Social Media Marketing

A Year @Ford - Part 1

2009-07-14T22:09:00.007-04:00

Today marks exactly one year since I joined Ford Motor Company to head up social media efforts. You'd be surprised at how much has happened in such a short period of time.

The last year has marked some of the most turbulent not only in our economy overall, but in the entire history of the global automotive market. Since last December alone, we've witnessed bankruptcies filed, quarterly and annual losses not seen in decades (if ever), and emergency government support of some of our most iconic brands.

And I decided to move my family to Michigan just before it all began. Exciting times, huh?

I've written occasionally here about my Ford experiences, wanting to keep this blog as wide-ranging as possible for my readers. But more than a few people have asked to hear a little more about some of our activities. I thought my one year anniversary was the appropriate time to reflect on what's happened during that time.

This is the first part of a multi-part series - and it's rather long. I beg your indulgence.

The Beginning
I announced my intention to join Ford a little over a year ago. In re-reading that post, I notice that I spent time thinking about what I was leaving behind rather than what was in front of me, which in retrospect (do you sense the irony?) didn't really give much of an impression of what lay before me. The job opportunity with Ford was pretty exciting - running social media for a Fortune 10 company and an American and global icon. Enough to get any social media strategist excited, right? Well, the notion of moving to Detroit didn't really sit well with me (chalk it up to an East coast elitism) and I wasn't totally convinced.

It wasn't until I started doing my research and understanding where the company was headed that I started seriously considering it. After all, the company turned a profit in April 2008 - a year ahead of Alan Mulally's plan to turn the company profitable, and based on the product lineup I saw, this wasn't the Ford that I assumed I knew. Cool designs, interiors that rivaled foreign brands, hybrid technology, and an engine in the works that would boost fuel efficiency across almost the whole fleet - not to mention a commitment to being leaders in digital communications - this is the Ford I discovered. And when I paid a visit to the company, every person I met - every person - was intelligent, dedicated and passionate about Ford.

In short, my perceptions were the only thing holding me back - something that Detroit and Ford experience on a daily basis. And - now that I've lived here for a year - I can say my long-held perceptions were incorrect.

Early Progress
Typically when a leader assumes a new role, he or she is judged based on how much they accomplish in the first 30, 60, or 90 days. And I knew that our lofty goal at Ford - to be become a leader in digital communications in four years and to become the world's leading social automotive brand - was one that would require a lot of teamwork. So, I quickly set out to meet as many people as I could, understand the processes in place, and start to work on our social media strategy.

I should mention that in addition to my social media responsibilities (my title is officially Digital & Multimedia Communications Manager), I also manage a team of people who are responsible for our TV & radio broadcast coverage, as well as our digital publishing team that maintains our Media site, among others. These teams really do a great job in keeping Ford in the spotlight. [I should note that I lost the only social media person on my team last August and still haven't replaced her - that's about to be rectified.]

Some of the assets that we had at our disposal early on included:

Ford's Social Media Press Releases (SMPR) - our social media agency - aptly named the Social Media Group - created 15 separate SMPRs dedicated to corporate and product issues, updated regularly, built on WordPress with RSS feeds, fed by Flickr photos and YouTube videos.
A Flickr channel - one in which we used a Creative Commons Non-Commercial Attribution 2.0 Generic license, meaning that our photos are free to be used as long as we're attributed and they're not used for a profit-making venture.
A YouTube channel, mostly used for b-roll, but creating content that generally wasn't available elsewhere.

The early results were impressive: SMPR material used in over 5,000 posts and articles, Flickr photos viewed over 120,000 times, and over 500 subscribers on the YouTube channel with over 1.2 million views of 140 videos.

Expanding the Activity / Strategy Development
While we were fine-tuning the strategy (and I had a pretty good instinct as to what it was going to look like), we expanded our presence: we developed a number of Twitter feeds (@Ford, @FordDriveGreen, @FordMustang, @FordCustService, to name a few), we got more active on Facebook, and we interacted on blogs. These activities were intentional, for I knew as an outsider to the industry that Ford didn't have a face to the general public and we needed to begin humanizing the company by getting faces out from behind the Blue Oval. I went so far as to leverage my own personal brand - not because it was convenient, but because I believed so firmly in the direction of the company, and because that's the network I had build up before I came to Ford. It seemed natural to extend it.

Twitter made a lot of sense for Ford because it did a number of things for the company: it showed that we were listening; we were able to have 1:1 communication with consumers - but also in the very public setting that Twitter provides (i.e., everyone else is watching it happen); and it showed that Ford understood social media and was hip & cool.

As we developed the strategy, we spoke to people around the company, from managers to senior executives, in offices from all over the world. In the end, we realized we had to have a strategy that was flexible enough to:

Allow us to speak to customers, employees, retirees, dealers, enthusiasts, shareholders;
Apply to whatever department within the organization would like to use social media (HR, communications, IT, marketing, product development, customer service, etc.);
Change according to the regional differences in social media adoption and technology saturation.

Ultimately, Ford's social media strategy looked something like this:

Humanizing the company by connecting Ford employees with our stakeholders, allowing them to connect with each other when appropriate, and providing value in the process.

At about the same time that we created the strategy, the company was engaged in the hearings in Washington - not to ask for funding ourselves (Ford had wisely borrowed against its own assets some two years earlier) but to support the industry. We quickly found out that we were lumped in with our crosstown rivals, despite our intentions. I spent day and night defending our position on blogs, forums and on Twitter, until I finally created a post of my own to help the cause. We realized that a scattershot and one-off approach wasn't sustainable; a better solution had to be created.

The Ford Story
So, in a massive flurry of activity and cross-departmental coordination, in the five days over Thanksgiving weekend, we created The Ford Story. It was a huge win for us, as it demonstrated the One Ford mission that drives the company, and it got a lot of coverage and attention for its design and good content. We wanted to ensure that we were true to our strategy, so we led with faces on every page - our executives speaking unscripted and plainly (albeit staged) about what Ford stood for. And because we had a number of documents to share - our comprehensive plan, a number of fact sheets - we decided to use an innovative site called Scribd for document sharing. And because we built it on WordPress, it resulted in an easy to understand and robust site that can be easily changed over time.

Since we seemed to be enjoying more media attention than before, I decided to have a little fun at an event I was attending with Alan Mulally. On a whim, I got a few moments of his time and took live questions via Twitter. However, just to show you that it's important to stay focused on what matters and to not get overly optimistic, during that time there was a little digital crisis communications effort that we had to deal with. I've covered that before - you can check it out here.

One bright spot, though: at the end of 2008, according to Vitrue's ranking of the 100 Most Social Brands, Ford managed to snag the #12 spot - the highest rank of any automaker on the list. It was safe to say that we were on our way.

Stay tuned for Part 2, in which I'll talk about some pitfalls along the way, our 2009 progress to date, as well as plans for the future.

Is there anything so far that I didn't cover you'd like to know?

Special thanks to: Maggie Fox, John Bell, Leona Hobbs, Kaitlyn Wilkins, the entire Communications and Marketing teams at Ford, Aaron Strout (for spurring this post on), Phil Johnson for his cheerleading and for setting me free, Joseph Jaffe for his inspiration, and C.C. Chapman for his friendship, as well as the following people who were kind enough to acknowledge my anniversary today:
@prblog, @nadhiyamali, @cloudspark, @elliotschimel, @eileen53, @clairecelsi, @PingTweets, @ChrisCree, @AdeleMcAlear, @nmalin, @DougMeacham, @HotLabRescue, @Gvision1, @bschestnutt, @KelByrd, vcspenn, @BiOH4ALLjk, @woodlandalyssa, @SandyspringFord, @KellyeCrane, @LionelAtDell, @LindaJacobson, vpfanderson, @tamaratam, @bigguyd, @MikeDriehorst, @Girlfriendology, @tvdeegan, @paullyoung, @jlicciardi, @sgetgood, @TdRamsey, @Jen_Harvey, @Military_Mom, @theartofimpact, @billgilliam, @Tiggr, @BryanPerson, @russu, @DanaSingleton, @JulieeSmith, @robgt2, @ayat, @chatterboxapp, @KyleRohde, @jak2rocks, @FordThunder, @DIRTFORGE, @MustangMatters, @Jericles, @CMajor, @gradontripp, @BethHarte, @Armano, @tomob, @eperry, @defcon_5, @DutchieDude, @ischafer, @stlfordguy, @kbuczko, @GeekMommy, @rhappe, @Stealx, @JonBurg, @acowboyswife, @DJLitten

You - and many others like you - make a difference every day. Thank you for being part of what inspires me.

Photo credit: Ford Motor Company (Flickr)

Facebook Age Demographics

2009-07-10T17:49:00.001-04:00

"Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale / Her infinite variety"

- Antony & Cleopatra, Act II, Scene 2.

It's pretty easy to fall into the trap of assuming that Facebook is a young person's game; after all, it was created by a college student and was only available to individuals with .edu email addresses originally. But ever since it opened to the general public in late 2006, the age demographic has been expanding.

According to a report in March of 2009, Inside Facebook noted that there were more Facebook users 26-44 than 18-25 today. And in a separate report, they also noted that Facebook is seeing massive increases in adoption among users 35-65. In fact, the fastest growing demographic on Facebook is still women over 55.

Fast forward to today - looking at the 70 million-plus users from the U.S. on Facebook - and you've got a remarkable statistic: over one-third of Facebook's users are over the age of 35. And about half of that group is in the 45+ age range.

Personally, I can attest to the number of people who are using it for reconnecting with old high school and college friends. I've heard from my fair share of people from times long past. [Side note: it's kind of ironic that Facebook is somewhat returning to its college roots.]

I would imagine that the older demographic is also using it somewhat for work purposes; I'd be interested in seeing a breakdown of data on how each age group uses the tool - what percent for work, what percent for personal, and which use it for both. I have a strong suspicion that there'd be a spike in the third category.

Of the recent growth, some of it is attributable to more activity from parents, relatively speaking, since the kids are home from college. It will be interesting to see if that level of activity is just a summer anamoly or if it continues.

What do you think of these numbers? Any surprises here for you?

Talk About Transparency!

2009-07-02T09:02:00.002-04:00

When you've flown, how many times have you ignored the safety instructions? We've all heard the same boring routine over and over, and let's face it - if you don't know how to fasten a seatbelt, you probably shouldn't be flying alone.

Air New Zealand has done something to ensure they'll have your attention: they've made a safety video where the flight attendants are wearing nothing but body paint. See if you pay attention to the entire announcement now.

That's what Seth Godin would call remarkable. How is your company being remarkable - and most importantly - making it easy for people to remark about it? Air New Zealand could have kept their video locked up on their planes, but they put it on YouTube. Why? It's not like people need to watch an airline safety video at their desk. But people do have the power to tell everyone they know about this cool airline and what it's doing.

And that's how great content is spread.

Posted via web from The Full Monty

The Herculean Effort to Stop Ignoring Customers

2009-06-30T08:36:00.003-04:00

The Herculean Effort to Stop Ignoring Customers

via The Buzz Bin by Geoff Livingston on 6/30/09

Note: this is somewhat of a guest post by Geoff Livingston. I saved it to my Posterous page with the intent of bookmarking it; evidently, it resulted in a posting to my blog here. Full credit goes to Geoff.

If social is but a channel, then the real issue for companies lies in embracing feedback from their most important stakeholders: Their customers.
That was the focus of the Forrester Customer Experience Forum last week in New York City (photos here).

Organizations struggle with corporate barriers to moving towards their customers. Controlling the experience has long been the domain of various departments from product marketing to customer service. Giving stakeholders a voice in that process — via phones, email, mail, participation and yes, social media — has been the antithesis of many corporate cultures for decades. Yet according to Forrester, by failing to embrace their customers and bulwarking their experience, companies are denying themselves serious benefits:

14.4% of customers would purchase more
15.8% of customers would be less likely to switch brands
16.6% of customers would refer the brand more often

Yet in spite of these beneficial numbers, progress seems daunting. During the Chief Customer Officer panel (yes, this is apparently a title), two panelists indicated they were making progress, meeting with company executives as often as once a month or more… Once a month? That’s it?

But for every ten companies haltingly talking to and listening to their customers, there is a Virgin America. The entire company seems to be built around creating the ultimate, enjoyable (gulp) airline experience. As CEO David Cush went through his session, you couldn’t help but smile and admire the audacious brilliance of Richard Branson as he turns the American airline industry on its ear. This is how companies should be built.

Barriers to Adoption

We’ve discussed this before here on the Buzz Bin. There are serious cultural barriers to adopting social media, and in general, customer feedback (find a link to a white paper here). Siloed corporate structures prevent companies from listening to and embracing their customers.

Forrester outlined a five stage process that organizations need to go through to foster the evolutionary change towards a customer-centric organization:

1) Interest - Discuss that there may be a problem with customer interaction and that the company may need to research its stakeholders

2) Invest - Upon realizing that there is a lack of understanding about customer needs, get the company to invest in a “voice of the customer” program

3) Commit - This is where getting C-Suite buy-in is absolutely necessary for success. The company must commit to responding to customer feedback.

4) Engage - Take the feedback from customers, and apply it across the line. Change the experience.

5) Embed - Make the customer experience feedback loop and product innovation part of the actual cultural lifeblood of the organization.

According to Forrester, most American companies are either in stage one or two of the five stages. I think part of the failure to adapt has to do with the tendency to use old ways to affect change. Consider the siloesque idea of a customer department or initiative, rather than realizing customer centric behavior affects a company across the line.

Consider how David Armano and the team at Dachis are starting to address the challenges of cultural barriers to customer interaction (pictured above). They see multiple nodes touching hubs throughout an organization. Similarly, Charlene Li’s latest research is focusing on how companies embrace their customers to become socialprises.

The challenge to becoming a customer-centric organization is not as easy as simply listening. It involves reinventing many an organization’s actual structure and workflow. Cultural barriers to success cannot be underestimated.

The Social Backlash

Throughout the conference there was a very clear and present resistance to social media hype. Every single discussion around our new media certainly recognized its value as a great way to converse with customers. Every successful company featured at the Forum had some kind of social component, even if it was just listening to feedback.

But more and more, you heard executives rejecting social media as a panacea for customer ills and feedback. In fact, there were discussions about the viability of Twitter in the long term as a scaleable tool, and whether it really could supplant news organizations for information.

While companies recognize social media for its value as a toolset, they don’t see it as the cure all for an actual experience, and don’t see it as the alpha and omega for customer contact points. Instead it is one of several ways customers discuss their experiences from calls, web site chats, email, etc. There was a huge emphasis on multichannel integration of customer voices throughout the conference.

This backlash seems to me be a result of overhype. A smart communicator can see this. Customers don’t touch a company in one, singular channel. They have many touches from ads, news, web sites (standard and mobile) and packaging all the way through to the actual product experience. To think that social media is it for a company is a horrific error. And the implication of the current hype cycle would only have companies communicating in 140 character sound bytes. Thus the very natural backlash.

Related Buzz Bin Posts

Posted via email from The Full Monty

Are Your Priorities Screwed Up?

2009-06-29T09:35:00.004-04:00

The recent news of Michael Jackson's death has a lot of people rattled. When an icon of that stature passes, it's natural for a whole generation of people to reflect on nostalgic times, pine for what could have been, and think about lessons for our own lives.

In this case, I couldn't help but be struck by a similarity between Michael Jackson's status and that of some so-called social media "rock stars."

I've always been a little hesitant to anyone self assigning expert or "rock star" status. To me, experts are deemed so by others, after an individual has put in plenty of hard work and dedication. And the whole "rock star" thing boggles my mind. There seems to be a cult of weblebrities - people who are Internet famous - where social media types celebrate each other with more and more fervor. My question is: why?

The reason I tied it in with Michael Jackson is because I read a recent column written by the Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, who was MJ's spiritual advisor for a time. He makes a very profound yet simple observation about what fueled Jackson's passion for fame:

"He needed the throngs, he thrived on the adulation of the crowds...In many ways his tragedy was to mistake attention for love...Money [or fame] is not a currency by which we can purchase self-esteem and being recognized on the streets will never replace being loved unconditionally by family and true friends."

The strange thing is, I see a lot of this behavior in some social media types. And it's kind of sad, really. It's like they're busily trying to replace something that's missing in real life. To understand the absurdity of it, I'll give you an example of an exchange I witnessed:

Person 1: "You've never heard of [insert name of social media "rock star" of your choice here]??" (I'm leaving the name out to protect the innocent)

Person 2: "When my mother has heard of him, then you know he's famous."

But let's not kid ourselves. Using social media as part of your marketing mix is far more than recruiting some uber-connected individual who can bring attention to your brand. It starts with crafting a strategy and understanding what your business objectives are. And it means never, ever taking your eye off the customer and doing what matters - providing value to them. After all, isn't that what you're in business for?

A poignant reminder from Seth Godin (as interviewed by Debbie Weil) on that very topic here:

(Facebook readers, click through for the video)

Photo source: ovaratli (Flickr)

What Matters in Most Word-of-Mouth Marketing?

2009-06-22T17:40:00.000-04:00

We all know that people trust people like themselves the most, and that "real" friends are more influential than online contacts. But how does this shake out, exactly?

According to a recent Mintel study cited by eMarketer, people who bought a product based on a

recommendation did so based on this breakdown:

And while you'll see that bloggers make up only 5% of the recommendation source, for those of

you who have resources tied up in blogger relations programs, this is not some sky-is-falling panic to get you to halt your efforts. On the contrary, how many friends, relatives, spouses/partners do you know that have a blog or a social network presence? They're still likely to talk about it with others, both online and off.

But if you're going to be effective at tapping into word of mouth marketing (WOMM to some), you at least need to take into account the other acronym: WIIFM.

What's important to them?

I recently shared a link to an old post in which I quoted that master orator, Cicero:

If you wish to persuade me, you must think my thoughts, feel my feelings and speak my words.

No matter what your word of mouth tactics consist of, your content needs to resonate with the people you're trying to reach (and consequently, with their contacts). According to that same study, here are the top three things that matter when it comes to product recommendation:

It's not terribly surprising that people are currently focused on price, is it? We're always looking for a bargain. And, consistent with human nature, we want the best quality at the same time too. :-)

You would think that a clever marketer would simply drop prices and compete based on offering the lowest prices around. Some have. Others have simply shrunk their product size and left prices intact. But those tactics can only last for so long - prices can't drop to zero (or only the largest companies have the scale & leverage) and packaging can't shrink ad infinitum - and in my opinion, it develops into a spiral of decreasing expectations from your customer. It's untenable.

But let's stop and think about price for a moment and recast it in another marketing term - pricing's close cousin value. Recently, Seth Godin wrote about the value equation:

Value = Benefit / Price

What if companies focused on increasing value to the customer by increasing benefit instead of decreasing price? Indeed, if you're providing consistently high benefit, you might even be able to hold the value level high and modestly increase prices.

And that would be something worth talking about.

I've Been on a Calendar, But I've Rarely Been On Time

2009-06-17T07:59:00.001-04:00

#hotmen And to prove it, I'm late with this blog post.

A few weeks ago, I was contacted by the never predictable, always thoughtful Dave Delaney with a scheme that I can only describe as ~~hairbrained~~ inspired. I've known Dave to go to bat for individuals before, raising money for good causes. Many were local businesses or colleagues, but Dave's passion always rang true and led him to success.

So that's where the latest idea came in. Dave decided to plant his tongue firmly in his cheek and ask a number of us (18, to be exact), to pose for the Hottest Men on Twitter Calendar. No lie.

But if it were all about just seeing (cough) hot guys, we wouldn't sell a single copy. Well, that's not entirely true - Jason Falls would buy one so he could hang Mr. April in his office.

But there had to be a hook. Dave's angle: 40% of the proceeds of the calendar (the net after production costs) will go to DonorsChoose.org, where teachers post projects and how much they cost, and you can choose what to fund. It's a great cause.

So, if you're in the market for 18 months worth of photos, including a hot & sweaty new media consultant, a buff and bronzed mobile marketer, a fearless community leader, a voice-over guy like no other, a humorist extraordinaire, a woodcrafter-cum-social media marketer, a podcaster across borders, and possibly the bravest geek I know - then this is the purchase for you. Even the Village Voice is taking notice. Oh. Wait.

"But I have absolutely no interest in this kind of thing," I hear you saying. Fine. Don't make me pull a National Lampoon. Do it for the children, for I believe the children are our future. Here's what you can do:

1. Please purchase the calendar by clicking here.

2. And share the link around, using the hashtag: #hotmen.

And just for fun, vote for your favorite "hot" man on Twitter. I haven't got any favorites, but I hear there's an October surprise. (Not-so-subtle hint: I'll reward you with many fine blog posts).

Thanks for joining in the fun here. Let's work together so we can help raise enough money to give these deserving teachers and children some resources they need.

The Microphone Is Always On

2009-06-12T09:10:00.001-04:00

Andy Warhol once noted "In the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes." Now that we're constantly publishing, sharing, microsharing, updating, vlogging... (I could go on), it seems to me that in the future, everyone will have 15 minutes of privacy.

I've noted before that it's extremely important to live your life in a way that reflects positively of you, because you never know who's capturing what image, sound file or video. Put more bluntly - if you'll allow me to turn another phrase - whatever happens in Vegas stays on Google. Every action counts.

Want proof?

One need look no further than Michael Richards, who was caught via cellphone video making a racist rant at a comedy club. It's still the #1 search result on YouTube for "Michael Richards." And President Ronald Reagan made a famous gaffe during a microphone check, unaware that he was being broadcast live:

How does that apply online or in social media? Every tweet you make, every blog post you write, every video you record - it all adds up to showing the world who you are. And since content is easily discoverable by Google, the content you (or your company) produce needs to reflect what you want it to. For example, just the other day, I was told that I was the subject of someone's presentation, and they showed my Twitter feed up on a big screen. If I were careless about what I wrote, my stream might have been embarrassing. Luckily, that's not the case.

Since you never get a second chance to make a first impression, every single piece of copy, every minute of video, every utterance you make can become a decision point for someone. It may be a potential customer, a prospective employer, maybe even a family member. Make your actions count.

Have you run into a situation where you you either gave someone an impression you didn't intend to, or you discovered something about someone that made you think twice about them? I'd be interested in hearing from you.

Photo credit: iNafih

Oh, Mama!

2009-05-08T08:30:00.001-04:00

There's no question that so-called "mommy bloggers" are an interesting demographic. Recent statistics show that there are more than 36 million of them online, and they definitely wield influence in purchasing power. Which is why many companies think this community can be a key in their word of mouth efforts.

A few key facts:

Of the 36.2 million women actively participating in the blogosphere weekly as either publishers or readers, 46% -- or just over 16.5 million -- have children at home.
67% of moms online look for help making a purchasing decision.
Overall, full-time working moms use technology at the highest rates.
The cell phone is the technology used most often by moms to communicate with their kids, and 80% say it is the direct line to their child and babysitter.

But I think the notion that all mommy (or daddy) bloggers are the same is extremely shortsighted. They're just as diverse and different as any of us. And while it's tempting to think they do things in lock-step, there are many different niches and interests that can be explored - lifestyle, safety, green, frugality, parenting, sports and family issues are just a small set of the many segments you'll find.

And aside from the blogs, what are moms actually doing online? Here's a chart that breaks down the top 10 activities of moms online:

Looking at the points of transaction, it opens up an opportunity for conversation and engagement with moms on other sites & platforms as it relates to those activities. And let's not forget those cell phone statistics - busy moms are on the go and use their handheld devices more.

Image credit: Top 10 Online Activities for Moms (MarketingCharts.com)

Susan Boyle Knows Something You Don't

2009-04-18T09:30:00.004-04:00

Over the past week, the name Susan Boyle has been pegged at the top of the Trending Topics on Twitter. You can always tell when there's an item related to pop culture, current events or breaking news, because it rises to the top of Twitter's barometer of culture on http://search.twitter.com.

In this case, the name belonged to a woman who has ascended to the 15 minute throne because of a television show (in this case Britain's Got Talent), the immediacy of YouTube and an amazing talent. Rather than try to describe what's been happening, I'll let you see for yourself. Since embedding is disabled for this video you'll have to click through to see it.

When you come back, we'll talk about another equally as remarkable video.

Just about two years ago, a car phone salesman by the name of Paul Potts had a very similar story unfold on the same show. You can see that video by clicking here. I wrote about it in two posts: "Your Next Creative Genius May be Closer Than You Think" and "What I Learned From Paul Potts."

In both situations, we see something happen with the audience (and perhaps with ourselves) that seems to universally apply to human nature: there's initial skepticism, followed by awe. But ultimately, we want the underdog to win. Why? Perhaps because we can relate to a "regular" person and we like the idea of overcoming odds to be successful.

The lessons that I wrote up in the Paul Potts post also apply to Susan Boyle's situation:

Assumptions can limit your creative output
It's okay to take risks
Know your audience and connect with them on an emotional level
Exceed expectations
When we're constantly hit over the head with polished, branded, uber-cool ads, campaigns and come-ons, it's refreshing to see a down-to-earth, humble approach. It gets more attention.

But here's another thing that's going on. It's been just two years since Paul Potts made his first appearance, but the Susan Boyle phenomenon is being treated like an anomaly. How quickly we forget - the social media pundits and even the the show's judges seem to have forgotten Paul. The reality is we're overrun with the latest headlines, shockers, tragedies, personal issues and more, and things like this will always come and go. I still remember Paul, but mostly because I wrote about him before. I wonder how many others forgot?

Turning this to practical business advice (I wouldn't let you down!), do you think your company's product or service is that memorable? If a Paul Potts with 44 million views on YouTube doesn't even come to mind for the public and even the judges involved, what can you do that's going to stick with people?

Giving them a predictable, repeatable experience each time they use your product is one way - I'd say it's the price of entry. No amount of viral videos, marketing gimmicks or slick mailers are going to matter if you've got a shoddy product. But beyond what's expected, how are you exceeding expecatations, creating the "wow" factor, and still being on a level that they can identify with.

And that's the challenge, isn't it? Britain's got talent, but have you? If you don't, then go out and hire or partner with someone who does.

Maybe a Susan Boyle or a Paul Potts can help you.

Have You Got a Boss or a Leader?

2009-04-16T21:55:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I had the pleasure of collaborating with Alan Mulally, CEO of Ford Motor Company (my employer) on Twitter. He was so excited about the opportunity to connect directly with the public again (you may recall his first exchange on Twitter).

The thing that I was looking forward to the most was just seeing Alan in action. With our CEO, what you see is what you get - he's the real deal. He takes the time to listen to people and he responds thoughtfully and genuinely. He gets social media, whether or not he knows what blogs, Twitter, Facebook or Plurk are - he knows that it takes an investment of time and truly caring about customers to make it work. And to me, that's the critical difference between success and failure as a communicator.

I don't know how many Fortune 500 executives are like that, but I think it's a strategic asset at Ford to have an executive who can not only lead with laser-like focus and strategy, but who can inspire through simply being a decent human being. To me, it's the difference between being a boss and being a leader. And Alan exudes that. See what I mean in this short video of Alan:

Here's the transcript of what was said on the @Ford account for the 30 minutes that Alan was on. We answered 37 questions and we have about 40 more that Alan will respond to shortly. The hashtag we used for the day was #FordCEO and all of the tweets from Alan were signed ^Alan. As he states in one of the responses, Alan loves customers. I don't think anyone can doubt that.

irasocol: #FordCEO when will Sync work with all Blackberries?

ford: @irasocol SYNC works with most bluetooth devices. Scott says to check www.syncmyride.com for more info ^Alan #FordCEO

irasocol: #FordCEO, why not give the Ka to US Mercury dealers, and create buzz. Same car as the FIAT 500 which is supposed to 'save' Chrysler.

ford: @irasocol Re the Ka: we're trying to understand the U.S. market needs for it right now. It's a REALLY neat car! ^Alan #FordCEO

BradConley: @Ford What part will the Lincoln brand play in the resurgence of FMC?

ford: @BradConley Lincoln is a key luxury brand for us, we have a completely new family of Lincolns now. ^Alan #FordCEO

drivingsales: @Ford if GM & Chrysler get big UAW concessions through BK protection, how will that affect Ford's agreements? #FordCEO

ford: @drivingsales We continue to work with all of our stakeholders on our plan and we will not be distadvantaged. ^Alan #FordCEO

j_navarra: @Ford are there plans to replace the NA Focus line with the Euro Focus line, or the Fiesta replacing the NA Focus's place in the lineup?

ford: @j_navarra Yes. Over time, the products will come together around the world on our wonderful platforms. ^Alan #FordCEO

DRients: @Ford Alan, I would like to know what you think the strongest car/truck is in Ford's fleet? And Why? Thanks! #FordCEO

ford: @DRients Stong cars: the Ka, Fiesta, Focus, Fusion, Mustang and Taurus. ^Alan #FordCEO

ford: @DRients Strong utilities: Escape, Edge. Flex, Explorer & Expedition. ^Alan #FordCEO

ford: @DRients Strongest trucks/vans: Ranger, F-series, E-series and the NEW Transits ^Alan #FordCEO

ford: @DRients Oh yeah, one more: strongest new way cool van: Transit Connect Family One ^Alan #FordCEO http://bit.ly/IGXd

lombertop: @Ford what made u think so far ahead re. the obtaining of funds in case of an economic downturn?

ford: @lombertop We are so excited about our products, transformation - we wanted to ensure we had sufficient $ to complete it http://bit.ly/IGXd

lombertop: @Ford What do u think of the Fiesta Movement campaign so far?

ford: @lombertop "Moving" along really well. SO exciting & useful to gather customer input/feedback ^Alan #FordCEO

ford: @lombertop The Movement is the future for creating vehicles we all really want. ^Alan #FordCEO

radiomantodd: @Ford What role does a grassroots motorsports racer, such as a#SpecFocus team, have in building up a brand such as Ford? #FordCEO

ford: @radiomantodd "Race on Sunday, sell on Monday." Go Ford, go!! ^Alan#FordCEO

AtaruSVTF: @Ford If the Fiesta Movement is a success after it ends, is this the type of marketing you would consider doing again in the future?

ford: @AtaruSVTF RE Fiesta Movement - YES. More than marketing, we're creating our new products we all want together. ^Alan #FordCEO

azulejost: @Ford #FordCEO With the IIHS crash tests released yesterday, how confident are you that the Fiesta will outperform the Fit, Yaris, etc.?

ford: @azulejost That IS the plan. ^Alan #FordCEO

paul_db_weber: @Ford Is Econetic coming to US?

ford: @paul_dB_weber We're going to deliver the best fuel mileage forever. That's the plan. ^Alan #FordCEO

leeanthro: @Ford We are Ford family looking to replace Taurus wagon. We buy 1-2yo vehicles to save. What wld we gain buying NEW this summer? #FordCEO

ford: @Leeanthro Great design, better fuel efficiency and safety improvements...and great value ^Alan #FordCEO

povertyjetset: @Ford happy about Fiesta's fuel efficiency. More small cars from Ford in the works? #fiestamovement

ford: @povertyjetset Yes. Ford will provide a complete family of small, medium & large cars, utilities & trucks going forward. ^Alan #FordCEO

DaveBenjamin: @ford: #fordceo- Do you anticipate suppliers will survive much longer without substantial government financing? How does this effect Ford?

ford: @DaveBenjamin Yes. They'll continue to consolidate & align with successful companies. Like Ford. :-) ^Alan #FordCEO

byronpope: @ford Would a GM/Chrysler bankruptcy negatively impact Ford?

ford: @byronpope We are so pleased that customers are preferring Ford.(Hi, Bryon!) ^Alan #FordCEO

DonStugots: @Ford when can we expect a hybrid "edge" model? if not, then why? #FordCEO

ford: @DonStugots We're reviewing it now. ^Alan #FordCEO

azulejost: @Ford #FordCEO Mr. Mulally, congratulations on attaining 10% of Europe's market share last month! You're doing a great job.

ford: @azulejost Thank you! The customer decides, and we're SO pleased. ^Alan#FordCEO

Turbochacha: @Ford #FordCEO Is there any thought to bringing back iconic namplates like Thurderbird or Bronco since Taurus has been well received?

ford: @Turbochacha We continue to consider this, but our focus is consistency of purpose/continuous improvement with what we have. ^Alan #FordCEO

@Mooncricket: @Ford Alan where do you see Ford full size trucks in the next 5 years. Gas, hybrid, electric, power, same size or smaller?

ford: @Mooncricket Yes. ^Alan #FordCEO

DRients: @Ford..Alan, what are some of your talent acquisition and retention strategies in these tough times?

ford: @DRients Compelling vision for Ford, wonderful creative work, talented people working TOGETHER, making fabulous products ^Alan #FordCEO

ursch1311: @Ford Alan, you are doing an amazing job...can u give me hope for an ecoboost Fusion, and maybe how long I'll have to wait?

ford: @ursch1311 Yes. Soon. Such a neat drive with the additional torque at lower rpms. Yahoo!! ^Alan #FordCEO

joelandmandy: @Ford #FordCEO -- looking at the new Transit for our business. Could a 6' person stand up in the back?

ford: @joelandmandy Not quite. Scott showed me your video, btw - you rock! ^Alan #FordCEO

WirelessLife: @ford MS SYNC project is great. When does Ford plan on taking the next step in making the vehicle a connectivity hub? Media via mobile INET?

ford: @WirelessLife More capability in connectivity each year. Seamless connection, information will be ubiquitous as we drive Ford ^Alan #FordCEO

phenom1984: @Ford What are you driving these days?

ford: @phenom1984 I drive a different vehicle each day, including the competition. Last night = Ford Fusion hybrid 41 mpg ^Alan #FordCEO

mpgomatic: @Ford Any chance I could borrow a Fiesta ECOnetic to set a new 48-state fuel economy record for Guinness? #FordCEO

ford: @mpgomatic Need your help changing the regulations to make the dynamite new diesel to be more affordable ^Alan #FordCEO

mpgomatic: @Ford Sure thing, Alan! I can start by setting high MPG numbers on roundtrips to DC. :) 4/30 too early to start? #FordCEO

ford: @mpgomatic Go for it! Call me along the way. ^Alan #FordCEO

JamieGeek: @Ford any plans for a Hybrid truck (F150/F250/F350)?

ford: @JamieGeek EcoBoost is the next dramatic step in capability & fuel efficiency in our trucks. ^Alan #FordCEO

brittanitaylor: @Ford My family are Ford drivers, but to others who are not familiar with your brand,what would you like them to know about your company?

ford: @brittanitaylor Ford cares and has *great* choices. Please drive one, and feel the difference. ^Alan #FordCEO

raywert: @ford Alan, Ford Fiesta. Which comes stateside first, sedan or hatch?also, will mustang get ecoboost?

ford: @raywert We'll be announcing that soon (Fiesta). Can't get enough models around the world. ^Alan #FordCEO

BrentSnavely: @Ford Is Ford Advantage working? #FordCEO

ford: @BrentSnavely Yes! ^Alan #FordCEO

mlaspina: @ford #fordceo Thx for the oppty Alan. Do you expect to merge any current brands?

ford: @mlaspina No. We are laser-focused on our complete Ford family of vehicles. ^Alan #FordCEO

DaveMora: @Ford still has the "Fix Or Repair Daily" reputation. i 4 1 dont believe it but is Ford conscius about it and working on it on the PR front?

ford: @DaveMora Yes we are - the data says every new Ford vehicle is best in class worldwide. We have a great story to tell. ^Alan #FordCEO

mcritz : Why is @Ford producing the 2010 Fusion+Hybrid in Mexico?

ford: @mcritz We produce our vehicles all around the world. The vast majority of U.S. vehicles are made in the U.S. ^Alan #FordCEO

poptent: @Ford love that you guys are using Twitter for marketing + community - have you fallen in love with social media yet? #FordCEO

ford: @poptent We love customers, and can't get enough of 'em. ^Alan #FordCEO

Jeb_Hoge: @Ford Can enthusiasts expect SHO or RS versions of Focus, Fiesta, or Fusion?

ford: @Jeb_Hoge Yes. Over time. ^Alan #FordCEO

BRGT350: @ford Alan, I wanted to thank you for everything you have done for Ford. You are one of my hero's of American buisness.

ford: @BRGT350 Thank you. It is an *honor* to serve an American and global icon. ^Alan #FordCEO

Expect to see more of this kind of interaction from Alan and other executives at Ford. We believe that social media is an ongoing way of doing business rather than a marketing effort or ploy - it's not about one-way messaging or advertising. To us, social media is not a campaign, it's a commitment. And we're committed to listening.

Everyone's Got a Story

2009-04-04T08:30:00.002-04:00

What's your story?

If you stop to think about it, we live our lives as a series of tales. From the beginning of human existence, we have have developed the unique ability to be storytellers, whether it was through cave paintings, the oral tradition of Homer and other epic poets, or the latest episodes of Heroes. We convey our fears, joys, grief, thrills and more through recounting where we've been, what we've seen and how we envision the world. Why?

It's one of the most basic human needs after food, shelter and love - to be heard and to be understood, and ultimately to be able to relate to others.

Everyone's got a story.

Last fall, Ford ran a contest called Mustang Stories, where we encouraged people to submit their own stories about the iconic Ford Mustang in advance of the 2010 Mustang launch. In a photo and 250 words or less, they were encouraged to share their own unique experiences with this iconic brand. The winner, selected by the community by voting on the top 25 stories, would receive a trip to the L.A. Auto Show to see the reveal of the new car, and would walk away with the car as well.

Kory Chesher, who was at the time deployed in Iraq in the U.S. Army, submitted the winning essay and photo:

It started when I was about six years old. I was in the truck with my father and we were at a stoplight. Across the road at the other light was this "car." It drew my attention away from everything else in the world. I asked my dad what it was and he simply said, "Oh, that’s a Mustang." I remember it like it was yesterday. I now know that it was a 1968 black fastback. That was almost 20 years ago. 20 years of love, addiction, obsession. 20 years of longing and desire. Now I’m a soldier in the United States Army deployed to Iraq. I spend my spare time tearing through Mustang magazines that my family and total strangers are kind hearted enough to send to me. Every opportunity I get I’m online poring through forums and pictures; studying every little tidbit of knowledge I can get my hands on; meticulously memorizing seemingly insignificant trivia. Names, dates, specs, colors, paint codes, production numbers, costs, anything, everything. A Mustang of my own wouldn’t quell this life I live; it would supercharge it. The only thing greater than a life loving Mustangs is a life with a Mustang. With a Mustang to call my own I could finally experience the pride and freedom that I have only been watching from afar. It will ignite a passion like nothing I have ever experienced. Mustangs are my one true love. I am ready to go driving now.

Who wouldn't want to give that guy a car?

Just this evening, I was on Twitter, helping a woman with vehicle choices, and unprompted, she shared her own Mustang story:

Carissa_MomIF: @ford Uh oh, now you get a story, for anniversary, got a convertible mustang rental, drove to Park City, VERY COOL, and no room for kids!

I love it when people instantaneously share like that! We got into talking about test drives, so I did a return volley and gave her a link to one of my favorite test drive stories - in this case it was the winner of the film version of the Mustang contest that Ford ran through a partnership with Filmaka.

And there on Twitter, separated by about 2,500 miles, we admitted to each other that watching that video brought tears to our eyes. The magic of storytelling and sharing a unique view of the world brought two people closer together for a moment in time. She said that she was going to share the video with her husband; I'd imagine she'll tell others about the experience as well.

Now, the cynics out there will undoubtedly be asking, "Yeah, great. But did this help Ford sell a car?" Maybe. If she got the information she was looking for in the first place and it was backed up by a warm & fuzzy feeling of sharing a moment like that, then maybe it will contribute to the sales process.

But storytelling in and of itself is not about selling; it's about connecting. Connecting with people, whether briefly or repeatedly over time, to make them feel like their time was not wasted and that they mattered enough for you to make an effort on them. If you're effective, they'll want to return the favor. And then you'll have another story to tell.

Everyone's got a story. What's yours?

Photo credit: Ford Motor Company (Flickr)

Generational Marketing

2009-03-30T08:49:00.001-04:00

As I was shaving with a disposable razor this morning - not my usual razor - I began thinking about the power of generational marketing. One way of segmenting markets is by looking at the various generations: Matures (b. 1909-1945), Baby Boomers (1946-1964), Generation X (1965-1976) and Millennials/Gen Y (1977-1994). We're well aware that the Baby Boomers are the largest generation, followed by the Millennials, hence such the interest in both.

As I was using the disposable two-blade, I thought about my Gillette Mach3 Turbo razor and was reminded of how I got to use the Gillette brand in the first place. In the late 80s / early 90s, Gillette made an incredibly smart marketing move: they purchased the mailing list of the Selective Service. If you're not familiar with the Selective Service system, every male in the U.S. between the ages of 18 and 25 must register, in case there's the need for a military draft.

Gillette sent their new (at the time) razor, the Sensor, to every registrant. For reference, Gillette makes more money on their blades than they do on the razor mechanism itself - it's similar to the computer printer model, in which printers are priced affordably and the cartridges are expensive. Each and every young male that registered got a free razor and set of blades from Gillette, essentially giving them the opportunity to be Gillette customers for life. I don't know what the long-term adoption rate for Gillette was, but I can guarantee you that it got more men thinking about their products than just advertising would have done.

But it got me to thinking more broadly: how many opportunities are there for marketers to really affect an entire generation? It seems like a tall order in this minute-by-minute attention-starved generation. But if it's something as simple as what Gillette did, such an experience has the potential to stick - especially since word of mouth (online and offline) can help such efforts grow.

Are there other campaigns that you know of that have affected entire generations that way? Or are there opportunities that you foresee for current brands to have this kind of impact? Drop me a comment and let's discuss it.

Photo credit: Brian Warren (Flickr)

Social Network Shorthand

2009-03-24T09:31:00.004-04:00

Have you ever needed a quick analogy in a business or social situation that helps you explain what a social network concept is? I know I have - many times.

One of the most common questions I get is "What's Twitter?" And I've witnessed many experienced people explaining Twitter in more than a few sentences. I know, it's ironic that it's difficult to explain it in fewer than 140 characters. One of my descriptions is: "it's like group IM, a water cooler and market research, wrapped up in one."

But beyond that, when people begin comparing social networks - or more importantly, questioning the use of each - how can you discern them in a way that people can undertand quickly and easily? This is especially important, given that Facebook is becoming more Twitter-like.

While it's possible to have a profile on many sites, I concentrate my efforts on the triumverate of social networks - Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. In order to help you understand how I interact on each, I previously published a posted called How I Think About My Social Networks.

Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn in <140
Here's the best way I've been able to describe the difference in each platform and how I use them:

LinkedIn is the business meeting; Facebook is the hallway conversation; Twitter is the cocktail party.

For me, LinkedIn is my most professional of networks, where I have my work experience and connect with other people on a professional level. On Facebook, it's more of the interaction between meetings, where we're free to share information on a professional and personal level. And on Twitter, it's a free-for-all.

One interesting observation, though: increasingly, these sites are becoming more similar to one another. LinkedIn has applications and groups (Facebook, anyone?) and Facebook now has an interface that asks "What's on your mind?" (Twitter, anyone?). It will be interesting to see how they continue to differentiate themselves.

Do you have a better description of social networks? Are there any trends that you're noticing? Drop a note in the comment section and let's see the magic happen.

Photo credit: saschaaa

Advertising to Gen Y on Social Networks

2009-03-05T18:03:00.000-05:00

The other day, I remarked that Ford is "not interested in advertising on social networks. We're interested in getting in there and interacting with people." Here's why:

The Good News

The Bad News

So once again we hear that advertising on social networks is not effective when you're trying to reach Millennials. This is according to the Participatory Marketing Network, Pace University's Lubin School of Business' Interactive and Direct Marketing Lab, and IDC (Source: MarketingCharts.com).

Not a big surprise.

The Important Stuff

Here's where it gets interesting. Wanna know what Millennials do care about on social networks? (Of course you do - that's why you're here.)

Getting news or product updates (67%)
Having access to promotions (64%)
Viewing or downloading music or videos (41%)
Submitting opinions (36%)
Connecting with other consumers (33%)

There's an opportunity here for you, marketers. If you want to make a splash on a social network where your customers are, make it worth their while. Give people updates about your products - perhaps information that they can't get elsewhere, or make it the first place you place the updates. Give them an offer that can only be gotten from the social network.

In other words, provide value and be contextually relevant to why they're there in the first place. Don't interrupt them with your ads and expect results.

The Business of Social Media

2009-02-17T08:05:00.000-05:00

Lately, I've been lucky enough to have Ford's social media efforts covered in places like BusinessWeek's Innovators series and on a webinar by Powered, featuring Christopher Barger (my equivalent at GM) and Sylvia Marino from Edmunds.com.

But yesterday, I had the opportunity to appear on Fox Business News with Liz Claman and David Asman to discuss Ford's approach to social media. I was also joined by Michael Howard, COO of KiwiBox.com:

They asked me about Alan Mulally's foray into Twitter, and ultimately the question moves toward monetization. They wanted to know how Ford is advertising on social networks. My response (which of course was more about our communications efforts):

"We're not interested in advertising on social networks; we're interested in getting in there and interacting with people."

And there's the very core of our social media goals at Ford - to humanize the brand by having real people interacting in communities online.

How does that sit with you? What level of interaction (if any) do you prefer to see from brands in the social networks?

Leading by Example

2009-02-09T23:47:00.005-05:00

I often tell people that one of the reasons I came to work for Ford is that I could see that the senior leadership really "gets" social media.

Not to the extent that I expected them to know what Twitter was or how to write a blog post, or anything related to the geek-speak we're all accustomed to. But rather that culturally, they were already there. (Aside: you may recall that I actually had Ford's CEO answer questions on Twitter)

Prime example: I was told that when Alan Mulally became CEO, he declined having someone assigned to him to respond to all of his email, instead preferring to do so himself. And his proclivity for sending personal notes to employees and even customers backed that up.

So imagine my delight last week when a couple of unrelated items surfaced on the web

First was a pretty widely-publicized event that took place last month, where Alan personally called a customer to thank him for buying a Ford Fusion hybrid over the Prius Hybrid:

Even though the Fusion hybrid was called "the best gas-electric hybrid yet" by USA Today, it still sends a message to have this level of personal touch.

The other was something that I helped orchestrate, but wasn't sure when it would happen. Craig Daitch expressed a "man-crush" on Alan Mulally, and I relayed that to Alan. He responded thusly:

Yes, these are gestures to two individuals by an otherwise very busy man. But it matters. Even though Alan can't possibly thank every customer or send an autographed photo to every admirer, it's the spirit of the interaction that demonstrates an interest in connecting with people.

Coming down from the ivory tower every once in a while and interacting with your customers is an important aspect of any business. It's so important not to lose touch with the people that actually touch and use your products, to hear what they have to tell you and to be open about receiving feedback.

It's a constant challenge to do that on a large scale, but the individual points of input cannot be discounted, for it is these people who will be so moved and so affected that they tell everyone they know about it (or call a television station or make a YouTube video about it).

Social media evangelism needs to happen everywhere at a large organization - from the bottom up and the top down. That's the only way it has a chance to take root.

Photo credit: patries71

Creo Que Si

2009-01-29T00:25:00.004-05:00

Social networks in Latin America are pretty strong. Here's a chart from a recent comScore report that looks at the penetration rate of social networking sites and their relative growth over the last year.

In case you can't make out the fine print, the overall penetration rate of social networks in Latin America is a whopping 87.2%. This is for ages 15 and up, at home and at work, not including mobile access and Internet cafes.

I would argue, that based in high mobile phone usage in these countries, the percentage of social network users would be even higher.

Oh, and the most common social networks in Latin America? MySpace, Facebook, Hi5, Orkut and Sonico, according to comScore.

Tactically Speaking

2009-01-09T09:54:00.004-05:00

While I like to spend a lot of time reinforcing the importance of strategy, at some point, it gets down to tactics. In other words, how are you actually going to put those great ideas to work?

A recent headline from eMarketer trumpeted Marketers Eye Online Video in 2009. While that shouldn't be a surprise (I think we can all agree that this particular visual medium is advancing and will be a more important part of our ADD-affected lives on a regular basis), as usual, it's some of the associated details that interest me.

As you can see, video gets the attention of about two-thirds of marketers. Pretty significant. But more than 4 out of 10 are also eyeing social media. Not bad for a niche channel that seemed to be fighting for attention over the past couple of years.

I'm happy to see that podcasts are part of more mainstream thinking, and that marketers haven't forgotten about that bellweather, search. I'd be interested to see what the plans are with a tried-but-true methodology: email marketing.

Have you got any unusual - or perhaps even back-to-basics - plans for 2009? I'd love to hear about them.

Photo credit: dbking

Social Media for the Entrepreneur

2009-01-06T19:18:00.005-05:00

I recently received an email from someone asking me, " I'm starting a company and I'm interested in how I can use social media to get people to my site and my blog."

It's a fair question, and one that is probably on many people's minds. I'm not an entrepreneur, nor do I know if I could ever be one. (That's probably why I'm at a corporate job). A few people - much more qualified than I to speak on this subject - have addressed this issue. You might take a look at what they had to say:

Social Media Starter Moves for the Entrepreneur [chrisbrogan.com]
Execute on Being You [garyvaynerchuk.com]
Social Media and the Tech Entrepreneur [alanwolk.com]
If I Started Today [chrisbrogan.com again - boy, this guy's good!]

I'm not sure what I can add, but here's my email response. Rather than being list of tools, resources or prescribed tactics, I took more of a behavioral approach.

First off, I wouldn't be concerned about getting people to your site/blog. Social media isn't about getting traffic, it's about building relationships.

What are you doing out there? What social networks are you involved in? What blogs do you read? Interact with people, leave comments, be helpful by providing tips or links. Overall, spend 2-3X more reading & commenting on other people's stuff than you do writing your own. Over time, this will get people naturally interested in what you have to say.

Social media is a karmic business, and you have to give in order to receive. Share you knowledge and information freely. Create an ebook with valuable tips and give it away on your blog or site. Go out of your way to connect people and to show you're willing to give something before you get something.

I'm sure there are many more suggestions that you have, as a smart social media practitioner, student or professional. What are they?

Photo credit: forimpact

What's In It for YOU?

2009-01-02T08:49:00.001-05:00

When the one year turns into the next, it's human nature to become reflective. Rather than do a best-of post or look at what I've written, I thought I'd turn this post over to you.

I'll admit that this is not a totally original idea. My friends and social media colleagues Todd Defren and Jake McKee have both done so as well.

It Is All About You
Essentially what I'd like to know is this: what would you like to see me write about in 2009?

Would you like me to write more about blogging techniques? Or tips for using Twitter? Or maybe developments in Facebook? News, information, statistics, and studies from the marketing and social media industry? I know I've spent a lot of time writing about Ford lately, but would you like to see more case studies from my work?

Maybe I'm missing the boat completely. But I'd like your input, either in the comments section, through an email, or Twitter. Let me know what kind of information you'd find most helpful.

If you don't already do so, please consider subscribing to this blog. It's free, painless, and calorie-free for all of your 2009 resolutions.

Photo credit: Karthik Sudhir [Aperture K]

Why Video Will Be So Important in 2009

2008-12-30T18:05:00.006-05:00

One of the principles that Web 2.0 affords us all is that, thanks to the ease of self-publishing, we can create content in pretty much any form we want. And if you don't know exactly how your customers like to consume information, I'd argue that you should make every version available.

This became pretty clear to me today, when we made an announcement at Ford that we're launching a new feature in the Lincoln MKS called Active Park Assist - which means you can parallel park hands-free. Sounds cool.

We launched a traditional press release along with a social media press release. There were mainstream online articles about it which got some pickup, including Engadget, the Wall Street Journal, and Yahoo. And the reaction was mostly people passing along the headlines on Twitter.

But it wasn't until we launched the video that we had that "a-ha" moment. People saw the technology in action and immediately understood what the text-based pieces and the image above were trying to convey.

In this case, we had a story that was more easily understood by observing how technology worked firsthand. When you couple an image-intensive story with an audience's need for quick information, video is a great solution.

So when it's time to make your own announcement, launch a campaign, or build awareness, you should ask yourself: what's the most effective way of telling your story?

Photo credit: Ford Motor Company

Case Study: Social Media for Crisis Communications

2008-12-22T23:27:00.004-05:00

A couple of weeks ago on the heels of Ford's appearance before some Congressional committees, I had to deal with a major firestorm online.

In short, the issue was that there was a Ford fansite called TheRangerStation.com that received a cease & desist letter from Ford, and the owner posted that Ford was asking for $5,000 and the URL to be turned over. It turns out there was much more to the story. The owner was selling counterfeit Ford goods, and together, we reached a reasonable solution to the situation.

Ron Ploof, a B-to-B social media consultant, has created a completely masterful case study of what happened here. I'll leave it to him to set it up, tell the story, and draw out the lessons, here in this Scribd document.

Feel free to embed it, share it, rate it, etc.

The Ranger Station Fire

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Marketing Business communications twitter

In the end, it's created a point of conversation for us internally (and externally, I might add). I've committed to creating a more fluid conversation between Ford's Communications area and Office of General Counsel, so we don't run into these surprise situations again. We'll still need to protect the brand and our licensees, but if we can work with enthusiast sites, we'll be in a much better place.

Related links:
Interview on For Immediate Release
Real-time review of the day's events on Voltage Blog
Left the Box's assessment

What are your thoughts? Would you have done anything differently?

Photo credit: Woman of Scorn

As If You Really Wondered...

2008-12-22T07:27:00.003-05:00

If there's one thing I'm not a fan of in the social web, it's the peer pressure surrounding memes. On the one hand, it's a forced post that I'd rather not write; then again, if I don't write it, I feel like I'm letting a friend down.

In this case, that friend was Aaron Strout, a social media and marketing colleague from back in Boston. Aaron has recently relocated to Austin (joining a number of other Boston illuminati) and is heading up marketing for Powered. And he told us seven things we may not know about him and challenged others.

So, here are the seven things you may not know about me (keep in mind I've done this a couple of times before). That means if you do your research, you'll know 23 things about me.

I worked as a writer for the Department of Veterans Affairs during the Clinton healthcare reform proposal era. The thought was that the VA would need to compete with the Johns Hopkins and Mass Generals of the world, so they needed their own reform project. Industry and government leaders met and our group wrote the plan. I also wrote for another project Meeting the Challenge: A Research Agenda for Health, Safety and Food for America. I later went on to become a speechwriter for the Director of Medical Research.

Speaking of medical research, I hold a Master's in Medical Science from Boston University School of Medicine and an M.B.A. with an concentration in healthcare management from Boston University Graduate School of Management.

I was an altar boy for 10 years, serving under Father Ted, a very old-school priest. He was a no-nonsense guy and he expected things to be orderly. I kind of cringe every time I seen an altar server wearing sneakers at mass - Fr. Ted would have excommunicated them.

When I participate in karaoke, to disguise my inability to perform current hits, I typically choose older songs and impersonate the singers. My favorite - it's a tie betweetn "To All the Girls I've Loved Before" as a duet between Willie Nelson & Julio Iglesias and "What A Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong.

Before I joined Ford, I had only driven one American car - and a GM one at that. When I was in high school, I inherited a Vette. No, it's not what you're thinking. It was a Chevette.

If you told me that I could only have a single kind of candy for the rest of my life, it would be Peanut M&M's. And yes, I'm old enough to remember when light brown was a color of regular M&M's.

I won't be doing another one of these memes for at least another year.

Now, in keeping with the rules of the game, I nominate these seven unsuspecting souls. These are all people whom I've met or interacted with for the first time throughout the course of 2008. It's my goal to break out of the echo chamber a bit and extend your reading, if you're not already aware of them:
Amber Naslund
Justin Levy
Samir Belwani
Bob Knorpp
David Alston
Matt McDonald
Shannon Paul

Photo credit: sheeshoo

Ford's CEO Takes to Twitter

2008-12-16T16:06:00.005-05:00

I was at a preview event that Ford was holding for media prior to the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), when in strolled our CEO, Alan Mulally. He was immediately swarmed by journalists, who formed the traditional scrum.

When they dispersed, I got his attention and asked if he wanted to take some questions on Twitter. "What's Twitter?" he asked. Fair question. When I explained it to him briefly (and what I had been doing on Twitter recently), he was all for it.

[I've said before and I'll say it again: Alan Mulally is a down-to-earth, affable and smart guy who's interested in new technology and passionate about Ford. I'm proud to be working for him.]

Here's a sampling of questions & answers from the exchange. Mind you, I was thumbing away on my Blackberry as Alan spoke.

ScottMonty Any questions for Alan Mulally? about 3 hours ago from TwitterBerry

TWalk @ScottMonty Q. for Mulally: In hindsight, wd he have changed Ford's strategy in 2007/08 if he'd known we'd be in recession by now? about 3 hours ago from twhirl in reply to ScottMonty

ScottMonty @TWalk No. Matter of fact, we've accelerated the strategy with the safest most fuel-efficient vehicles ever. - Alan Mulally about 3 hours ago from TwitterBerry in reply to TWalk

asheen @ScottMonty what is Mullaly's commitment to sustainability, both personal and professional? about 3 hours ago from twitterrific in reply to ScottMonty

ScottMonty @asheen I've spent my entire career focused on safe & efficient transport; sutainability is the future. The future is now. -Alan Mulally about 3 hours ago from TwitterBerry in reply to asheen

tdhurst @ScottMonty yeah, what does it feel like to be LEADING the industry rather than sticking with the status quo? about 3 hours ago from twhirl in reply to ScottMonty

ScottMonty @tdhurst Exhilirating. Ford rocks! - Alan Mulally about 3 hours ago from TwitterBerry in reply to tdhurst

idamaster @ScottMonty What's Alan currently driving? about 3 hours ago from web in reply to ScottMonty

ScottMonty Alan just zipped away for some TV interviews. I'll see if I can grab him again. Thanks for the questions. about 3 hours ago from TwitterBerry

ScottMonty @idamaster Alan makes it a point to drive a diff vehicle every day - including the competition - b/c it's impt to understand cust's view about 3 hours ago from TwitterBerry in reply to idamaster

mcritz @ScottMonty Is Ford’s decision not to ask for bailout money up-front based in part on a desire to not conform to Congress’s stipulations.... about 3 hours ago from web in reply to ScottMonty

ScottMonty @mcritz No, it's based on our good plan to tranform Ford and our sufficient liquidity. - Alan Mulally about 3 hours ago from TwitterBerry in reply to mcritz

ScottMonty That closes this Q&A session with Ford CEO Alan Mulally. We may try this again some time. about 3 hours ago from TwitterBerry

Not bad for a first-timer. He was pretty succinct, too. What do you think? Is this an interesting way to connect directly to a Fortune 100 CEO?

Photo credit: Ford Motor Company