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The Marketing Edge, one of the longest running marketing and public relations podcasts.
Host Albert Maruggi weaves his 25 years of marketing and PR experience across business, technology and national public affairs in interviews with newsmakers, authors and business leaders.
Maruggi is a frequent speaker and conducts workshop sessions on new media. For more information or to discuss your business challenges and goals, e-mail him.
Sometimes when you are head deep in social media marketing you assume some of the tactics you use all the time are common knowledge. I mentioned these social media marketing search tactics in a group of seasoned marketing and PR practitioners and the tactics were new to some of them. Lesson learned, never assume and take time to share the social media marketing tactics you may have been using for some time.
I use Tweepz and Advanced Search on Search.Twitter.com to learn more about new topics I find interesting. I’m getting into a bunch of different cooking recipes and trying my hand at Indian cooking. Another is trying to determine whether there is an active social media community in a specific location. For example, for a client who was interested in the Des Monies, IA market, I used Tweepz to identify more than 4,000 users of Twitter who had listed Des Monies in their Twitter profile. I thought that was a good size pool to get the client active in that community. It worked out great.
I use Search.twitter.com to search by topic or key phrase, and if the task requires it, you can slice that data again by geography. None of these are so comprehensive to include everything, but they do give you a good sense of direction, and combined with other data, will allow you to make a thoughtful social media marketing decision.
A great place for discovering Twitter applications is www.OneForty.com. I’m sure you have some ways to search Twitter, would you like to share? Thanks
it was early in the AM Central time US and Twitter is usually the first place I check in the morning – daily routine don’t cha know. Alas it was crippled
It’s times like these when you see the value of what you miss. The classic case of you don’t know love until it’s gone.
What did you use when Twitter was down? Facebook? Friend Feed? Meebo? Quroa?
I used Google Realtime to track developments and how people were Tweeting.
Twitter is, if not the default database for many marketers PR, and communications professionals, a very important repository of individuals and relationships. The ability to focus on certain individuals among those you are following and who are following you is critical to deliver content that is of value to that segment of your relationships.
Granted, there are many ways to export your followers, one of the first among them was MyTweeple developed by Shannon Whitley. He also developed one of the more popular Twitter, WordPress plug-ins called Chat Catcher. That tool allowed tweets and links about your blog post to populate the comment section of that specific post. In this podcast we talk about why that service is no longer available.
Back to MyTweeple. Over time a relationship is about getting to know individuals, treating each person and their uniqueness separately instead of looking at Twitter followers as a list. Yes, I am speaking directly to social media and PR consultants who think that a Twitter list is for blasting irrelevant blather. I do not subscribe nor recommend this tactic. More importantly to buyers of PR services, please don’t get the impression that Twitter is cheaper or makes it easier to find free advertising for your mediocre product or service. I am sure there are firms that will take your money for such a purpose, ours isn’t one of them.
Whitley is a thoughtful, passionate developer who sought to address the issue of how to better understand the relationships he was creating on Twitter. This was his inspiration for developing www.mytweeple.com Here’s what I like about it.
Format is clean yet packed with information about each individual
Includes Klout information
Add notes about each individual
Add private and public tags for each individual
Export data in CSV format for importing into other databases
The new site we discussed in this edition of the Marketing Edge podcast is now live at www.mytweeple.com give it a try and share your thoughts with Shannon.
You thought the TV remote was the greatest invention for men, check this out. You can order men’s underwear online from Manpacks. You can even get packs of the boxers, briefs, or boxer-briefs for the uncommitted delivered on a regular basis. That’s right, now men have more time to use the TV remote with the time he saves not walking the asiles of some local Target store.
This podcast with Manpacks co-founder, Ken Johnson, reveals that while the idea of automating the purchase of essentials may be the next wave in retail, there is considerable learning, Johnson has done since launching Manpacks in January. Among the take aways:
Twitter is a better relationship building platform for Manpacks than Facebook,
Listen intently to customers for danger signs that you’re not providing the right products or services,
analyze customer buying patterns to anticipate what they need in the future.
I’m joined in this interview by Justin Dessonville who gave Manpacks the idea of a cause marketing promotion, Buy One Give One. The sales of Manpack underwear in the month of October will be matched 1- to – 1 from Manpacks with donations to Saint Stephens homeless shelter. Web entrepreneurs like Johnson, have an unquenchable desire to execute their idea, and the successful ones are married to the learning, not chained to their ideas. Enjoy the podcast and leave your ideas on whether you think subscribing for essentials is a good idea.
I believe social media is not about cookie cutter programs. If you want that, stick to direct mail and don’t worry your head about Twitter that or Foursquare this.
Now, if you want to look beyond and get your adrenaline pumping, (and that of your customers and sponsors) then social is the world of the possible. Hat’s off to the NFL’s Carolina Panthers for putting together a program that attempts to engage fans, tap into social networks, geo services, and sponsors’ interest. A key person to follow from the organization is Mike Mahoney of Panther Sponsorship Sales. The event is called Panthers Purrsuit (notice the 2 Rs) It’s a urban adventure in football, pictures, and discovery that appeals to the sense of adventure and competition. It’s open to teams who will follow clues and instructions around Charlotte area. The winner will go on an expense paid trip to see the Panthers play the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In this podcast we interview social marketing consultant Scott Hepburn, author of Media Emerging Blog who came up with the idea as he was experimenting with geo services and urban discovery this spring. What makes this event attractive is it includes the following elements.
1) Discovery of an area
2) Competition
3) Management vision with a flair for fun
4) Sponsorship benefit
5) Fan recognition and reward
The early odds are on Yarbyand CLTBuzz But will they last? dozens of other teams are after them. Follow this fun, creative event on October 23 on twitter with the #purrsuit and on Twitter @pantherpurrsuit
I dislike solutions headlines, but readers like them, so it’s a compromise. And they work to attract readers, which is what the new system of influence rewards. Klout scores are part of an individual’s twitter profile and used by more than 450 applications and services.
Here are the 5 Ways Klout Should Impact Your Day
1) Retweeting certain others that have higher Klout scores will get you noticed – what you tweet will get you retweeted.
2) Engaging them within the context of their topics with quality content will impact your Klout score.
3) Focusing on specific topics will improve your exposure to companies interested in that industry (Klout will do more in the coming months to analyze by topic area listen to this podcast.)
4) Curate a topic by tweeting little known links, the more rare instead of the common, everyone tweets Mashable and Alltop.
5) Take care to seek out individuals in a specific topic area that will provide a greater chance of reaching influence within that topic
Klout and You
Klout at www.klout.com is a much used resource for determining whether individuals have influence within a network or are opinion leaders in a specific topic area. In this space of influence, algorithms will determine accuracy and a solid user interface will foster greater adoption by decision makers who must make sense of it all.
In this podcast, Klout Marketing Manager Director, Megan Berry discusses the key factors that comprise the Klout score, among them True Reach, Amplification, and Network. I’ve had some people tweet me saying they suspect their Klout score and we’ve exchange tweets about whether they have log on to submit their profile be updated. This usually yields a different result and set of supporting rationale for the change.
Klout scores are relative to Twitter participation so a popular blogger may well have a low Klout score because they don’t participate on Twitter. Obviously, they may still have clout, just not with a K. What’s your take on the topic of influence? It is necessary? Is it no different than ratings in other media like Abritron or Nielsen?
The Background
Growing up is hard to do, alas in web years, social media is in its mid-twenties I estimate. It’s time to get a job, get off my health insurance, oh sorry that’s another issue.
Social media started as a way to learn, exchange ideas, expand one’s reach into their professional and personal lives, and as a means of expression. (for a background on blogging see Julie and Julia) As it evolved, for reasons of necessity, passion, of just plan interest (refer back to the movie) a significant number of those producing content sought to monetize their passion and along with it, the community called social was thrust into finding it’s way toward looking like a business, a profession, or something that others wanted a piece of.
As word of mouth became automated, networks became the social web’s advanced answer to lists, only smarter and with personality. And so the spreading of digital influence was born. Budding businesses need money and companies need proof. Enter the quantification of digital networks, their members, and the pursuit of each 140 character or less message as being relevant to someone, some topic, some interest.
What’s Influence?
The ability to cause an action like buying, clicking, believing, echoing, motivating, among others. In this number obsessed society of ours, what can be measured is real. (no matter how manufactured that number might be e.g. political opinion polls paid for by special interests.) To me it’s a bit of a false sense of security, but I won’t go there, that would be like arguing against gravity. The laws of social media nature, as they are currently unfolding, reveal the reality that anyone who participates will have their participation quantified. (Privacy is nothing compared to Influence envy)
This reality is being fostered by several technologies and services (algorithms and user interfaces if you will) that produce a score, provide analysis about an individual’s online behavior and the disposition of messages, topics, and dare I say marketing campaigns.
Social media is at its best when people come together. That was the case when I met Joel Price, the manager of interactive services for the NFL’s San Diego Chargers at the February meeting of the Social Media Breakfast San Diego. Joel, who can also be found on Twitter @joelprice, is the guest on this episode of the Marketing Edge, which we produced on video. Joel takes us through some interesting topics around the tools they use including Twitter, Facebook, and even an efficient way to use Posterous as a news release distribution system.
Think of the unique challenges of social media in professional sports:
Vocal fan base (yes fans come in all sizes and dispositions on any given day)
Huge amount of content under a variety of licenses and parameters
Not the only game in town, these days there is intense competition for disposable income and sports is a entertainment/hospitality combination
The players themselves are social media celebrities
One might think it’s a double edged sword. Me thinks social media is not only perfect for sports, but mandatory. And here’s why:
It’s all about fans following the team and players, right? sound familiar
Candid conversation, from bars to talk radio, tailgates to multiplayer Xbox Madden draft day, bring on the topics. It’s the one category of conversation universally allowed to be raised in any venue, even church.
Personal brands, yes every player is one and the type of interaction players have with the fans will have an impact on revenue, don’t believe me, ask any parent who’s kid just got an autograph.
Tweeting while you work (game time) or about sensitive information (personnel changes before they are official) can be a dicey situation that require clear policy guidelines for sure. However, the overwhelming majority of the time, social media is a unique communications experience and an extension of what has gone in for a hundred years in sports. My father would tell me when growing up in New York, it would not be uncommon to see members of the Yankees, Giants, or Dodgers around town. Those days may be gone, but that’s where social media can bring the fans closer to the players and still accommodate the barriers erected by celebrity in the 21st century.
Some in professional sports are a bit confident and out spoken, no surprises here right? Ozzie Guillen, manager of the Chicago White Sox, was ruffling some feathers because of his Tweets. I say that’s a bit odd, you let the guy give press conferences, yet you are nervous about Twitter?
What’s your take, if you owned a team, what would your policy be for your players? Remember, every comment we get, Provident Partners gives a food item to a St. Paul, MN food shelter.
Make no excuses, only make decisions. That’s the quote I’ve come up with as a result of talking to our Marketing Edge Podcast guest Laura Fitton. Fitton is known to many by Pistachio, the name of her consulting firm and what she uses on Twitter. Fitton was in a pressure situation, mother of two young toddlers, going through a divorce, yet the desire to pursue her passion was so strong, and the network of innovators in social media was so supportive, that Fitton’s passion became a reality.
This podcast will cover two areas, the first is about how social media is providing a channel for entrepreneurial innovation. There are plenty of low cost or free tools to test your ideas, build a digital presence, and connect with networks that can be supportive. Fitton proves this statement and we chat about the tactics and principles of other social media business pioneers Liz Strauss and Gary Vaynerchuk who have been beacons for many in this the social media era. Vaynerchuk is also a passionate Jets fan so he is excited at least for another week. Go Jets.
The key bullets on pursuing your passion that I have identified are:
Persistence
Timing
Vision
Network
At first for Fitton, that passionate reality was a consulting practice focused on Twitter for business, today it has grown into a community platform for Twitter applications. You can participate in it at www.oneforty.com a community that supports, discovers, and exchanges information about Twitter applications. OK, the short description is, Oneforty, a Twitter app store and here is my Twitter App profile so far.
It’s a great resource for corporate marketers, social media and PR decision makers to quickly identify applications that may be a solution for your challenges. It’s also great for anyone, on Twitter or not, to explore the concept of real time, mobile information. The website lets you see what people are using Twitter for, stupid or not. Remember, beauty and stupidity are in the eye of the beholder. Oneforty incorporates crowd sourcing of those using Twitter apps and supports the Twitter application developer community.
Oneforty is developer friendly. Starting January 12 developers will be able to sell their applications on Oneforty and Oneforty will pick up the PayPal fee for donations made through the Oneforty site, and the developer will get the full donation. This is one way Oneforty demonstrates their support for the Twitter developer community.
Give this Marketing Edge Podcast a listen for inspiration to pursue your passion or discover the latest Twitter applications. Is there a passion you are hiding? Shine a light on it this year.
In this second part of a conversation with Twitterville author, Shel Israel and I get into the strategy some companies can use to improve their business in social media. The short answer is be generous. We get into the rewards of being generous, some direct and some not. Trust among individuals practicing and advising in social media has to be pretty high these days. With so much generosity on the web (translate free information), the more providers have to trust they are not undercutting themselves.
I find that the generosity model still is working. Perhaps because this method of communicating and relationship building is different for each participant, each company, each employee representing a company, and each person engaging with each other.
I recently had a situation with Comcast during a tech call, the rep noticed that my package of services qualified for a lower rate and offered it up. Nice. Say do you think banks or credit card companies would do such a thing? It pays to be generous especially if you are in a subscriber relationship like cable. When the customer knows the company is looking out for his or her best interest, that’s called trust.
Personal Background
Shel Israel and I met online and we have a common interest as senior fellows at the Society for New Communications Research. We come from different political perspectives and view some aspects of social media differently. As I listened to our conversation while writing this post, it strikes me that the social web facilitated this civil, respectful relationship. The result of which is a discussion of issues I believe listeners will enjoy. Had it not been for the social web this relationship would never have happened. Schmaltzy?, maybe, but it underscores the ecosystem companies are trying to understand and participate. Hey Shel did I use the word Schmaltzy correctly?
Win a Copy of Twitterville
Enter the Marketing Edge podcast book contest by emailing me at Marketingedge@providentpartners.net with the word Twitterville in the subject line. We will announce a winner the week of October 5. Or take all the risk out of it and buy the book at www.Twitterville.com
The Marketing Edge is also available on Stitcher Radio
repository of individuals and relationships. The ability to focus on certain individuals among those you are following and who are following you is critical to deliver content that is of value to that segment of your relationships. 
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