Tag Archive for 'social media'

3 Groups Of People That Are Important

Published
by
Matt
on Nov 18, 2008
in Analysis and social media
. Comments

Note: This is a continuation of a post from yesterday titled “Digital Natives Are Not That Important“

The Conquistador
If Digital Natives are people that have been born into it, The Conquistadors are the ones who worked hard to show up, and make no question about it, they run this town. If you’re reading this blog and are over 20ish years old, chances are you’re a Conquistador. Not only are you way ahead of most other people your age when it comes to the internet, but you’re most likely way ahead of everyone. Conquistadors are the trend-setters, celebrities, and taste-makers of the new web.

In many ways, Conquistadors are very like Digital Natives. You’ve got to work to win them over, but if you do, they’ll shout your praises through every channel they can think of.

The Trons
Aptly named because the last good memory they have of technology was the 1982 movie Tron. They don’t want it, don’t need it, and won’t use it unless they absolutely have to.

If you’re targeting Trons, then good luck. You’ve got to have a couple things working for you in order to be successful. The first thing is you have to be really really easy to figure out. The second thing is that you have to have a user base that includes the “slightly more tech inclined friend-of-Tron” or SMTIFOD as we call it in the biz. (I’m just kidding, no one really says that.)

The One Trick Pony
The OTP is a user who knows the internet enough to use it for one or two things, and as far as they’re concerned, that’s all it’s for. Take my girlfriend’s mom for example. Her web experience/expertise doesn’t stretch very far beyond emailing, but she is an eBay wizard. Her digital world consists of the big “e’s”: e-mail and eBay.

The key with the OTP is to make your service or site as accessible as possible. You need to show the benefits right away. They’re a tough demo to snag, but provide an extremely loyal user base once you’ve got them on board.

So are Digital Natives really that unimportant right now? Are there any groups I missed? Let’s hear your thoughts.

Digital Natives Are Not That Important

Published
by
Matt
on Nov 17, 2008
in Analysis and social media
. Comments

Note: This is the first part of a two part series. See part two here.

If you’re at all active in the blogging/new media/technology/futurist/marketing/social media space, you’ve probably heard the term “Digital Native”.

In case you’re not part of that 8 word super-slash, or just missed the boat, a Digital Native is someone that doesn’t know life without computers or the internet.

People have been making a big deal about “the impact of Digital Natives” and “what Digital Natives mean to ____________”. But the truth is, right now anyway, Digital Natives aren’t that important at all.

Let’s think about it - by my estimation/definition, Digital Natives were born around or after 1989. This makes the oldest possible Digital Native about 20 years old. And odds are, if you’re running a business, the under 20 market isn’t the biggest piece of the pie you need to worry about.

The big thing about Digital Natives is that because they’ve grown up with this technology, they’re quick to adapt, adopt, and move on to the next big thing. So when you’re rolling the dice on your next big “will they do it?” web project, higher adoption rates from Digital Natives can be expected (as long as your product doesn’t suck).

But with most businesses, these people aren’t the make-or-break in the market. Look at Facebook. I was on there from the very beginning, when it was all college kids. People my age are on the very verge of what is typically defined as a Digital Native, so by definition, Facebook was full of them. But Facebook didn’t really take off until it opened it’s doors to everyone.

So we know that Digital Natives will try out your new web service. They will shape the next Twitter, the next bogs, and podcasts. But they’re not the people you have to worry about.

And who is it that you should be focusing on? Check back tomorrow to find out!

The Best Social Media Works Offline

Published
by
Matt
on Nov 3, 2008
in Life, Web 2.0 and social media
. Comments

If you stumbled over the title of this post, maybe it’s time to jack out of the matrix, Neo.

I know that most people wouldn’t put “social media” and “offline” in the same sentence, but maybe that’s because only the best of the best social media efforts make it there.

It’s funny because you hear people all the time getting all excited because O.M.G. the web is SOCIAL now! I can talk to you, and you can talk to me, and I can write reviews that get read in Istanbul, and you can friend up the entire offensive line of (undefeated!) Penn State’s football team.

This is, undeniably, a big deal. But we need to remember that there was a place that people were being social before the internet came along.

It’s called the real world. It’s where your mother is right now, and your dog, and your girlfriend (well, maybe not your girlfriend) too.

And the best social media plans understand this. They serve as enablers, facilitators, catalysts, and precursors for real life interaction. Look at the Makers Mark Ambassadors program or the Fiskateers. How about the Manic Mommies and their Escapes, events like Blogger Social, the Plaid Tour, and the booming popularity of Tweetups.

Think about (and I know he gets talked about all the time, but it’s because he’s that good) Gary Vaynerchuck. He blows peoples minds with his energy and passion about wine on WLTV and then goes out there and connects with everyone on every social network you can think of. Then he follows up on every single email he gets. But the best part is what happens offline. That guy that gets his question answered about what wine to serve with the meal he’s going to propose to his girlfriend is going to tell his friends. Maybe online, but more likely at the office, at a party, at the wedding reception. And it’s going to go something like this.

“Oh man I was so nervous, you know me. I had no idea about the meal and then I had to figure out the wine too. There’s this guy online, Gary Vay-ner-chuck, who is, like, a total wine guru, and he answered my email about which wine to get. It was awesome. You should check out his stuff, he’s at winelibrary.tv.”

Winner.

No One Cares About Your Brand More Than You

Published
by
Matt
on Sep 29, 2008
in Branding and social media
. Comments

The above statement might not seem like breaking news, but when you look at the way a lot of brands act, it might be less understood than you think.

In a post that should be required reading for any digital marketer, Alan Wolk tells everyone, “Your Brand Is Not My Friend“. He maintains that unless your brand is a “Prom King” (coolest kid in school, market leader, etc.) that most people don’t want a relationship with you. So please Folgers, stop trying to friend him up on Facebook! I agree with most of Alan’s post, and even came to a slightly similar conclusion myself in an earlier post. But it goes a little deeper than that.

Regardless of how cool your brand is, and how fanatical your fans are, the bottom line is that no one cares about your brand more than you do.

Now, I hear you out there going “Hey, wait a minute! What about the notoriously rabid Apple fanboys? Or the Zune guy? How about the Makers Mark Ambassadors, or Fiskateers, etc. etc.”

I know those are only a handful of examples, but think about it. Who do you think cares more about Makers Mark? One of their loyal fans in the Ambassador program or someone who’s last name is Beam? Same deal with the Fiskateers. I know they love those scissors and all the other products they make for scrap booking, but I’m sure that the Fiskar brand is more important to their CEO or Founder. The Zune Guy? We all know how that ended. And then Apple, with its fans that hold the brand in some sort of (almost creepy) holy regard. Who do you think Apple matters more to? The guy who never leaves his house without his iPod and MacBook or Steve Jobs?

My money’s on Jobs.

And this all means that you cannot hire an agency/consultant to do your social media for you. They can teach you, they can guide you, they can help you get started, they can participate, but that’s where it ends. The ownership has to be on your end. Because no matter how smart, your account manager doesn’t have those years of experience in the kayak industry that you do. They don’t understand the competitive landscape for protein powder or sneakers like you. Social media is all about connection, and if it’s not actually you out there connecting, then what good is it? If I’m a lifelong backpacker, I want to hear from your product manager who is out there testing your new packs on trails, not your consultant who tells you the best way to get outdoorsy links.

There is no quick way to be really successful in social media. Hiring someone else to do all your other dirty work or the thing “you don’t have time for” isn’t the answer. You have to care, because if you don’t no one else will.

Bring the Thunder! 5 Questions With Gary Vaynerchuck

Published
by
Matt
on Sep 4, 2008
in Web 2.0 and social media
. Comments

When it comes to social media and wine, there’s no denying the force that is Gary Vaynerchuck of Wine Library TV. From his daily videocast and book to being featured on Conan O’Brien, Mad Money, Wired, Men’s Health, etc., he’s become the poster child for the possibility of social media. I don’t want to keep you waiting, so here’s my five questions with the one, the only, Gary VAY-NER-CHUCK.

1) What first turned you on to the potential of social media?

The fact that it was massively driven on interaction with human beings.



2) How did you figure out which methods were the best for reaching people?

This is something that is always changing… I saw all the buzz around Twitter, for example, when I was at FOWA in London a few years ago and identified right away how powerful it could be–the ability to reach an audience instantly and repeatedly without being spammy. But Twitter has struggled a bit with its rapid growth and tomorrow some other competitor could emerge that makes Twitter obsolete. By using the social media tools that are currently available you’ll develop the knowledge and ability to identify and properly utilize the next ones that come down the pike.



3) Is it ever hard to keep up the pace that you’ve become so famous for?

My natural tendency is to embrace chaos, and chaos is what it has been. Fortunately for me my work is my play, and that makes it easy to maintain this frenetic pace.



4) What new things are you really looking forward to?

Well my brother AJ and I with some help just launched pleasedress.me, which is getting a lot of attention. It’s a search engine for t-shirts and it’s going to distract me from wine-related business a little but I’m excited about it.



5) What’s the one thing that everyone does wrong in social media?

Lack of patience.



And there you have it. Simple, insightful, and still totally exciting. A big “thank you” to Gary Vaynerchuck and everyone at Wine Library TV.

5 Easy Ways To Get Off The Social Media Sidelines TODAY

Published
by
Matt
on Aug 26, 2008
in Kickstarts, New Marketing and social media
. Comments

They say that speed kills, but I’m sure that being stagnant and not getting anything done has been the death of more good ideas than I care to think about. Let’s get this Social Media wagon train rolling. Here’s 5 ways to start getting things done, today.

1. See what people are saying about you already.
This one’s easy. Odds are, people are probably talking about you already and it’s just up to you to see what they’re saying. Fortunately, there are a lot of great (and free) tools out there to monitor the chatter on the internet. Start with Google Blog Search, Twitter Search (formerly Summize), and Technorati.

2. Comment on blog posts.
Now that you’ve found all these wonderful conversations already in play, it’s time to make like Joe Jaffe and join those conversations. Take a look at what people are saying, and if you feel like you can add something to the discussion, go for it. Just make sure to identify yourself as a representative of your brand or company, and don’t come off sounding like a press release.

3. Set up a profile on a social network.
Go to Facebook. Create a profile for your company or brand. Put the relevant facts and contact info on there. Respond to people who reach out to you. Simple.

4. Subscribe to some feeds with a RSS Reader.
First things first, set up and account with Google Reader or Bloglines (or many other tools out there). Then, using the tools listed above, find some blogs that you think you’d like to read on a regular basis. Look for the big orange “subscribe” button (like my circular one) and follow the instructions to add them into your reader. This way all the content comes to you, making it easy to stay on top of the conversations that matter.

5. Set up a Twitter account.
Neal Stewart once said “I try to post at least one…update per day because I believe that there should be at least one thing we want to tell our consumers per day.”

If you don’t know what twitter is, you can check out it’s wikipedia entry here. Once you’ve got a decent handle on it, check out these awesome posts from a lot of smart people on how to use Twitter effectively. It’s quick, easy, and a lot of fun.

So there’s my five. What did I miss?

If You Say “Leverage” You Might Get Punched In The Face

Published
by
Matt
on Aug 20, 2008
in Bad Marketing, Web 2.0 and social media
. Comments

A lot of times, one of the first things you hear when social media is brought up in a business setting is “How can we leverage this to reach our customers (read: sell more stuff)?” And a lot of times, it makes me want to punch whoever said that right in the face. It’s a strong reaction I know, but hey, you have to let the punishment fit the crime.

Greg Verdino once said that hearing the word “viral” makes him want to throw up. Clearly I have a similar, albeit slightly more aggressive, response to the word “leverage” when used anywhere near “social media”.

Why this hulk-smash attitude you might ask? Well, what bothers me so much is that so many people are in such a hurry to leverage/monetize/utilize/monopolize/bastardize social media, that they don’t even stop to understand it first. And along with this goldrush mentality, comes a lot of people who are doing things really wrong.

In fact, the aforementioned Verdino likens it to putting lipstick on a pig. His main point is that maybe you should figure out social media before you work on social media marketing. I mean, honestly, did you run TV spots before you owned a set and watched a few shows? Probably not. Don’t let this be any different.

The good news is that it’s not hard to get into the space and learn the tools and tactics. I know it might seem daunting, but don’t worry. You can (and should) take it slow. Start with (my version of) the basics. People like Chris Brogan, Mitch Joel, Joe Jaffe, David Armano, Jason Falls, Valeria Maltoni, and Geoff Livingston are great resources. And people like Neal Stewart at Flying Dog, Scott Monty at Ford, and Frank Eliason at Comcast are already doing great work with social media.

The key thing here is that you need to be a participant. Get in on the ground floor. Crawl before you can walk. Be the tortoise not the hare. Float like a butterfly and sting like a bee. (Wow, one more metaphor and I might have passed out)

Either way, I still have faith that with patience and practice, we’ll all get a handle on this “social media” thing. But seriously, if I hear “leverage”, you still better duck and cover.

A Definitive Explanation of Social Media

Published
by
Matt
on Aug 3, 2008
in Web 2.0 and social media
. Comments

If you want Wikipedia’s definition of Social Media, you can find it here.

I like the definition and I think it’s accurate, if slightly long winded. But if someone asked me what social media is, personally I’d reply with “Social Media is any new web tool or technology that connects people.”

I’ve been thinking about it a little more and essentially, all social media can be broken down into 3 simple categories.

Social Media

Socially Created Content
A lot of what comes to mind when people think “social media” is really just the Socially Created Content piece. This includes things like blogs, podcasts, Flickr or Picasa, YouTube, and Wikipedia. Essentially anything where the main focus is content creation. This is one of the fastest growing parts of social media, primarily because of the shrinking the barriers to entry. You can start a blog that showcases your vacation pics on Flickr and links to your channel on YouTube in less than half an hour. Don’t believe me? Try it.

Socially Highlighted Content
The second major part of social media is Socially Highlighted Content. SHC works because when people find something truly great out there on the internet, they think “Wow I really like this! I think everyone should check this out.” Sites like Digg, StumbleUpon, Reddit, Del.icio.us, Yahoo! Buzz, Mixx, and many others, serve as a showcase/portal for content that people believe the community will find value in. If you’re looking for the consensus best of the web, check here first.

Social Networks
Along with Socially Created Content, Social Networks are the other half of what people think of regarding social media. By now, everyone has heard of Facebook, LinkedIn, and (unfortunately) MySpace. These networks, among many others, allow you to create profiles and connect with peers, friends, coworkers, and complete strangers to form a network of “linked” individuals. Social Networks have become the Rolodex or little black book of today’s generation, and represent an unparalleled way to stay connected.

The In-Between
Obviously not everything falls neatly into those three categories, hence my beautiful illustration (watch out Armano). There’s a lot of overlap, and a lot of sites that represent the intersection of two or even all three pieces. For example, a microblogging site like Twitter sits at the intersection of Socially Created Content and Social Networking, it’s the perfect blend of both. The same goes for Squidoo for Socially Created Content and Socially Highlighted Content and Google Reader’s share function for Social Networking and Socially Highlighted content.

But that’s Just my take on it.
Think I’m wrong? Don’t like the categories or found something that doesn’t fit? Let me know. I’d love to hear your feedback on this. It just wouldn’t be social without you.