Social Listening & Engagement Gives Advantages to Small Businesses

Tue, 29 May 2012 00:18:00 GMT

Last week I had the chance to watch a presentationby Jon Ferrara, founder and CEO of Nimble. Jon is a top expert in Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Nimble is a new company he founded that helps businesses improve their "Social Relationships." Businesses that use Nimble are usually able to develop stronger, more profitable relationships with their best customers over time.

There are two reasons marketing agencies and salespeople should watch this video:

Social listening and social engagement are the two most important concepts small business owners must master if they are to be successful in businesss during the next five years.
It's the best product demo I've seen in years. The pacing, presentation and content are top-notch. Jon is a CEO you can learn from.

Fast forward through the first five minutes, which are general housekeeping notes from HubSpot, which hosted the webinar. The presentation is geared toward marketing agencies, but will be useful for any business owner interested in developing better sales and marketing relationships.

By using social connections in new and better ways, business owners will be able to discover innovation, service and product improvements. That offers the potential of even the smallest business owners to compete against large and established brands. In other words, Brains, creativity, passion, commitment and stamina will be the marketing currency of the future.

To provide some context, in the last five years several major brands have moved into my rural area: Target, Sports Authority, Office Max, Petco, Macaroni Grill and more. Mom-and-pop retailers can not compete directly with these brands on product selection or price, but they CAN compete on innovation and customer service.

Unfortunately, I think many small business owners are not aware of the cultural and social changes taking place around them. They are not aware of how quickly society and culture are changing around them, or, more to the point, how that is going to affect their business in the next five years.

Sure, they've noticed more smartphones. They know people are searching Yelp! and TripAdvisor. But they haven't thought about how they can make their business stronger or better because it. I developed The Mobile Marketing Workbook as one way to help start thinking about these things in new ways.

Jon's introduction to Nimble shows customer relationship management in a socially connected world, and the Mobile Marketing Workbook is one way business owners can find their strategic competitive advantage.

Let me know how you are using social media to discover innovation or improve customer service by posting a Comment below.

Social Media is Reinventing How Business is Done

Fri, 18 May 2012 21:13:00 GMT

USA Today looked at the impact social media is having on businesses across America yesterday. Facebook's IPO has people thinking and talking about social media more than ever, but now companies must ask themselves how to use social tools internally to best take advantage of the breadth of real-time information available to them, their sales executives and their managers.

Two out of three large companies surveyed by McKinsey & Co. said they were using "Web 2.0" tools like social networks and blogs. Almost all (90%) had reported measurable benefits. As with my own research, most businesses reported moderate benefits, such as better visibility and brand exposure. But for those that applied rigorous businesses processes, a number of businesses surveyed could point to new business leads and sales. Being able to track a lead from initial/first contact, through the purchase process, to the final lead or sale is difficult.

Many businesses use a "last point of contact attribute" for social media, which is a mistake. Attributing a sale to the last touch point doesn't accurately reflect the positive impact social media had on that customer. Social media is often used as one of the very first customer touch-points, so efforts to measure social media's impact on new business sales has to take that into account. I wrote about this in "How to Justify Your Investment in Social Media Marketing."

The good news, accordingto McKinsey & Co., is that "heavy use of social tools has a statistically significant correlation to profitability." But Michael Chui, senior fellow at the McKinsey Global Institute, admits it's early: A very small percentage of large companies (less than 3%) are using social media in three key business areas — reaching customers, connecting employees and coordinating with suppliers, McKinsey said.

We've heard how businesses can use social media to "listen to customers," (as if they weren't doing that before!) But Web 2.0 is about organizing information in ways that makes innovation possible.

Chris Laping, senior vice president for business transformation at Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, sees the connection between connecting with customers on emotional levels and direct benefits for the company he works for. "When people see things, they feel things. And when they feel things, they change," he told USA Today.

Practical Tips for High Quality Public Relations

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 16:00:00 GMT

"Back in the day when you needed to fax and courier press releases (i.e. it was a significant cost), you thought twice before issuing material. You also had no choice but to get on the phone and pitch. You developed what is known as 'relationships', and 'a clue.'"

So begins a great article by Roger Hislop at BizCommunity.com, who recommends banning the use of email by account executives until they demonstrate the skills and ability to use email effectively. He characterizes "effectively" as being useful and convenient for the journalist, a person with whom the AE has built a relationship with in advance. "A bad telephone pitch is a learning experience." Boy, isn't that the truth!

He also agrees with banning media databases. Any journalist worth their salt figured out how to exclude their contact information back in the 90s. What's left over is a bunch of contacts who are just going to delete your press release. I've always favored finding reporters I respect and admire, clipping their articles (I keep 6 month's worth at a time), then building my database with tender loving care. Time consuming? You betcha. But boy oh boy does it work! If I can't refer back to a specific article a journalist wrote without showing how my client is relevant to their readers, then I just won't make contact.

BuzzStream makes this process easier than ever, and if you're a digital marketer working in media relations, you have to check it out! You can keep track of your contacts, copy relevant articles directly from websites, and integrate social media profiles like Twitter and LinkedIn. Social media makes sending relevant information easier than ever.

You know how much I detest AVEs, which Roger say can mask a bad PR program. Make sure your campaign passes the "sniff test." I like to categorize my coverage into "Tiers." Tier 1 coverage is headline and photo where your client is the primary focus. Tier 2 is your client has at least a paragraph or more about their product or service. Tier 3 articles are those in which your client is mentioned, but the overall focus of the article is something else, and brand recall is expected to be low, if anything. Tier 4 coverage are those clips in which your client only gets a one line mention. Do you know how many "Tier 4" level clips get categorized as AVEs by PR firms? Instead, clients need to measure the quality of their media coverage -- what percentage of Tier 3 and Tier 4 coverage is changing into Tier 1 and Tier 2? That's how you can measure the effectiveness of your PR media relations campaign, in my opinion.

Read "Six Ways Agency Owners Can Do Better PR" here: http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/18/71458.html

2012 West Hawaii Social Media Survey

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 16:57:00 GMT

Take the West Hawaii Social Media Survey now!

Your input is needed! I'm researching how businesses in West Hawaii use social media. This is the only survey of its kind, now in its third year. You can find out how social media trends compare to those elsewhere. Every response counts! Help me get the word out! Here's an update you can copy & paste:

“I just took the West Hawaii #smsurvey and got entered to win a $50 Visa Cash card! You can too: http://conta.cc/lkinoshita via @lkinoshita“

Click Here to take the survey now

How to Understand Social Media Metrics

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:36:00 GMT

Many people get lost in what the various metrics mean for their business, and that's okay. Not everyone can be a marketing and measurement expert!

Don Bartholomew helps make it easier. He's known as "the Metrics Man" and he published an article called, "Three Fundamentals of Great Social Media Measurement. In it, he explains the importance of tracking key metrics and key performance indicators (KPI) but also makes the point that developing "actionable insights" are even more important (emphasis is mine):

"Insights may be defined as synthesizing and interpreting data to provide actionable information and knowledge that informs strategic decisions.

Too many social media measurement programs take a social-centric, rather than a business-centric, approach to insights. They often feature insights and recommendations that are tactical in nature – the best time of day or how many times to tweet, or what type of content seems to be most successful.

Ideally, insights and recommendations in social measurement reports would be operating one level above this, informing strategic decisions about how social programs and conversations are impacting, or could impact, the business."

Don goes on to explain the difference between "Channel Specific Metrics" and "Business Outcome Metrics." Like the company in the midst of a new product launch. The metrics that matter aren't how many "Likes" or "Retweets" obtained in a month (Channel Metrics), but instead what types of features the customers liked most, and reasons why they bought or recommeded the product (Business Outcomes).

That means more interpretation and analysis from a strategic business perspective. An experienced marketing professional will understand that quickly getting to 10,000 "Likes" on a Facebook page won't do anything for a business if those people never come back. Or that a sudden surge of bargain-hunting shoppers might not help a new business if the store owner didn't properly set up a lead capture or follow-up campaign once the promotion ended.

Actionable insights include:

Identifying which competitors are performing better than you and why
Recommending new initiatives that will overcome existing marketing barriers
Specific reasons why some offers perform better than others so that future offers may be optimized for best performance
Phased approach to implementation, recognizing larger macro-economic forces which may be affecting your business (seasonality, for example)

A junior level staffer who keeps track of Klout scores and Twitter followers won't be able to extract the same value out of the social media campaign as an experienced marketer. That's because she won't have the personal experience or business acumen to understand the "whys" or "hows" their work is connecting to business outcomes.

Similarly, companies need to give their outside consultants access to sales and customer data so they can conduct closed-loop-analysis. All too often consultants set up systems that "hand off" leads or customer relationships to a business, never to hear what happened to those relationships or how much the sale was worth. As a result, they can never truly know what worked, and what didn't.

Give your social media manager the resources and authority they need to quickly turn a social media trend into a competitive advantage for your company.

Make sure your metrics system is set up to deliver insights that help your business create innovative products and services.

Start with the end in mind. Consider what your business needs most from social media. What does success look like? Be specific. Look at your entire business, not just the metrics of your social media platform. Take it a step further. Create your own tools and systems. Want to see what a metrics system looks like?

Download Social Metrics Examples

Want to see how this actually works? Click here to get 7 charts of social media metrics. You'll see actionable business insights from online and social media efforts. Get instant access now.

Your 2012 Mobile Marketing Strategy Starts Today!

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:33:00 GMT

I wrote a nice little article today about the surge of mobile media and how you can get started today in your mobile marketing plan:

Mobile Content Spans Multiple Screens

As part of that article I developed a fill-in-the-blank workbook that you can use to identify which mobile marketing strategy will be best for your business. It walks you through the process of thinking like your customer, really understanding what it is they want from your business, and helps you define the areas your business can innovate in mobile media.

Mobile media is causing one of the most significant changes to consumer behavior since the dawn of the industrial revolution. What does that really mean for your business today? What does it mean for you as a marketer?

As you develop your online social media strategy, consider how your customers want to hear from you. Be where your customers are. In 2012, its less about expecting your cust

omers to come to you, and more about going to them where they are living, playing and socializing already. Think of ways where your brand naturally intersects with the lifestyles of your best customers. Use social media to show superior service and attentiveness to your customers needs. The extra effort you put behind your efforts will pay enormous dividends in your social media marketing efforts in the future.

Social Media Campaigns from Constant Contact

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:37:00 GMT

Constant Contact has gotten into the social media game by offering a suite of templates that helps small businesses create nice-looking landing pages and offers for Facebook fans. It lets you build an offer for new fans, and once people "Like" your page, your new fan will see a more customized design. To try it free for 30 days, click here and select "Social Campaigns."

This is a great, low-cost solution for small businessess who need more fans and "Likes" on Facebook. The social media campaigns are free for the first 30-days and will be free forever if your business has fewer than 100 fans. But if you do this, know that it's not the number of Fans and "Likes" you have, it's the quality. For a business that only works with 4-6 clients a month, you may only need 80 or so fans. If you stay under 100 fans, Social Media Campaigns will be free for you forever.

Here's a video that explains how social media campaigns work on Constant Contact:

What you need to know is you will be creating special landing pages that you will be able to publish to your Facebook Business Page.

Each campaign will have two pages your visitors will see. A gateway "entry" page for people who have not yet become your fan, and another "Reveal Page" that will appear only to those who have already "Liked" you on Facebook. With this "Reveal Page" strategy, you can be sure you're ONLY offering special discounts to fans you have liked your page. And once they "Like" your page, they will have access to your news and social media updates in their own timeline every time they login to Facebook.

Constant Contact will walk you through the process of offering something special for your new and existing social media fans. Be sure to set your goals in advance. Know what you want to do, and why, with the new fans you meet. How will you keep them engaged once they "Like" your page? What will you do for them to keep the party going? What will success look like for you? Consider these questions in advance so you will stay focused and productive.

Social media campaigns are a long-term strategy for your business. These are relationships we're talking about. But research has found investments in this area do far more for your business than any other traditional form marketing, so click here to give social media campaigns a try!

Hawaii Tech Industry in Pictures

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:44:00 GMT

Having the right project manager is absolutely critical to the success of your next project. Make sure you accurately understand what your customer really wants. Test your assumptions! I developed a Customer Persona worksheet that keeps my clients focused on their customer.

Timing is another overlooked area. What is your "window of opportunity?" Projects can be either "too early" or "too late." If you started a social media firm in Hawaii in 2008, you may have been a bit too early and spun your wheels for the first couple of years. However, if you're just getting starting with your social media campaign now ... there's a lot of work right now.

The "digg" effect refers to what can happen to your website (and reputation) when too many people flood your business. Customers of Groupon have had this experience, also -- too many customers rush the store after receiving a 50% discount coupon and the staff, inventory and service are just not prepared. The same can happen with your website. The risk to your reputation is higher than ever before in the globally connected, social world.

Thank you to Judy Shapiro over at the Trenchwars Weblog who shared this image with me yesterday (I'm not sure where she got it). Judy was an inspiration to me at SXSW last year, my conversation with her was one of the highlights of my trip, and I've been following her entrepreneurship adventures with much interest!

Social Media Trends to Watch in 2012

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:01:00 GMT

Last year experts predicted tablet computers would become the bridge between streaming video and broadcast television, and that tablet computers would change the way we watch TV as much as smartphones had changed the way we accessed the Internet.

As we get ready for 2012, take a moment to consider the trends that will most affect your marketing and public relations efforts this year.

Twitter

Most small business owners have never used Twitter, never heard of Twitter and may never plan to use Twitter. But, if your business depends on relationships, or you ask for donations, or you sell things to people, then you need to know that people who use Twitter are heavily influencing the mainstream media. For those unfamiliar, Twitter is a short message service where people post updates of 140 characters or less.

Many journalists are now following the companies they write about on Twitter and using the micro-blogging site as a source for story ideas and interview subjects. For anyone that wants more visibility and publicity, Twitter has become highly popular ways of building relationships with reporters. So, for 2012, a key trend will be more marketers using Twitter to influence reporters and other thought leaders about what they write and talk about.

ROI of Social Media

Speaking of visibility and free publicity, did you know that another marketing trend in 2012 will be more marketing agencies measuring social media as much as they measure paid advertising?

Social media is often talked about as being "free," but it's not. The cost comes from the time and resources to build an online presence and reputation. It's not enough to just have a Facebook page in 2012. Marketing agencies are going to need to show how they can actually develop a vibrant community around an advertised product, or connect an offer to a real conversation on the Internet. Because a community can generate word-of-mouth and free publicity, small business owners will need to measure their social media results as carefully as they measure their paid advertising campaigns.

Check-Ins and Mobile Marketing

Another trend to watch in 2012 is more "check ins," advertising and brand sites on the most popular websites. Sites like Yelp! and TripAdvisor automatically generate business profiles from a phone book listing. In 2012, look for companies to take more control over these pages and how their brand appears on social media. Businesses will invest more resources to provide a seamless experience in the way they interact with customers online. Look for more brands to integrate with Google+, Facebook and Twitter where they will offer discounts and rewards in exchange for becoming a member of their community.

Companies Put Branding First

User-generated content, such as blogs, YouTube, video streaming and link-sharing sites are connecting like-minded people more than ever before. Everyone is publishing and improving upon the ideas of others. Advertisers will use this trend to create a "lifestyle" image around their brand.

You might be thinking, "that's all well and good for Coca-Cola, but my customers aren't on social media." Well, just wait. The fastest growing segment on Facebook are those between the ages of 45 and 55, according to eMarketer. And, 75% of the U.S. Internet population has a Facebook account. Of those, half of those login daily. If "getting found" or "visibility" is important to your business, then go to where your customers are. Businesses who connect and interact with their customers in 2012 will come out ahead of those who don't.

2012 will also be a year of better analytics--as-it-happens information about your customers and prospects and how they are engaging with your products or service.

Social Brands Perform Better

Economists predict 2012 will be a year of growth, but customers will be selective about who they do business with. Customers will expect the companies they buy from to be fully connected. If you're a business owner, help your staff become socially engaged and better aware of what people are saying about you. Consider going over comments left on travel review and recommendation sites like TripAdvisor and Yelp. Use staff meetings to talk about ways to improve, or to continue doing positive things that generate good reviews.

Use these trends to focus your efforts in 2012. You may be surprised at what you discover! You may find out what TV shows your customers like to watch and what music they enjoy. Use those topics to start conversations and stay regularly connected to your customers in 2012.

While the sites, tools and gadgets your customers use will change over time, the cultural shift of one-to-one communication with customers will not go away. This isn't anything new, you have always talked to your customers. In 2012, that conversation will just happen in different ways.

Social Media Year in Review

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 14:30:00 GMT

From starting a newspaper column in North Hawaii News to hosting several social media training sessions and presentations, 2011 was sure a year to remember!

The highlight was traveling to Austin for the South by Southwest (SXSW) conference. I began writing more, volunteered with the Chamber of Commerce, joined the Social Media Club of Hawaii, spoke at the Honolulu Convention Center, met social media gurus ... it really was quite a year!

I'm especially grateful to the eight new clients I picked up this year and my 800 or so loyal readers of my blog and member newsletter (http://join.laura-kinoshita.com). I really enjoy sharing marketing tips and resources for anyone who wants to get more from their marketing and social media efforts.

Of course, every year I publish the West Hawaii Social Media Report, a major effort which takes almost three months to put together. I'll be doing it again this year, so leave a comment below if you'd like a copy.

Thank you to all the new friends I made this year. You've been generous beyond belief, a great deal of fun to be around, an invaluable sounding board and sanity-keeper. I've found a great group of friends that are passionate about what they do, smart as tacks, funny as hell, strong-willed and they all really like to have a good time! I can't wait to spend time with you again!

Please, let's also remember the dear friends we lost along the way, all too soon. Life is precious and short, so let's honor their memories by appreciating all the small blessings life has to offer, every day. Let's make the most of it in 2012, because there are no guarantees any of us will see 2013. Doesn't the Mayan calandar predict the world will end tomorrow?

But if you're reading this in 2012, may your life be filled with health and your soul with peace and wellbeing.

Me ke aloha and Hauoli Makahiki Hou!

(With my love and Happy New Year)

50% Savings on Email Marketing

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 13:30:00 GMT

I also provide "Done for You" email marketing and newsletter services so you can put this important part of your business on autopilot, or a "pay-as-you go plan" where you can get focused support where you need it most.

Two Things Every Email Marketing Message Must Have

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:15:00 GMT

Today I received an email with the subject line, "December 2011."

Do you get these?

When deciding what to read every day I look at two things: Who it is from and what is it about?

If you can't pass these two two tests, then ... you're deleted.

How many of your customers have so much time on their hands that they are just sitting there waiting for your news to come in?

But now let's look at some successful email subject lines:

The Best Business News You’ll Hear This Holiday
[My name], reward yourself with up to 6 free nights at [Hotel]
The hottest conversations on [our site]
Save up to 33% with the December Sale
Should this woman keep a secret?
Exclusive. Free Shipping. Right Now.

Notice a trend?

A successful email marketing campaign must include two simple things

In your email message subject line, make sure you have:

1. A specific offer
2. Clear idea about what the person will get in return for opening the message

It's no longer enough to expect people to read your message just because you sent it to them. You must trade VALUE for your customer's time.

Now, I realize most small business owners don't have the resources to craft highly effective online newsletters every 10-14 days (the recommended frequency of a successful online marketing campaign).

That's why I've launched a new service dedicated to helping small businesses improve their email newsletter campaigns. It's called "Done-For-You Newsletter Services" and its designed with the busy (and overworked!) business owner in mind.

I'm also offering my subscribers a FREE email grader report, from the talented folks at HubSpot, with whom I work. Just send me a copy of your best newsletter and I'll send you a detailed report of how effective your email newsletter campaign is. You will get data across 5 categories: message deliverability, conversion, social media optimization, effectiveness of message timing, and mobile device compatibility.

Then, if you'd like "done-for-you" email marketing services, or just a one-hour "Power Session" that will improve your email marketing campaigns, you can contact me for assistance.

Want to learn more? Watch this video to learn how email grader works. Then send me a copy of your newsletter!

It's My Birthday...and Here's My Gift for You!

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 17:30:00 GMT

I'm turning 40 years old on November 29th, and I have a special birthday treat for you!

As part of my Birthday Celebration I am going to help you (or someone you know) better use online tools to get more sales leads for your business.

If you work in the tourism, retail, real estate, restaurant or professional service industries, this can significantly help grow your business in 2012.

Until tomorrow, November 29th at midnight, Hawaii standard time, you will get 50% off my "Social Media Boot Camp for Small Business" program.

http://info.laura-kinoshita.com/birthday-social-media-promo/

This is my way of saying "Thank You" for being a loyal reader and supporter over the past few years!

This isn't false hope. What I'm offering is a proven system for converting more of your website traffic into new business leads and sales.

How quickly you put the program to work for you is up to you.

You will have to work. But isn't that how you grew your business to begin with?

Those who spend 5-10 hours a week see results faster than those who can only spend 1 hour a week. This is about you moving toward a process of reaching people where they hang out in more effective ways than what you're doing right now. Everyone who puts effort forward will see improvement.

In my personal experience working with neglected websites I've seen traffic improve 75% in six months.
I've seen conversion rates from Facebook outperform Google ads by 3 to 1.
I've seen businesses better link social media efforts to in-store sales.
It's about being more visible, and getting the right types of people wanting to do business with you.

So, what do I teach exactly?

In this program I provide:

An overview of inbound marketing and why it's essential for your business in 2012
Practical steps for radically improving your visibility online
A way for you to spend 60% less getting better-quality sales leads
A list of questions you need to honestly ask yourself before getting started
4 Steps to a Successful Social Media Strategy
Information about the cultural shift your business will need to take to be successful online
Easy steps you can take to get started now
An overview about how Google works, and how recent changes will affect you
Understanding about why inbound links are the “currency of the Web” (and what that means!)
Examples of local Big Island businesses that you know and love being successful with social media in Hawaii

There's only one thing you need to know....

After December 31th, this program will disappear. I'm taking it off the market to get ready for a new "Digital Mastermind" small-group program in 2012.

So .... If you've been wanting to learn more about how to use social media marketing to get more leads for your business, now's the chance to get my system at a huge discount:

http://info.laura-kinoshita.com/birthday-social-media-promo/

Dear Laura --

It is after 11 PM and I am still thinking about the things we discussed and the information about [our] website that you shared today . . . it was a valuable session, and I thank you very much. Joyce R., College Goals

e welina Laura ~
[Our business] still doesn't have a website. Nevertheless, I used some of what I learned at the Social Media Boot Camp to publicize our recently concluded online auction... I know it worked because within moments of posting we exceeded our bandwidth and had to ask our service provider to bail us out. I've also been asking, "How did you hear about our auction?" So thanks...I would never have thought to do any of that kind of publicity if it weren't for your blog and the Boot Camp. Michelle M. Friends of the Future

Mobile Internet Brings Opportunities to Retailers

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 21:53:00 GMT

Did you know 70% of people will refer to an online source before visiting a local business or restaurant? This is according to a March 2011 study from CityGrid Media and Harris Interactive and shared last week by eMarketer.

The study found people are turning to Google search as the #1 source, followed by review and recommendation sites like TripAdvisor and Yelp! (13%) and followed by Facebook (12%). The results were published on the eMarketer website, which offers a complete report on the findings:

EMarketer also looked at the fact that smartphones are increasingly driving traffic to retail stores. As I wrote about here before, searching for information on mobile devices is the #2 activity and Google says mobile users who search for stores and products are very likely to buy that product or service within 24 hours!

The rush to mobile media advertising also explains why so many businesses are expressing a high interest in social media in Q4 2011. In my own social media survey of small businesses, I found local retailers are investing more time and money into social media and inbound marketing techniques this year than they did last year, and they plan to increase that number even more next year.

This fact is backed up by Retail Systems Research (RSR), which found the numbers of retailers worldwide who say smartphones "have a lot of value in driving traffic to their stores" jumped from 20% to 31% in just one year. ("The 21st Century Store: The Search for Relevance"). That means 2011 could really be the year retailers put their mobile strategy in place. Is your business getting ready?

Having clear goals, key performance indicators and social media metrics will be key in the way you determine if your social media plan is working or not.

So are you just getting started or do you have a plan in place? Is there someone on your team who is the "social media manager" or a "community developer?" Do you have all the skills you need in-house, or will you need some training first? What are you are seeing as they key trends in your industry? Tell me what's going on in the comments section below!

7 Scary Things You Probably Didn’t Know about Facebook

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 18:57:00 GMT

Do you know the full extent to which Facebook uses your personal information?

Few people do.

The following is based on actual published news accounts and interviews with Facebook employees:

1. Facebook keeps everything, forever.

By far the biggest misconception is that once you “remove” or “hide” something on Facebook, it’s gone forever. Not true. Whether you’ve deleted, untagged, hidden, removed or interacted with anything, Facebook keeps a record of it. Click on a profile, upload a photo, update your status, change your profile, Facebook remembers. This is how they keep track of who your best friends are and make the site so engaging and satisfying to use. When you type a letter in the search box, what appears isn’t arranged alphabetically, but rather who you interact with the most. The Friends that appear first in search arearranged according to who you send messages to the most, or whose profile you view the most, or people you interact with the most. So Facebook needs to keep track of every message, chat and poke. They even keep track of which people you are tagged in photos with, and how often.

2. Facebook has multiple versions of every photo you’ve ever uploaded.

When Facebook saves photos, they don’t just make a copy of the original, but instead they make multiple copies to use in various ways. For example, they store one version for the newsfeed, another version for your profile, another for your timeline and so on. And each photo that is uploaded to Facebook carries with it the metadata that digital cameras include with each image. This type of data often includes the manufacturer of the camera, themodel number and even its serial number, as well as properties such as shutter speed and exposure time. On some cameras, such as the iPhone 4, metadata can also include the precise GPS location of where the photo was taken.

3. Facebook stores multiple data “snapshots” throughout the day.

Snapshots include every viewable screen, and every piece of data behind every screen. These “snapshots” are taken every hour, of every day, of every month, for every year. That’s how Facebook can provide timelines that go back to the day you were “born,” (or the day you started using Facebook.) This data is stored in multiple data centers around the world, including San Francisco, New York and London. In each data warehouse there are approximately 10 thousand servers, and each location has essentially the same data on it as every other location. If a world disaster ever brought the entire Internet down, Facebook could be back online within just a few days, regardless of where the disaster took place.

4. Facebook engineers can look at any message, chat or photo without having to login to a specific profile.

In the early days of Facebook there used to be a “master password” which allowed a few engineers view any user’s profile from within Facebook headquarters, but practically speaking, the use of a password is irrelevant for an engineer who has access to Facebook servers. “It’s just for style,” said one employee. That’s because everything uploaded to Facebook is saved in a simple database. Whether deleted or not, every message, chat history, photo and so forth lives on in a database that can easily be accessed by Facebook engineers.

5. Facebook keeps track of every device you use, and how often.

A privacy group named Europe v. Facebook discovered this fact when they requested a copy of every piece of data Facebook had on record for two European Facebook users. One of the Facebook profiles contained more than 880 pages of information. Included among the messages, chat history, photos and viewing history was also a record of every device the person used to access their profile on Facebook, including how often they logged in from each machine, as well as all the other Facebook profiles which had ever been accessed on that same machine.

6. Facebook uses scientific research to make its site as appealing and addictive as possible.

When Facebook wants to introduce new features, they conduct a variety of scientific tests to find out which ones will be the most emotionally appealing and engaging for the greatest number of users. For example, Facebook used eye-tracking tests to find a better way to display photos. Testing revealed that one design improved the number of page views by 77% while also reducing bandwith and page load time. That test changed the way photos are displayed on Facebook.

7. Facebook’s “Frictionless Sharing” enables the site to track your browsing activity even after you log out of Facebook.

With frictionless sharing, once you approve a website or application to interact with Facebook, all your activity on that website and application will be automatically shared with Facebook, whether you’re logged into Facebook or not. The Electronic Privacy Information Center filed a complaint with the FTC saying that Facebook puts secret, persistent identifiers in users’ browsers. Privacy advocates also complain that the process for people to opt-out of frictionless sharing is confusing and impractical. Facebook responds by saying they provide more granular control of data to users than any other site, and that their privacy controls are superior.

So, what can you do to better protect your data? Read the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy for all the sites you use most, starting with Facebook, Google and iTunes. Facebook allows you to download an archive of everything you’ve ever uploaded, but be careful—once you have a copy then you will need to make sure it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands!

(This article was originally published Oct. 27, 2011 in North Hawaii News)

How to Turn Your Content into a Strategic Marketing Advantage

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 16:52:00 GMT

I'm on my way back from the Hawaii Social Media Summit at the Honolulu Convention Center! Mari Smith presented the keynote session, "Relationship Marketing: How to Build a Large, Loyal and Profitable Network Using the Social Web." Mari's talk emphasized the actions businesses can take to build and sustain long-term relationships with customers, and the importance of building relationships first, business second.

"Modern marketing is about relationships," she said, and the challenge for marketers is to be "creative about the ways you nurture relationships with customers." For example, Mari hosted a retreat at her home for her top clients, drawn from a community that had been part of her network for years.

Mari also talked abouth the importance of "social equity" and to treat people on social media like equals. “You are equally important to me whether you have 10 or 1000 followers,” she said. "Show you really care about people, not just sales."

One idea I liked was the suggestion going into the profile pages of your best customers or new business prospects and gather information such as what their favorite movie or book is. "I have a friend who will buy a small piece from a movie set." What a great way to keep the personal connection while still leveraging the power of social media! It not only shows you care, but that you're also paying attention!

Turning Content into Your Strategic Competitive Advantage

I was also the presenter for Session 4 which was about helping businesses use their existing content for a strategic competitive advantage. A key point of my talk is that a business website must help your customers and clients acheive their goals while they on your website (not yours.) I encouraged businesses to look at the keyword search phrases that people are using to find their site, and also the personal profiles of "fans" that have liked their page. Or, even just talk to 10-15 most trusted close customers during conversations. However the data is collected, marketers will often find that what they think customers want from their website is often not what they had thought.

A copy of my presentation is below. It includes a step-by-step process for creating an editorial calendar that will dramatically improve your ability to attract the right types of visitors to your website -- those who are most likely to buy from you! It's about attracting more qualified visitors to your website, and then converting them into paying customers over time. But remember! It's a long-term process, because relationships must come first!

Turning Content into Your Strategic Competitive Advantage

View more presentations from LKinoshita

How to Grow Your Business with Reviews, Deals & Check-Ins

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 20:19:00 GMT

(This article was originally published in North Hawaii News)

Now's a great time to get your digital footprint ready for the upcoming season. Set aside one hour this week to look at one or more of the following sites. Each offers a free set of tools that can help you, the small business owner, get better found online and encourage positive word-of-mouth. Take advantage of these resources and see which makes the most sense:

1. Yelp. Yelp helps people find great local businesses, like dentists, hair stylists and mechanics. It's been around for seven years and each month more than 53 million people use the site.

Because of its popularity and longevity, Yelp listings for businesses often "outrank" self-made business pages in search results. If you don't claim your site, your customers can make one for you, until you decide to "claim" it and take over. Of the 200 million reviews posted on Yelp, 83% are positive. Use Yelp for: Getting found in search; establishing an online business presence.

2. TripAdvisor. TripAdvisor is the world's largest travel community in the world, period. Each month, 60 million people use TripAdvisor to get reviews and recommendations, book flights, make restaurant reservations and find recommended vacation activities. There is also a vacation rental division for property managers. TripAdvisor is the engine behind 19 top travel websites, including airfarewatchdog.com, bookingbuddy.com, cruisecritic.com, independenttraveler.com, smartertravel.com, seatguru.com and others. When a business signs up for a merchant page, they get priority rankings in search, the ability to interact with members and a custom landing page. Use TripAdvisor for: Better traffic, testimonials; offering special deals and discounts.

3. Facebook Places. Did you know the fastest-growing segment on Facebook is 55-65 year-old females? Or that 50% of mobile traffic is to Facebook? When people find a place they really like, they want to tell their friends about it. Facebook Places encourages people to "tag" their location to whatever it is they are doing -- sharing a thought, posting a picture or having lunch. Facebook wants to encourage people to:

Share where you’ve been
Share where you are now
Share where you’re going

Past. Present. Future.

4. Foursquare. Foursquare is a game environment where friends compete for points and badges. The premise is to make cities more fun to navigate and explore with friends. Facebook Places may have the largest user base (about 7X the size of Foursquare), but Facebook is moving away from the "check in" and focusing more on "tagging." Foursquare, on the other hand, has a user base that checks-in frequently and about one third share their check-ins with their Twitter and Facebook followers.

So, while Foursquare users may not be as prevalent in number, they tend to be more influential in their social circles.

Foursquare also offers free tools to help business owners identify and engage with their best customers, then reward those customers for their loyalty. There's also a merchant platform for detailed venue statistics about foot traffic and other metrics.

Use Foursquare for: Engaging with your best customers; getting statistics about your business.

Confused about where to begin?

1. Claim your site. Check to see if your business is listed among any of the top sites. Chances are it is. Remember, your customers are already talking about you online. To respond to reviews, post better pictures or have better control about how you are perceived online, "claim" your business page this week on each of the above sites.

2. Complete your profile. This is where it may get a little tough. Who is going to be the "face" of your business? Who is going to set the "tone of voice" for your location? Sure, you may get away with using your logo on some sites, but Yelp requires a picture of an individual, and sunglasses and group shots are not allowed. This may be a difficult decision, but it makes sense from a social perspective. Would you rather talk to a person or would you rather talk to a logo? Your customers feel the same way.

3. Optimize for keywords. Do you know the top 25 phrases your customers use to find you online? Use Google's AdWords "Keyword Tool" to get a suggested list. Then, include the top keyword phrases in your profile business page, description, titles, headings and tags. You can even rename your images to include one of your keyword phrases before posting them to your profile. This will help the search engines find you using the very same words your customers already use the most.

Once you complete these steps, you'll be able to better monitor and respond to how people are talking about you online. You'll also get invaluable customer feedback. Reward employees for outstanding service and develop new ways for identifying and encouraging loyal customers. Over time, you'll have a brand personality that distinguishes you in the hearts and minds of your best customers.

Want to learn more? Email me with the subject: CHECK-IN-SAVINGS and I will give you a 50% discount toward my Social Media Bootcamp for Small Business training program. It's a great way to understand social media marketing and how to position your local business for success.

Create a Deliberate Online Marketing Experience

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 17:30:00 GMT

The most successful businesses are building active and vibrant social communities around their products and services. They do this by working every day to improve the overall customer experience, to make every customer feel positive whenever they think about the business. Successful businesses know the emotions that their customers respond to most, and they make sure the customer experience is deliberate--not just something that happens by accident. Strong businesses understand that loyalty is an emotional connection.

Know Your Customer's Heart

Your social media success will depend on how well you can orient yourself towards your customer’s lifestyle. This means understanding your customer's innermost values, problems, needs and desires.

My marketing process starts with getting honest about who your customers are, and the real value your product or service provides. It's not just art or jewelry you might be selling, but a moment remembered, a special day, a cherished experience. Ask yourself, what are the real motivators for my customers? What do they really want the most? Perhaps it's a sense of nostalgia, pleasurable dining, the ability to share good times with family and friends, go on an adventure, trust in a hope, or live out their dream ... these are the real nuggets of value that your business can provide.

Now look at what you're giving your customers in social media. Are your messages relevant to the types of experiences your customers want? Are you willing to care and nurture your customer community every single day? Are you really listening to your customers? Or just going through the motions?

Social media is an amplifier, so first you'll have to start with these deep business and operational questions. Be honest with yourself before you get started.

At first, you might be worried about getting a lot of complaints -- that's okay. Let your customers express their frustrations. It only gives you another opportunity to show that you take their concerns seriously.

If Engagement Makes You Nervous...

Then at a minimum just make it easier for your potential customers to find you. Get yourself set up on the major social media networks and try hanging out where your customers congregate online.

Do a Twitter search of your company, industry or brand name. Listen and respond to comments about your business and brand.

Engagement takes a lot of effort, but if you're consistent at it, you'll be rewarded with more support and encouragement than you can imagine.

Setting Goals for Social Media: You Get What You Inspect

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 17:25:00 GMT

There's a saying that goes, "If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there," and never has than been more true than in the world of social media.

Having a clear, specific goal will keep you on the right path. I like S.M.A.R.T. goals--Specific, Measurable, Action-Oriented, Realistic, Time-Specific.

Examples:

“By Dec. 31, 2011 5% of visitors to our website will turn into a brick-and-mortar customer within a 6-month time period.”
“Starting 12 months from now, our website will generate 10% of retail revenue.”
“80% of people surveyed within a 10-mile radius will be able to correctly identify and describe our primary business.”

These are just some ideas to get you started...

Outputs, Outgrowths and Outcomes

Ultimately, any effort to measure the ROI of social media will come down to some combination of URL tracking, customer surveys and/or redemption of offers. Each tactic initiated for the purpose of a specific goal must have its own indicators of success. Be clear about what you are trying to do.

You can measure:

Outputs (clicks, followers, retweets, website traffic, likes, etc.)
Outgrowths (cost savings, engagement, word-of-mouth, influence, reputation)
Outcomes (change in sales, change in behavior, change in opinions or values

Marketers have direct control over outputs, but outgrowths and outcomes will also be influenced by other factors – like the responsiveness of your staff, the quality of your customer service, your level of consistency, effectiveness of your sales team, etc.

Even factors such as consumer confidence, seasonality and what your competitors are doing (like outspending you in advertising) will affect your overall marketing outcomes.

But one factor will always hold true—the more power you put into your marketing effort, the more you will get out of it.

7 Ways to Tell if Your Social Media Campaign is Successful

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 17:30:00 GMT

What does success in social media look like?

Here are 7 ways to tell:

Your customers start repeating and sharing one of your “key messages,” something they didn’t know before and something you needed to get more widely publicized.
Your email subscriber list starts growing by leaps and bounds.
The quality of engagement on social media increases dramatically. You see you’re making a real impact on customer’s lives, and they are enthusiastically sharing their experiences with their friends.
You get high redemption rates on your online coupons and offers.
Your email metrics skyrocket. More people open and click through to your website because you add real value to their day.
In response to feedback, you improve your business. You are becoming more customer-focused, more innovative, delivering more quality.
Your customers become advocates for your business. They are willing to pay a little extra, wait a little longer, promote your business to their friends because they genuinely appreciate you and your business. They write positive reviews on your behalf.

Most businesses are suspicious of online advertising, and I understand why. Even if you get a large numbers of “hits” or “traffic,” how does a small business owner know if all that traffic turned into real customers or sales?

“Assuming we can identify our best customers and demographics, how will we know if our online marketing campaign is working?”

There’s no question that advertisers can place the right message in front of the right person at the right time, the moment when they are most likely to buy. (The question of whether advertisers are willing to do the necessary research, creative development, testing and evaluation is another matter entirely.) This makes online marketing the most accountable form of marketing available.

How to Convert Web Traffic to Sales

The secret is to create an online conversion process on your website where “real people” request/subscribe/raise their hand to have a real relationship with you. The most common example is a newsletter list sign-up, but unfortunately, most businesses fail to offer any compelling reason why someone would want to subscribe. Remember – you still have to “sell” or “market” yourself, even when a person has clearly expressed an initial interest in your business. In the customer’s mind there are stages of “awareness,” “interest,” “evaluation” and “purchase.” It’s your job to carry the relationship through each stage. Let me say that again--it’s your job to get the customer to sign-up or “purchase.” You are not entitled to any attention, support or sign-ups. You must earn every one.

Did you like this article? If so, please share it! Click on one of the buttons above, Tweet me @lkinoshita or just leave a comment below.

How to Use Testimonials Effectively

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 05:20:00 GMT

Sure, everyone loves it when someone says something nice about their business, but did you know testimonials can radically help grow your business?

Think of a testimonial as a way to create a “mirror effect” in the mind of your ideal customer prospect. Your customer might be worried about doing business with you, testimonials confront that fear head-on by showing how your product or service was used by real customers.

"Struggles" are the problems your business can help solve and “Desires” are all the positive experiences your customers will have after working with you.

Use customer testimonials to show how your product or service has helped people in real life. This will help other people overcome any objections or hesitancy that they might have in doing business with you.

Here are 7 questions you can use to get amazing testimonials:

What hesitations did you have about working with our company?
What changes have you noticed since working with our company? (Get specific, measurable outcomes.)
What specific feature/service do you like best when working with our company?
How have you benefited from our service? (the more specific, the better.)
Would you recommend our product/service to others? (Why or why not?)
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Would you be willing to be interviewed by me at another time?

Tips:

When collecting testimonials, get the full name, where the person lives, a picture (and permission to use) and the industry the person works in (if it's relevant to your business.)

Capturing testimonials on video is best, because with video you can convert to all types of formats you will ever need (audio, visual, text). Smartphones make it easier than ever.

Then, plan to edit down responses, but let the emotions come through. Genuine enthusiasm trumps all.

After you edit for clarity, get your customer's permission that everything is a-okay.

Did you find this useful? Then Like this page and check out Sean Desouza's site, Psychotactics.com. The first six questions were developed by him and later shared by Marie Forleo during Rich Happy Hot B-School earlier this year. Marie also added question #7.

You might also like this article: "What Does it Really Take to Succeed in Social Media Marketing."

Have a question? Leave a comment below.

How to Reduce the Number of Facebook Messages in Your Email

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 20:09:00 GMT

Are you getting bombarded with Facebook spam? Getting too many email notification messages from Facebook? Here's how you can turn those messages off in Facebook. And some other useful Facebook notification tips as well!

Have another Facebook question? Type in your question in the comments section below, and I'll answer them in an upcoming video

Help Me Pick a Social Media Speaking Topic!

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 22:32:00 GMT

I'm going to be speaking at the Hawaii Social Media Summit on Oct. 19th (Hawaii Convention Center) and I need your help in picking a session topic!

What other topics should I consider? Write your answer in the comments section below.

How to Find an Online Community for Any Small Business

Tue, 02 Aug 2011 21:18:00 GMT

I was at an event recently when I noticed someone browsing dilegently through my portfolio. They appeared to be late 60's-70's, bearded, wrinkled with years of rugged country living.

"Can I answer any questions?" I asked.

"I'm into antiques," he said.

"Well, there are large communities on the Internet dedicated to antiques," I started to blather.

"Antique furniture restoration." He said, as if to stop me. It was almost as if by "antique" he was saying "old" and that by "old" he was saying "not online."

It got me thinking. Could there be interest groups that are just "not right" for social media? Interest groups so narrow it would be impossible to reach them?

I told the man I could probably find an online community dedicated to furniture restoration in less than an hour. The man added his name to my email list and asked me to follow up with him after the event. So I did.

How to Find a Social Community for Any Industry or Topic

I started by researching the types of people that are most interested in antique furniture restoration. I wanted to find out their demographics, and what types of problems or solutions they were searching for most on the Web.

Based on my research I found the most active community were collectors and buyers. That got me thinking about what types of information and topics would appeal to that group most.

Based on this information, I would make sure his website catered to this demographic, and I would align his business around topics based on those kinds of conversations. For example, the key would be to target websites and online forums featuring:

Antiques & Collectibles
Homemaking & Interior Décor
Kitchen & Dining
Home Furnishings
Visual Art & Design

Then, find the intersection of those interests with Hawaii and Hawaii readership. Based on that information, he could begin to develop a marketing campaign to generate awareness and interest in antique furniture restoration services.

Twitter

I then turned to Facebook and Twitter to find the most influencial people with audiences that would be appropriate for antique restoration:

You can see from the description what these writers like to focus on. Some are more relevant than others. By engaging with conversations it wouldn't be long before a person could find a community of people talking about topics most relevant to their small business.

Competitive Analysis

The last thing I did was to find out what competitors were doing online. It was very hit-or-miss. Not a single locally owned business website came up in a search for "antique furniture restoration." It was all empty directory site listings.

Hint: it would be very easy to “rank” for this search term. In fact, I may have done it already with just this one article!

Outside of Hawaii, antique restorers are making YouTube videos and teaching people principles of antique furniture restoration. This makes their website and phone number come up quickly on Internet searches. Look at how business names and phone numbers pop up in this search:

The Opportunity for Hawaii Small Businesses

Businesses in Hawaii have storytelling opportunities others don't have. You have jaw-dropping backdrops, a unique lifestyle and islands filled with interesting people. Using stories from your own backyard would be a strategy for growing a readership. And the community of Big Island bloggers is growing.

If I could find all this activity on the social web for antique furniture restoriation, just think what could be lurking in your field of expertise! My experience has taught me that the more niche the interest group, the more vital it is to use online tools to connect with them online.

Be curious about what other's are doing and see if you are inspired with new ideas for your business. You could find some fun stuff.

For example, I found the only known pair of solid gold singing bird pistols, estimated to be worth between $2-5 million.

Is this the type of thing that I could share with my network and possibly increase visibility and interest in my business?

What types of interesting things will you find? How will you be able to use those discoveries to draw awareness and attention to your business?

Share what is working best for you in the comments section below.

Should You Accept LinkedIn Invitations from People You Don't Know?

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 17:08:00 GMT

What do you do when you get an invitation from someone on LinkedIn that you don’t really know?

Perhaps its someone in the same industry, or a person connected to someone else that you might know quite well. Should you link with them?

I think this is a personal choice, but for LinkedIn I think there's rarely harm in connecting to people you don't know all that well, especially if you want to get to know them better!

If the person requesting a connection has high-quality, established relationships, it's usually to your advantage to accept. However, if the person is relatively young or inexperienced, or someone who may be overly agressive in outreach (such as a salesperson or job applicant), it may NOT be to your benefit. Here's why:

Linking to someone gives people the ability to see (and potentially prospect with) each other's contacts. They can request introductions or see detailed profile information. In most cases this will not present a problem, but sometimes it could put you in an awkward situation, especially if you don't know the person well. In general, I recommend "protecting" the quality of your professional network by connecting to people you generally believe to be worthwhile. You are who you associate with, in my opinion.

On the other hand, some people believe connecting to as many people as possible exponentially increases the number of opportunities for their business to be found online. Consider your goals. Increasing your network will expand your realm of possibilities, but it will also generate more "noise."

I almost always accept invites from people I know or who I've exchanged emails with. But when I get a request from a person I've never heard of, it makes me suspicious. Usually I can trace the invitation back to a group or common interest. But if we have nothing in common, it makes me think I'm being targeted for spam, or worse.

Don't forget that LinkedIn is not the only way people have for contacting you. Sometimes you might want to keep relationships to Twitter or your blog before you accept someone into your professional network on LinkedIn.

Treat your relationships on LinkedIn the way you treat relationships in real life, and you'll rarely run into problems.

What are your thoughts? Do you accept invites from people you don't know all that well? What other questions do you have about LinkedIn? Tell me in in the Comments section below.