prAna has grown from a small garage startup and evolved into a company focused around Yoga, Rock Climbing and the outdoor lifestyle.  As it has grown, the Southern California based company has been highly involved in many alliances with progressive partners.

This article will focus on prAna’s Facebook Page as an example of engagement, content sharing, and the community around prAna as a brand and an online entity.

Background

prAna’a Facebook page had its initial start date on April 1st of 2009. A prAna spokesperson states that their involvement with Facebook started because,

Facebook currently lends itself well to sharing a steady stream of information that that characterizes many of the core interests we have as a company including the groups that have been with us for nearly 20 years (i.e. climbing, yoga & conservation). We now have the opportunity to discuss many of the other topics that are important to our “Tribe”; local/organic foods, mindful living, renewable energy, education and philanthropy among others.

prAna chose Facebook as their primary engagement platform because of it’s manipulation factor, reach, and ability to touch people from all walks of life. Facebook was chosen over Twitter, YouTube, and the prAna Blog. According to prAna, the emphasis on Facebook is because the Blog provides only a “one-way” stream of information; outgoing from the blog to the users, and reciprocating engagement is much tougher than through Facebook. YouTube wasn’t chosen as it also provides an almost one-way only directionality, with little opportunities to engage.

The Plan

Starting at around 6,000 followers, the prAna team had the idea to begin a giveaway every 1,000 new fans. The giveaway originally consisted of giving away one item of choice from the prAna online store. These fans would be publicly announced, and they would receive an email asking them to choose their item and provide their details. prAna’s post would look something like this:

Congratulations to (NAME) the 2nd winner of the 20k Fan “Bucket List” Giveaway! He would like to see the world through the eyes of another. (NAME) gets to choose ANY item from prAna.com and we are also throwing in some added goodies for him! There were so many inspiring things that you want to… do that you have motivated many of us. Thank you for continuing to support us and Share the prAna love!

All of the messages are customized, and reflect the individual who won. Each giveaway gives the fans of the page the opportunity to interact with the prAna website and the influencer through the Facebook page. The fans get the opportunity to browse the online store, know the products and incentive to participate and share their experience.

Recently, prAna switched to running giveways from every 1,000 fans to every 5,000, due to their page’s rapid growth.

Aside from their giveaways, prAna shares some very interesting content that aligns with their brand. The posted content is then watched over for “likes” or comments. Replies are made to concerns, clarifications, or just simply conversation to the fans of prAna. There is no one simple topic that prAna focuses on, but instead a range of topics that essentially encase and describe the brand.

What to Post

According to the spokesperson from prAna, the content that is posted through the Facebook page is,

A little bit of a trade secret, but let me say that is essential that a company takes a look at themselves in the mirror and determine who they are. What I mean is that if an organization is committed to opening the lines of conversation with its community, they must first determine what values are core to their company. Secondly they must actively listen and monitor what topics are important to their base. These two pieces of information will then allow their community department to find topics that support their company values and appeal to their customer base. To live is to choose. But to choose well, you must know who you are and what you stand for, where you want to go and why you want to get there.” Kofi Annan

*It is essential that a community manager/team be careful not to let their personal values overly influence the content posted

Results

Since prAna began their efforts through Facebook, their level of engagement both on “personal and professional level” has seen an incredible increase.

Their number of Fans (now Likers) has increased about 1,829 new Fans per month.

The reflection of the growth in terms of ROI isn’t measured by prAna; they are more focused on engagement and aligning their social efforts with their company mission, than sales.

prAna’s Facebook page is a prime model for Facebook engagement and an example of how brands can utilize Facebook pages to engage their audience and share their company values.

Become a Fan of prAna on Facebook and see for yourself what they’re doing on Facebook. What questions or ideas do you have for them?

Image Credit prAna Blog

We’re getting past the stage in which only the early innovators have explored how social media works while trying to integrate them into their everyday lifestyles. Older generations are beginning to use Facebook, people are starting to figure out Twitter, and blogs and apps are on the rise. Now the real question is why, why is everyone really getting involved in this social media craze? How in the world did something that was once college students connecting with classmates on Facebook and teenagers expressing their desire and love for one another through MySpace updates turn into a marketing strategy for the majority of businesses?

There are many companies who have implemented social media into their marketing campaigns  and that is great, but why exactly? Do they have a reason or are they merely doing it because all the other companies are? How many of those companies who are using social media, actually have analytics to back up their results? I am sure many businesses have a social media platform in place, but do they really know how to monetize that information. So are these companies just engaging in social networking because that is what everyone else is doing? That it just seems right if they want to keep up with the times?

When you were younger and wanted to do something you knew your parents didn’t want you to do, your “argument” to back up your case was often that all your friends were doing it. If that was the case, you were probably denied. So why is that argument affective for businesses? Simply backing up your claim by stating your competitors are doing it doesn’t necessarily mean it is right for you.

Surely successful companies need to be in the loop with new trends if they want to be successful, but until they know what they are doing, all it may be is a waste of time. So there are those companies who think they get it, and then there are those companies who actually get it. The companies that are monetizing their results are the ones that are actually seeking benefits from social media. The businesses that are constantly looking for new ways to improve their social media platforms are the ones that know what they are doing. If you are one of those companies who are just going through the motions by updating your Facebook and Twitter every so often, yeah that is a great place to start, but other than increasing awareness for your brand how else is it truly helping you?

Those first people who can figure out how one can really make money off of social media, are those who are going to make their businesses successful. People are beginning to understand how to make money of sites like Facebook with things such as affiliate marketing, but are they really doing anything for their actual brand, or are they taking the focus away from themselves by directing their attention else where?

I am curious to see how all will shape out in the future, but the first companies, businesses, and people, who can effectively let their followers know that they will benefit from following them on Facebook, Twitter, or any of the other social media sites are the ones to watch out for. Some have already begun to integrate these plans into their businesses, and others are merely along for the ride and just updating their status with a few fun facts about their company.

There are the companies who think they get it and there are the companies that get it. Which category do you want to fall under?

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Pictures by the photosteam’s of brood wich, daveynin, and cogdogblog on flickr

Photos fo

We hope you’ll join us on Tuesday at 2pm for this show.If you have any questions you would like Jonathan to answer, you can leave a comment here or send us the question through Twitter @ewaydirect.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to find out more on improving your online presence!

Social Media Draws A Crowd

“Universal McCann, the media-buying firm owned by Interpublic Group of Cos., is bolstering its social-media offering by launching a practice this week called Rally.”  It helps marketers develop campaigns, track online chatter about their brands and monitor how the campaigns perform.   They also hope to open a social media consulting practice by the end of the year.

Mobile Internet Usage Becomes the Norm For Many in the U.S.

Using mobile web is a daily practice for 22.4 million mobile users in the U.S. according to research done by comScore.  ”Between January 2008 and January 2009, the number of daily mobile web users doubled.”

Myth Busters: Stephanie Miller on Deliverability, Subject Lines, and More

” Many marketers, novices and seasoned vets alike have fallen prey to a few misconceptions when it comes to email.”   This “Myth Busters” series hopes to unveil the Truth counteracting each Myth associated with email marketing.

Where Social Media Meets Strategy

“Facebook and Twitter can be useful tools inside companies, not just between companies and customers.”  Social media has changed people’s lives and has been highlighted as a great way for companies and consumers to connect.  More than 80% of marketers are now using social media to connect with their customers, but company/cunsumer is not the only relationship that social media can help.  Social media has shown to help in area that only 1 in 10 companies have been able to solve: strategy execution.

Marketers Ponder the Worth of Twitter’s Ads

“And Twitter is everybody’s Monday. Every day is Monday for Twitter in a good way because it’s the first place where people go to get a pulse for others.”  Although Twitter is fast becoming the accepted median for news and happening, there is still much speculation whether Twitter’s many users even notice the promoted ads and are responding favorably to them.

Turning Up the Voice of the Customer

“The advent of new customer touchpoints like social media, live chat, and online communities has amplified the voice of the customer.”  Customers now share their thoughts and feedback in a number of open forums, which allows companies to listen and act in a more meaningful way.  Each customer is different and not everyone responds through traditional channels.

This week’s brand… Dunkin’ Donuts

Facebook

The great thing about the Dunkin’ Donut’s Facebook page is is does not automatically bring you to the info or wall posts on the company, but rather a news and promo tab launches that informs its customers on the latest information. The profile is actively viewed as the entire wall consisted of posts that were written within the last hour. Their Facebook page also has a tab that features Maurice, the talking coffee bean. I am not really sure the purpose of the coffee bean with two eyes, but at the very least it adds a comical appeal to the profile.

Twitter (@DunkinDonuts)

I am a big fan of their Twitter account as they have a sleek looking background that appeals to their over 50,000 followers. Dunkin’ Donuts not only has a Twitter account and has a substantial amount of followers, but they are also delivering content on a daily basis as they have over 5,621 tweets. Whether they are responding to mentions left by their followers or posting news about Dunkin’ Donuts, they are constantly posting updates and new information in support of their brand. Dunkin’ Donuts is also one of the few companies that I have seen incorporate Pandora Radio into their marketing scheme. “You’ve suggested your favorite songs inspired by Coolatta and summer. Now, go listen to the ultimate Coolatta summer music mix.”

Additional Online Marketing Information

One feature that is great about Dunkin’ Donuts is The Dunkin’ Run which they claim “is the easiest way to grab that delicious pick-me-up for you and your friends.” It is a simple concept, which can be run on your computer or phone, that allows someone to be the server or “the runner” and take orders from anyone interested. Simply start an account and than invite others in the office who may be interested in order a delicious treat. No need to go around asking everyone if they would like something from Dunkin’ Donuts, but rather send them The Dunkin’ Run order form, wait for them to reply, and they head to the nearest Dunkin’ Donuts to pick up all the items. I am not implying anything, but this could be a beneficial feature for interns.

Dunkin’ Donuts also has a YouTube account, and although they have not posted new material is the past three-week, as least they are making the attempt. They have about 75 video posts since opening their YouTube account in 2006, so I would rate them about average at producing new video content.

Lastly, there is a cool loyalty program called Dunkin’ Perks, which gives members exclusive online and other perks, such as a free medium beverage on your birthday.

What do you think about what Dunkin’ Donuts is doing from an online marketing perspective?

Stay tuned next week for another addition of Brand Spotlight!

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Pictures by the photosteam’s of darkensiva and The Consumerist on flickr

That is certainly a time of the past. Recently, I was fortunate to chat with James DeLorenzo, Vice President of Octagon Digital and founder of Twackle.com,  to hear  some of the ways Octagon is using new digital tools to help monetize their athletes’ digital presence online.

Certainly there are many applications, tools, and widgets that the public can get their hands on to help promote their personal brand or the brand of their company, but DeLorenzo has helped clients use more athlete-specific tools.

“We have fanwaves.com that is building a whole service just for athletes and we also have a service called gummy jungle, which is essentially a widget overlay tool that allows an athlete to better tie together their different digital touch points, ” DeLorenzo said.

Using Twitter as a marketing tool has proven to be difficult over times, as the general consensus among fans is that they prefer not to have too many marketing messages appearing in their twitter feed. Fanwaves is one way that Octagon is addressing this problem. Fanwaves enables an ad unit to be placed on sites that an athlete, team, or league links to through their Twitter messages. FanWaves is also able to monetize tweets that a sports publisher sends that include a link to third party sites. When a user clicks on the link within the Tweet, the FanWaves technology inserts an advertising unit about the navigated website.

Regardless of the company, many of them have a Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and blog to name a few. In the age of social media, many of these platforms are a must have from the standpoint of a marketer. However, the public may have limited awareness that they exist, unless companies let their audiences know they’re there. One way Octagon helps athletes with this is a widget overlay tool called gummy jungle that allows for a convenient search bar or graphic to appear over each of digital touch points within a certain brand. This lets people easily navigate from a place such as the website, to twitter, to Facebook; all within the single click of the mouse.

Online platforms are more popular than ever for marketing purposes and relationship building between audiences and brands. It’s great too see people such as James DeLorenzo and his team at Octagon coming up with new, innovative ways to monetize and tie-together digital assets.

At eWayDirect, we feel it is extremely important for brands to integrate everything they’re doing online. One of the ways we help companies do this is by building their own social community hub/platform. This gives brands the ability to bring all their social content from around the web into one place so people can see what’s going on.We also add a layer of community to this to bring audiences and brands closer together and enable new ways for brands to reach their enthusiasts, all in an environment that the brand owns. Most importantly, this helps companies understand the spending habits and true value of their community members vs. non-members. If you’d like to learn more about our solution, contact us for a demo and we’d be happy to share our full approach.

This Tuesday at 2pm Jeannette Cezanne, a seasoned copywriter, contends that excellent content is still what will bring in customers and sales, and she tells listeners how and why.

Don’t miss out on this Chatter Marketing episode called “Content is Still King”.

We hope you’ll join us on Tuesday at 2pm for this show. You can RSVP on Facebook or LinkedIn, and please feel free to tell your friends and colleagues about our show. If you have any questions you’d like Jeanette to answer, you can leave a comment here or send us the question through Twitter @ewaydirect.

At the end of this seemingly quick (and hopefully, good) week, here are some interesting posts I thought were helpful that you may have missed.

How Savvy Firms Monitor Customers’ Online Chatter

ComputerWorld writes about how monitoring, analyzing and responding to what consumers are saying on social media sites are no longer just activities for big-name companies. With consumers sharing their experiences through Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and other social forms, this type of engagement is becoming an essential piece of any company’s risk management and customer engagement strategy.

Small Businesses Learn to Use Social Media To Connect With Customers

The Chicago Tribune writes about how social media, specifically Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare, enable local businesses to connect with customers, boost sales and fix problems at a low cost.  Establishing a presence through social media can help a company “be the trusted source in your industry,” said Mike Goodman, Chief Executive at e-Conversation Solutions.

5 Ways Your Twitter Strategy Can Be Better

iMedia Connection gives us tips about keeping our Twitter presence fresh.  ”Twitter is like sex: Everyone thinks about it and talks about it more than they actually do it, and although you’ve got the basics down, you feel like you constantly need to step up your game.”  Having fun and injecting personality are just two of the many ways given to do this.

S&S Worldwide Saves 25% of Abandoned Carts Via Email

Direct Magazine reports on a successful email campaign by S&S  that turned one out of every four abandoned carts into a sale.  Every abandoned virtual shopping cart means the loss of sales.  By sending an automated email notification to shoppers that left without completing their purchase, this has helped turn abandoned carts into sales. Don’t forget that you can also think about how to message subscribers who visit and then leave other pages of your website without purchasing.

Measuring the Impact of User-Generated Content

ClickZ addresses the subject of whether user-generated content is really helping businesses.  It provides ways to gauge the impact of users providing feedback about businesses and products they use.

Tapping Into The Referral Instinct

MediaPost talks about the “referral instinct,” noting how referrals lead to longer term customers that have a higher lifetime customer value.  Leads come from a wide variety of sources but referrals are often the ones that seem to turn into long term relationships.  Some great ways to generate referrals are listed as well as one very easy and low cost approach – ask for them!

Did you find any stories this week that were particularly interesting? Feel free to share links to them by leaving a comment here!

Using social media offline is as important, if not more important, than using the marketing efforts for a strictly online sense. Meeting people outside of the constricted online world gives a strong sense of understanding each person and a unique opportunities to reach new levels of networking.

Here are 4 ways to take your online networks, and make them a viable offline network:

1. Encourage Local Networking

Events like local meetups are a prime example of increasing your outreach to people with similar mentalities, hobbies, or even profession. Other similar events are some like my friend Chuck Hester (@chuckhester) hosts what is called LinkedIn Live – Raleigh. There are others I have heard of like LinkingGSO (@LinkingGSO). The point of these events is to take people who are joined one way or another to each other and bring them together. Whether or not you use these connections for a business purpose is up to you, but the benefits of seeing someone face to face rather than just an online interaction will always lead to a more beneficial relationship.

2. Bring It In

Coupons, rewards, specials, exclusives and other incentives can be used to give social network users a reason to come in to a locale. You can take advantage of location-based services, such as  Foursquare, Gowalla, and TriOut, to give people rewards for “checking in” to your location.  You don’t need to necessarily be like Starbucks and offer your own badge, but letting users know that there is an option to check in and receive some type of benefit for their loyalty is something worth exploring.  True, this works best for product-based locales, but if you offer a service, what’s the best way that you can offer something to the mayor of your place or even just a frequent check-in?

3. Reach Out

Phones aren’t obsolete. Yet. Mobile power today is stronger than ever, and with new technologies such as the iPhone’s Facetime, being able to easily reach out and chat with people is an entirely different ball game than simply engaging them on Twitter. The true power of engagement is reaching out. If it turns out you’re having a discussion with someone and it seems that it’s running on too long for Facebook or Twitter, send them your cellphone number. Let them know you’re available or even ask for theirs and call straight away. Don’t hesitate with the idea, push forward and talk to them.

Staying online is only a virtual world. You will need to disconnect eventually.

4. Work Backwards

Start from having an offline network, and bring them online! The power of social media works both ways as far as communication. It’s not all about meeting someone online and then hopefully meeting sometime in the future. Remember the careful use of business cards: don’t flood people with them. List your top communication channels, and if they’re asked for, then pass your cards on.

My friend Wayne Sutton (@waynesutton) gives 9 Offline Lead Generation Tips for Businesses Exploring Location-Based Marketing.

Taking offline communications online is, if anything, just as important as going from online to offline. Work your networks, and embrace the hundreds of ways social media helps your business.

What ways do you take social media offline? Leave a comment and tell us!

Image Credit Quintanomedia

So to start, what IS Social Media Day? According to Mashable,  it is a day to “acknowledge and celebrate the revolution of media becoming more social,” and June 30^th was that day.  So how did the DC area choose to celebrate?  With a huge party of course! An oh BOY was it a PARTY!  Two local event planning divas, known for their social media gatherings, aka “Tweetups”, co-sponsored the event at Science Club in downtown DC.  The event was brought to you by Sisarina and Lisa Byrne aka @DCeventjunkie.  Now, I’ve gone to MANY Tweetups, Meetups, parties, mini tweetups, and networking events,  and I can definitely tell you that the Social Media Day party was by far one of the biggest and best events I’ve been to.  There was a live DJ (@djlilelle ), raffles, tweeting, and of course lot’s of socializing.  It wouldn’t be a social media party if there wasn’t socializing.  Cameras, iphones, blackberries, and other various portable devices made their appearances in everyone’s hands, and there wasn’t a moment not captured and posted on Twitter.  Over 150 people showed up to pack Science Club, and adding to the fact that it was a gorgeous DC evening, it made the event that much more amazing.

I personally had a blast at the party, hanging out with people I’ve known for awhile, and, of course, meeting new people.  Social media related get-together’s such as tweetups have always been a draw for me because I follow hundred’s of people on twitter, and I love the opportunity to meet them in real life.  In fact, I’ve met some of my closest friends through twitter and various other social media outlets.  I don’t think I would’ve gotten this internship had I not been on twitter or followed the person who advertised for it.  Yay Twitter!

Collectively, the entire evening at Science Club was awesome.  I really look forward to next year when someone plans the 2^nd Annual Social Media Day party, because you know I’ll be there.  Social Media Day was celebrated nationwide, so you never know, maybe next year I’ll celebrate social media day in Europe, or Hawaii.  Tweetup on the beach anyone?  So my big question to you as the readers is, how did you celebrate Social Media Day 2010?