alyssagardina.com blogs

When there's a rumor that Facebook is fixing their promotions guidelines, that really means...

agardina — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 20:08:17 +0000

Facebook will now remove their qualification that you have to spend thousands of dollars a month with them in advertising, but replace it with the caveat that all promotions must be run through an application.

So, no, All Facebook, this isn't a game changer. It still limits businesses (particularly nonprofits and small businesses) from engaging with their fan bases via promotions on their wall. Now, however, there isn't even the option to get approval via an ad buy. On-wall promotions are gone. Kaput.

I'm sure that these promotions presented a huge legal threat to Facebook, and that's probably why the new guidelines focus on legalese and disclaimers. Anyone else have an idea why Facebook would change their guidelines... for the worse?

The Cost of Doing (Good) Business

agardina — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 20:30:19 +0000

I took one accounting class in college. And, honestly, I really enjoyed it. Something about the evenness of liabilities, assets and equities appealed to me. So, with that expertise in mind, let’s talk about the cost of doing business.

The cost of doing business, by definition, is overhead. It’s the cost of anything you have or do that doesn’t have to do with actually producing a good or service. These include: insurance, utilities, accounting services, attending networking events.

Every business incurs some sort of overhead, and tries to limit it as much as possible. After all, these costs impact the company’s revenue, and overall financial well-being. However, I think there’s a fundamental difference between the cost of doing business and the cost of doing good business. And great companies see the distinction between the two.

For example, here are two articles posted today on The Consumerist. The first was about a customer’s interaction with OXO. A customer had received an OXO Salad Spinner as a wedding gift, and was disappointed when it broke after a few months of use. Like many customers, he reached out to OXO via their online contact form, but wasn’t hopeful about getting a response. Surprisingly, OXO responded a few days later, saying they would send out a replacement part. No hassle, no cost to the customer.

For an accountant, this is the cost of doing business. For a marketer, I’d file this under the cost of doing good business. The company incurs costs here – the cost to manufacture the part, the cost to ship and the cost of having an effective customer service department. But they also gain value – goodwill from one customer, who by sharing his story with the Consumerist, spread the awareness to a massive audience. And take a look at the comments:

On the flip side, there’s also a cost of doing bad business. Again on the Consumerist, a user tells a story of their interaction with customer service. This time, though, it’s not so positive. From the user’s email: “DirecTV will never have my family's business again and via Facebook, Twitter and obviously email, I plan to tell everyone I know about this horrid experience with a company that evidently wants my business so bad.”

Instead of generating goodwill on a heavily trafficked website, DirecTV brings out feelings from the other side of the spectrum:

In this new, more social, world, is it more important to calculate the cost of doing traditional business, or the cost of whether it’s good or bad?

Keep it Simple, Social!

agardina — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 15:59:02 +0000

One of my high school teacher’s favorite phrases was “Keep It Simple, Silly!” (she was too polite to use the other form of the phrase) – and it’s always been one of my favorite lines. It works for almost everything – work, love, family, cooking, writing, designing – 99% of the time, you’re better off keeping it simple.

So it drives me absolutely up the wall when I see people in my own industry ignoring this golden rule. Social media is the ultimate place for KISS-ing, in fact, I think we should all have it permanently displayed somewhere near our computers and phones.

As social media marketers, we’re recommending that companies participate in the space because that’s where their customers are. The oft-used cocktail party analogy makes its way into many a pitch, and ends with us saying “Your customers are talking about you here. You should be here too.”

We’re going into these networks where our customers already have relationships. They already have standards of etiquette (spoken or unspoken) and whether or not they interact with us is truly on their terms. Why are we jumping into the cocktail party as the guy who likes to make everyone solve riddles, instead of being the person who’s easy to talk to and connect with?

An example. KAYAK recently ran a promotion where they gave away 4 round-trip tickets on a different airline each week. To sign up, a user had to go through the following process:

1) Connect via Facebook on KAYAK’s website
2) Fill in a ton of personal information, including address, phone number & email address
3) Enter to win! Just kidding – at this point, KAYAK decided to “social media it up” and require a user to invite their friends to enter the contest as well. The twist: 3 of those friends would be the 3 that the user would take with them on their vacation, and in order for the entry to count, all 3 had to enter as well.

What? You’ve now added an extra step for your user, and added a whole process for 3 of their friends. KAYAK’s page immediately filled with negative user feedback and pleas from fans for other users to friend them and enter as a group. Whoever wins that contest may find that they’re headed on vacation with someone they’ve never met.

KAYAK needed someone to tap them on the shoulder and say, “Keep It Simple, Social!” Users didn’t want to spam their networks on someone else’s behalf, and in a medium full of sweepstakes and promotions, it was just as easy to move on from one that required a bit too much work and information.

Every time you interact with a brand’s social media campaign, ask yourself – is there a way this could have been simpler? Would this be more popular, more powerful, if it was pared down just a bit? You’ll find more often than not, the answer is yes.

The Achilles Heel of Your Super Awesome Social Media Idea

siteadmin — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 17:37:18 +0000

I have one word for you. Operations. The coolest, shiniest, most innovative "look at me!" social media idea ever can easily be tripped up by this one word. Foursquare specials, Groupons, Twitter deals, Facebook coupons are all methods used by major brands to get customers off their computers and into the store. They spend months planning, measuring, strategizing and partnering, yet so many forget this one key word: Operations.

Before rolling out a campaign, there are countless operations things to check:

Are all of your local managers on board?
Do they have the right materials to train their staff? (Or as we called them at Aeropostale, "associates")
If something goes wrong, what's your chain of command?
How can you prepare now to avoid headaches later?

It doesn't matter if you're the first brand ever to do a Foursquare special. If your customers are getting a blank stare when they present their phone for a discount, your campaign's success is limited and its days are numbered.

Starbucks

The story: In May, Starbucks took the leap into a new kind of loyalty program, offering $1 off Frappucinos for mayors. Unfortunately for Starbucks, many of the mayors (users who have checked in most frequently in the past 60 days), were actually Starbucks employees. In addition, many baristas weren't aware of what Foursquare was, much less that there was a special offer. Plus, Foursquare is, well, a game, and people can game the system.

How it could have gone better:

Identifying the mayor issue months before the campaign launched, and creating separate locations for employees to use (e.g. Starbucks Northwest Highway - Staff)
Rolling out a policy for Foursquare check-ins a minimum of 90 days before launch
Specific training for baristas, and leave behind instructions at the cash register

The Gap

The story: Groupon, an online group-buying service, has experienced explosive growth. Small businesses and large corporations have noticed its value, and taken advantage with offers of 50-70% off services. In late August, they offered their first nationwide deal, a coupon to the Gap for $50 worth of merch for $25. All told, they sold over $11 million in coupons in one day, crashing Groupon's servers and creating quite a buzz online.

And now? Operations. That one little word that throws a wrench in the otherwise awesome plan. There are stories of Groupon redemptions gone wrong and, having spent many a year working in retail, I can see how:

Is the Groupon good on sale merchandise?
What if the customer wants to redeem it for a total less than $50?
Is this valid at my store?
How do I ring it up?

It looks like most of these questions were answered with training, but with 3000 stores in the US, communications breakdowns were sure to occur.

Launching a social media initiative always carries risks - increased transparency, dedication of time, questions about measurement - and these special offers are no different. Brands are already improving communications at an operations level, but it's always something to consider - we know this will work online, but how will it work offline?

Facebook Places: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

siteadmin — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 02:40:33 +0000

Facebook Places has been out and about for the past few weeks now. Many of us have used it (or at least tried out out and turned it off), and there are definitely some good things, some bad things, and some downright ugly things about it.

The Good
The first weekend after Facebook Places launched, I went home for a visit. My newly iPhone-d mother wanted to tell me all about this new tool she found, where she could share where she was with all of her friends. Now, I had tried to convince her to use Foursquare, but I was her only Facebook friend using the tool.

For her, Facebook Places has some serious value with its built in audience. For me, that group was already on Foursquare, so Places is a redundant tool. Different audiences, different needs. Places definitely fills a gap.

The Bad
As with any Facebook product roll out, there are downsides. For businesses, the process of claiming, measuring and moderating venues is incredibly labor-intensive. Facebook requires scanned documentation of a Better Business Bureau accreditation or Articles of Incorporation to even claim a business, and owners with multiple locations currently have no way to bulk claim or integrate their many venues.

For users, the interface is pretty rigid. You can add a venue and comment on your check-in, but you can't leave tips, earn badges, become mayor or share with other social networks. For many users, these extensions make these geolocation applications more useful, and the elements of competition keep them engaged.

The Ugly
Well, look at it:

If someone checks me in with them, it posts twice. Plus, there's no option to check-in "off the grid" or to share with certain friends.

What do you think so far? Is Facebook Places mostly good, bad or ugly?

DFW Ad Jobs Update - Volume 1

agardina — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 21:24:04 +0000

Each week, I hear from a lot of extremely talented, smart and qualified people who are looking for jobs. I also see tweets from great companies and agencies in DFW that are looking for talent. So, in the interest of bringing those two groups together, I give you the DFW Ad Jobs Update - Volume 1! (Yes, the name needs work - suggestions welcome!)

If you are a company or agency in DFW with job openings, please contact me and I'll include the job description in an upcoming post!

ReachLocal
ReachCast Web/Blog Writer/Content Developer
This position is ideal for anyone who loves to write and teach - you'll be creating content for internal audiences, ReachLocal's social media accounts and for the company's clients. From the job description:

ReachLocal is looking for a web copywriter / content developer who will become a subject matter expert on our new web presence platform (ReachCast) and create compelling content for internal and external audiences. ReachCast enables local businesses to move beyond a static website (Web 1.0) to a dynamic, social, extended presence across the real-time web (Web 2.0)... this position requires the ability to continuously create and publish a wide variety of content in order to maximize customer awareness, understanding and engagement.

Requirements include several years experience in marketing & writing for the web, proven ability to engage in social media and experience in marketing to local businesses. To apply, send a resume and cover letter through the ReachLocal website.

MutualMind
Marketing Intern
My friend Babar Bhatti reached out to me regarding a great (paid!) internship at his startup. This is a great opportunity for students or recent grads to learn about the startup environment and B2B social media!

As marketing intern, you will help MutualMind with all marketing and external communication efforts. You are a natural at creating marketing copy and social media content. You have in-depth understanding of B2B social media and an eye for engaging content. You will work with a fast growing and exciting startup in DFW. If you like to make a difference while learning cutting edge social media technologies, have a passion for success and entrepreneurship then this job is for you. Students are welcome. Resumes to babar(at)mutualmind(dot)com.

RAZOR
Digital Account Executive & Digital Assistant Account Executive
Note: I work for RAZOR, so if you ever see a position on our website that you're interested in, please contact me directly!

RAZOR is hiring a Digital AE & AAE who will work as part of the client partnership team. The Digital AAE will:

Serve as a liaison between the agency and client while maintaining accountability for a variety of account projects... They will ensure that all deadlines are being met by managing a daily list and keeping the team updated on the status of all projects; will assist with creative briefs and interact with other key departments such as Media, Project Management, Insight, Communications & Accounting; and will provide support in the areas of digital/interactive, collateral, planning, & meeting preparation/facilitation.

From the Digital AE description:

Serve as a liaison between the agency and client while maintaining accountability for a variety of account projects. Successful AE's will manage and maintain the advertising needs for the client, by coordinating local-level marketing campaigns, explaining and promoting RAZOR marketing programs and initiatives to small-business owners, and assisting in the implementation of each geo-targeted initiative...They will also assist with the development of online marketing campaigns and client communications, and interact with other key departments such as Media, Project Management, Insight, Communications & Accounting and will provide support in the areas of digital/interactive, collateral, planning, & meeting preparation/facilitation.

If you see any jobs you'd like featured in an upcoming post, please let me know! Any job search hints? Leave them in the comments!

Blizzard, privacy and personal security - would you use your real name online?

agardina — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 02:56:29 +0000

So here's my first confession: I'm a gamer girl. Not only that, but, as an undergrad, I researched and wrote a comprehensive paper on the "Use of Computer-Mediated Communication in Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games." What I'm saying is, I know the gaming space, and I'm pretty surprised by an announcement Blizzard made yesterday

From their forum post:

The first and most significant change is that in the near future, anyone posting or replying to a post on official Blizzard forums will be doing so using their Real ID -- that is, their real-life first and last name -- with the option to also display the name of their primary in-game character alongside it.

This is a frightening and, honestly, confusing proposition for many reasons:

Personal Security

My friend Mikey Il first pointed out the article to me, and we had an interesting discussion about personal security. On one side of the debate, there's the fact that we, as gamers and as Internet users, already put a ton of information out there about ourselves. On the other side, we choose to put that information out there. As a gamer, I chose a handle that doesn't have my name anywhere in it, and, in forums and in gameplay, I expect that level of anonymity.

As a Gamer Girl

Yes, I know, this is pretty much the same thing. But, as a girl who chose to use an actual girl character in gameplay, I have experience of what can happen - even before my actual name is out there. Raunchy dancing, awkward chat interactions and shocked audiences whenever you jump on voice chat - it comes with the territory. In forums, the same applies - if you choose to use a picture of yourself or publicize that you're a woman - watch out.

All things said, this atmosphere is expected. When you add in identifying information, especially for those of us with unique names, the awkward interactions can move from iffy in game to downright frightening.

Reputation Management

In the social space, your reputation is essentially whatever shows up on the first page of Google. Forum posts with your real name? Fair game. As one poster in the Blizzard forum points out:

People play this game for relaxation on their off time. But, for example, if you had a unique name and applied for a job and the potential employer googled your name and found posts on a gaming forum they may not hire you because they have ill conceved notions about gamers.

In my research on the interactions in the MMORPGs and their forums, there were trolls aplenty. But, like in every other forum, social network or blog comment thread out there - you take the good with the bad. Impeding on your users' basic expectations of privacy is unconscionable.

What do you think? Would you tie your full name to everything you do online?

Public Relations Mad Libs

agardina — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 03:01:59 +0000

We all get them on a regular basis - the poorly written, oddly vague press release. From small companies to global conglomerates, every organization has at least one press release that fits a mold. And so, I've created for your wordsmithing enjoyment - Public Relations Mad Libs!

(Can't see the image? Check out the original on Flickr!)

Enjoy and (please!) share your funniest results in the comments:

Dear MTV, here's how not to choose a social media manager

agardina — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 17:35:08 +0000

There's a disconcerting trend among companies now to hire a social media or community manager via a contest. People can seek nominations from friends or put their own name forward in an attempt to prove that they're the most popular choice for the position. Unfortunately, what's popular is not always right, and these contests are doing more harm than good. Why?

They're trivializing the role a social media manager can have within an organization.

Would you hire your next HR rep because of a LinkedIn poll? Your next video producer from a YouTube vote? A copywriter because of her following on Twitter? No, at least not solely on those qualifications. Yet these "be our next social media guru" campaigns continually stress getting votes, making popularity the applicant's number one qualification.

For an example, here's how MTV is hiring their new "Twitter Jockey". They selected 18 candidates on their own, and are now crowdsourcing the final 2. The 20 finalists will "compete in a series of online challenges this summer designed to reveal their personalities and demonstrate how they connect with Twitter followers." (source) Want to be one of the two crowdsourced candidates? Here's how they're being chosen:

Users go to the MTV TJ (Twitter Jockey, get it?) site and are immediately confronted with some bizarre co-branding. The site is a 50/50 mix of MTV (expected) and ZYNC (a new card from AMEX).
In order to nominate anyone, the user first has to allow an application to access their public Facebook profiles, post status updates, find the user's birthday and access contact information.
Then the user has to "like" ZYNC on Facebook. That's right, you're forced to connect with a page that essentially has nothing to do with the campaign as it's promoted. The website won't let you move forward unless you "like" the new credit card.
Finally, you're allowed to nominate a user. And, judging from the recent submissions, once you're in you can nominate someone as many times as you'd like.

The person selected by MTV will be a voice for the brand to thousands, if not millions, of people. MTV is definitely generating buzz around this contest, but once that dies down, what will the TJ do? How will he or she fit into the current social media mix? What kind of content will he or she be responsible for creating? There are so many questions to ask (many of which are answered during a traditional interview), and MTV might not know the answer until the winner has been declared.

So where did MTV go wrong? As people pointed out to me on Twitter, it is a campaign from MTV, so it almost fits their brand. But a bizarre co-promotion and game-show style process for selecting a person to be a voice for your company on social media? That decision's on par with deciding to renew Jersey Shore.

What do you think? Can you the most qualified candidates by holding a contest?

Book Review: "Delivering Happiness" by Tony Hsieh

agardina — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 03:17:16 +0000

When reading Tony Hsieh's "Delivering Happiness," (affiliate) it's all but impossible to keep thinking the same thing over and over: "This guy is Zappos. And Zappos is awesome." End of story? Not so much.

All in all, this book could belong in the self help section as much as it could be shelved among business books. It's uplifting, inspirational and, at times, irreverently funny. The first third of the book is best read with a half smile on your face - Tony's stories of growing up, going to college and starting out definitely elicit a "that's me too!" reaction.

Then the book takes a turn. It's called "Delivering Happiness", a nod to Tony's success with Zappos. But, it could also be titled "Fighting for Happiness", and that's where the best lessons lie. To achieve success, to redefine customer service, to build a multi-billion dollar company, Tony and the Zappos team fought tooth and nail every step of the way. The book consistently returns to a few recurring themes, including:

Taking Risks
From Fred, a department store shoe salesman with a shipping solution to Tony himself, investing his first fortune into the business ideas of others, so many of the success stories in this book result from taking risks. All kinds of risks - quitting a job, moving to Nevada, going for broke on a company in an industry you don't really know. Fighting tooth and nail for whatever you believe in, and not really knowing if at the end of the day it'll all pay off (spoiler alert: it does.)

Staying Loyal
Through it all, Tony stays loyal to his employees and to his company. Above all, he stays loyal to himself and what he believes in. We all talk about loyalty, but Tony lives it, breathes it and shows us how it's done.

Having Fun
We all work long hours and often find ourselves drowning in projects. The team at Zappos sure does. But, for me, one of my favorite parts of this book were Tony's stories of living in his loft, going to movies with friends and sharing stories at a bar. The tone of his writing shows how fond he is of these experiences - and that there does exist a balance between work and play.

I highly (highly!) recommend this book. It's a quick read, but it leaves you simultaneously shaking your head in admiration and thinking, "maybe I could do that, too!" And, hey, maybe you can - because, after all, happiness isn't delivered. It's fought for, and it's won.

I have a copy of this book to give away! Want one? Leave a comment letting me know how you find, fight for, and deliver happiness!