Remember back in the day, when Twitter was consistently decorated by that image of the adorable Failwhale? We have certainly come a long way. We’ve recognized and accepted social media’s influence and power. It’s a different avenue of reaching people, as well as a great antenna for tuning into what people are thinking. Hence, the rise of social media marketing.

Social media marketing is quite a different beast from good ol’ traditional marketing. Sittin through a panel at the 2011 SXSW (Probably the only one I attended) I listened to Mike Lewis of Awareness Inc. speak on the five challenges that social media marketers face. He didn’t make any suggestions on how to navigate these rough waters. (Would’ve loved to hear them.) So, I’ve listed the challenges below, with italicized brief elaborations by Lori Randall Stradtman.

(Lori Randall Stradtman’s questions are a great starting point if you ever want to generate some of your own solutions, by the way. Thanks for the great post on SmartBlogs Lori!)

Five challenges social media marketers face and solutions to overcome them.

1. Inability to scale: How are you going to adjust your social media strategy to accommodate growth?  Usually organizations just throw more bodies at the problem, but when multiple people are handling several different accounts on each major social network, it’s difficult to form a coherent strategy.

Solution: There are two ways to approach this issue. You can choose to have everyone contribute using one voice. This would mean training every contributor in style guidelines, as well as having an editor run through everything and making sure it all sounds like the same person. Unfortunately, this takes a considerable amount of time. Your work will pay in dividends if everyone can pull this off.

In contrast, you can run in the entirely opposite direction and have each social media team member sign their content. This isn’t too difficult to operate: a WordPress blog can have multiple authors, and a Facebook page can have multiple moderators and administrators. You can sign off Twitter feeds with initials of the person who published them. (i.e. “137 other characters” –DV) The advantage of this is the more authentic and human-sounding relationships that you can develop with readers. The disadvantage would be the lack of a consistent voice and style. If you are careful to train each social media contributor to convey a similar theme and big idea, you may be surprised at how effective different voices can be.

2. Security and control: How will your organization manage password security across a large group of people?

Solution: Everyone has their own social media account. So multiple authors on blogs and people on Facebook can comment on a page with their own account, etc.

Except for the Twitter account, which has to be communal should you choose to only have one account. Make sure your team members all sign an agreement that they won’t be allowed to change the password, and they are all personally legally responsible for their content. If you really want to be careful, change the password every time someone resigns.

Instead of having one account though, what would happen if you allowed three people totally dedicated to Twitter to have their own accounts (i.e. their Twitter handles could be “JimYourCompany”, “JaneYourCompany”, and “JenYourCompany,”)? You don’t have to worry about the issue of a hijacking. Their names and Twitter handles don’t even have to be real, in-person names. They could be codenames, or characters you create for your brand. This way, in case one team member ever leaves YourCompany, the new person you recruit can simply take over that account.

I have no doubt it’ll be more difficult initially, but with a lot of tagging between the accounts and spreading of value amongst the three accounts (i.e. announce Coupon A exclusively on “JimYourCompany” and Coupon B exclusively on “JaneYourCompany” and Coupon C exclusively on “JenYourCompany”) will entice users to follow more than just one account.

3. Consistency: At some companies, different departments and people have opposing ‘voices’ across multiple company platforms. While other companies have achieved a unified voice. Strive for consistency!

Solution: Have someone run through all content before it’s published and edit it for stylistic similarity, and find a model that you want your social media team to emulate. (This could be a particularly well-spoken team member, another social media account, or a specific someone on the web. It could be someone like Penelope Trunk, for example.) After emulating someone very well, you and your social media team will be able to figure out what changes you need to make to distinguish yourselves from the model you’d selected and truly make that voice yours.

4. Reporting is ad-hoc: There’s no universal standard in place to measure and track metrics.

Solution: Until someone creates a space where all our metric information is aggregated, you’ll just have to roll up your sleeves and use this makeshift solution that the rest of us use.

Tailor your reporting according to your strategy. Identify key metrics that will indicate whether or not you’re walking down the right path. For example, do you want more blog subscribers? More click-throughs? A higher conversion rate? Pick a couple to focus on (the fewer the better) improving. Find a service that tracks these metrics. (i.e. Analytics, etc.) Check in with the metrics periodically, and experiment with things. (The smallest tweaks can make the biggest changes! Change the way your copy is phrased, the color of your header, the structure of a certain blog post etc., and notice if there’s any impact on those metrics you’d identified earlier.)

5. Having a home base: How will you centralize your efforts?

Solution: Make sure everyone’s ships are sailing in the right direction. There was a time when someone would send me an orientation e-mail that included a word document “bible” to walk-through and a ton of stuff to read. That’s an easy way out. Chances are new recruits will barely skim through it or lie about reading it. Instead, make something more interactive and make it short and sweet. (Video? Real-life orientation? Face-to-face conversation?) And conclude by throwing them a pop-quiz. You’ll see who really paid attention.

Also, start a Yammer network or a Facebook group for your social media team. Make sure everyone stays up-to-date with everyone else’s efforts.

You may notice a common theme: four out of these five challenges arise when there’s more than one person managing a social media account (or series of social media accounts). Apply your expertise and what you know about managing people, and I’m sure you’ll figure out your own solutions. Who knows, maybe a tailored solution will work out better for you than these suggestions. Good luck with your social media efforts, and enjoy the ride!

It’s a new year. Time to actually start doing and to stop thinking about it. Below are six areas in which to start doing something to change your life.

1. Business

Who is stopping you? Your mom? You moved out 12 years ago so she shouldn’t still be telling you what to do. Ohhh, your bank account is hovering near red. I get it. I have been there. Actually, I was there right when I was making the leap to start my own business. And guess what? I made it and am doing well.

The people who are always talking about their big idea and thinking “I’ll do it someday” just won’t ever get there. If this is you, I am sorry. Well maybe I’m not. It means you aren’t meant to be an entrepreneur or one to act on your idea.  It’s ok, the world still needs you 9-5 ers. As for the other small minority that actually take the plunge in following their startup dreams, high five. You are the ones that Just Do!

It’s not easy, as it shouldn’t be.  Your significant other, bank account, and children (perhaps) are all clawing at your back for attention, but your dreams of making your big idea a reality aren’t stopping you. Not easy.

What you do for a living is up to you. It’s your choice. You make the decision to get up in the morning at the time you do, to eat what is in your cupboard, to wear the clothes you have and drive the car you drive. That’s easy.

In December I launched my new company Onboardly. It has been a busy and fun journey. Not easy, but definitely satisfying.

I am not discounting the 9-5ers. They are probably working their ass’s off too. And those stuck in a dead-end job, see the glass ceiling, or just can’t advance in their position, time to seriously start searching for something better.  Never settle just because. Ugh. I hate that.  Take a chance man (or girl) and find a better place for you.

2. Health

If the thought of getting sweaty and to have burning muscles is stopping you from being fit and healthy, well I got news for you: You’re a wimp. I BIG FAT wimp. If eating your fruits and vegetables turns you off and you’d rather starve than eat your greens, than you are incredibly stupid! I’m harsh, but it’s the truth. All you need is a minimum of 20 minutes a day in exercise and a balanced diet to maintain a healthy body. And guess what? It makes you feel really really really good.

My friend Sarah, a provincial cop in Ontario, went to the gym every other day. No big deal, right? But she did this every week throughout her entire pregnancy! She did Step classes every week up until the day before she went into labour. It made her feel great and made labour a heck of a lot easier. No excuses. She is smart.

3. Love

If you love him/her, let her know for F*** sake. The people that go their entire lives without telling the people they love that they love them are stupid. Man up and call those you love most. If today was your last day here, your loved ones would be pissed to know you loved them but never told them.

4. Organize

Organize your life. Put your bills, receipts and important documents in the same spot. Clean off your computer desktop. Clear off your desk. Empty your car. Purge purge purge!  Having less stuff around you makes you more organized and able to complete tasks much quicker. And this also relates to the following ….

5. Friends

Get rid of bloodsucking ‘friends’. You know who they are. The ones who always ask for $20 but never pay you back, the ones who always ask for favors, but when you ask for one in return they are always too busy, the ones who make plans with you and always back out, the ones you know, deep down, just wouldn’t be there for you. GET RID OF THEM!!

Recently I started caring less about my bloodsucking friends and diverting that energy to the people that actually mattered and it has made an incredible difference. I am more grateful for the people that are in my life now than I have ever been before. You know who you are….Thank you!

6. Just Do

This merits its own point. Just doing is not easy. It really isn’t, but the sense of accomplishment after you ‘just did’ is amazing. The highs are high. I hate making January 1st an excuse to start doing, but for the sake of the new year and resolutions, I want to contribute this post to those who created new years resolutions and are doing them. Good luck and I hope you stick to them.

Happy 2012.  May love and happiness be with you everywhere.

PS – If you ever need a kick in the pants to get started, feel free to email me renee@reneewarren.com. I’ll set you straight.

Do you have anymore reasons to Just Do?

The title of your landing page is one of the most important elements. It needs to explain the purpose of the page in as few words as possible. Make it short, visible and direct. ( This Mailchimp example is not a landing page rather their website homepage, but demonstrates a large title)

2. Consistent Headline

The purpose of a landing page is to transition a visitor from one location to the next (Example: from an ad to your website) . The headline helps to bridge this gap. You want to use this messaging to relate to the ad and assure visitors that they are in the right place. Typically placed within close proximity to the title, the headline should serve to connect the ad copy and landing page title.

Use colors that match your ad. This text shouldn’t be as noticeable as your title, but it should still be visible and succinct.

3. Strong Call to Action

The call to action on a typical landing page is either a button or a submission form. A button is used to direct the visitor to another page (Perhaps to fill out a form), while a submission form captures personal information or creates a user account.

In using buttons, choose your colors wisely. Red is not always a good choice, while green or blue can increase clicks by 30%. Experiment with color, size and position. If you are using a submission form, you should only ask for three to four pieces of information. Long forms are tedious and visitors often bounce after a few seconds.

Tip: Use a madlib-style submission form to increase your conversion rate.

4. Concise Body

As with the other aspects of your landing page, you want the body text to be straightforward and concise. In this section, highlight your benefits. A simple list format will help you hold attention.
Remember that features are not the same as benefits. Benefits are about the visitors and features are about your product or service. Never mistake features for benefits on your landing page.

5. Picture Perfect

Despite popular belief, the title is often not the first thing your leads will notice. Typically, the picture is what your leads will notice first, so it’s important to pick the perfect one. While some people will argue that the most traditionally beautiful pictures perform best, it is often the unique, even odd, pictures that really convert.

Don’t forget the frame of your picture. Does your graphic work best in a frame or as a standalone on the landing page? Test and optimize.

6. Build Trust

Not surprisingly, people are often more curious than not when seeing a landing page for the first time. Building trust gives you added credibility and authenticity, which you will need to push leads through the sales process. Make sure your ads match your landing page, and your landing page matches your website. If you are selling something online, make sure you have very obvious security and anti-fraud certifications in place.  If you are asking for information whether it be an email or a phone number, explain how you will use this information.

7. Clean Layout

You want to keep things simple with a clean, organized layout. Don’t create clutter by placing all of your landing page elements close together. Make sure each item has its own space and that there is a clear flow from one item to the next.

Test your layout with these exercises
1. Take three steps back from your computer screen and squint your eyes. What stands out the most?  Is it the most relevant or important piece?
2. Sit at normal distance from your computer and turn your head sideways at 90*.  Is it still clear what the page is trying to sell/do?
3. Without explanation grab a friend or acquaintance who don’t know your service or product and ask them for feedback. Ask them: Is it clear what this page is for? Do you know what to do? What is your first impression?

As you read this, hundreds of community managers are taking to their TweetDecks and HootSuites to manage social media outreach and engagement. So, is community management really dead? Perhaps not altogether, but the narrow definition of it, which has been used in the past four years, most definitely is.

What is community management? (Some people are still asking )
Community management is the act of taking a group of people and turning them into an asset that can be used to meet brand goals. It is a combination of content creation, social media management, public relations, marketing, event management, customer service and more. The exact combination, to further confuse the definition, is unique to each brand.

Brands with Killer Communities
To clarify the sometimes complex definition of community management, here are three brands that are absolutely killing it.

1. HubSpot

HubSpot is one of the surprisingly few brands that know community management goes beyond setting up Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts. They have spent countless hours preparing webinars, producing blog content, sending tweets, posting to Facebook, creating videos, crafting slideshows and more. They’ve went beyond the standard influencer identification and engagement, and built an empire.

Of course, where do all of these communities lead back to? The HubSpot website, where they push traffic to purchase their all-in-one inbound marketing software. They produce quality content, build communities based on their expertise in the area and then close the circle by achieving the goal of increased sales.

2. Texts From Last Night

Texts From Last Night (TFLN) has two separate goals: increase ad clicks and increase merchandise purchases. Not only do they sell t-shirts with user-generated content on them (bonus points for selling someone else’s hilarity), but they sell a book as well. On both their Twitter and Facebook pages, you will find an advertisement for the book and a link back to the website, where you can purchase t-shirts.

Like HubSpot, they escape social media tunnel vision, which is commonly associated with community management. Social media refers traffic to the website and helps increase sales in both departments, but the real community is on the website itself. Managing the replies, comments and blog posts round out community management for the TFLN team.

3. Damn You Autocorrect

Just like TFLN, Damn You Autocorrect (DYAC) relies on user-generated content to thrive. Both brands depend on the community on their actual website more than the communities on their social media channels. Without their website communities, where would the content come from? Both serve as an example of brands that focus on internal community management, which exists separately of the social media world.

DYAC sells t-shirts, earns ad revenue, promotes an app and sells a book. The app presents a whole other community that requires management. Hundreds of comments per month provide an additional community management element as well. Once again, social media is a vehicle of community management instead of the destination.

A New Direction
While those three examples prove that community management is not dead, they indicate a clear shift. Community management can no longer be defined as merely monitoring keywords on Twitter or commenting on popular blogs, as community-oriented as that sounds. Between social efficiency, transforming business models and internal communities, community management is headed in a whole new direction.

From spending 24/7 monitoring Twitter feeds and Facebook conversations to leveraging a community as a business asset, 2011 saw a major community management transition. Whether the brands still chained to their TweetDecks and HootSuites would like to admit it or not, community management is more about achieving real-world business objectives than fostering superficial conversations on social media.

Social Efficiency
The concept of social media being “always on” is not new. However, the idea of spending hours upon hours surfing social media channels is outdated, if not dead. With time-saving social media tools, the efficiency of managing social media is improving daily. What was once an 8 hour job has been reduced to a 45 minute job (save a few unexpected hiccups).

So, what does a community manager do after those 45 minutes are up?

Internal Communities
With the advent of social efficiency, we are seeing a clear shift towards internal communities. TFLN and DYAC are obvious examples of how owned communities (communities on web properties you own) are becoming a focal point. Community management is no longer synonymous with social media management.

In fact, some highly successful community managers don’t even know their way around social media – gasp!

Transforming Business Models
All of these changes come back to the idea that business models are transforming. There is no clear-cut definition of community management because each brand has its own unique goals. Not surprisingly, talking to people about the weather on Twitter is not a big concern for CEOs. Community management has become more about putting a community to work, about having it labor towards the same goals as the brand.

In 2012, we will see brands finally reach the other side of the Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn tunnel.

Numbers power real marketing more than ever. That means a complete understanding of analytics and metrics, the numbers behind your marketing efforts, is vital.

Why are numbers important?

Metrics are figures that allow you to concretely measure your marketing success instead of relying on superficial observations. They provide real insights into how your landing pages, advertisements, email communications and the like are performing with customers.

Without numbers, you are simply making uneducated decisions about what is working. Would Apple invest millions in an advertising campaign without studying the numbers and making sure it was a strategic move? No, of course not.

Perhaps the most important thing about marketing metrics and analytics is that they provide a tangible look at progress. There is accountability in numbers, which means companies can set and evaluate measurable goals. Numbers make actionable goals such as “increase conversion rate by 7%” a reality. ‘Conversions’ — there’s a word I like.

What numbers are important?

Defining what numbers are important for your company is a primarily subjective decision. While some metrics, such as ROI and conversion rate, are relevant to all companies, others simply are not. The numbers that are important to your company are the numbers that help you measure your marketing goals.

For example, let’s say one of your goals is to increase the amount of time leads spend on your landing page by 10%. You will want to measure metrics such as advertisement clickthrough rate, bounce rate, visit duration, etc. You may even want to measure A/B testing metrics. Does a lead stay on your page longer if you change the color of a button? What if you move the subheading to the left? Or with a 30 second video? You can test this using Unbounce.  Below is an example of a landing page I did for Manpacks.

On the other hand, metrics that measure sales, cost per impression and cost per click would not be relevant to you because they do not help you measure your progress with that specific goal. Granted, you may be tracking those metrics for a separate goal.

The idea is not to measure and evaluate as many metrics as you can. That would merely be counterproductive. Instead, the idea is to identify the meaningful metrics that are of the most significance to your marketing intentions. Think about what numbers will help you make informed decisions going forward.

There is, however, one universal metrics rule. You should always measure your baseline metrics before beginning. Baseline metrics give you an idea of where you began, which is obviously important to tracking how far you have come. Before you act on a campaign or initiate a strategy, record your baseline metrics.

How do I find the numbers?

As the focus shifts from marketing assumptions to marketing data, new systems of retrieving, recording and evaluating numerical figures are sprouting up. Still, the two most popular, and often most effective ways of managing metrics are: surveying and analytics software.

1. Surveying

Surveying is a straightforward concept. It is the act of soliciting your previous and potential customers for feedback on your current marketing efforts. It gives you a clear look at where you are now in relation to where you would like to be in the future. There are some important things to consider before crafting a survey. I use SurveyMonkey for this.

• Surveys should be short and to the point. Too many questions will push people away.
• Surveys should be clear and direct. Close-ended questions with multiple-choice answers receive more responses than short answer questions.
• Surveys should seek to answer a specific question identified by the company. A survey is virtually useless unless it has a narrow, definitive purpose.
• Surveys that offer incentives receive more responses than surveys that do not. An information product, such as an eBook or an online course, is a great incentive.
• Surveys should be advertised through multiple channels. Sending the survey via email, announcing it on social media and placing it on your website increases the likelihood that it will receive an abundance of responses.

Surveying is also a great way to get insight, feedback and some awesome marketing copy from your customers.

2. Analytics Software

Analytics software does most of the work for you by providing metrics that are relevant to your company and its goals. Typically, the software allows you to define company objectives, select key metrics, record key metrics and measure key metrics over time. Analytics software places all of the numbers needed in one convenient dashboard for easy accessibility and evaluation.

There are a number of companies that provide marketing analytics. Here are just a few examples.

• KISSmetrics
• Omniture
• Google Analytics
• PostRank
• Pear Analytics

Numbers have never been more important than they are today. Metrics and analytics empower Internet marketing, making it just as accountable and measurable as marketing through traditional channels. Real marketing is shifting to a data-driven performance focus. Are you?

The Evolution: Geek Chic

Most recently, being a ‘Geek’ quickly became cool. From Urkel to Carell, the understanding of a geek has changed substantially. The good news for all of the fanboys and computer nerds out there is that being a geek is actually pretty friggen cool. It’s not about getting awesome grades in school or having underdeveloped social skills…or even having any formal education at all. Instead, it’s about embracing your quirks and being completely awesome at what you do. And, let’s face it, that something often involves tech.

The Evolution to Stilettos

The kick-ass lady founders/co-founders of Cake Health and TaskRabbit, are enough to prove the uber chiqueness of the tech space.  These passionately talented and equally beautiful women are the epitome of geeks in stilettos. The kind that can take the stage in front of thousands and hypnotizingly tell their startup story….all while wearing stilettos.

That’s right, gentlemen, the female geek is not a myth. We’re reading our Kindles, updating our Tumblrs and downloading our Angry Bird apps. We’re ladies coding, watching too much YouTube, gawking at HD TVs. And the best part is that we’re growing in numbers each and every day.

If Michael Cera can rock his inner geek and get away with it, so can we.

So, the next time you see a woman shopping for clothes or shoes or even jewelry, look for the telltale signs of a fellow geek. Because, remember, geeks can wear stilettos, too. [With NO pocket protectors or calculator watches in tow]

And that is Lady Gaga.  She is UBER geek-in-stilettos.  <3 her

Play is about waking up everyday surrounded by the people you want to surround yourself with, doing what you love to do.  As Steve jobs put it “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life”.  This means ‘playing’ everyday. Not having to stop and play, but really making every living moment feel like a magical playground. Not by what others define for you, but by what YOU really want.

What motivates you to get up in the morning?  If it’s not your job, then quit. If it’s riding horses then go do it! Don’t settle for something because it was easy or pays the bills.  Yes, making money is important, but you can make money doing just about anything. Would you rather get paid $1mil at a job you hate, or $50k playing everyday? F*** the paycheque.

Though Hitens play is defined as rest time away from a particular task, why not make every waking hour playtime? I can surely believe that Steve jobs was at play everyday. As for me, I am rediscovering my life at play, realizing that money will come once I get on the jungle gym.

Most girls spend their whole lives dreaming of their big day. They dream of their prince charming. Of the life they are going to live. I never did.

To be honest, I never thought I’d get married.  I had all these expectations and realizations of what my life would look like and it involved a career, house, and children, but the man associated to all that was always a blur.

Until July 23rd 2011 at 5:25pm. My amazing boyfriend Dan Martell brought me to the end of the dock where I grew up, got down on one knee, and asked me to marry him. Wow!  This was all surreal.

I couldn’t be happier. Dan is such an amazing man. A best friend. A confidant.  And, as many already know, a brilliant entrepreneur. He pushes me to be a better/stronger entrepreneur, motivates me to think bigger and to ‘reach for the stars’.

I could babble on for hours, but for the sake of this post, I wanted to say again and again, Thank You Dan. You F***** rock, and I love you.

It doesn’t take much to shake off a bad situation, like getting fired, dumped or getting a flat tire (to say the least).  It really doesn’t.  Take a moment to do the following:
1. Analyze the situation
2. Get some answers
3. and figure out your next steps

Your ‘next steps’ is the action item.  It is what you do, when you do it that will get you to your feet again.  But you must act, and act fast. Make a clear decision and go with it. It will all work itself out, as long as you stick to your plan.  If that plan doesn’t work, go back to step one and start over again.  Ask yourself:

1. Why didn’t it work the first time?
2. What can I do to make it work?
3. How much time will this take me?

If the effort outweighs the benefit then you need to get more answers to some questions.  Don’t sweat over the small stuff. Think big picture. All the little things will fall into place as you work on the big picture items.

What have you done to quickly overcome a nasty situation?

I did this every week, a couple times a week for a few months. Preparing myself for my first race at Hardwood Hills, I had no expectations of what a mountain bike race was like. I thought I was well equipped.

Equipped I was not, but physically and mentally ready I was.  Showing up to the starting line on a cold rainy fall day, smiling ear to ear, I took a few minutes to check out my competition. Umm, Ok. So maybe my bike won’t hold up. On either side of me were girls with $4000.00 bikes, sponsored gear, helmets worth more then my bike and quads bigger then two of mine combined. Crap!

Within a few minutes we were all ligned up ready for the starting gun to go off. When it did I put pedal to the metal and went full tilt off the start line. Mud and elbows flying everywhere, grunts and shouts coming from beside me. Who the heck are these girls? Christ, I think I had applied mascara before this race. These girls barely wore deoderant.

Halfway thru the race I took sometime to finally study the trails and the competition, noticing I had just passed racer after racer. Though it seemed I was still way behind the packed, I soon realized I was passing those same girls I saw at the start line. The ones with the fancy bikes. Ha! I kept going strong. Within minutes I past the finish line, laughing at the fact that I had just finished my first ever mountain bike race, on a cheap bike.

Then I heard my name … “Renee! Renee! Renee!” I turned around to see my parents running at me. “Renee… did you cheat? Did you cut the trails?” My dad asks.  ”What? No!  Why would you think that?” I reply. “Well, it seems as though you placed 15th, out of 55 racers” my dad says with enthusiasm. Well holy crap. I certainly did.

It doesnt always take the best equipment, technology or gear to win a race. It often times takes but sheer determination and a little laughter to get ahead of the pack and finish a race you never thought to enter in the first place.