their needs.  I can’t do that anymore, that is what caused me to have anxiety attacks and (unfortunately) gain weight.

Now I am in a short reflection period.  I am still working, I can’t stop doing that, and I don’t want to stop doing that.  At the same time though, I am looking at myself, setting goals, and trying to completely understand my situation, and where I belong, at least for now.

There are some things that I am going to have trouble with, and that is to be expected.  I made a pretty good life for myself in Madison.  I made some good friends, I lived with my brother who is my best friend, I met a girl, I got a cat (who I brought to CT with me), and I had a really good time.

As I look back at it I can’t feel sorry for myself, because while I was there, I did it right.  Now it is time for the next chapter.  It is time to head back to the East Coast, to work with some truly amazing people at a company that gave me a great opportunity, and I can continue to work on bettering myself and giving back to a new community.

The men and women that I am working with at Mason Inc. are truly amazing.  Their knowledge of PR and Advertising is tremendous, and their experience is truly amazing.  More than anything else, I want to learn from them, and after a few weeks in the office I am sure I will learn a lot, and fortunately I will be able to contribute.

Here we go again.  Goodbyes are tough, but they only lead to meeting new people.  I am able to look at this as exactly what it is, a great opportunity, and I am sure I will make the most of it.

Want to create a viral marketing campaign? Get brand evangelists.

Brand evangelists have been around forever. Think back to the paper boys in the early part of the 20th century standing on the corner shouting headlines in order to sell the local periodical. They were out there building brand awareness, while using the headlines as the hook. Times have changed a bit and instead of the kids standing on the corner, people are now using social networks to share information on brands and products.

The paper companies hired a set number of these kids, but do you know how many people are online promoting your brand? If your answer is no, try doing a Google Blog search or a Twitter search to see how often your brand comes up. If you are fortunate to come across conversations about your brand online then look at the value of them, and how many people they are reaching. Is it @johnsmith with 10 followers mentioning that he stopped by your restaurant, or is it @janedoe with 10,000 followers talking about the great sandwich she had at your restaurant, and how everyone should try it! Most likely it is John…

John has 10 followers for one of two reasons; either he has his updates protected and is wasting time using Twitter, or he has nothing of value to say and people could care less about following him. Either way, go back to Jane’s profile, and you will see that she is constantly saying things of value, and is always reaching out to her following through @ replies and re-tweets.

Here is another way to look at it, John is the guy from high school playing Dungeons and Dragons, and Jane is the Class President and captain of the cheerleading team.

Now that you have realized your position online and who is representing you, it is your job to control it as much as possible.

There are a few ways to do that, so in preparation begin with a few preliminary steps including; identifying the influencers, reaching out to them, getting them to care about who you are, and then convincing them to represent your brand to their following.

When you have done that, the next thing you can do is offer them something. You can give them some sort of promotional code or some free product and ask them to write about you in return. This may work, but most likely they care as much about their personal brand as you do about your company’s brand, so they aren’t going to sell out that easy.

The second and more plausible option is to connect with them. Go to their blog, get involved in the conversations they are creating, and give them a reason (outside of bribery) to put your name out there.

Brand evangelists are a necessary part of a successful social media strategy. They are not easy to find, but you can define them based on age, gender, and location, helping you to target a specific customer instead of just anyone.

It is kind of a waste of time to get someone in Miami to promote your restaurant that just happens to be located in Seattle…Right?

Looking for a role model in corporate America: It’s a game of hide and go seek

This being my first weekend back in Connecticut I was much more aware of my surroundings and the people I was with, most likely because I wanted to fit in again.  For the past few years I have comfortably accepted my friends and my acquaintances, not thinking too much about the conversations I was involved in.  This weekend however was very different.  I was aware of the many, diverse topics I talked about, and I was aware of the people I was talking to.

The one topic that I noticed came up across every age group was business.  This doesn’t surprise me, nor would I really notice anything different about it most of the time.  However, because of the different groups of people I was with this weekend, I did.  Talking to the people I know in their 20’s, the conversation focused on starting your own company, getting a great job, and making a name for yourself.  They didn’t seem to worried, and if anything they all seemed to know what they want.

It could be the people I was with, but I don’t think so.  Instead I think it is a sign of the times.  Young men and women are motivated…  The market crash didn’t scare them.  Instead, it made them realize that they need to take care of themselves, because corporate America can’t be trusted.  This is probably based on media coverage because everyone is hearing the same things these days.  However, instead of being afraid, they just ignore it, and use it to motivate themselves.

When discussing the same topic with some of my Father’s friends on the golf course, the attitude was much different.  Instead of talking about moving up in their company, or making more money, they were talking about holding onto their jobs, and scrapping together a little savings.  I get it, Baby Boomers feel they are being forced out, and jobs for Gen Y are opening up all over the place.  That is a fact, and I understand why and how it is occurring.  This however, was different.  These were successful men with well built careers, and now they’re hiding in the corner avoiding confrontation while their children strut through the front door and say, “bring it on”.

This worries me.  Not for my job security, in that sense it actually makes me happy.  It worries me because when experienced individuals are afraid of making a wrong move, then how are people with less experience supposed to learn from them?  If I worked for any of the people I met with this weekend I would actually be confused about how they ended up in such a prestigious position in the first place.  Everyone needs a mentor, a role model, a so-called hero of the company.  Without that presence, then where do you set the bar?  How do you know when you have achieved success?  And even more important, how do you set goals for yourself?

This is all very confusing to me.  Maybe because I am used to working with people in my age range, and my over 40 conversations have been more about closing deals instead of regular discussions, but I am still searching for some answers, and setting short term goals for the time being.

Understanding Your Pitch

My first week at work has been interesting, fun, exciting… Everything I hoped for and more. However, my situation here is a little unique. I came to Mason Inc. with some pretty high expectations. I came here to introduce social media to the company and their clients.

I am not saying that they didn’t understand social media, that would be very far from the truth. What I am saying is that the people here all have different skill sets. The creatives, the advertising, and the pr people. They know how to do their job, and they do a damn good job if you ask me.

My skills are primarily in the world of new media. I work with companies to establish an approach to new media, and then create a strategy that can be implemented from the outside (myself and my team), and passed in house. Upon my arrival a lot of questions and thoughts were thrown my way. I wanted to keep what I was saying as consistent as possible, so I had thought about it before coming into the office.

For the first few days I answered some repetitive questions, gave some input, and listened to what everyone was interested in. I figured all of the questions they would ask me are questions that their accounts probably asked them. By the third day here I was on the phone talking to prospects, and pitching our service…

I have never felt more confident pitching then I did the other day. I really knew what I was talking about, and I was able to back it up. This is unique because at my previous company I would be selling something different everyday, and the only thing I kept consistent was trying to brand myself online. Fortunately, my personal branding experience, and my place in the social networking world taught me one thing. How to place companies in front of the right people while expressing a specific message.

Now, that is exactly what I am doing. I am targeting specific people, and I am connecting them with companies in order to create a mutually beneficial relationship and build conversations online in the process… This is pretty fun.

First Day on the Job

Mason Inc., along with Mason Onofrio PR is a very successful and established advertising and public relations firm in Bethany, CT. The experience and success they have is unique and very diverse. I made this realization the first time I walked into the office. I walked through the visitor’s door and saw a Bruegger’s Bagels sign right away. As I made my way up the stairs I noticed a campaign that Yale New Haven Hospital put on, and on my way to my new office I see an ad for Copenhagen.

For the men and women that worked on those projects they must have a sense of pride on the way to their desks every morning. Me however, I had no part of these campaigns, so the walk to my desk is more motivational then it is nostalgic.

It is my first week here at Mason Inc. I flew in from Wisconsin on Sunday. I Brought a suitcase and my cat with me (not a fun flight), and started work Monday. I was a little hesitant to come in to the office. My experience prior to this has been in start-up companies that I owned, or was one of the first employees for. Mason Inc. was the first opportunity I accepted that would provide me with a “real-world” experience, or so I thought.

Half expecting my first day to be some paper work and introductions while getting acquainted with my new environment, I was thrilled when after about 45 minutes of getting my computer hooked up and on the network I was free to work. “What?” I thought to myself. “That’s it, I am here, and I am part of the team, so now I… work?” Apparently, yea, that is exactly right. I was in at 8:30, and by 9:30 I was working at full speed. I just started doing what I thought I should be, and when I let my boss know what I was up to, he was happy about it.

Sitting in on my first client meeting I realized immediately that my skill set would be beneficial here. For the last year and a half I was working at Brazen Careerist. While there, I worked with companies to develop their social media strategies, and then implement them. I was initially working with them to attract young potential employees, but as less jobs were available we shifted our thought process, and instead of recruitment, we focused on retention and branding. Helping big brands get their blogs started, and building content plans was my specialty.

When I decided to make the transition to PR, my reason was pretty simple. I believe in the power of social media, I believe in conversation, and I believe in the benefits of having an online presence. However, I do not think you can put together a few profiles and cross your fingers. Instead I think that combining a social media plan with a traditional advertising and pr plan is the best way to reach your audience.

Yes, social media marketing has its benefits. We can identify and target demographics, we can answer customers publicly, and with the right strategy, we can place ourselves wherever we need to be in order to increase sales, and show ROI. However, without that offline connection, we are missing so many potential clients or customers.

Mason Onofrio has given me this opportunity. The opportunity to take my skill set, and work with their experts to provide our clients with the best of both worlds. This will be a great experience, and I know the people that are really benefiting are the companies we work with, and just saying that gives me a sense of pride…