As the Marketing Coordinator at Rainman, part of my responsibilities includes keeping abreast of, and evaluating trends in digital marketing and social media. In 2012, I noticed an unnerving trend, a kind of sign-up-for-all-the-social-networks-because-a-few-blogs-said-I-had-to-or-my-business-will-crumble attitude towards social media. To me, that yields only one result: oversaturated, under-utilized networks flooded with “look-at-me” advertisements begging for your attention and a shot at getting you into their sales funnel. I am not going to sit here and tell you that social media is worthless, and I’m not going to sit here and tell you that not using social media will be your downfall; neither are true, so don’t believe those who speak to you in such rash absolutes.

Now that I’ve got that off my chest, let’s get a little more upbeat. I’m going to use a personal anecdote to illustrate how I see social media being effectively used in the coming year. I joined Instagram in September of 2011, early on in its meteoric rise. What drew me to the service was the simplicity of the photo sharing and the mobile-only interface. To me, it felt like a place where I could really share what I was doing and actually “connect” (I really hate using that word) with someone else. Now, a lot of my friends had not joined the service at that point; likes and comments were slow going, so the use of hashtags was really useful in discovering like-minded Instagrammers worth following. To this day, I still have 5-7 Instagrammers that I “met” through use of hashtags, and I connect with on a somewhat regular basis.

People wanted the service to work. They had something they liked and liked to use, and they wanted more people to join in; there was real community forming. That type of “friendship” has not happened for some time now. Nearly all of my friends use Instagram now, which is great, but I really miss the days of spontaneous conversation and exchanging followership with a like-minded stranger.

So, what’s my point, you’re asking? Well, the lesson I take away from the earlier Instagram days is this: When users are forced to be more outgoing and social, a different kind of network emerges. A new network doesn’t look like groups of people connected to other groups of people through several mutual contacts; rather, a more complex web of individual contacts, if that makes sense. To me, it is precisely this kind of network that really fulfills the term “social media,” and creates a pull and value for a user. So, where businesses using social media are concerned, it goes a little like this:

Stage 1: Social networks are built by individual users.

Stage 2: The networks themselves run out of venture funding and search for revenue.

Stage 3: The networks ask businesses to join and tell them that if they buy ads, they’ll get great access to potential customers.

Sounds perfect, doesn’t it?

If you answered no, then you’ve got the right idea. No one joins a social network to be marketed to – NO ONE.  Don’t delude yourself. Social network users have just grown accustomed to ignoring the ads and marketing that are thrust upon them every time they log into their account. Inherently, there is nothing social about advertisements in that arena – it’s an eyesore! So, this begs the question: why should a business involve itself in social media at all?! There’s a more complicated answer to that question.

I am sure that I sound like I am in complete opposition to businesses using social media, but I’m really not. I follow a number of businesses on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and I genuinely enjoy doing so. So where is the line between just being on the Social Media bandwagon and actually providing something of value (accept that it might not be monetary)? Intent. I firmly believe that the line between “good” and “bad” business users of social media lies completely within intent. If you set out on the social media ocean with the intent of “being out there” and “growing an engaging community” or “building brand awareness” and “generating sales leads, ” you’re doing it wrong and you’re gonna have a bad time. Certainly, all of those goals can be achieved, but they have to be rooted in a truthful, honest intent.

As an example, I’ll use Dogfish Head Brewery. I love following them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram because they post content that is relevant to those who are passionate about their product. They’ll post anything from photos of the brewing process to pictures of food at tasting events they put on. They do an excellent job of embracing and participating in the passion and culture of the people who follow them. To be honest, I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a “sales-y” social media post from them – it’s refreshing. In the end though, there have been times I’ve purchased their product above another brand simply because I respect them and actually want to support them. Dogfish Head has built up goodwill, at least with me, through their use of social media, and I am in full support of the idea that being “good” will garner business.

So, I need to wrap this up, I’ve been rambling. Let me put it this way, social media is great. I think it has definitely improved the way we communicate as individuals, and has made businesses more accountable to their customers, ultimately improving customer service.  I don’t believe that it’s for everyone, and I don’t believe it should be approached from a textbook marketing stance; it needs to be human. So if 2012 was the flood, let’s make 2013 the drying of the rain.

May the weak/underutilized/overly sales-driven business users fade away, and may brands that truly embody the idea behind their product or service get the attention they deserve. I know I’m going to do what I can to have my clients present themselves in that light.

Here’s to looking forward to a great 2013!

Personal Networks are where people go to get away from work and interact with one another. The user is in a casual state of mind, looking for ways to entertain, kill time, and socialize with others. Have some fun with your content; show your audience that business isn’t always on your mind. Stay current with your post and make sure your topics are relevant.

Professional Networks are the networks people go to for information. When a user logs onto a professional social network, there is normally a purpose. They are searching for opportunities, looking at trends in the job market, and staying updated with brands. Your posts should have a purpose. Users are not looking for jokes, unimportant information, or “memes.” Post information that you think they can use, or is information that you think they need to know. Show professionalism in your posts.

Make a calendar of what you are planning to post. Write out each post in advance and put them aside for another day. Before the posting date, go back and read over it. If you still agree with the post then keep it, but give yourself some time for changes. Lastly, remember where you are posting and who will be viewing the post.

The hot-off-the-pit social media outlet that is Pinterest just rolled out new accounts and tools tailored specifically for businesses, a big step in the right direction for the 3^rd largest social networking site. This announcement marks, what I believe to be, the beginning of Pinterest business fever. So in celebration of this new feature, I present you with a few marketing tips that you can apply to your Pinterest account to help gain brand recognition, drive website traffic and, more importantly, increase sales. And you thought Pinterest was only good for planning imaginary weddings and decorating unrealistic Barbie and Ken homes.

1. Add interesting stuff that connects with people – It’s that simple, really. Adding attention-grabbing images that connects emotionally with users is an excellent way to expand your customer base. Get the audience in touch with you, rather than your services or products. Nobody wants to see boards filled with a company’s entire product line only. In fact, Pinterest does not allow it. Consider mixing it up by featuring pins that showcase your products AND the lifestyle your brand promotes. For example: Minted, a paper company, does a killer job at doing this by creating boards that show unique ways to use paper, while incorporating other related lifestyle images.
2. Create a user-curated pinboard – Leave a pinboard open to pinners. Rather than doing the pinning all by yourself, invite fans to pin content to one of your pinboards. Ask customers to pin smiling pictures of themselves using your product or something related to your brand. There’s something about seeing people happy because of your product that creates a positive sentiment around your business. Also, you can ask customers to leave a testimonial on your website, and pin a quote from the review to your pinboard. This is a great way to get more reviews, and a pinboard that’s filled with customer testimonials.
3. Engage and participate in the Pinterest community – It’s not just about you. Sure, pinning stuff that makes you looks good is awesome. But Pinterest is a social media network, which means one thing: mingle with others. Build relationships with all types of members, even businesses. Follow them, repin their items and comment on their pins. The more you re-pin items from others, the more likely they are to re-pin your content. Ultimately, this will help build awareness of your brand on Pinterest and gain new followers.
4. Hold contests– This is where you can get all kinds of creative. Contests are effective tools for engaging and attracting users, and exposing your brand to a large audience. Be sure to integrate your Pinterest page with your other social media platforms to promote it.  Some ideas include:
   1. Users create a pinboard dedicated to you
   2. Host scavenger hunt
   3. Run a sweepstakes, à la AMC Theatres.
   4. Customers pin your products to win
   5. Repin top boards to own page and ask followers to select the winner

With nothing left to say, I say: Pin away, my friends!

One of the wonderful perks of social media is the ability for groups to spread ideas quickly, and to mobilize those motivated masses. Specifically, I’m speaking about awareness campaigns launched by non-profit groups. One I’d like to highlight and discuss, as it’s quite timely, is Movember.

Started in 2004, the group took the idea of “no shave November” and turned it into an awareness and fundraising opportunity for men’s health (specifically Prostate and Testicular Cancer). Gentlemen are encouraged to grow their mustaches for the entire month of November, and post update pictures of their ‘stache on their very own Mo (what they call a mustache) Space. The mustache is meant to be a “pink ribbon” of sorts, and to bring awareness to the issue of men’s health. In just seven years, Movember has grown from raising $40,000, to 126.3 million in 2011. To date, nearly 300 million has been raised in total. The movement has even made its way into the offline realm. Just the other day, walking through Austin, I saw several establishments with street signs promoting Movember, and offering specials to those participating.

What makes this such an awesome use of social media is the way in which it blends its own network and other social networks. As a participant, you sign up at their website and set up your Mo Space. From there, you can join a group or just go it alone. You are encouraged to post photos and updates to this profile throughout the month. Instead of insulating the network, Movember has done an amazing job of encouraging users to share their Mo Space content all over the social web. You have the option to easily share your profile, share posts, and ask for donations with just the click of a social icon. Personally, I think it is this social integration that has helped Movember grow to its current mass.

Movember is such a prime example of what a good idea, some fun, and excellent use of social media can do for a cause. Do you have a non-profit group you work with? Are you utilizing social media to further your cause? If not, take a look at how Movember works and try getting your cause social! It can do wonders.

I am, as they call it, a Mo Bro. Feel free to visit my Mo Space and help me raise money for Men’s Health. At time of this posting the group I have joined, The Alamo Beard Club, has raised $503 collectively! Help us raise even more!

Regardless if you use Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest or even Google+, social media has become the most utilized avenue for the majority of people to engage in two way communications online. Computer mediated communications have made it possible for users to engage in many forms of person to person communication. Emails provided us with one to one asynchronous communications, and instant massages and chat rooms with synchronous communications. From these forms of communication evolved the hybrid that is social media.

The origins of social media are as varied as the people who use them. Many people give the credit to classmates.com for paving the way to the current state of social networks. Although it had many limits that most critics believe should exclude it from “social network” status, it did begin a shift to a more social way of communicating. Because you could only engage with people who you went to class with, it failed to be a real “social” means of communicating.

In 1997 Andrew Weinreich took the idea that everyone in the world is connected to anyone else by a simple six degrees of separation, and developed the famous Sixdegrees.com. Six degrees was the first website to be considered a true Social Network because it had the three basic parameters of a true social media: it allowed you to construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system, it articulated a list of other users with whom you shared a connection, and it allowed users to view and traverse their list of connections and connections made by others within the system.

Facebook, the leading social network today, has recognized the need to evolve to keep it relevant and not suffering the same fate of the many social networks of the past 15 years. Facebook has recognized the need to change and adapt to the ever-changing needs of it users. If you were to compare the current state of Facebook to “The Facebook,” as it was originally named in 2004, you would see how much it has evolved. What set Facebook apart and gave it the ability to remain relevant was the News Feed feature. This featured allowed you to see what people were posting right on your homepage. Since then Facebook has been adding features that the company hopes will keep the users engaged and keep Facebook at the top of all Social Networks.

One of Facebook’s most recent endeavors is to better engage users in the comments. The new ability to comment on comments is something that Facebook is testing out to see if users will embrace. Weather people embrace this new way of interacting with other users; the important thing is that they are using the site.

Like most things, social media relies on its users. When users believe that a company has stopped listening to their needs and another company comes along with a way to fulfill those needs, another shift will occur.

Evolution among users will force social networks to evolve, and will allow for users to remain the ones who control what stays and what goes. The users are the social part of social media and networks like Facebook and Twitter are the venues that we use to connect to each other.  Without us, the users, there is no social media.

Fans have taken to the web to express their opinions and engage with other like minded hockey fans. One example is the Facebook page Stop the NHL Lockout which was created on August 13 and already has almost 2,000 followers.

Most people think of social media as a means to connect with friends and others who share your views, and NHL fans have done precisely that. Not content with sitting around and waiting for the lockout to end, many fans have created petitions online, made parodies of popular songs on You Tube and even created blogs to communicate to other fans what they can do until the end of the lockout.

Although all the fans agree on ending the lockout as quickly as possible, some do not know what to do to help. Social media has provided a means to connect fans and allow them to share ideas and information. A better organized fan base has a louder voice than a group of people gathering out on the street.

The times of street protest are far from over, but social media has provided a different means for individuals and groups to express themselves and inform their peers. A cardboard sign bearing an opinion gets far less exposure than a You Tube video that is both entertaining and informative. People love to be entertained and social media has allowed for fans to express themselves and entertain the viewer.

There are a lot of words that can describe hockey fans, but passive isn’t one of them. Given past events involving hockey fans, I am happy that we have found a way to express ourselves without having to resort to vandalism. Social media has become the new venue for all fans, no matter the sport, to come together and share their opinions.

How has social media allowed you to communicate with other sports fans?

How would you describe Twitter?

My guess is that before you could answer, you either literally or metaphorically scratched your head. The world of Twitter, while far reaching, is still seemingly fragmented and not terribly well defined. When you use Twitter, you have options on how you interface with the service; applications like Echofon and Tweetbot are in no way affiliated with Twitter, but are incredibly popular avenues for people to interface with the service. If you use Twitter for your brand or business, there are many third-party services that exist to help you maintain, evaluate, and expand your brand on Twitter, but you’re really left to you own devices, as Twitter doesn’t directly offer those types of services.

Twitter has recently made a series of announcements that sign towards the end of fragmented user experience and the beginning of Twitter’s commitment to brands and businesses that use their service. In the first of two high-impact announcements, Twitter announced an updated version (1.1) of their API (Application Programming Interface. This is what developers use to link their application to Twitter’s data). This update, while incremental in nomenclature, is not so incremental in what it delivers. In 1.1, third-party developers will now be required to adhere to a set of “display requirements” and a few other new rules that are much more stringent than those of its predecessor. Essentially, this is Twitter telling companies like Echofon to get it together to look and function like Twitter’s apps or their access to the Twitter API will be cut off. The primary issue with this request is that hordes of Twitter users prefer the display and experience of third-party developed apps to Twitter’s branded apps, and see that experience as more useful or robust than what Twitter currently offers. So, the bet that Twitter is making with this change is that its users won’t abandon their service because of a change in the way they experience Twitter. To put it bluntly, Twitter users will adapt to experience, developers won’t. There are other sweeping changes in 1.1, but I focus on this particular change because of the possible negative impact it could have on the success of Twitter’s Certified Product initiative, which was the second of two recent high-impact announcements.

Twitter followed up the announcement of version 1.1 of their API by launching a set of “Twitter Certified Products.” As Seth Bindernagel stated in the announcement’s blog, Twitter is aiming to “bring some of the most innovative products and services from Twitter developers to businesses and organizations that need them most.” The products highlighted in this new program come from 12 different developers, and are based in three main areas: engagement, analytics, and data reseller products. Clearly, just by evaluating the titles of their three segments of certified products, Twitter has businesses and brands in their cross-hairs. Each category showcases products that Twitter sees as innovative, reliable, and on message with Twitter’s longing to have a consistent experience.

Engagement products are those that allow an enterprise to better control and understand its presence on Twitter.  Products like HootSuite and Radian6 fall into this category.

Analytics products help businesses and brands quantify their presence on Twitter and adapt their strategies accordingly. Products like HootSuite and Radian6 fall into this category as well.

Data Reseller products allow businesses to learn from the entire “twittersphere.” Brands can understand the way that users interact with the service, what types of conversations drive engagement, and how to optimize their actions. These insights can allow a business to better target its audience and be more successful in using the service.  Topsy is an example of a data reseller service.

So what does this mean for business?

It means that Twitter is finally committing to helping brands effectively use their service. By “certifying” certain development companies and their products, Twitter is giving brands a road map to using their service. No longer will brands have to wander from service to service to find a good fit for their needs, they can simply look for Twitter Certified Products and select the most applicable service. I believe this program will be huge for Twitter and will really open the floodgates to brand adoption of this social channel. I also believe it will lead to more robust data, analytics, and understanding of the Twitter environment.

At Rainman, we are committed to keeping up with changes in the digital marketing arena and adapting our strategies to benefit from what they provide. Call us to find out how our expertise in digital marketing can propel your business forward.

An often neglected search engine ranking factor, link-building can help your improve your website’s PageRank and lead to better search results in Google.

Getting links from other websites, whether from a blog post, news article or partners page, improves your websites PageRank. PageRank is determined by how many links website “A” receives from websites “B” and “C” and impacts your position in Google search results. Check out Rob Chant’s introduction to Google PageRank for more information on how link-building impacts search engine results.

Essentially, more incoming links tells search engines that people find your website relevant and that other people may, too. That said, it is important to focus on gaining inbound links from reputable websites such as industry associations, and placing less priority in obtaining links from, say, industry blog directories.

So, how do you get links to your site? Here are some areas we recommend our client’s focus on when link-building.

Joining professional organizations and accreditation associations is not only a great way to give your business a competitive edge, but also a great opportunity to network with other reputable businesses and link-build. Organizations such as the Better Business Bureau, your local Chamber of Commerce, industry-specific organizations and professional organizations such as IIAT, are great opportunities for link building. If you are a member of an organization make sure your business is listed on the organization’s website (often found in some form as “Find a … in your area”). In addition, make sure your website includes a link to the organizations and associations you are a part of.

To help our clients improve their results on Google, we encourage our small business owners to partner with and reach out to other local businesses. Adding a Partners page to your website, which features links to partnering businesses, is a great way to encourage other businesses to include your link on their website.

Locate potential business alliances in your community and ask them to add a link to your business. If you are an independent insurance agent, it’s natural to partner up with a realtor or other closely related business. If you have a solid relationship with other business owners, ask for referrals in related industries while you’re at it.

The Partners page is great, however, keep your link-building to a small relevant group of reputable businesses and avoid receiving a laundry list of linking partners. Google penalizes excessive linking referred to as link schemes.

If you’re not already blogging for your business, now might be a good time to start. Creating great content is the best way to receive links from other websites naturally and is one of the most favored link-building tactic.

To increase your inbound links try guest posting for an industry-related blog by pitching a blog topic to a fellow blogger. Make sure there’s a link to your website within the post. If they decide to feature your post it will include a link back to your website. Another way to link build on blogs is by commenting on other blog posts and including your website as a tagline. For example, if you are an insurance agent you may want to comment on a blog about hurricane preparedness, reminding folks that having proper home insurance is essential to hurricane preparedness and including a link to your website.

In addition to helping find new leads, visiting forums such as Linkedin and answering questions related to your field can provide additional links back to your website. While these links are not normally as effective as some other forms of link building, they do spread your message and create additional links to your site.

Purchasing links is discouraged. Not only because your website can receive penalties for engaging in link schemes, but also, you often do not know from whom you are receiving links before you buy.

Our clients should only receive relevant links from sites with good reputations. Keep in mind when you purchase links, it is hard to tell what website your links will appear on, and how relevant those websites will be. Having a link to your website on irrelevant or non-credible sites can actually result in your website being penalized for appearing on low-quality or spam websites. When working to establish inbound links for your website, it is important to keep high business standards and not associate with businesses or organizations that may represent your own business in a negative light.

The first thing you will see on your Google+ account is a new tab labeled “Local”. The layout is similar to Yelp, allowing users to enter what they are searching for and narrow the search to specific cities. Traditional 5 star ratings will be replaced by the expressive 30 point system. Zagat review system will create an average from all the ratings given by visitors and multiply by 10 to get a number for three specific categories. The integration of Zagat will allow for concise reviews and easier access to information about the business you are looking for. Watch this video to see how it all works.

Google + will play a bigger role on new Google+ Local than it did on Google Places. To leave reviews and comments you must have a Goggle+ account. Having this account will allow viewers to see the public Google+ profile of the people reviewing the businesses. Google Places will still be used to manage a business’s information. To rate and review as a consumer, you will use Google+ Local. Google Places reviews will still be available but will be credited to “Google user” unless you transfer the reviews to your Google+ account. This is important to ensure your Google+ circle knows how you rate businesses in your area.

The Integration of all the Google properties will make Google+ Local a one stop shop for all your business information needs. Google+ Local will include photos, Zagat scores and summaries, reviews from locals, and other business information like address phone number, website and opening hours. People on your Circles will have influence on the search results with Google+ Local. If you, for example, search breakfast tacos, results might include a friend’s review about that popular taco stand she is always telling you about. The review might include her favorite kind of taco and this will allow you to buy an extra one for her on the way to work.

These changes have brought about a renewed interest on Google+ that cannot be ignored. Competing for the attention of internet users has pushed Google to make these changes and adapt to the needs of the internet community. Because of these changes, businesses have been forced to take notice of Google+ as a strong marketing tool that promises to revolutionize the way we look for places to visit and give patronage to.

For more information on Google and other social media innovators and how you can use them to market your business give us a call at 830.331.9995 or send us an email at social@rainman.com.