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There has been and will continue to be reports that tout the tremendous growth and popularity of both Social Media and Online Video. Marketing budgets have been re-allocated from traditional media to build brand presence in each growing field. Why not go after both, or in other words “social video?”

SOCIAL VIDEO

Wieden + Kennedy did so with the Old Spice “Responses” campaign. The Old Spice Man, Mustafa, recorded 181 additional funny videos made over a two day period in a call and response with celebrities and regular folks.

This engagement between character and fans led to success never seen before. Sales of the product and mentions of Old Spice online both spiked dramatically. The campaign took the all time spot atop the viral video world with over 6 million in less than 24 hours and 20 million in three days, surpassing even President Obama’s Victory Speech. But like most viral videos or campaigns, it was soon forgotten and everything went back to status quo, including Old Spice sales and Social Media mentions. The Brand did not continue to interact and engage with its fans and as a result the campaign ultimately did not capitalize on all the energy and excitement it created.

It happens all the time. You see a tremendously funny or heartwarming viral video, share it with a few friends, and then you’ll never see or think about it again. Brands interested in producing “social video,” don’t have to worry if every video they produce will go viral. Sure, viral videos can be useful in certain situations. They are great for showcasing a brand’s personality, or responding to something really hot in the current news cycle. But viral videos depend too heavily on metrics like view count, which can be easily manipulated.

3 ELEMENTS

In the SEO Industry Survey of 2010 put out by SEOmoz, a third of the respondents stated the most important reason their company uses Social Media is its ability to engage with their audience. That makes perfect sense. Of course you don’t just want your customers to view your videos, you want them to interact with your brand after viewing your video. To pull off a successful “social video” project, focus on these three elements:

1.    Produce emotional content that requires the audience to engage with it.

2.    Build a long term position. As in years or decades, not weeks or months.

3.    Fosters a sense of community among the audience.

In eMarketer’s report 7 Trends for Video Advertising Engagement, two of the five most important marketing capabilities Media Executives try to acquire or develop are online video and user generated content. I’ll give you a real life and hypothetical example of a user generated online video projects.

REAL WORLD

Tostitos, like Old Spice, is a well established brand. Tostitos represents gathering with friends and family over a big bowl of chips and some salsa or guacamole to watch Football or the Oscars. It is similar in ancient times to breaking bread with your neighbor.

Not surprisingly, Tostitos did not have much presence in social media discussions. Lets be honest, corn chips are not the most exciting product in the world.

Goodby, Silverstein, & Partners created a long term “social video” presence called “Tostitos Reunite America.” The agency noticed that reunion videos on Youtube often went viral. For example, it can be emotional seeing a soldier return from Iraq to embrace his wife and kids.

Customers interested in “Tostitos Reunite America” can go on the Tostitos Facebook page and upload video clips requesting to be reunited. The reunion could be with a friend from their childhood or a long lost family member, or anyone they choose.

Other members of the Facebook community page vote for who they think most deserves to be reunited. The winners are reunited on Tostitos dime. The reunion and events leading up to it are filmed, edited, and run on TV and online. It positions Tostitos as a brand that cares about bringing people together.

HYPOTHETICAL

Speaking of bringing people together, what brings a community more together than sports? I’ve been a massive Boston Celtics fan my whole life. Imagine if the Celtics ran a “social video” project where fans submit video re-enactments of their favorite Celtics play. My friends and I could meet at the local outdoor court and film a re-enactment of the “Havilcek steals the ball moment” and upload the video to the Celtics website. Other fans could vote on their favorite re-enactment and winning videos could be shown during one of the Celtics home games on the jumbotron.

Or fans could upload video discussing their favorite Celtics moment, game, or play of all time. Young fans might submit videos gleaming about their first ever live game, old fans might discuss how they felt seeing their first championship parade, others might remember meeting one of the players at a charity event.

Forget professional teams like the Celtics. Colleges and high schools should being using “social video” like this as well. This allows fans to build an even stronger bond with the brand as well as foster a deeper sense of community amongst other fans.

CONCLUSION

The Old Spice campaign was a smashing success while it engaged with fans. But because the campaign wasn’t built to continually engage with customers, it lost all momentum a couple months later. Tostitos Reunite America on the other hand is a young “social video” project. But they plan to stick with it for the long haul. Assuming they do, you may find yourself reminiscing about what a great mentor your old soccer coach was and the next thought that pops in your head will be Tostitos of all things.

If you’re a marketer for a large brand, or represent them at a big agency, stop hoping every video every video pushed out gets extremely lucky and goes viral for a short spike of brand recognition. Instead focus on creating “social video” that engages and build a sense of community with your audience. If you stick with it for the long haul you’ll be rewarded with customers returning time and again to interact with your brand.

Tod Plotkin is Principal at Green Buzz Agency. Despite moving to Washington, DC in 1999, he still misses following the Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox on a daily basis. His passion for video production is equaled by his love of peanut butter and jelly. Connect with Tod on Linkedin

This article originally ran in the debut issue of Social Media Monthly

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I live on LinkedIn. So nothing is more aggravating than logging in and getting the error message, “The network is not currently accessible”, or some variation thereof. The feeling is akin to the high anxiety of a computer crash.

As well, I often hear members complain, “LinkedIn never listens to suggestions from its users!”

Recently, LinkedIn has been listening and, while network inaccessibility still occurs at the most inconvenient times, positive changes are taking place.

Four of the newest changes are small but helpful. A Premium account is needed – another reason to upgrade.

In case you haven’t noticed them, take a moment to view the bottom blue border of box directly underneath your Public Profile link. Here you’ll find four new buttons: Share, PDF, Print, and vCard.You’ll also find the “Flag” button, which is not new, but has been moved to this location for convenience.

SHARE
The Share button offers yet another opportunity to connect and engage with other members. Click on this button, and an email box pops up with a standard greeting:
“Check out my new profile — I’ve made a few changes recently and wanted to get in touch and let you know. When you get a chance, send me an update. It would be great to hear from you.”

This is a great option for new LinkedIn members who want to get a jump on network growth, or current members who have worked hard on profile optimization. At the end of the day, it’s smart to make use of the many varied methods for connecting with others. (Watch for our new whitepaper on this topic!)

PDF & PRINT
I really like this option, because we work with member profiles all day long during the optimization process. Previously, printing a copy of the profile before optimization was a messy affair. Now, the profile prints clearly, without numerous hyperlinks. I suggest printing your own for safekeeping!

The Green Buzz Agency Blog provides insight for Marketing Decision Makers and other fun people   We are the leader in corporate, web, and online video production services in Washington DC, Boston, Philadelphia, and NYC!

VCARD

A vCard is an electronic business card, commonly attached to e-mail messages, but exchangeable online in many ways. As LinkedIn becomes more sophisticated with features such as Profile Organizer, the vCard will become an important tool.

OTHER IMPROVEMENTS

Share This Profile: This button, previously relegated to a tiny space, is now larger and brighter, placed at the top right of the profile. Why would you want to share a profile? Perhaps you want to introduce two members, are working on a joint venture, or want to make a private comment to one member about another.

Drag and Drop to Rearrange: This is not exactly a new feature, but many members are not aware of the ability to customize the look of the profile. At the top left of each section is a crossed-arrows symbol. Simply place your cursor over the symbol, and drag the section to another place on the profile. Maybe you’d like your Recommendations to appear first, or perhaps your Contact information. Perhaps your blog is most important. Be creative and create the profile look you really want.

Hide Network Updates: Some connections share a great deal of content. The Home page, where Network Updates post, can become quite noisy. Often, these are tweets that may or may not be professionally relevant. If you’d like to avoid ‘annoying’ your network with constant Twitter updates, one option is to link Twitter to your LinkedIn account, instead of the other way around. In this way, your Shared Updates post to Twitter, instead of every tweet posting as a Network Update. This may not be a good strategy for you if Twitter is important to your lead generation efforts.

Now, what to do about others in your network who update too often? You may choose to hide those connections from view to ensure your feed stream remains relevant to your professional interests. To do so, simply roll over an update and click ‘Hide’. If you decide later on to restore the feed, it only takes one quick click.

Adjust Your Member Feed: Again, not totally new, but a feature many members are not aware of. Did you know that every time you make a profile change, your activity posts to your network? If you’re making lots of updates and changes, you probably don’t want to notify the network of every small action…especially if you are employed, but job seeking. The solution is to log into your Account settings, (a completely new dashboard, by the way!), choose “turn on/off your activity broadcasts”, and uncheck the box. This will disable the feature, so you can make changes in peace. Just don’t forget to turn it back on when you’re done! Otherwise, Shared Updates and other activities will not be viewable by your network. Incidentally, you can also make the choice to allow your activity broadcasts to be seen by only a select few.

Need more help with LinkedIn? Don’t hesitate to send me your questions.

Which new LinkedIn features are you enjoying?

Victoria Ipri is CEO of Modello Media, Inc.,an e-marketing strategy firm specializing in LinkedIn marketing. She welcomes your questions and comments on this forum, or contact her directly via LinkedIn or at: Victoria@ModelloMedia.com

Feel free to connect with members of Green Buzz Agency on Linkedin: Tod Plotkin, Sara Evans, Jennie Nowers. Or join the Green Buzz Agency Linkedin Group.

It’s no secret that mobile is the hot ticket item around town these days. Brands of all shapes and sizes are jumping onto the mobile platform in droves. This creation of this market is being fuelled by the advancements in mobile technology and consumers under-lying propensity to be more connected whilst ‘on-the-go’. Smartphone technology provides exceptionally high powered devices right in the hands of the every day consumer at little cost. At the end of 2010 28% of US mobile subscribers own a smartphone with the entire smartphone market growing nearly 75% last year.

As this market continues to grow there is no question that you need to consider your brands presence on this platform. Unfortunately launching yourself in the mobile arena isn’t as simple as clicking a button. With a maturing market consumers will not tolerate scaled down websites or featureless applications that serve little or no purpose. Consumers want something that will add value or fix a problem in their day-to-day lives. Brands need to do their research and understand their consumer especially in the context that they’ll want to interact with your brand on their mobile device. The final dilemma is that you have choices – a native application or a mobile website.

Let’s cast the spotlight on sports industry, in particular take into consideration how a sports team could deliver a mobile experience for their fans. We’re using a sports team as a case study as I represent an Australian professional sports team and it’s easy for me to share our journey and experiences.

The Green Buzz Agency Blog provides insight for Marketing Decision Makers and other fun people   We are the leader in corporate, web, and online video production services in Washington DC, Boston, Philadelphia, and NYC!

Multiple scenario’s exist when identifying the context a sports fan would interact with the team on a mobile device. A couple of quick examples:

-       A fan could use a mobile device to add to their experience whilst at the stadium

-       A fan could use a mobile device to add to their experience whilst they are watching the game on TV

-       A fan could use a mobile device to keep them up to date with information when they don’t have access to other media

Once context is understood we need to determine whether we’re going to deliver our experience via a mobile website or a native application. There are arguments for and against each direction and to determine your tact the starting point typically is asking yourself a few questions.

-       Is budget a concern? Typically mobile websites are cheaper to design and develop than native mobile applications. If you are looking to build a native app these days you need to be aware iPhone and Android have a similar share in the market and you’d have to consider creating an app for each platform.

-       Do we need the power of a native app to serve our content? Don’t go building an app for apps sake – could you service your consumer with a mobile website?

-       Do you want to create a product that provides revenue? Native apps sold through stores can be sold, charging the consumer and providing revenue for your business.

When our digital team came to addressing this decision we decided to create both a mobile website and a native application. Our mobile site launched six (6) weeks earlier than the application and provided fans a site that focused around results and fixtures. The primary feature was live, up-to date scores. Our mobile website was available to all users whether they own an Android powered phone, an iPhone or a Blackberry. The site worked through the mobile browser or through mobile applications that access the web such as the Twitter app.

Our native app was released adding further features such as more detailed live scores, video, at match chat and integration with Twitter and Foursquare. We developed a game day section that plotted tweets around the stadium on a Google map.

At the end of the season the results are in and from reviews and statistics our fans loved all our mobile products. The brand new mobile platform (both native app and mobile website) now accounts for 49% of traffic to our content. On game day our iPhone app receives more traffic than our website. Remember this platform didn’t exist 12 months ago.

Given the features available in the native app it was unsurprising to see the iPhone app dwarf the mobile website in terms of popularity. The other consideration is that in Australia the iPhone is the handset of choice amongst mobile users. From the commercial side a benefit for our organisation is now we are presented with an asset that our sales team can offer to our sponsorship portfolio.

Following this success we’ve seen on our mobile platform we’ve now moved into the development of a mobile game called Water Boy. It’s a different tact but something to test the waters (pun intended) to measure the viability in marketing through mobile games. It’s only been in the AppStore a few weeks but already we’re receiving solid downloads and great reviews!

So in summary, if you’re looking to develop a presence on the mobile platform think of your market, their context and deliver something that solves a problem or adds value. With this in mind you can’t go wrong!

Anthony Harrison is the Digital Marketing Manager at Cricket Victoria. Email him at aharrison@cricketvictoria.com.au  or visit his Linkedin Profile here.

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Of all the questions circulating about the usefulness of LinkedIn, this is perhaps the most frequently asked.

The answer, in a word, is no.

Networks like Facebook have skewed perception about what it means to “do business online.” Although Facebook has made great strides in catering to the business crowd, it remains a casual hang out, a place where anyone can sell anything.

LinkedIn is not about selling. LinkedIn is about relationship building. It is not a sales tool; it is a lead generation tool.

I know you’ve heard this before, but how has this knowledge impacted your LinkedIn activity?

If you have a LinkedIn profile, but your network activity is dormant, you may be wondering where you’ve gone wrong. Or, perhaps you’ve optimized your LinkedIn profile, but still are not connecting as deeply as expected.

Here’s what you need to know:

LinkedIn is actually two delivery channels in one, the outbound and the inbound. On the outbound side, we have the profile, (most notably, your headline) shared updates, employment history, and other items that tell the world who you are. On the inbound side, we have invites, connections, recommendations, and group discussions.

You simply cannot achieve your lead generation goals using LinkedIn without taking full advantage of both channels.

This means you not only need a fully optimized profile, but you must be consistently active. The profile is the hub of your activity. And yes, you’ve got to connect and grow your network. But the true power of LinkedIn membership lies in your value to others.

The Green Buzz Agency Blog provides insight for Marketing Decision Makers and other fun people   We are the leader in corporate, web, and online video production services in Washington DC, Boston, Philadelphia, and NYC!

This can be a tough pill for business owners to swallow. For example, how long must you continue to connect before something good happens? How do you know you’re connecting with the right people? Which groups should you join? What do you do when you get there?

It all seems like so much wasted time to many members…until that first hot lead appears. Then, the skies open up and the angels sing and, Eureka! You get it!

Before we had great tools like LinkedIn, salespeople used other lead generation activities to find prospects and close business. In truth, not much has changed. Perhaps we rely more on technology, and less on the telephone. We’ve certainly reduced overall participation in live events, like trade shows and conferences. No doubt, we spend less time face-to-face with prospects and more time engaging online. But the core goal of sales, to make solid connections that lead to business, remains the same. All that has really changed are the tools we use to get there.

So, can you really make money using LinkedIn? No, but you can certainly access key decision makers like never before, become an expert in your industry, reach out and touch your target market, and build brand buzz right from the comfort of your office chair…and these activities, my friends, are what lead to real revenue.

Victoria Ipri is CEO of Modello Media, Inc.,an e-marketing strategy firm specializing in LinkedIn marketing. She welcomes your questions and comments on this forum, or contact her directly via LinkedIn or at: Victoria@ModelloMedia.com

Feel free to connect with members of Green Buzz Agency on Linkedin: Tod Plotkin, Sara Evans, Jennie Nowers. Or join the Green Buzz Agency Linkedin Group.

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LinkedIn, the world’s largest B2B professional network, has recently received much media attention for seeking public funding to the tune of $175 million.

But this isn’t the only important news about LinkedIn. Recently, the professional networking giant released eight exciting user-friendly features aimed at more closely aligning the LinkedIn experience with upgrades users have begged for.

What does this mean for you? If you’re not yet a LinkedIn member, you’d better get busy. If your half-baked profile is routinely ignored, rethink your branding strategy. Chances are, your competition is already way ahead of you.

LinkedIn released the Company page feature in 2008, but only recently made modifications that got people talking about it. Available analytics were also upgraded, allowing users to more accurately measure overall network activity and growth.

8 New LinkedIn Features

1.   Linkable banner advertising- link to your website, blog, etc.

2.   Video support for the Company page

3.   Network Recommendations displayed on your Company page

4.   “Follow Us on LinkedIn” button-  for website, blog, etc.

5.   Blog posts uploaded to Company page

6.   Client Recommendations, straight from your website to your Company page

7.   Tighter monitoring functions for Group moderators

8.   LinkedIn share button- similar to Facebook share button

With more than one million LinkedIn Company pages in existence, promoting more than 50,000 products and services, the Company page field becomes more crowded each day. Are you taking full advantage of every available feature for your Company page?

The Green Buzz Agency Blog provides insight for Marketing Decision Makers and other fun people   We are the leader in corporate, web, and online video production services in Washington DC, Boston, Philadelphia, and NYC!

If you’re not using LinkedIn yet, why not?

Once upon a time, LinkedIn was merely another place to park your resume. Those days are gone. If you need help optimizing your profile, building a dynamic Company page, promoting your products and services within the network, finding targeted leads…give me a call. I’ll chat with you for free…because I know how important LinkedIn is to your success, and I want you to know it too. 877-340-9775.

Victoria Ipri is CEO of Modello Media, Inc.,an e-marketing strategy firm specializing in LinkedIn marketing. She welcomes your questions and comments on this forum, or contact her directly via LinkedIn or at: Victoria@ModelloMedia.com

Feel free to connect with members of Green Buzz Agency on Linkedin: Tod Plotkin, Sara Evans, Jennie Nowers. Or join the Green Buzz Agency Linkedin Group.

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Green Buzz Agency is a proud Media Partner of the Digital Music Forum: East

Here are seven reasons we are excited to be a media partner and attend this year’s forum:

1. Keynotes: This year’s event welcomes Gary Shapiro, President & CEO, Consumer Electronics Association as a keynote speaker for the event. Coming off the highly successful 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show and the release of his new book “The Comeback: How Innovation will Restore the American Dream”, Shapiro will be featured in a fireside chat covering a range of topics focused around his outspoken views about how innovation can fuel progress and ultimately save the music industry.

Dermot McCormack, EVP of Digital Media, MTV Networks Music & Logo Group also joins Digital Music Forum East 2011 as a keynoter. McCormack will speak on the topic of “More Than Music Videos: Why today’s music fan wants a 360 curated music experience that includes a diversity of music content and digital products”. Dermot is Executive Vice President of Digital Media for the MTV Networks Music & Logo Group, providing strategic oversight in digital for MTVN brands including MTV: Music Television, MTV 2, MTV Tr3s, VH1, VH1 Soul, VH1 Classic, CMT and LOGO. In this role McCormack is responsible for setting strategy and vision and charting the course on how the Music and Logo brands evolve in today’s digital world. Previously, McCormack was the SVP of Interactive Product Management at Cablevision. Before his tenure at Cablevision, he was Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Flooz.com, the world’s first online gift currency. And prior to that was one of the early executives at iVillage.com.

2. Insiders’ Look of the Music Industry: We are the only event in the United States that brings together the top music, technology and policy leaders for high-level discussions and debate, intimate meetings and unrivaled networking about the future of digital music. Digital Music Forum is known worldwide for the news that is made in our auditorium, the deals that get done in our hallways, and the friendships and partnerships that are forged year after year. Why wait by the sidelines, when you can join the event that is helping to drive the industry’s future!

3. Top Research and Analyst Presentations: Get an overview of the latest research about the current state of digital music, including consumer behavior & attitudes; adoption & penetration rates of digital products, key technology channels & platforms; and business & economic performance numbers.

The Green Buzz Agency Blog provides insight for Marketing Decision Makers and other fun people   We are the leader in corporate, web, and online video production services in Washington DC, Boston, Philadelphia, and NYC!

4. Panels and Speakers: The 11th Digital Music Forum will continue to bring most innovative top industry executives to speak and share their vision, research reports and successful business models and interact with the audience. What is the current state of the online and mobile music markets and where is the industry heading? What does the future hold for cloud-based music services? How is technology changing the concert business? And don’t miss the discussions on music licensing for film & television, mobile music apps, social network & music, and the debate over digital copyrights.

5. Delegate roundtables: At most conferences, you just sit and listen. At Digital Music Forum East, you can sign-up for a roundtable of your choice and express your views with other industry insiders.

6. Networking Opportunities: There are tons of networking opportunities throughout the day – networking breaks, lunch, cocktail reception. Engage with speakers, exhibitors and other attendees, develop your network and get deals done between sessions and after hours!

7. GBA Discount Code: GBA readers receive an extra 15% off with code DMFEGBA. Don’t miss the opportunity – Register now to secure your seat ahead of others!

Venue: Museum of Jewish Heritage
36 Battery Place, New York City

For sponsorship/exhibitor packages, contact:
Jay Baage: jay@digitalmediawire.com
Tinzar Sherman: tinzar@digitalmediawire.com

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Companies of all sizes are pushing to buckle down and implement effective social media plans. This is an encouraging trend. However, before a plan can be developed, organizations must determine how “social media” is defined and used in the business environment. The answers will vary among enterprises.

My good friend and fellow marketer Debbie Laskey and I recently discussed this issue. (Debbie calls it the ‘other’ social media policy.) She says, “companies can build the most carefully-planned social media strategy, but if employees don’t have specific ‘how to’ guidelines, confusion erupts and hands are slapped in the process.”

Is it acceptable to tweet while on a sales call? Who is responsible for uploading company photos to Facebook? Do employee LinkedIn contacts made during business hours belong to the company, or the employee? Is management harboring decisions on these important points, but failing to share them with employees?

The Green Buzz Agency Blog provides insight for Marketing Decision Makers and other fun people   We are the leader in corporate, web, and online video production services in Washington DC, Boston, Philadelphia, and NYC!

Social media can generate leads, engages prospects, fosters sales, and can be a vital cog in the company brand wheel. Therefore, it’s crucial that consistent social media policies are implemented to effectively grow your business and ensure the entire organization knows…and follows…the rules. Consistency is the name of the social media game – enhancing your reputation and showcasing industry expertise are too important to leave to chance.

Ready to tackle social media policy development? Consider these questions:

1.    Will employees be allowed to use Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc. during business hours?

2.    How much time, or which specific time periods, will be allowed on these sites? Only during the lunch hour and breaks?

3.    Who is the designated spokesperson/people representing your company’s ‘voice’? Don’t designate “anyone” — choose wisely.

4.    What style will be used when posting? Conversational and friendly? Business casual? Professional and formal? Make sure the style accurately represents your company’s culture.

5.    Can employees access sites via company mobile devices? Will this pose a security risk?

6.    Who ‘owns’ contacts made for business purposes? This is an especially important question for companies with sales forces.

Once your policy is in place, your next step is communicating the guidelines to your employees. New employees in particular should receive a copy of the social media policy in the new employee information packet.

Learn more by reviewing 160 social media policies other companies have implemented.

Victoria Ipri is CEO of Modello Media, Inc., an e-marketing strategy firm based in suburban Philadelphia, PA. She welcomes your questions and comments on this forum, or contact her directly at: Victoria@ModelloMedia.com

Feel free to connect with members of Green Buzz Agency on Linkedin: Tod Plotkin, Sara Evans, Jennie Nowers. Or join the Green Buzz Agency Linkedin Group.

Fern Mallis, widely credited with creating New York “Fashion Week” and former VP of Marketing at IMG, discusses marketing in the fashion industry.

Fern Mallis was interviewed by Green Buzz Agency after a panel she led on Social Media and Marketing at Afingo’s “Behind the Seams.” Presented at Manhattan’s world-famous Fashion Institute of Technology, “Behind The Seams” saw 30 top designers, apparel manufacturing insiders, head buyers of top retail chains, editors, and celebrity tastemakers to offer wisdom, opinions, and tips to a diverse audience of fashion fans.

The Green Buzz Agency Blog provides insight for Marketing Decision Makers and other fun people   We are the leader in corporate, web, and online video production services in Washington DC, Boston, Philadelphia, and NYC!

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If you’ve built a profile on the Big Three social media sites, you may have been pleased about not having to defrost your credit card to do it. (Yes, a friend of mine once froze her credit cards in a bowl of water to ‘cold turkey’ her overspending.)

Sure, you can upgrade your LinkedIn membership and pay a variety of monthly fees to get more perks. But you don’t have to, and that makes millions of people very happy. Based on nothing but your creativity, ingenuity and inventiveness, you can promote your business for next to nothing.

How free is social media, really? About as free as starting your own business.

Meaning, it’s not. Hence the phrase…next to nothing.

Gauging the true cost of social media is crucial in today’s marketplace. Which areas might end up costing you? Here are several to reflect upon:

Implementation

As you know by now, there is more to social media marketing than building a profile and waiting for something to happen. A ton of content goes into the best social media campaigns.  Even if you’re a copywriter, it’s still going to cost you time (which, ultimately, means money).  Images cost too. Getting targeted help can cost if you hire an ‘expert’ to point the way, or buy books and other materials. As well, some social media platforms charge for functionality. You may not care now, but as you grow, you will. And when you get there, you may find you need help from a social media manager, either in-house or outsourced, to keep everything running efficiently.

Promotion

You’ve heard of Starbucks? They are the Facebook leader. And they didn’t get there by accident. You may never aspire to Starbucks fame, but even in your own tiny corner of the world, promoting your campaign requires a budget, as well as a skilled graphics designer and perhaps a web designer to create advertising.

Tracking

Google Alerts are great. TwitterDeck rocks. But some day, hopefully soon, you’ll need to upgrade to Radian6 or another paid tracking tool. The freebies just aren’t going to cut it.

The Green Buzz Agency Blog provides insight for Marketing Decision Makers and other fun people   We are the leader in corporate, web, and online video production services in Washington DC, Boston, Philadelphia, and NYC!

Engagement

As recently as a year ago, it was all about SEO. Today, it’s about CRO…Conversion Rate Optimization. What good is all that traffic if it doesn’t convert to real sales? Engagement requires focused landing pages, keywords, email, a website, split testing…a host of functions that require tools, and they’re not all free.

Analysis & Reputation Management

Analysis tells you where you’re heading, and when you will arrive. Along the way, analysis, combined with tracking, can assist with reputation management…an emerging industry which seeks to delete or contain negative brand conversations. If you’re not watching listening and responding, what’s it all for?

Personnel

Who’s doing all this work? In many cases, staff. Customer service, design, technology, administrative tasks…you’re only one person, and can only go so far all alone. Your time is an opportunity cost…not to mention the time/paycheck of a staff member…perhaps even additional staff to engage and communicate with perhaps thousands of connections.

Yes, social media can be free…but not for long.

How are you navigating your way through your own social media campaign?

Victoria Ipri is CEO of Modello Media, Inc., an e-marketing strategy firm based in suburban Philadelphia, PA. She welcomes your questions and comments on this forum, or contact her directly at: ModelloMedia@gmail.com

Feel free to connect with members of Green Buzz Agency on Linkedin: Tod Plotkin, Sara Evans, Jennie Nowers, and Jared Lee. Or join the Green Buzz Agency Linkedin Group.

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The recent flip-flop by Gap in their choice of logo illustrates the power of the consumer in brand decisions. But really, the consumer has always had this power – the internet and social media has just sped the plow. We marketers love the idea that we’re in control. We carefully craft messages and choose channels to reach our carefully selected target audience, who we track relentlessly.

But really, it’s all an illusion. It always has been. We don’t create brand perception, we influence it through our actions and messages.

Extend that idea to job candidates. You’re probably not thinking about them much these days, between slow economic growth and high unemployment. It’s likely that you either aren’t hiring or that you have a pretty large candidate pool. Supply is outstripping demand.

It’s not going to stay that way. Recessions historically are followed by roughly 5 years of growth, which will create a talent shortage.  Also, recent research by Regus and Rasmussen Reports indicate that anywhere from 27% to 40% of people currently working are going to look outside their current company to change jobs.  Lou Adler of the Adler Group has predicted a “Hiring Tsunami,”where millions of employees will change jobs during a 6-month period looking for greener pastures, discover that their new jobs aren’t any better than their old ones, and then change again.

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When that happens, your employer brand will become ever more important. Don’t wait until the “tsunami” hits – by then it will be too late to differentiate yourself from others. A few basic concepts that will help with the employer brand:

Simplify. While in the current environment candidates may put up with about anything to get a job, it’s not likely to stay that way. Make it easy to find the careers page on your website. Have a good search mechanism to find relevant jobs. (That makes it easier on you, too, by allowing candidates to self-qualify.) Don’t make candidates retype their résumés into your online job application – invest in technology to do it for them.

Communicate. There is nothing candidates hate more than a black hole. Consider how disheartening it is to apply for a position or send in a résumé and never hear any response. And by the way, the automated “Thank you for applying” e-mail doesn’t count. At minimum, make sure that candidates know when a position closes. Most applicant tracking systems will send that e-mail for you when you close the requisition. On that e-mail template, however, encourage candidates to seek other opportunities within your company. And no, candidates don’t believe that their résumé will be on file and considered for other positions.

Another communication to consider is actually e-mailing job openings to candidates who have applied in the past for other positions. Make sure this is an opt-in list for CAN-SPAM compliance, but these types of updates can have very high ROI. In a previous position at a medical staffing company, I created a direct e-mail campaign for traveling allied health professionals where they received open positions in their skill set and chosen geographies. This campaign had a 30-day ROI of over 1,000%, and an ongoing ROI consistently over 200%.

Demonstrate. It’s great on your careers website to tell candidates what it’s like to work at your company, but to be credible, show them. Profiles of successful employees, employee blogs, video interviews with successful employees, company event videos, photos of your workspaces, insights from senior leadership and any other way you can show candidates what it’s like to work for your company are invaluable. You create great employer brand equity and credibility through these types of demonstrations.

John Cloonan is the Marketing Director at ZeroChaos. Follow him on twitter @johncloonan or email him: john@johncloonan.com