It’s rare that I get the chance to review social media marketing software but because I had already written a POV for my co-workers, I decided it wouldn’t hurt to share my opinion here and get your feedback. It’s important to note that I currently don’t use Argyle Social and my opinions here are solely based off of the product demo I received earlier this month. If you’re a current Argyle Social customer, I’d love to hear your feedback on the platform and how it has impacted your social media marketing. With that said, let’s get started!

Argyle Social is a Game Changer

At first glance, Argyle Social is similar to other popular publishing platforms such as HootSuite and CoTweet. You can easily schedule posts on Facebook and Twitter, review engagement across platforms via a single dashboard including your competitors, and access reports all in one suite but there’s definitely more to it when you look under the hood. .

Tie Social Media Efforts to Conversions

The real beauty behind Argyle Social is its ability to track conversions as a result of social media efforts. What that means is if you published a Facebook status and a user engaged with that update (i.e. Liked the comment, shared it on their wall, left a comment, etc.) then three days later visited your company website and downloaded a white paper – Argyle Social can track that conversion and tie it back to your social media efforts.

How is that possible? Simple – Argyle Social automatically adds a cookie to users that engage with content published on the platform and leverages  pixels that can be added to any website property. There may be more to it but that’s pretty much the gist of the product demo I received.

How is this actionable? That means you can sort your content into campaigns or “messaging” and see what type of content resonates most with your target audience. Analyze the engagement, assign values to conversions and report on ROI. In addition, if you respond to ad hoc tweets and include a link, you can track if people that saw that link took action and later visited your website.

Branded Custom Publisher

What’s also interesting about Argyle Social is that you can have a branded custom publisher. Instead of Facebook showing that your status update was posted 6 hours ago via HootSuite it can say, “posted 6 hours ago via YOURSITE.” That will then link to whichever site you want instead of the publisher’s site. Companies leveraging HootSuite to scale social media updates fail to realize and that Facebook groups all HootSuite notifications in a newsfeed and collapses them. Facebook users then have to click on “Show more stories on HootSuite” to actually view an update. Keep in mind that the most recent update on HootSuite is displayed first. With a branded custom publisher, I would doubt you would run into that issue if the frequency of your updates are spread across evenly versus every hour on the hour.

Build Brand Awareness with a Custom URL Shortener

From a branding perspective, having a custom URL shortener that provides a link which is easily recognizable from  you or your company is valuable and helps distinguish your brand. Instead of going to bit.ly to track how many links resulted in clicks, leverage this all in one platform.

Add Your Own Images

With posts you can also link to a specific image that will resonate more with your audience. This is helpful if the landing page you’ll be directing traffic to doesn’t have an image or worse, isn’t optimized with Facebook OpenGraph and as a result, ends up showing a default RSS icon.

Posting Schedule & Frequency

This feature lets you define the parameters for how frequent you want posts to be set live (i.e. post 14 times within this timeframe). Personally, I think Argyle Social replace the arbitrary times and have the posts go live when users are more likely to engage with content. Since the platform already reports on engagement with your target audience, it would make sense to tie in performance with this frequency feature.

Summary

The big take away I saw was that Argyle Social is most powerful in weaving social initiatives with targeted messaging campaigns and back up efforts with solid metrics that you and your company can define in a single user interface. This makes the workflow seamless and requires less time gathering reports from other platforms. Do keep in mind however that Argyle Social does not report on buzz mentions or have a word cloud. Other than that, if you were looking for a more robust publishing platform that can offer a whole lot more, I’d advise that you give Argyle Social a second and closer look.

Cause Marketing Night 2011 is Ad 2 San Diego’s fundraising event for their public service client, My Girlfriend’s Closet. The event will be held at the FIDM San Diego campaus and feature a Canvas Art Auction and guest speaker Brian P. Hawkins, co-founder and Vice President of Catalyst Marketing, Inc.

Over 20 paintings by San Diego’s top agencies and companies have been generously donated and will be auctioned in the evening. Proceeds from the event will be used to help My Girlfriend’s Closet provide gently used clothing, shoes and accessories to distribute to foster, homeless and disadvantaged teenage girls.

Charity Art Auction Participants

Event Details

Who: Ad 2 San Diego with guest speaker, Brian P. Hawkins, co-founder and VP of Catalyst Marketing, Inc.

What: Cause Marketing Night and Charity Art Auction

When: Thursday, November 17, 2011, 6PM – 9PM

Where: FIDM San Diego Campus (map)

Why: Proceeds from the event will be used to help My Girlfriend’s Closet

Food: Enjoy a hand-crafted, local farm supporting cylinder of deliciousness – Chipotle BurritosHashtag: #ad2sdcause

Register: http://bit.ly/ad2sdcausemktg

Cost:

• Ad 2/SD Ad Club/Students: $20
• My Girfirend’s Closet: $20
• Non Members Professionals: $25

Related posts:

1. Ad 2 San Diego presents Cause Marketing Night
2. Land a Power Lunch with Top San Diego Advertising & Marketing Executives
3. Ad 2 San Diego Cause Marketing Night Recap

For the last three years, I’ve been a part of Ad 2 San Diego, a non-profit organization of advertising professionals ages 32 and younger. I’ve served as the Social Media Chair, the Director of Communications, and this year am currently serving as their Secretary of State.

My primary responsibilities are to design and execute the social media strategy to grow our membership which I am happy to report that we have been able to increase year over year. One of the many questions I get asked from other Ad 2 chapters is, “What should I talk about on my social media channels?” My suggestion — apply “The Social Media Rule of Thirds.”

The Social Media Rule of Thirds

Simply stated, one-third of your content should support your industry, one-third should be about your members, and one-third should be about your club. This rule is easy to remember as it is to apply.

Industry: One third of your content should support your industry.

Technology and business trends are constantly evolving which is why it’s important to stay abreast of industry trends. If you can help your audience put their best foot forward by sharing fresh new ideas to help them add value to their business, they are most likely to be a highly engaged fan.

The easiest way to help your audience stay informed is to share industry specific news, announcements, and events that your audience may find helpful or informative. If you’ve attended a recent conference or seminar, highlight the key take aways and if possible, share a link to the presentations.

Members: One third of your content should be about your members.

Your members are the foundation of your organization so engage in a dialogue with them. Show your members that you value their opinion by using social media to collaborate and drive future events with new ideas. Poll members on what topics they would like to learn more about and include that in your programming.

If you have board members and volunteers that help with your club’s operations, recognize their hard work. I have also seen club’s make announcements when any of their members receive a special award or promotion at work. Lastly, if your club has special membership discounts to industry specific conference, be sure to share that as well.

Club: One third of your content should promote your club or organization and aim to generate revenue for your business.

Let your audience get to know your club’s mission and provide information on how people can get involved. Take the opportunity to promote upcoming events, highlight the benefits of becoming a member, and what your club has accomplished.

Ensure the long term success of your social media strategy

Most clubs and organizations bypass the first two rules and immediately jump into self-promotion. As a result, their Facebook page or Twitter account comes off as a hard sell and fans start to unlike the club’s page,  hide posts and Twitter followers start to drop off.

In short, to ensure the long term success of your social media initiatives – apply the Social Media Rule of Thirds to your content strategy. If you’re already applying the Social Media Rule of Thirds, I’d love to hear what type of content you’re sharing and whether it was a hit or miss.

[Image Source: istockphoto]

Related posts:

1. Digital Media Dinner – Social Media Branding Recap
2. Social Media Camp: San Diego at Sony on April 30th 2011
3. 5 Types of Social Media Campaigns

Matt was a web application created by the Carsonified team that I discovered in 2008 and shared how anyone  use Matt to make managing multiple Twitter account more efficient. Since then, Matt has become a parked domain and the service no longer exists. Fortunately, there have been other social media dashboards that took managing Twitter on a whole new level such as CoTweet.

Today we will cover how CoTweet’s platform can help you manage multiple Twitter accounts and how you can get started with CoTweet today at no cost.

Managing Multiple Twitter Accounts with CoTweet Standard Edition

If you’re on a tight budget, CoTweet’s Standard Edition is something you should look into because it’s absolutely free. This edition is best suited for individuals and organizations that manage only a few Twitter accounts and is managed by a couple team members.

Below are a few noteworthy features that you can benefit from:

Multiple Account Users

Easily add up to five Twitter accounts through a single CoTweet login and post updates all in one interface. Feel free to invite colleagues to join your account to help manage your Twitter presence.

Tweet Scheduling

Prepare your updates ahead of time with this feature. Simply enter your update then choose the date and time you want the post to go live. The only caveat with this feature is that you don’t have the option to bulk upload status updates.

Multi-Account Posting

Have a message that can be posted to multiple accounts? No problem. You can select more than one Twitter account to publish your update.

Click Tracking

View how many people clicked on a link that you posted from the user interface. All urls are shortened with Bit.ly.

Monitor Keywords and Trends

Use CoTweet as a listening platform to monitor specific keywords and trends. I like to use this feature when following a hashtag for a conference.

On Duty Notifications

With CoTweet, you can delegate responsibility to someone else on your team. One an individual is assigned to be On Duty, he or she will receive email notifications when updates are sent to any of your Twitter handles.

Assignments

Sometimes you come across tweets that you don’t have the answer to but someone else on your team may be able to respond. When this happens, you can assign an update to a member on your team to follow up. According to CoTweet, “They’ll be notified via email and the updates will appear in their “Follow Up” queue.” Once a response has been delivered, you’ll receive an email containing their response along with the original update.

Conversation Threading

This feature makes it easy to see which updates have been responded and by whom on your team.

Archive Messages

If you like to keep a record of what updates you’ve received including ones that you’ve sent out, this feature will allow you to do just that.

Rich Profiles

Of all the features that come with CoTweet Standard, I’d have to say that this feature is the one that I use the most. When you click on any username in the user interface, CoTweet will display the conversation you’ve had with that particular person, highlight their most recent updates, and include their Twitter stats (i.e. number of follower/following). Last but not least, you can instantly follow or unfollow people from this convenient panel.

Get Started on CoTweet

Ready to make the jump to CoTweet? Sweet, follow these simple steps below and you’ll be a multi-tasking social pro.

Step 1: Go to http://cotweet.com/signup/.

Step 2: Introduce Yourself. Fill in your First and Last Name and then the company that you’re associated with. Leave this field blank if you’re not using CoTweet on behalf of your company and using it for personal use.

Step 3: Create your CoTweet login by entering a valid email address and entering a secure password.

Step 4a: Review the Terms and Conditions. By signing up you agree to CoTweet’s Terms & Conditions.

Step 4b: Then click on the “Create Your Account” button.

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Last night Social Media Club San Diego (SMCSD) hosted a Facebook themed event with Mari Smith, renowned thought leader in the social media space and author of the new book, “The New Relationship Marketing.”

Dubbed by FastCompany.com as “The Pied Piper of the Online World,” Mari Smith shared 10 Facebook Do’s and Don’ts to a crowd at Prospect Bar and Grill as they listened, tweeted, and raised their hands in response to her engaging questions throughout the night.

Below are tips that Mari Smith shared in tweetable soundbytes.

10 Facebook Do’s and Don’ts

1. Do decide how you wish to you use your personal profile. Personal/Business/Combo? #FB
2. Do be familiar with FB’s privacy settings i.e. default sharing, tagging, auth apps, blocking, etc. #FB
3. Do create a FB fan page for your business. Add custom apps and take advantage of analytics. #FB
4. Do use additional analytics tools to improve your FB posts. Ex @crowdbooster @fangager @twentyfeet @socialbakers #FB
5. Do add the FB Like button and LIke Box to your website and blog. #FB
6. Don’t tag friends in photos or vids unless they are actually in it. #FB
7. Don’t send emails to multiple recipients as a way to get their attention. #FB
8. Don’t add friends to groups w/o their permission. Contact potential members privately to see if they would be interested. #FB
9. Don’t run a contest unless it complies with FB’s Promotion Guidelines. Must use a 3rd party app. #FB
10. Don’t overly automate content publication to your fan page. #FB

Source: http://www.marismith.com/10facebook/

In addition to Mari’s tips above, SMCSD Twitter followers joined in on the conversation and shared their own Facebook Do’s and Don’ts.

Below are a few Facebook Do’s and Don’ts from the SMCSD community. Do you have a few tips that you’d like to share? If so, feel free to leave a comment below.

About Mari Smith

Interested in learning more about Mari Smith or more about social media training? You’re in luck. Mari offers a variety of social media training programs and product offerings – from her ongoing social media support program to her Social Marketing Mastery Immersion program. Training sessions can be held at your location of choice in San Diego or delivered via web conferencing tools. For more information, visit http://www.marismith.com/coaching-consulting-services/.

Thank You to Our Sponsors

Thank you to Prospect Bar & Grill for letting us host the event at their location and taking advantage of their beautiful ocean view and to MOGL for sponsoring drink for new MOGL subscribers.

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Our friends at Social Media Club San Diego, is hosting a FREE event with Facebook marketing expert, Mari Smith on Thursday, September 15, 2011 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm. Fast Company dubbed Mari Smith as “the Pied Piper of the online world” and we are delighted to dub her as one of our own here in the San Diego social scene.

Attendees will learn the Top 10 Facebook Do’s and Don’ts and gain insights into the unique culture of Facebook and enjoy Club drink specials and hosted appetizers.

Follow @SMCSanDiego on Twitter, visit their Facebook Page and RSVP, then sign-up for their newsletter for event updates and giveaways. Event hashtag: #SMCSD

Social Media Club is an International organization whose goal is to educate and standardize best practices. Become a Social Media Club Member today: https://socialmediaclub.org/membership

Useful Links:

Mari Smith

http://www.marismith.com/

Prospect Bar & Grill

http://prospectbar.com/

Related posts:

1. Mari Smith 10 Facebook Do’s and Don’ts Event Recap

I recently attended the Ivy Rooftop party this past weekend where I got to see the Bullets2Bandages pieces in person. I like pieces that aren’t flashy, are subtle, and sparks interest so it wasn’t a surprise that the 5.56 hand pressed bullet necklace in an antique finish caught my eye. I’ve had a lot of questions about my piece and I’m always happy to share the story of how the company was created and promote their cause.

What’s their cause you ask? A portion of proceeds are donated to wounded soldiers, their families, and various nonprofit organization for veterans. These guys who have served in the U.S. Navy have experienced firsthand how soldiers and their loved ones can be devastated by war and are doing something to give back to fallen heroes and veterans.

Keep up the great work fellas and I look forward to seeing you achieve your dreams.

I’ve put together a list of popular upcoming events that friends and I will be attending to close out the summer. If you’re involved in the San Diego tech, social media, and marketing scene or simply want to join in on the fun – check out the events below.

If there’s an event you know that’s not mentioned, feel free to leave a comment.

Cool As Ever Tech returns 8/13

The third annual Cool As Ever Tech event will bring together SoCal’s web/tech scene for an interactive event hosted at the Del Mar Racetrack on Saturday, August 13th, 2011. RSVP HERE

Join 700+ of your closest social media friends from noon until 6 PM,  as we check in on Foursquare, eat, drink, tweet, people-watch and bet. And, of course, we’ll do all of this in an über-connected and geektastic fashion. Expect real-time Twitter walls, a livestream of the event, and gadgets, goodies, and giveaways that will make even the geekiest of you scream with delight.

WOMMA Wine Wednesday 8/24
Join us at Proper Gastro Pub for an evening of networking and conversation centered around the role social media and word-of-mouth marketing continues to play in our industries. RSVP HERE

WOM and Social Media: What’s Working?

Social media and word-of-mouth marketing continues to grow and are impacting all businesses, small and large. Whether managing an online presence, launching a new product, managing customer service operations or dealing with internal communications, social media and word of mouth now reaches across a multitude of departments and business types. Come prepared to chat about the latest trends in social media and word-of-mouth marketing. What’s working? What’s not? And, where is social media and word-of-mouth headed?

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Social Media Club San Diego (SMCSD) will be celebrating the book launch of San Diego’s own Becky Carroll and her new book, “The Hidden Power of Customers” at the US Grant Hotel in downtown San Diego this Saturday, July 30th from 11am to 2pm.

The Grant Grill will provide attendees a complimentary celebratory Tropical Mimosa as well as tray passed bites of their signature Grant Grill Pancake, and happy hour pricing on the Lounge menu! Even better, Social Media Club San Diego has arranged free valet parking for guests. Be sure to check in with the event greeter when leaving to receive validation.

Signed copies of the books will be available at the event!

This event helps to support the SMCSD and is priced at $10 to attend, and add $20 for a signed book! (Retail price is $24.95). The first 5 new Pro Members that sign up will receive a signed copy of Becky Carroll’s book and free admission to all of SMCSD’s events for the rest of the year!

About the Book:

Becky reveals the four keys to creating a successful customer strategy through the ROCK acronym:

• Relevant marketing: Ensure that your marketing strategy is relevant to your customers.
• Orchestrated customer experience: Engage your customers with a planned experience.
• Customer-focused culture: Make your customer satisfaction a part of your company DNA.
• Killer customer service: Take customer service to the next level and the foundation of the customer experience.

Related posts:

1. Four Keys to Unleash the Hidden Power of Your Customers
2. Mari Smith 10 Facebook Do’s and Don’ts Event Recap

It was 6:00am on Sunday the last day of Comic-Con 2011 and I was among hundreds of others standing in a long line outside the Douglass Pavilion at the Manchester Grand Hyatt eager to pre-register for Comic-Con 2012. I had heard about onsite pre-registration on Thursday afternoon, the first day of Comic-Con, and was horrified that onsite registration had opened at 8AM and ended at 11AM that morning – I was late by three hours! Was it game over for Comic-Con 2012? I shook my head. No, Sunday would be my last chance for pre-registration. While friends of mine thought that getting in line at 6:30am was outrageous, this early riser was determined to get passes for the next year. There was no way, I was going to miss this deadline. My only hope was that by the time I got to the register, there were still passes to buy.

Early risers hoping to get passes for next year's Comic-Con.

At around 6:30am folks were being shuffled into the pavilion and the line started to move. We were greeted at the entrance and informed that a Temporary Membership ID Card was required in order to purchase tickets and was given the option to purchase one or two tickets (2 tickets max per person). I gladly took two Temporary Membership ID Cards, one for me and one for a family member. In order to purchase any passes for next year, we were told that we had to have a valid badge for the day (Sunday in this case) or a 4-day badge. I expected folks to drop out of line but realized, if they were here as early as I was, they sure as hell had all of their facts in order. Valid badge – check. Temporary Membership ID cards in hand – check. Credit card – check. Now it was time for the waiting game.

Stephanie Garcia waiting in line for onsite pre-registration for Comic-Con 2012.

Thermometer indicating how many passes have been sold for that day.

Inside the pavilion, we were five rows towards the back when a Comic-Con official announced that 4-day Badges with Preview Night sold out by the third row. He encouraged everyone to only purchase badges for the days that they would actually be going. This would give everyone an opportunity to attend. I guess his words of advice helped because by 9am, 4-day Badges with and without Preview Night were still available and I was able to secure four individual badges for each day of Comic-Con and passes for a family member.

And with that said, Operation: Onsite Pre-Registration for Comic-Con 2012 was a success. See you all next year!

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