I admit that as a fan of the Minnesota Vikings I wasn’t very excited about the Super Bowl game this year. However, as a fan of social media marketing, I was excited about the commercials. As the game started, I decided to stay away from the social media sites, and instead started a spreadsheet so I could take notes as I watched the commercials.

What I Expected

Prior to the game, I was anticipating the Super Bowl ads to be heavy on hashtags and promotion of the Twitter and Facebook pages of the advertisers. Articles like this one on CanadianBusiness.com - Super Bowl advertising will be heavy on hashtags - had me giddy with excitement prior to the appearance of the first ad.

Unfortunately, although I was happy with the outcome of the game, I was disappointed with the poor implementation of social in the ads.

The Results

By my count, I saw 89 ads between the start and finish of the game, and only six of them included hashtags. Things got off to a good start, as the first two ads from Bud Light Platinum and Audi both included hashtags (#MakeItPlatinum and #SoLongVampires).

The next few ads didn’t include any hashtags or any mentions of Facebook or Twitter, but all hope was not lost. Through the first eight ads, I saw four hashtags, including a second use of #MakeItPlatinum for Bud Light Platinum, and #BetterWay in the Best Buy ad. Up to that point, there still wasn’t any inclusion of a Facebook or Twitter logo or URL, but I was happy with the fact that 50% of the ads had hashtags.

Unfortunately, it was all downhill from there. After getting off to a quick start, I didn’t see any more hashtags until #WhatWorks was incorporated into ad #20 from GE, and the first mention of a Facebook page came at the end of ad #24 for Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax – http://facebook.com/TheLoraxMovie. The sixth and final hashtag was #BeckhamForHM, which was shown in the 27th ad for H&M’s Beckham Bodywear.

By my final count, there were 89 ads shown, and only 14 of them included social media elements – a disappointing 15%.

Shazam

The surprise of the Super Bowl commercials for me was the incorporation of the mobile music-tagging app Shazam. I saw the Shazam logo in six different ads. The intent was for viewers to fire up the Shazam app on their mobile phones in order to recognize the audio in the ad, which took them to giveaways and other additional content.

Unfortunately, there were no clear instructions for viewers, and with many ads running only 30 seconds, I’m not sure how it was possible to see the logo, pull our your mobile phone, start the app, and tag the audio in time to get the link. I’m sure it worked for those who were prepared, but I wasn’t, so I was not able to test it.

What Does it Mean?

How can you use this information? I think the lesson learned is that most of the Super Bowl advertisers failed to take advantage of a huge opportunity. By excluding hashtags from their ads, they:

1. didn’t account for the desire of social media savvy viewers to discuss their ads with the convenience of a hashtag, which would have allowed them to easily view all of the tweets from other viewers about the ads
2. made it more difficult to track the mentions of their ads for reporting out to their stakeholders

Of course, social media savvy viewers are also very crafty. Following the M&Ms ad, twitter users took it upon themselves to create a hashtag to include in their discussion of the ad. Check out #SoItsThatKindOfParty to see what they’ve been saying. In this case, it worked out for M&Ms, but it could have been a disaster if users were offended by the ad and started tweeting something like #NakedCandyFail.

According to my calculations, almost 60% of the commercials included a link to the company website or a microsite. I understand the desire for traffic to your company’s website, but this is 2012, and people want to talk about your ad and your product during and following the big game. I’m very surprised that there were only 8 ads that displayed a Facebook and/or Twitter URL or logo, encouraging viewers to engage with the brand and continue the conversation online.

Regarding Shazam, although it was a good idea, it’s important to educate the viewers regarding the fact that the Shazam logo is a call-to-action. This may have been done in the days and weeks leading up to the Super Bowl, but if so, it wasn’t done well, because I had no idea it was even happening until after the game when I saw tweets about it.

What do you think?

Did the Super Bowl advertisers miss a huge opportunity to engage with their viewers? Please discuss in the comments below.

Image by stephen_d_luke

Related posts:

1. Social Media and Marketing Don’t Mix
2. Social Media, Photography and Everything Else

I was able to find three local Ford dealerships on Twitter – @KayserFord, @MiddletonFord and @CapitolFordKia (which has since been sold). I expected one of them to earn my business, but only if they chose not to sit around the dealership on a Friday afternoon waiting for me to walk through the door. As Chris Brogan said in his article titled Buy a Car Off the Internet?

“The people who LISTEN for business beat the people waiting around for business to find them.”

Two replies

Several hours after the initial tweet, I received two Twitter replies. The first was a direct message from Middleton Ford. It didn’t contain a contact name, email address, or any other information that would help me continue the conversation, so I replied via DM asking for the name and email address of the sender.

Replying to me via DM was a mistake on the part of the salesperson at Middleton Ford. It did nothing to show that they are responsive and engaging on Twitter. I was the only one who saw their reply. To the rest of the world, it looked like they were ignoring me.

The other reply came from @MikeRobards, tweeting from his personal account on behalf of @UptownMotors.

This one caught my attention

I have to admit I wasn’t very excited at first about dealing with a dealership in Milwaukee. It’s an hour away from Madison, and I really preferred to give my business to a local dealership. I’m also not a huge fan of the reply coming from Mike’s personal account rather than the dealer’s account. Much like the DM from Middleton Ford, it looks to the rest of the world like Uptown Motors isn’t responsive or engaging on Twitter.

I liked what Mike had to say, though, and really liked having a name and a face to associate with his very well written @reply. I replied publicly, telling him I’d be in touch, and I started putting together my wish list for the vehicle I wanted. I also posted the following:

I sent a DM to @MikeRobards requesting his email addresses, because it would be impossible to communicate my needs 140 characters at a time. My hope at this point was to communicate privately with Mike via email. Later that night, I emailed both Mike Robards at Uptown Motors and the salesman at Middleton Ford with my list of specs.

Day Two

The next morning (Saturday) before 10 am, I received an email reply from Mike at Uptown Motors, and we were off to the races. We exchanged 10 emails (5 each) that day, all of which were sent from and read on my Blackberry while I sat in a lawn chair at my daughter’s softball tournament. By 3:30 pm we had reached an agreement on a price for a 2012 Ford Explorer Limited.

Mike was well aware of my preference to do the entire deal without talking on the phone or visiting the dealership, so he agreed to give me a preliminary appraisal of my trade based on photos I would provide by email.

When I asked Mike how he found my original tweet, he said he found it by searching on TweetDeck for the keyword ‘Explorer’. He explained that he tries to “listen for opportunities”. He also admitted that he probably got a little lucky as well!

Sometimes you make your own luck

While I was negotiating via email with Mike all day on Saturday, I got the first email from the salesman at Middleton Ford at 12:30 pm . All it said was

“I have a full plate today. First thing Monday I’ll have all the pricing for you. Have a good weekend.”

Oops. I hope he had the sale of a 2012 Ford Explorer Limited on his full plate that day, because his response guaranteed he wasn’t going to get my business.

It gets better

On Monday morning (three days after my initial tweet) I finally heard from @KayserFord for the first time. Here’s what the salesman at Kayser Ford had to say, and my response:

Also on Monday I received an email from someone at Middleton Ford. The salesman had her send me a scanned document for a 2012 Explorer Limited with my required specs and a price written on it. Mike Robards from Uptown Motors had probably asked me at least 20 questions during our email exchange two days earlier, and this salesman just scribbled a price on a vehicle invoice and had someone else scan it and email it to me. Still too busy to put any effort into selling me a car, and probably upset that I wouldn’t do business his way by coming into the dealership for a test drive.

Trade-in

Five days after reaching an agreed price on the 2012 Explorer, I provided Mike at Uptown Motors with a link to an online gallery containing 71 photos of my trade-in. After a little negotiation, we reached an agreement on the trade value exactly one week after agreeing on the price of the Explorer. All that was left to do was to place the order for my new Explorer.

Done deal!

Two weeks to the day after my initial tweet, I scanned a signed contract and credit apps and emailed them to Mike. I also left him a voice mail message with my credit card information for the down payment. They ordered the vehicle, and I took delivery 7 weeks later. That was my first visit to Uptown Motors, and my first time actually talking to Mike Robards and meeting him in person.

Highly recommended

If you’re somewhere within a reasonable driving distance of Madison or Milwaukee, WI, Mike Robards and the crew at Uptown Motors in Milwaukee get my highest recommendation. Believe it or not, this was Mike’s first sale, and I’m pretty sure both he and the dealership learned a lot about the potential for selling cars just by paying attention, listening and engaging on social media channels, and by demonstrating a willingness to accomodate customers like me who don’t want to buy the way they might prefer to sell.

Here’s how you can reach Mike Robards

Twitter: @MikeRobards
Work phone: 414-771-9000  Ext. 103

Here’s where you can find Uptown Motors

Web: http://uptownmotors.com
Twitter: @UptownMotors
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Uptown-Motors/215207364816

Any questions? I’d be happy to answer them. Just post in the comments below.

Related posts:

1. I’m Buying a 2011 Ford Explorer in Madison, WI. Who Wants my Business?
2. Help! Please Share Your Input on Auto Dealer Advertising Assessments
3. What’s Your Top Twitter Tip?

Here’s how “Missy” describes herself on Facebook:

I am a stay at home MWAC (Mom with a Camera) to two adorable children! I decided to become a professional photographer while my kids are at school and found it much easier than I thought it would be. I’m out to spread the word that being a Professional Photographer is A LOT easier than most people think!

She has a similar description on her YouTube channel:

I am a stay at home “Mom With A Camera: MWAC” who made the decision overnight to become a Professional Photographer. After 3 years, I’ve decided it’s time to give back and show that it’s a lot easier to be a Professional Photographer than most people think.

She’s been anonymously publishing YouTube videos at a rate of one every two days. Most people haven’t been fooled by her satire and understand that she’s just a professional photographer and an amateur actress playing a role with the purpose of entertaining like-minded professionals.

The big debate is whether her videos are funny or just downright mean.

I’m siding with those who say the videos are mean. Once again, we have an experienced professional photographer who is judging and teasing “moms with a camera,” which is just a crude generalization for inexperienced professionals.

In her first four YouTube videos, she makes fun of MWACs regarding their knowledge of the following:

• camera settings
• posing families
• terminology
• accessories
• wardrobe
• prints vs. CDs
• print labs
• monitor calibration

Here’s her first video, which gives a good overview of what she’s doing and her attitude toward inexperienced photographers.

Can’t see the video? CLICK HERE 

In my opinion, she’s nothing more than a cyber bully.

One form of cyberbullying includes creating websites, videos or social media profiles that embarrass, humiliate, or make fun of others, and that’s exactly what she’s doing. In addition, she’s hiding behind her anonymity, as nobody has been able to identify who she is yet.

She obviously has issues with photographers who don’t live up to her standard of what she thinks a professional should be. What she doesn’t seem to realize is how unprofessionally she’s behaving by posting hurtful messages on YouTube and Facebook in the name of humor.

Do you think “Missy” should be ashamed of herself, or am I over-reacting? How would you feel about your doctor, lawyer or dentist if they engaged in behavior like hers?

Please share your feedback in the comments below.

Edited to add: It has always been my policy to reply to every comment and not to moderate which comments get posted. I am breaking my own rules with this post, and here’s why:

If you choose to be a troll and attack me personally on my own blog while hiding behind an anonymous email address, then you are not welcome to post here.

For example, one anonymous poster accused me of the following regarding the local photography community: stalking them, spreading rumors about them, speaking negatively about them in public and on the internet, and bullying them. Those kinds of accusations just won’t be tolerated here. If you want to be a troll, go do it somewhere else.

I post on this blog under my own name and have nothing to hide. If you can’t afford the same respect for me and the other readers of this blog, then your posts will not be approved.

Add something to the conversation or you’ll be wasting your time by typing into the comment box.

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I don’t care!

Klout is dead to me.

After Klout’s announcement yesterday about A More Accurate, Transparent Klout Score, it should be dead to you too.

First, how can anyone take their score seriously when Klout measures influence based on sites like Foursquare, Instagram and LastFM? Second,

People don’t love Klout. They love their Klout scores.

Reducing the scores of thousands of loyal users because of an algorithm change is about as intelligent as Netflix announcing they were changing their prices and separating their DVD and streaming services. Look what happened to them.

What’s next? What if the credit scoring services decide to change their algorithm tomorrow, and your good credit goes bad overnight?

As they say, the train has left the station and the damage is done. Some may say it doesn’t matter because Klout scores are free, but don’t forget, Klout is also screwing their corporate partners who have spent a great deal of time and money promoting their Klout Perks.

I wonder how those paying corporate customers feel now, knowing they rewarded influencers whose scores wouldn’t make the cut today, after the implementation of the “more accurate, transparent Klout scores”?

Edited on 10/31/11 to add: My friend Jure Klepic (@jkcallas on Twitter) posted How to Get Your Profile and Data Completely Disconnected from Klout today, which you’ll find very helpful if you’d like to ”disable” your Klout profile from public visibility.

Related posts:

1. 5 Reasons Why Klout is Total BS
2. Klout Gets PWN3D by Empire Avenue

Joe has done it again!

On a recent visit, I noted the presence of six posters just like this one scattered throughout the restaurant:

(Click image to view full size.)

Curious

I was curious, so I scanned the code with my smartphone. Go ahead. Try it now if you must, but don’yell at me for posting a QR code on a web page when I could have used a hyperlink instead, because here’s where the code took me ——> http://bombersmadison4glte.com. Check it out now, because it’s important to the rest of the story.

Confused

Ok, I’ll admit it. I was initially confused. Why was I required to scan a QR code with my smartphone in order to get the password for their WiFi hotspot, which I wanted to access with my laptop? Wouldn’t it be easier just to give me the password on request? Better yet, why not put it on the menu? Or to maintain the exclusivity of the password a little, how about handing every laptop or tablet user a business card with the WiFi password on it?

Fortunately, Joe doesn’t limit his passion for educating others to his Tuesday afternoon Kitchen Table Talks with Chris Brogan, so I asked him these questions. First, he explained that the idea behind this QR code was to expose more of his customers to QR codes in general by incentivizing them with a great high speed perk.

Inconvenient?

That was an angle I hadn’t considered. Since Joe shuns traditional advertising and marketing in favor of a very active social media presence to build awareness and loyalty for AJ Bombers, he also feels an obligation when moving into a new market to educate his customers and prospects about the tools of his trade. My gut told me this QR code was inconvenient for customers, but Joe set me straight.

In exchange for the minor inconvenience of educating those customers who are unfamiliar with QR codes, all AJ Bombers customers are provided with the fastest WiFi speeds in the Madison area. Joe formed a partnership with Verizon Wireless in order to provide his customers with 15 MiFi hot spots, all with 4G LTE speed. Here’s what that kind of speed looks like on a connected device:

Paying the Marketing Department

It doesn’t end there, though. Every customer of AJ Bombers is a a part of their marketing department, and free high speed WiFi is a small part of their salary. If you scanned the QR code in the image above or clicked the link, you found a very slick landing page created by Core Creative in Milwaukee, WI. This page not only provides the WiFi password, but also prompts social sharing via Twitter and Facebook.

I played along, and here’s what was pre-filled in my tweet:

I found the Verizon Wireless #4GLTE mobile hotspot @AJBombersMSN. http://t.co/ywXEoyY6

October 2, 2011 6:23 pm via VisibliReplyRetweetFavorite

@CollinKromke

Collin Kromke

The Facebook share is even more clever, especially if you’re a fan of the “I’m On A Boat” skit from SNL:

Who needs paid advertising when you have loyal customers who are willing to do it for you in exchange for great food (peanut butter hollandaise anyone FTW!), great hospitality, a fun experience, and WiFi speeds that are faster than 96% of the US?

Related posts:

1. QR Code Done Right at @AJBombersMSN – AJ Bombers Madison
2. Social Media and Marketing Don’t Mix
3. Free Cheesecake on your Fake Birthday

#1: Share quality content

If you post and share interesting, engaging, and quality content, you’ll keep the followers you have, they’ll share it with their friends, and those friends may also become fans. What is quality content? Everything you post should be entertaining and/or informative, and should compel your fans to either post a comment or click like. These interactions by your fans will contribute to a higher EdgeRank, which will improve the visibility of your posts in their news feeds.

#2: Put a link in your email signature

You send emails to customers and prospects every day. Put a call to action such as Like Us on Facebook in your default email signature, and turn it into a hyperlink that goes directly to your page. This simple addition to your email signature will help build awareness that you have a Facebook page and will bring new fans to your page.

#3: Email your customer database

Email your customer database, announcing that you are on Facebook and asking them to like your page. Most customers who have an email address probably have a Facebook profile too. They should ALL be fans of your page! Don’t over-do it, though. One request is enough, because if you ask too often, you risk annoying them and having your emails reported as spam.

#4: Tell EVERYONE you are on Facebook

This is effective for contacts you make in-person and by telephone. Ask if they are on Facebook, and if so, ask them to like your page. Don’t forget to tell them how to find you on Facebook. Your page name should be unique enough that it is easy to find through Facebook or Google search.

#5: Claim your Facebook vanity URL

You bought a domain name for your website to make it easy to fine. You should do the same for your Facebook page. The good news is that a Facebook vanity URL is FREE! Once your page has 25 fans, you can claim a custom vanity URL for the page here: http://www.facebook.com/username/

#6: Put your vanity URL on your business card

Telling people how to search for your page is good, but handing them a card with your Facebook vanity URL is even better. Make it as easy as possible for people to find your page, and you’ll reap the benefits of an increased fan count.

#7: Post a link on your personal profile

Post a link to your fan page as a status update on your personal profile, and include a request to your friends to like your page. Then have your husband or wife post the link… and your kids… and your employees. Then ask your Facebook friends to post the link too. You get the picture.

#8: Create a Find us on Facebook window cling

Attach a Find Us on Facebook window cling to the door of your office. Everyone who walks in your office should be aware that your business has a page on Facebook.

#9: Add a link to your website, newsletter, etc

Add a Find un on Facebook link to your company website, your email newsletter, etc. By now, you should be getting the idea that you need to post your Facebook link with a call to action EVERYWHERE that people will find you online and in every communication you send to your customers and prospects.

#10: Post frequently, but not too frequently

My recommendation is to post something on your page 1-2 times per week. Every week. No exceptions. Post too much, and you risk annoying people and having them either ignore your posts or unlike your page. Post too little, and your EdgeRank will suffer, your posts won’t appear in people’s news feeds, and they’ll forget about you.

#11: Mix it up

Photos tend to get the most engagement, but a good question can get a lot of replies too. Remember – entertain and inform, and mix it up. Found some great information on an industry blog? Share it on your page. Found an informative or funny (and appropriate) YouTube video? Share it. Then reply to people’s comments. Thank them when they say something nice. Answer when they ask questions. Your interaction is just as important as that of your fans.

#12: Your turn

How do you attract fans to your Facebook fan page?

Please share your tips in the comments, and I’ll use the best ones in a future blog post.

Related posts:

1. Social Media and Marketing Don’t Mix
2. It’s FREE! Why Are You Complaining?
3. QR Code Done Right at @AJBombersMSN – AJ Bombers Madison

Joe Sorge, the amazing owner of AJ Bombers, invited me to stop by today to see his newest restaurant in downtown Madison, WI, and this was one of the first things I noticed. The restaurant doesn’t open until later this month, and to satisfy the curiosity of passers-by, he posted this sign in the window.

When I scanned the QR code with my smart phone, it took me to the AJ Bombers Madison Facebook page for more information. Not my favorite choice for a QR code landing page, but in the case of AJ Bombers it makes sense, because Joe built AJ Bombers with nothing but great service, a fun atmosphere, and social media.

This is a great example of how to use a QR code the right way. Rather than jumping on the QR code bandwagon, and posting one on your website, think about how people use them. Why would you post one on on a website, forcing your visitors to find their smart phones, fire up their QR code scanners, scan the code, and view the link on their phones? Ever heard of a hyperlink?

QR codes are intended for print applications, and preferably, they should take you to a page that’s optimized for a mobile device.

Scott Stratten, the author of Unmarketing: Stop Marketing. Start Engaging (affiliate link), recently posted a great video on YouTube about real estate agents and their use of QR codes. Check it out:

Click here if you can’t see the video.

Do you have any great examples of how to do QR codes the right way? If so, please share them in the comments.

Related posts:

1. Paying the Marketing Department with Free WiFi at @AJBombersMSN – AJ Bombers Madison
2. What the Hail Should I Do?
3. I’m Buying a 2011 Ford Explorer in Madison, WI. Who Wants my Business?

As noted on my About page, the intent of this blog to share my observations of the good and bad things I see people doing with social media. My primary goal is to provide advice to the people and businesses I encounter who could use some help on their social media strategy and tactics.

I’ll never claim to be a social media expert (and you shouldn’t either), but I really do see a lot of dumb things every day on the various social media channels. I love to point them out, and hopefully, my criticism is constructive, because, like Dilbert, I want to help. Yes, I’m kind of like a doctor.

I just hope you don’t stop listening, because I need you!

What dumb things have you seen that you’d like me to talk about?

Related posts:

1. Social Media, Photography and Everything Else
2. Social Media and Marketing Don’t Mix

I’ve reached an agreed price on a 2012 Ford Explorer, but with a dealer about an hour away from Madison, WI. It’s a great story, and I really want to tell the world, but I have one small problem and…

I need your input

Anyone who’s bought a new vehicle from a dealer knows there are some charges that are unavoidable, such as tax, title and license fees. In addition, you will always pay a destination charge, which is the amount auto manufacturers charge dealerships to deliver a vehicle from the factory to the showroom.

The destination charge is right there on the window sticker, and as you can see in the image above, it is also shown on the manufacturer’s website.

Here’s the problem

After reaching an agreed price for the vehicle and options, which I knew would would have the destination charge and tax, title and license fees added to it, the salesman emailed me the build sheet. After a close inspection, I found two additional charges:

• Fuel Charge – $67.07
• Adv Assessment $546.00

When I asked about these charges, I was told:

These are charges that come from Ford which are billed directly to the dealership for the vehicle. The Fuel Charge is the fuel that is put into the vehicle at the factory and allocated to each car. The Adv Assessment is the national advertising dollars allocated to each vehicle from Ford.

Related posts:

1. How I Bought a Ford Explorer via Twitter and Email

I have to admit that I was excited about this discovery… at first.

If you haven’t seen the video, check it out here, and then continue reading.

If you can’t see the video, click here or view on YouTube.

If you’re into social media marketing as much as I am, it’s easy to fall in love with a video that includes phrases like these:

• Social Media is about Relationships
• Social Media is about People
• Social Media has overtaken pornography as the #1 activity on the web
• If Facebook were a country, it’d be the world’s 3rd largest
• The Ford Explorer launch on Facebook generated more traffic than a Super Bowl ad
• The ROI of Social Media is Your Business Will Still Exist in 5 years

The one that bothers me, however, is this:

• Socialnomics is here to stay

Socialnomics was first published in August of 2009, almost two years ago. Considering the rate of change in the social media world, that’s like having a two year old dog and comparing it to a two year old child. It might as well be a 14 year old book!

Although Qualman has cleverly incorporated many of the images in the video into an iPad screen, making the video feel relevant for 2011, it has actually become somewhat irrelevant, and the stats are becoming outdated.

I think it’s time to stop re-producing this video every year, and time for Erik to write a new book.

Do you agree, or do you think I’m crazy? I’d love to hear what you think.

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