AdamVincenzini.com

Seven sports teams using social media in seven innovative ways

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Vincenzini) — Thu, 24 May 2012 02:57:00 +0000

When you think of sports fans, passion is one of the first things that comes to mind.

When you think of active social media participants, passion comes to mind just as quickly.

This is both a blessing and a curse for sports teams.

When things are going well for a sports team, social media channels provide them with a ‘virtual roar’ that can be heard all over the world.

But, the ‘virtual boo’ can be just as loud.

How do these teams channel this passion?

Let’s serve up some examples of teams who make innovation of a big part of what they do.

1. The Chicago Bulls ‘connect’ fans with fans all over the world

The NBA’s Bulls are one of the world’s most popular sports teams.

And, they tick all the social media boxes you’d expect but its special Bulls Connectsocial network which makes them a must follow.

Bulls Connect is a place where fans can communicate directly to each other, follow other fans, write blog posts and share photos in a way that keeps this passion in the one place.

It really comes to life during game time where it connects you with other members, giving you an ‘extended living room’ to trade commentary with other fans all over the world.

2. Jenson, Lewis and @thefifthdriver

F1 racing fans will be quick to sing the praises of @thefifthdriver, the Twitter account of the McLaren Mercedes team (home of Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton).

It bridges the gap between official news and personlised insights as well as any sports team out there.

One of the reasons it is so popular is the exclusive content it dishes up, especially on race day when the drivers are getting ready to race.

Follow now!

3. FC Barcelona on Facebook caters to fans all over the world

Boundaries don’t exist on social media, which for some sports teams presents some big challenges.

While FC Barcelona is a Spanish team, their Facebook page (which has 31 million likes) is followed by fans all over the world – how do they get around that?

Well, they use a Bing translation plugin for starters, giving fans English and Spanish version of each status update.

They also use photos cleverly, allowing them to tell stories that don’t require translation.

4. The Dallas Cowboys hangout with fans on Google+

The NFL’s Cowboys are renowned for social media innovation.

With days of the launch of Google+ pages last year, they staged a Hangout with DeMarcus Ware and nine lucky fans to rave reviews.

This is a great use of the Hangouts function, adding real value to the team’s presence on the Google+ platform.

5. The Celtics embrace Instagram in an instant

The Boston Celtics were the first professional sports team to create an Instagram account and this early adoption has seen them amass 170,000 followers who hang off every single update.

The exclusive pre-game locker room shots give you an idea of the access you’ll get via this account.

6. Pittsburgh Penguins and Pinterest

A lot has been said about the referral power of Pinterest.

And, an awful lot has been said about how popular Pinterest is among females.

So, if one of your tasks is to attract more female fans, Pinterest isn’t a bad option as the Pitsburgh Penguins have discovered.

The ability to use boards to further categorise the user experience is handy too.

7. ChelseaFC showcases ChelseaTV on YouTube

Of all the Premier League teams, Chelsea has embraced YouTube with more passion than any of its rivals.

With more than 86,000 subscribers, it is a true extension of its ‘pay-TV’ product and broader video content portfolio.

What makes it unique is the exclusive content.

A great example is this exclusive interview with Fernando Torres when he signed with Chelsea.

Not only did this generate views and shares, but it also acted a a great advertisement for the channel and the content it delivers.

As you can see by the selection shared here, sports teams are not short on options when it comes to owned social media channels.

But, as many other sectors are discovering, picking and choosing the right options is a battle in itself.

New Trend? 'Reverse' Media Content Partnerships on Facebook

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Vincenzini) — Fri, 18 May 2012 04:18:00 +0000

I hate classifying something as a 'trend' without any data to back it up, but anecdotal evidence (and common sense) suggests 'reverse' media partnerships are on the rise.

And, it's about bloody time!

Hold on a second, what is a Reverse Media Partnership?

Well, historically, brands have created content and then partnered up with media outlets to get eyeballs on their content.

But, as brands have evolved to become legitimate media players, they too can provide an 'audience' to traditional content creators.

Still confused?

Let me bring it to life with a hypothetical example...

Cross promotion in reverse: A hypothetical example

So, lets pretend I am a media owner.

A production company has just sold me a documentary on the history of coffee.

It is set to air on Channel 4 at the end of the month.

My job, as the channel owner, is to sell advertising space.

This is helped when a lot of people watch my shows.

I normally spend a lot of money generating pre-premiere buzz by asking other media channels to publicise my programme (which rarely works) or I have to exhaust my own channels.

But, these tend to be very broad audiences.

Now, who will lap up a show like this? Coffee lovers of course.

Where do these guys spend time online?

Well, a very obvious one is Facebook, and the fan pages of the major coffee shop chains.

Wouldn't it make sense to team up with Costa Coffee for example and provide them with exclusive content from the show before the on-air date?

The assets could include:

- Teaser video clips
- Behind the scenes footage
- Interviews

You've just reached more than 500,000 passionate coffee fans in a way that will be received well.

It doesn't have to be something as explicit as a documentary either - perhaps you've created a mobile game based around the love of coffee? Or, an infographic on coffee drinking styles. They'd be lapped up too.

What's in it for the brand?

It provides its community with exclusive content about a subject they are INCREDIBLY passionate about: coffee!

And brands can't talk about their own products all day long, they need truly engaging content that will excite their communities.

I've always wondered why this approach isn't considered more by brands and media owners.

Even in a brand-to-brand situation (as long as the category is non-competitive).

Brand fan pages require content. Lots of it.

And, the most efficient way of creating and sharing content is to re-purpose existing stuff, as opposed to generating stuff from scratch.

So it makes sense to collaborate and create mutually beneficial situations like these.

How can you make this happen?

It takes effort from both parties.

Firstly, brands have to make it easy for you to approach them and assess partnership requests.

This could be as simple as a note on your Facebook page saying:

If you have some content you think is suitable for our community, email us at and we'll take a look at it.

As the content provider, your job is pretty simple too.

Study pages closely and work out if your content would suit the community.

And I'm not talking about pushing products, I'm talking about content that will genuinely add value.

This is just one simple way of getting your content seen by more of the right people.

There are a million other opportunities out there like this, it just requires some lateral thinking and some decent research.

And, you'd be doing the community managers / content editors of these pages a HUGE favour too - and these guys will become as influential as anyone in there niche so the sooner you think of them the better!

Disclosure: Paratus manage the Facebook page for Costa Coffee.

Tick tock! 10 'real-time' photo search engines

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Vincenzini) — Mon, 14 May 2012 13:02:00 +0000

Thanks to services like Twitter and Instagram, and the global 'smartphone saturation' phenomenon, live reporting from big events has never been easier.

No longer do we have to rely on professionals delivering content and images from these events, we have our extended social networks doing this for us.

And, because so many of these updates get fired into the 'public' timeline, virtually any update from anywhere can be found and shared in a matter of seconds.

But, with all of this content creation happening, who is making sense of it, giving it some order and structure?

You, of course.

But, while we've taken to 'leisurely' content curation on platforms like Pinterest, 'real-time content curation' hasn't been embraced with the same passion.

With the London Olympics on our doorstep, expect to see 'real-time photo curation' explode into popularity and we've got some tools to help you be at the forefront of this revolution.

10 'real-time' photo search engines

1. NachoPhoto.com - If you conduct your own search for 'real-time photo search engines' this is likely to appear pretty highly, even though it doesn't appear to be promoted as heavily as it was about 12 months ago. Take a look at the example 'LeBron' (LeBron James) search as an example of the results you get back. NachoPhoto combines 'professional' potography with 'user-generated' results better than anyone else out there.

2. Skylin.es - This service takes most of its results from the public Twitter timeline and allows you to pick and choose the best user-generated photos being published in real-time. It also gives you the ability to narrow these results down by location. Boom!

3. Twitcaps.com - If you are after the best of Twitter and Instagram, then Twitcaps is the service for you. While the interface is a little rough around the edges, it does deliver a true real-time photo discovery experience.

4. PicFog.com - The unique element of PicFog is its minute-by-minute time-stamping functionality, letting you know exactly when each image was uploaded. This can give you and your curation efforts a big competitive advantage.

5. Twicsy.com - One of the best Twitter pics search engines, Twicsy offers a handy 'in the last hour' search filter which can help hugely in your real-time curation efforts. You can even get your hands on pre-set widgets which will serve up images from specific user accounts in real-time.

Best of the rest

There are five other options we recommend out:

6. Topsy Image Search - The image-specific section of the popular Twitter search engine.

7. Hashalbum.com - Real-time discovery of 'hashtagged' images.

8. TwiPho.net - Aggregates images from the major real-time networks in an easy-to-navigate manner.

9. Flickr Latest Photos Search - A 'hidden' search option but one worth bookmarking for Flickr image searches.

10. Social Mention Photo Search - SocialMention.com is one of the world's most popular general social media search tools but not many people are aware of its real-time image search function. Simply head to the homepage, search in 'images' only and then sort by 'last hour' uploads and voila!

Are there any others out there you'd recommend?

10 Mandatory Ingredients of Online Video Content (Part One)

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Vincenzini) — Sat, 12 May 2012 22:55:00 +0000

This definition of 'great online video content' has to be one of the most subjective definitions in existence.

How many times have you heard someone say: "We've produced some great video content for our client."

And then you watch it and shake your head (until it nearly falls off).

Is this 'great video content' claim simply based on personal preference and / or original client buy-in?

Probably (sadly).

Who ultimately decides?

The public, of course, but how can you predict performance before hitting publish?

Side note: If you only use video in an ad hoc manner (as opposed to treating it like your other channels, characterised by regular and consistent programming) you'll NEVER be able to predict success with any proof / confidence.

While I could bleat on for years about the subjectivity of this topic (and why I can't stand PR and Advertising people developing these ideas in isolation), I'd prefer to share some practical criteria for online video content that covers the important bases.

Online video content: 10 Key Ingredients

I'm going to look at the first five ingredients now, and will follow up with the second five next week.

1. The first 15 seconds - Let's rip this directly from the second edition of the YouTube Creators Playbook: Many viewers decide whether they are going to keep watching your video within the first 10-15 seconds. Attention spans can be short and they are just one click away from abandoning your video. The video’s content - “What am I Watching?” - should also come across in the first few moments and hook them early to give them a reason to stick around.

Here's an example of a video which does that (in my opinion): Built To Last (from First + Main).

2. Just an 'idea' vs. a film / story - This is very closely related to the first ingredient and why you need film producers involved at the embryonic stage of the process. Compelling online videos contain characters, plots, sub-plots and twists. They are mini-films. Scripting and story-boarding content properly is essential. This is especially obvious at the end of solid online videos. You are taken on a journey and then should feel compelled to respond. This (should be) is the only aim.

Here's an example on a project we worked on: #1thing (Coca-Cola)

3. Taking a stand? Here's some good questions to ask yourself when you are getting a feel for the quality of your content: Does your content take a stand? Does it have a voice? Does it have a point of view? Other characteristics via the Webby Awards criteria for content include informative, useful, funny and leaves you wanting more. It is often difficult for brands to take a stand, but it is the job of brand advisors to push those boundaries are far as they can.

People like iJustine (gadget reviewer) epitomise this characteristic - check out her YouTube channel here.

4. Addressing a need - Following on my earlier pet hate (single video mentality versus consistent and regular programming) there is a lot of evidence to suggest video content that addresses a need should be an (almost) ever-present criteria. This is where using your assets wisely is important. If you can identify a customer need for knowledge, you can use your in-house experts as talking heads to help solve that need.

Home Depot's YouTube channel and how-to videos are a great example.

Note: Pitching channel ideas as opposed to single videos might seems costly, but the return you'll get from a regularly engaged audience will pay dividends.

5. Evoking the 'right' response - This has been a feature of points 1 - 4 so far and needs its own point. If you scroll through YouTube channels and videos, you'll notice people LOVE commenting on the featured content. Video content is the easiest form of content on the web to consume and therefore the easiest to participate in post publishing. When creating content, have a think about how people might respond to it. If it is egocentric or narcissistic, you will get grief for that. Ideally, prescribe the 'response path' for your audience by giving them something specific to comment on or add value to.

Looking ahead

We're going to get a bit more specific in part two of this look at the ingredients of great video content.

The key message to take from part one is simple: Ignore the one hit wonder / viral mentality and consider other ways of entertaining your audience.

And, the only way you can avoid the subjective discussions about the quality of video content, is to create and publish video content regularly, using the insights from each video to improve the quality of the product you are producing.

Report: Soccer Rules Australian Football Leagues On Facebook*

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Vincenzini) — Wed, 09 May 2012 19:05:00 +0000

Sport is a huge part of Australian culture.

I was privileged enough to experience this as a marketer of Australia's favourite sport, Cricket, for a number of years (at Cricket Australia).

It has filled me with great pride to see the way in which Cricket (in Australia) has embraced (and pioneered) social and digital media under the direction of some old colleagues of mine.

Naturally, I've also kept an eye on Australia's three most popular Football 'codes' - AFL (Aussie Rules), NRL (Rugby League) and The A-League (Football / Soccer).

And, while there are several HUGE caveats in what you're about to see, an analysis of the Facebook profiles of each of the Australian Football Leagues throws up some interesting insights.

Facebook and (Australian) Football - A Comparative Analysis

If you follow my Twitter feed, you'll know I'm a fan of SocialBakers.com and its Analytics Pro product.

It goes beyond Facebook's basic insights and gives you an idea about page performance versus your competitor set with indicators like 'average engagement rate' and 'page score'.

Let's pull out some of the insights from the tracker I set up for the AFL, NRL and A-League.

First up, let's take a look at the basic 'likes' comparison (which will really only hit home as we dig deeper through the data).

As you can see, the NRL and AFL are almost even on 'likes' while the A-League is a long way back.

But, as you know, more likes doesn't necessarily mean the page is being managed well.

If we look at two of the 'performance' metrics, there's an argument to say that the A-League page rules the roost.

Fan Engagement Rate explained: The number of likes, comments and shares per post on any given day divided by the number of fans of that page.
Page Score explained: Fan growth, content quality (formats and execution) and overall fan engagement (content interaction).

This is where is gets a little tricky.

These two metrics indicate that the A-League is performing better than the AFL and NRL.

But, this can be put down to a very simple thing - the 30,000 A-League fans are INCREDIBLY passionate about the A-League aka die hard fans.

It is often the case on pages with fewer likes, some of your metrics will look great because of the type of fans you have.

The NRL on the other hand, appears to have the most 'passive' fans of the three - in other words, a good majority of their 'fan' base have probably never engaged with the page after the initial 'like' gesture.

But, the NRL isn't drowning its fans with constant updates like the A-League is (an average of 11 posts per day for the A-League versus two for the NRL) and on Facebook, less is nearly always more.

What does it all mean?

We're almost ready to answer that question, but first, let's look at one more comparison.

Now, it looks like the AFL has got too fond on sharing video content even though it is the worst performing content format (from an engagement perspective).

Even more interestingly, the AFL had only one 'text-only' status update in the last four weeks - this suggest the page is lacking in a 'voice' and / or character.

The A-League, thanks to its smaller, but passionate community, is engaging much more strongly but the outward bound link updates are not only taking people away from the page, but not getting the same results that photos are getting.

We've talked a lot about the 'image-powered web' here, and these combined results are testament to that.

Interpreting the data and making conclusions

Ironically, these three bitter rivals would be Facebook magic if they combined the best bits of each.

Conversely, their worst bits combined would make you weep.

Both the NRL and AFL need to broaden their content strategy parameters to cater for the 'not-so-hardcore' Football fans out there.

The A-League needs to post MUCH less often to be less intrusive and, consequently, easier to like for the masses.

As per my caveats at the top of the post, using tools like this to rank page performance isn't fool proof and requires a lot of manual assessment too.

But when used wisely, they can give you a level of insight above and beyond Facebook's reporting tools, and can help you measure against other brands / businesses in your sector.

As a final point, no matter the purpose or strategy of your page, you can't ignore the fact that Facebook is a place for fun.

Sporting bodies need to recognise this fact and have content plans in place that reflect this characteristic.

*Headline note: As has (hopefully) been made clear, comparing the AFL and NRL with the A-League is quite similar to comparing apples with oranges and any clear-cut claims of victory for any one side would be subject to appeal...after appeal...after appeal...

10 Innovative Examples of Traditional Media Using Social Media

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Vincenzini) — Sun, 06 May 2012 07:00:00 +0000

Traditional media outlets are often criticised for not having embraced social media in the way other organisations have around the world.

There's a pretty simple explanation for this - the fundamental purpose of traditional media outlets/ brands is to sell advertising space in exchange for exposure to an audience (via content).

When that isn't your main source of income, 'giving away' content is a lot easier to swallow which is why automotive, drinks and fashion brands are so fond of social.

However, the smarter operators have realised that they can use social media channels and tools, especially in real-time scenarios, to keep them in their 'consideration mix' (this theory that when a consumer is considering between you and your competitors, they will lean more favourably towards you because of the value you have added elsewhere).

Here are 10 examples of traditional media using social media to help encourage consideration elsewhere (and increase general engagement).

1. Metro.co.uk uses Storify to curate hostage situation in real-time

Storify is a 'story layer' above social networks - in other words, it wants to help you take the bits and pieces from a story as told on social media channels and create a 'best of' summary.

The Storify editor is very easy to use (drag and drop functionality) and you can re-order your version of the story in real-time as events develop.

Metro.co.uk have been using Storify a lot lately to supplement online reporting on breaking news which is often being scooped up by social media users and shared, driving referral traffic to Metro.co.uk.

Very clever.

2. The Wall Street Journal's 'how do you start your morning' activity on Instagram

Instagram is a petty obvious channel for traditional media as the share a reliance on photography to tell stories.

The @wsj Instagram account has been used in a number of interesting ways, ranging from the sharing of screengrabs of breaking stories to re-releasing classic images used in the past to coincide with breaking stories of any particular day.

One of the more user-focused ideas involved asking people to send in pictures of their morning routines, tagging it with #morningWSJ, which would then be considered for publication on WSJ.com.

3. The New York Times makes the most of the Facebook Timeline

Facebook's new timeline feature has created several new opportunities (and a few headaches) so it is important to look at how these can be used.

This example, while simple, is also very clever.

The timeline format LOVES landscape photography that sits across both columns of the page.

Here, The New York Times have promoted their coverage of Baseball's opening day with a brilliant landscape image, using the new format to their advantage.

4. The Economist invests heavily in Google's social layer

I get the feeling someone with an SEO background sits pretty highly within the marketing team at The Economist as it appears to fallen in love with Google+ and YouTube of late.

It's use of Google+ is especially interesting as it has more than 730,000 people following the page (mind boggling considering the nature of the content) and appears to be using it as a daily presence to compliment the weekly print edition.

5. Reuters Social Pulse - a hub for social media

Our last example was launched in February and is a glimpse of what the future might look like from a content curation perspective.

Reuters Pulse uses some nifty widgets including a real-time chat of the most social CEOs in the world according to Klout and a tracker that compares share price with social media sentiment.

This, again, gives a contemporary slant to a well-established media business.

Additional examples

These examples are encouraging and tell us these outlets (and others) are looking simply using things like Twitter as a glorified RSS feed.

Image via SocMedSean.com.

Using the New 'Engagement Rate' Formula to Measure Facebook Page Performance

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Vincenzini) — Sat, 05 May 2012 13:07:00 +0000

There is still A LOT of confusion out there about what constitutes a 'good' Facebook page.

Sure, 'likes' are an obvious popularity metric and a powerful 'trust mark' - if you visit a page with big 'like' numbers you are more inclined to join that page and be receptive to the content being shared.

But (and it's a good 'un), this doesn't tell you ANYTHING about how well the page is being managed or how the community interacting with the content being provided.

Facebook have tried to make this more obvious with metrics like 'talking about this' (the number of people who have actively engaged with your page in the last seven days) and 'reach' (the number of people who have seen content from your page in the last seven days).

With some help from the team at SocialBakers.com, here is a really simple way for you to gauge the REAL performance quality of any Facebook post / page on the web.

Engagement Rate Explained

It's pretty straightforward really.

Take the number of likes, comments and shares per post on a given day and divide it by the total number of fans of the page.

My maths skills are terrible but even I can understand this!

So, let's bring this to life by looking at three recent posts from the Domino's UK Facebook page.

Domino's UK Facebook Engagement Rate Examples

Unsurprisingly, the middle update recorded the lowest 'Engagement Rate' score as Dominos have literally asked their community to like a dull price-led advertisement.

If you walked past a bus stop in real life and saw that ad, would you stop and think to yourself 'wow, I really loved that ad and am going to tell all my friends about it'.

No? Didn't think so.

But, I hear the Marketing Director in the back saying 'I need this Facebook investment to have a commercial impact on my business, you know, sales!!'

Sadly, you have to play the long game on Facebook - the real benefits are when your community stands up on your behalf when you need them (example to follow).

Clearly, the top update got the most engagement and deservedly so - that's s fun little update to have pop u in your stream.

Note: The pages I've been analysing tend to either score really poorly per post (0.01% to 004%) or sore 'well' at 0.20% to 0.50%

You can also calculate a daily engagement rate.

The long versus short game

The importance of the provision of on-going engaging content has been made evident on several occasions to me recently, but none more so than the following example.

I really encourage you to take a look at the exchanges between fans on this particular post from the Costa Coffee Facebok page.

To give you a quick overview, someone said that Costa's Facebook page was a copy of Starbucks.

Instead of Costa having to respond to that comment, the community spoke up, pointing out how different the pages are and what they loved about Costa.

Everyone talks about advocates, and their importance, and posting engaging and shareable content as opposed to strictly core product-based updates is one simple way of enabling advocacy.

Using this new metric (wisely)

Like with all measurement formula's, don't bet our life savings on the results but use them as part of your competitor analysis toolkit.

The pages that consistently serve up post rate scores above 0.20% are the ones (most likely) doing a better job than ones that aren't.

Discloure: Costa Coffee is client.

10 beautiful ways of enjoying Instagram on the web

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Vincenzini) — Thu, 03 May 2012 21:10:00 +0000

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Instagram has had a huge month or so.

First, it released its much anticipated Android app to rave reviews.

Then, it announced its partnership with Facebook.

And just this week, Instagram passed the 50 million user mark.

En fuego no?

Even though it is a mobile-based platform, there are occasions when you want to access Instagram content in different ways, especially via your PC / laptop.

Here are ten great ways to get your Instagram fix when your mobile is out of reach.

The slickest of the slick

The three options that follow are perfect if you'd like to experience your own Instagram account on the web, complete with vanity URLs and follow functionality.

1. Extrag.am - One of the prettiest Instagram web apps out there, and its 'discovery' function helps you find new users to follow by tag / sector.

2. Intstagre.at - This one also features some great horizontal scrolling functionality helping to make your photos pop!

3. Pinstagram.co - Fancy a little 'Pinterest in your Instagram'? This one has been generating big buzz as it combines arguably thw two hottest platforms going 'round right now.

Blending business with pleasure

4. Followgram.me - How do you make Instagram work for brands like a Facebook brand page? You go get a Followgram pro account which gives you the best of both worlds. Seriously awesome!

For some great examples of brand pages, visit followgram.me/ikeaitalia and followgram.me/fiatontheweb

Bells and whistles

5. Gramfeed.com - Gramfeed places an emphasis on location (imagine a Foursquare and Instagram mash-up) and has subsequently developed a cool phone app called instalookapp.com which helps you connect with fellow Instagram users by GPS.

6. Hashtagram.com - A rolling slideshow-style site with some powerful search functionality.

Feeding the masses

7. web.stagram.com - One of the better feed-style options out there, webstgram's focus on increasing your viewing pleasure.

8. Ink361.com - Very similar to Extragr.am and features a handy 'albums' function.

9. Webbygram.com - This was set up to give the founders of Instagram a kick in the pants to set up an official web presence - after getting their hands on Faceook's investment perhaps this is on their list...alongside boarding private jets and chartering huge yachts.

10. Instagrid.me - Your personal profile / image feed displayed in a list format.

Keep on snappin' y'all!

Dissecting the definition of digital

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Vincenzini) — Thu, 03 May 2012 04:16:00 +0000

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you'll know I tend to take a pretty simplistic view of communications - I don't really care how things are categorised as long as they are done well.

A couple weeks back I attempted to define the roles and responsibilities of a digital strategist.

Since then, I've been involved in several discussions about what 'digital' means.

The way it is defined is often determined by your background and / or specific slant.

Today, I'm going to have a crack at creating a universal definition that might help settle an argument or two.

'Pull' Versus 'Push' Digital Marketing

According to the Wikipedia definition, two forms of digital marketing exist.

"Pull digital marketing in which the consumer must actively seek the marketing content, often via web searches, and push digital marketing where the marketer sends the content to the consumer, as in email".

The big spanner in the works in recent times has been the explosion of social media and the ease in which self-published content can reach the masses.

It has been a huge factor in blurring the lines between the specific marketing disciplines forever.

But we know this.

The big question is how do we get navigate this period of uncertainty, both for the sake of clients but also the people working through these challenges in agency land.

What? Make it clearer, damn it!

I found a nice graphic (left) which visualises the world of online marketing and a good place to re-reference the breadth of digital.

I particularly like the split between disciplines (PR, email marketing, online advertising etc) and the DNA of digital (development, design, research, strategy, branding and content).

This split really got me thinking, is it misleading (and consequently confusing) to use a term like 'digital' in isolation?

Do we need to be more strict, more descriptive but somehow more succinct too?

Perhaps we do...

Dissecting digital

This is where I eventually got to after dissecting the core parts of the digital pie.

Each relies on the desire of the online participant to consume and interact with digital assets.
And, this is where the fun (often pain) starts.

Who does what?

Well, the answer is actually quite simple, it's not the 'who' we should be focusing on but the 'how'.

How do you get these three things working in unison to achieve the best results?

But before we can solve the 'how' problem, we need to define the 'who' to a point where we collectively 'get it'.

A new definition?

This is my suggestion.

Let's make things a bit easier for people to understand by specifying the area of 'digital' you work in as broken down by these three areas - development, placement and engagement.

This may gloss over the intricacies of the digital world, but perhaps that's a good thing.

Each of these areas requires a specific skill set and each MUST work together in order to make the impact expected of clients.

So, which of the three areas do you work in?

Does this make the division of labour an easier proposition to deal with?

Four 'must-read' marketing books in 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Vincenzini) — Tue, 01 May 2012 07:04:00 +0000

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Over the last couple of months, several members of my 'comms community' have released books on the subjects of social media, PR, influence, SEO and more.

I haven't had a chance to tackle these yet but I do plan on doing so over the coming months so I thought you might find it useful if I gave you some brief background / context to each in the event you wanted to do the same.

In this edition of 'Adam's Book Club' we're going to look at new reads from Deirdre Breakenridge, Mark W. Schaefer, Lee Odden and Stephen Waddington and Steve Earl.

Social Media and Public Relations: Eight New Practices for the PR Professional by Deirdre Breakenridge

I've been fortunate enough to work together with Deirdre on a couple of projects lately and her philosophy toward social media and PR is as refreshing as it is inspiring.

Her new book, Social Media and Public Relations: Eight Practices for the PR Professional, looks at the eight new practices that will reserve a seat for PR at the strategic table.

One thing I suggest you do is head over to the product listing on Amazon and use the 'click to see inside feature' for a summary of each new PR type.

One of my favourite practices / types Deirdre refers to in her book is that of the The COMMS Organiser:

"The COMMS Organiser is the PR Professional who must educate and redirect an organisation to implement a new communications process. No longer can companies solely rely on the push or broadcast method to distribute their messages.Now it'd your responsibility to pull information from the organisation. You create new types of stories by developing, coordinating and curating content through different channels."

If you'd like to find out more about the book, check out Deirdre's recent video blog post which will whet your appetite even more.

Return on Influence by Mark W. Schaefer

Firstly, a big thank to Mark who sent me copy of Return on Influence a few weeks back. I've read the first half of it and plan on finishing it up this week.

The most striking part of this book, and Mark's writing style in general, is the manner in which complicated processes and theories are made terribly simple to understand and grasp.

One of the major topics revolves 'social scoring' and influence.

It is a brave new world by Mark makes it a lot easier to navigate via this book (and his blog).

Optimize: How to attract and engage more customers by integrating SEO, social media and content marketing by Lee Odden

Let me begin by saying that it is VERY HARD to not like Lee.

When this blog began in 2009 he was one of the first people to regularly share my content and contribute to posts whenever I asked.

His limitless online generosity, even though he is behind one of the world's leading SEO and Content Marketing Blogs (TopRankBog.com) and has found time to write this book astounds me!

The reason I am looking forward to reading this one is the integrated approach Lee takes to marketing and communications.

While many of the readers of this blog take this as a 'given', convincing other people within organisations who don't share this outlook is a much more difficult proposition.

Lee, via his book Optimize, is set to give me (and you) the firepower to do just that.

Brand Anarchy by Stephen Waddington and Steve Earl

Now, this one could be on my shopping list as early as today (unless the 'Steves' want to ping me a review copy...nudge nudge!)

This book, the first UK-based one on the list, questions the make-up of reputation as it currently stands and how that is changing and how it will change even more in the future.

Insights from the likes of Greg Dyke, Alistair Campbell and Philip Sheldrake feature too.

Have you had the chance to read any of these yet?

Which would you recommend and why?

Let it all hang out in the comments section below....

Why I'd rather die than 'go viral'

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Vincenzini) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 06:27:00 +0000

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Yes, we all hate the term 'go viral' especially in relation to videos.

Let me clarify, people don't seem to like the misuse of the term 'viral' when it comes to videos.

I'm going to take this a step further today.

I'd rather die, than 'go viral' and here's why...

'Going viral' is often an indicator of poor general online engagement

Are you scratching your head at that sub-heading?

When you 'go viral' you tend to experience a very steep period of consumer awareness as thousands of 'discovery explosions' take place when the world (it seems) is simultaneously sharing the same link.

The online video 'discovery explosion' process

Essentially, viral videos go beyond their target / intended audience and receive advocacy from mass media / participants.

While there isn't an exact science of formula to 'going viral', one of the key ingredients is producing something that is unique enough to make it a 'must-see.'

A lot of this, no matter what you are told, is luck / guesswork.

The only example of a guaranteed viral hit I can think of in the last few years was the T-Mobile Royal Wedding video, which cashed in on a very rare event.

There are two alternatives to this approach which I feel are much more beneficial.

Create content regularly and consistently so your key audience / community engages with you on a weekly basis (as if you operated a TV channel)
Target your video outreach / seeding efforts by concentrating on the people that will actually do something with that content (as opposed to retweeting it, liking it etc)

Targeted interaction versus mass awareness

Now, call me old-fashioned, but if I have a product that is only available in the UK, what good does it do me for 5 million people to view my video in India?

Sure, the fame and media coverage resulting from your 'worldwide YouTube sensation' is exciting, but it also stinks of getting 'coverage' for the sake of it.

Back to my headline ad original point.

'Going viral' CAN be great but only if it plays a role in achieving the broader objectives of that activity.

But, I stand by my I'd rather die than 'go viral' statement.

If you are regularly and consistently communicating with your customers / stakeholders, they will regularly communicate with you.

They will tell their friends about the real benefits of using your products because they have an ongoing relationship with you.

If you hang all of your successes on one big viral hit, chances are you won't have the budget to engage with those people you attracted for another 12 months until you do something similar again.

You see, the days of 'stunty' communications are limited.

Sure, they can play a role in bringing attention to broader activity, but on their own, can potentially be fatal too.

And, finally, 'viral videos' are just one form of online video. Add value to your communities by creating regular useful content that they can refer to again, and again, and again, and..

The Kate Middleton guide to 'digital translation' and SEO

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Vincenzini) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 02:17:00 +0000

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In a recent post, I referred to my job as a Digital Translator - both for staff (internally) and clients (externally).

I'm really fond of this analogy because it gives people the ability to make informed decisions about the strategy and tactics available.

One of the most challenging 'translation topics' is in relation Search Engine Marketing and Optimisation.

Now, while my knowledge of SEM and SEO is sound, I don't 'do' this work directly - I employ a specialist to implement the approved work.

However, and with all due respect to my SEO pals, the language used to describe this activity can sometimes give 'regular folk' severe migraines.

So, my job is to find a way of explaining this process in a way that makes sense.

Here's an example of a tactic you can employ to break down the barriers.

Explaining on-page versus off-page optimisation with some help from Kate Middleton

Traditionally, SEO can be divided into two parts - on and off page optimisation.

'On-page' covers what can be done on the pages of the website itself while 'off-page' covers activity that is undertaken elsewhere (e.g. back linking or social signals - the more contemporary form off link-building).

Now, it's normally at about this point the less than enthusiastic observer will switch off.

On-page, off-page, social signals, link-building...English please!!!

So, I had a think about a reference point that nearly anyone would be familiar with and built my 'translation' around it - this example is called the Kate Middleton guide to SEO.

It is no more complicated than that.

Google likes content that is 'well dressed' and popular.

Now, before I offend my SEO pals any further than I already have, the process involved in making this happen is much more labor intensive than I've made it sound here.

But, that, in itself, is a very important point.

While clients / brand guardians want to know how you make their content sparkle, they only want / need to know to a point.

So, while terms like H1 tags and image ALT text are native terms to a SEO specialist, they only cause pain to general marketeers and communications folk (the people increasingly charged with making decisions about how SEO is integrated into their remit / efforts).

It's a fine art and one that requires flexibility.

Measurement and evaluation

The other area requiring education and translation is in relation to impact.

If we undertake the SEO / SEM activity with you, what impact will it have.

Where possible, use phrases like:

- An additional XX,000 views of that page / article will be generated
- The likelihood of a 'searcher' discovering your content for your desired keywords is X as opposed to X
- The equivalent pay-per-click cost for this activity is X

One final point before I go.

If you work in a marketing and communications function, your life revolves around getting your content 'discovered'.

SEO and Social Search are a HUGE part of this.

The sooner we all become at understanding the power of truly integrated communications, the better.

Like with most things in life, the first step education and understanding.

Do your bit by using language that everyone can understand.

You're not making yourself appear any smarter by complicating this stuff, you're actually doing the opposite.

Adam

Note: A big thanks out to my good friend and colleague Lee Smallwood who continues to help me navigate the Social SEO world and is a great person to follow if you want to see top-notch SEO translation in action.

The UK's 60 Most Influential Blogs [Infographic]

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Vincenzini) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:58:00 +0000

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When it comes to marketing, social media, technology, startups, PR, SEO and design, the blogs you're about to see rank among the UK's best.

Yep, thanks to the folk at Eloqua, the automated marketing experts, a visualisation of the UK's blogosphere has been created in the form of "The Blog Tree" (UK Edition 2012).

The premise of the The Blog Tree is pretty simple: A handful of 'power blogs' (the roots) fuel the activity of the niche blogs that drive conversations around the web in relation to the topics mentioned above.

The blogs at the top are considered the 'most influential and relevant' as calculated by Blog Level - a nifty tool from the team at Edelman which includes metrics such as popularity, influence, engagement and trust.

If you take a close look at The Blog Tree you'll see this blog (COMMScorner.com / AdamVincenzini.com) hovering at about 20th spot which is a real honour - thanks for the inclusion!

It is also great to see the other blog I'm affiliated with, The Next Web, within the 'roots' section.

A lot of the blogs featured are 'hobby' blogs and it is great to see those recognised in this manner.

The useful bit

While it is nice to be featured in a graphic like this, it isn't especially useful to most web users (unless your RSS reader needs an update!)

However, there are some useful bits to take from it.

The BlogLevel Tool - like all algorithmic tools, you shouldn't use them in isolation, but as a starting point to assess the relevancy of a blog, it is a decent tool. So, add this to your toolkit if you haven't done so already.
Pretty Infographics Still 'Sell' - it has been a common theme of this blog for the last month or so, but visualising data is always a worthwhile thing to do.
Bloggers Love Recognition - because many blogs are hobbies / passions, being recognised never hurts and tends to prompt a mention or post (like this one). It is not a strategy I recommend you employ every time, but when appropriate it will generate a response.
Storytelling Tools - The email pitch included two versions of the Infographic (jpg and pdf) which made it easier for me to re-publish it.

So, in conclusion, thanks to Eloqua, BlogLevel, Hotwire and Jess33 for this nice surprise that popped up in my inbox yesterday.

And, to you, the readers of this blog, thanks for your ongoing support - you continue to be a great source of inspiration and fun.

Adam

Pinterest, Facebook and the 'return of the Glog'

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Vincenzini) — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 10:52:00 +0000

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A couple weeks back when Facebook announced its acquisition of Instagram, myself and a lot of other people proclaimed that it signalled the official arrival of the image-powered web.

The biggest driver behind this trend has been Pinterest thanks to its scrolling interface and ease in which images can be posted and viewed.

If you dig a little deeper, you'll notice a sub-trend, which is also very apparent on Facebook - a passion for images 'mashed up' with words or quotes featured as rich images / posters.

There's actually an official term of these things and they are called Glogs - interactive posters loaded with text, graphics and more.

Here are some examples:

Now, there's a lot to be said about these images but I want to focus on the most striking thing...they're just words!!

The 'but first, coffee' one is a great example of this.

If you simply typed those three words into a Facebook status update, how many likes / comments do you think you'd get?

I say this because we recently ran that 'glog' on a client's Facebook page and it received 1,180 likes, 167 re-shares and 49 comments.

You know you wanna ask it...go on...ask!!

Why is something so simple so popular?

Ahhh, the answer is in the question my friends!

Using a image of this nature makes it so simple (and attractive) to engage with.

Within the blink of an eye, you are drawn in by the image and then get hooked by the text.

Genius eh?

How you can make your own Glogs

I stumbled across this really neat site called Glogster.com which is the easiest way to create and customise your own Glogs (it was launched in 2007).

In fact, at the bottom of this post you'll find a selection of mine for you to, erm, enjoy.

The important message for brands and organisations via this 'Glog Post' is that if you are struggling to generate engagement on your social media profiles, especially Pinterest and Facebook, consider Glogs as an alternative to the content you normally share.

If you can't find any suitable ones already in existence, use Glogster.com to create your own.

Here are some of the Glogs I created earlier...

What (on earth!!) does a digital strategist do?

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Vincenzini) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 23:52:00 +0000

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When I started my career 12 years ago as a PR consultant in Melbourne, the most common question I was asked was: What do you do all day?

It took me about six years to explain to my friends and family that a PR consultant's job mainly revolves around getting people to talk about brands / businesses in a way that encourages loyalty and recommendation.

Or, to simplify it even further, getting talked about without 'directly' paying for it - in other words, word of mouth advertising.

When my career took a turn six years ago to focus more on digital media as a way of interacting with consumers / stakeholders, I had to go through this education process all again (it would have been easier to become a Fireman I swear!)

So, to try and explain what I and many other people in the marketing and communications industry now do on a daily basis, I've created (and borrowed) the following description and supporting charts to help us create a universal 'digital strategist definition'.

A digital strategist - explained

Let's start by borrowing one of the best explanations I've ever seen / read about digital strategist provided by Jon Crowley on his blog attention industry.

The example he used was how he explained his job to his father who is/was a Transportation Planner.

"My focus is the consumer (commuter). They have a bunch of different touch points (transport options) that all build to the same goal, getting them information they want and/or need (getting them from place to place).

I might consult on the layout of each individual digital touch point (transport option), but I’m not the guy who builds them. I don’t know how to code a website (build a car) well enough to do it meaningfully.

I’m responsible for knowing what all the pieces are supposed to do, knowing how people use them, and figuring out how to link them together in a way that helps people do what they want to do, and migrate between touch points.

Abandoning the metaphor, this includes social strategy, content strategy, CRM, site, mobile, LBM, applications, in-store, experiential, etc etc etc. Again, I’m not a master at executing all of these things - I’m just aware of what they all do, how they all work, and the role they play in creating an integrated experience.

So, Digital Strategy is Transportation Planning. This is my answer next time I have the ‘what does that mean?’ conversation."

I really think you'll struggle to find a better description than that.

The other way I often describe my job is a 'Digital Translator'.

Again, sitting in the middle, with knowledge of how lots of different digital tactics work, my role often involves explaining the impact of each tactic to clients in order for them to make informed decisions.

The process often looks like this:

Let's look at another slide from jinalshah.com which talks about the need for the digital strategist role to evolve.

To quote directly from her blog:

"I think there are three main communication cycles where a digital strategist can situate themselves: Brand building/ awareness cycle; Acquisition or product sale cycle and customer loyalty cycle. See the attached diagram. Depending on the project need and the agency’s capabilities, a digital strategist with the right type of “excellence” should be on the team."

Your Answer...

So, if you are asked what does a digital strategist do, or would like to occupy a job like this one day, this post might provide you with some clarity.

The toughest part relates to knowledge depth.

You have to understand the role and impact of many different disciplines in order to operate effectively in this role.

More importantly, you need to have specialists you can call on to implement activity to the levels required.

As they say in the classics, its a tough job, but somebody's got to do it.

10 Google products you (probably) never knew existed

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Vincenzini) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 06:38:00 +0000

I don't know about you, but it feels like Google launches a new product every time I turn my laptop on.

And these tend to fit into two distinct categories:

1. Incredibly useful

2. Incredibly bizarre

Fortunately, most of these products are free so we're really not in a position to complain!

After some lengthy research, I was surprised by how many tools Google has either developed or acquired over the years.

So much so, that I thought it was a good idea to compile a list of the secrets of the Google product empire.

Here they are...in no particular order...

10 Google tools you (probably) never knew existed

1. Google Takeout - No, this is not Google's food delivery service (although that'd be handy), this is a tool which allows you to download an archive of your data from things like your +1's, Google+ Circles, contacts and Picasa Web albums.

2. Google Mars - While you're probably familiar with Google Earth, Google Mars is a little less well known. However, what it lacks in notoriety it makes up for in in geeky coolness. It gives you the ability to check out spacecraft landing locations, crater depth and even comes with an infrared option.

3. Google Health - This is one of the (many) products Google has launched which didn't quite capture the imagination of the public as anticipated. It was designed to be a portal for all of your health and wellness information. This service officially closes down on 1 January 2013.

4. Google SketchUp - Now, this definitely falls into the 'incredibly useful' category of Google products. Google SketchUp allows you to crate anything in 3D from coffee pots to skyscrapers. Check out the community gallery for added inspiration.

5. Google Correlate - If you've been watching the new TV show starring Kiefer Sutherland called Touch you'll appreciate this one as it allows you to find patterns within data samples. Oooh yeah, go get your geek on!

6. Google Sites - It's surprising Google haven't done more with this in light of the self-publishing explosion of the last few years. If / when you do need a spot online to share content with a specific group, this is a decent option.

7. Google HotPot - With SO MANY food review and recommendation services in existence, this seems like an odd one to add to the Google bucket list. And although it sits pretty seamlessly on top of Google Places. But I don't know anyone who uses it, do you?

8. What Do You Love? (from Google) - You may have heard about this one when it was launched a little while back but if you haven't, it is worth putting on your 'to-do' list. On the back of the 'interest graph' explosion, this aggregates content relating to specified topics from across the Google product network.

9. YouTube Feather - A slight cheat here as we're looking at a sub-product from the Google-owned YouTube product. However, it is very new and still being trialed and this means you may not have come across it yet. In short, YouTube Feather is a 'light' version of YouTube that aims to take the strain away from your browser and internet connection.

10. Panoramio - A photo sharing community that invites people to share their pictures of the world mashed up over the Google maps tool.

So, how many of those did you know about?

If you knew about all ten you either work for Google or perhaps Wikipedia!

'Rented' media as part of the Paid, Earned, Owned mix

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Vincenzini) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 05:12:00 +0000

Like many other marketers I have spent a lot of time thinking about the Paid, Earned and Owned media model.

It has always been the easiest way for me to explain to colleagues and clients how social media fits within the broader scheme of things.

I came across a historical summary of the model by Steve Sponder and as is often the case, PR (in a traditional sense) gets a bit of a kicking.

In all honesty, I don't really care what the stuff is called, as long as it is done well and plays its part.

But its like a radically new movie or book, we feel compelled to assign things to a genre (mainly so we and the people around us can understand).

So, for arguments sake, I took a look at the original iteration of the Paid, Earned and Owned model and interrogated it with a PR hat on.

The original Forrester model

Now, I think there are two fundamental flaws with this model.

Where does PR fit? (By PR I mean the placement of 'free' editorial content within larger scale 3rd party media outlets to stimulate interest / debate)
Earned media is classified incorrectly in my opinion from a marketing perspective. If anything, having your customers talk about you is the desired OUTCOME of your marketing activity, which then is a powerful sales / decision-making driver.

So, in sticking with the language theme, I reckon there is an argument for this addition to the model:

At our agency, we often talk about 'owned' media being re-purposed in a traditional PR manner - this still very much applies and why, in my opinion, the best social media operators appreciate the PR function / process e.g. using relevant editorial content to be featured beyond your own channels.

So, let's take this a little further now, how would the Forrester model look if we added 'rented' media to the mix.

The updated Forrester model

The last thing I want to do is complicate an already complicated picture, but when I look at the model this way, I feel it better represents the current landscape, and hopefully helps explain how agencies can work together in harmony.

But, I'm not totally satisfied yet.

As Jeremiah Owyang said so well in a recent post:

"If consumers don’t differentiate between “Paid, Owned, and Earned” so why are marketers segmented by different departments and have separate agencies that do each? Does a ‘social media agency of record’ actually slow progress? Can a marketing effort be more effective if all of these methods are used together?"

He has a very good point, and I think having a 'purely' social media agency of record can slow the process down.

But, I say that from a biased standpoint because of the way we operate as an agency.

We see the 'owned' and 'rented' activity as partners, who when working together are far more powerful.

The following is an illustration of our typical role with our clients.

Now, this is a pretty simplistic chart but it doesn't need to be more complicated.

To summarise, we see our role as 'concept creators' who develop content (of all types) that encourages engagement and ultimately, sharing.

We can't ignore the role 'paid' media has to play either, which means that utopia as far as brands are concerned is a model like this.

Is that such an outrageous proposition?

If you were building an agency from scratch tomorrow, could you divide your troops into these three buckets?

Call me an idealist, but I reckon this is possible.

I reckon, this is might be how it all ends up.

What do you think?

Facebook's acquisition of Instagram signals the official arrival of the image-powered web

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Vincenzini) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 18:52:00 +0000

Facebook's very recent acquisition of Instagram is its most high profile purchase yet.

And before you choke on the price tag (£1billion USD) you need to remember that there was realistically only one other buyer out there - Google.

Now whether you classify Instagram as a social networking site or not, it ranks just after Google+ for global users at approx 33 million.

But its not its size that is important here.

No, its the confirmation of something that smart operators have been aware of for some time now.

That's right, photos, are the most powerful format of content on the planet.

The official shift to an image-powered web (and why brands must take notice)

To some, this might be old news, but static imagery (not videos, not text, not audio) is the easiest format of content for people to engage with as it stands today.

Like most developments in the highly-accessible social web, this is plain common sense.

People are swamped with content 24/7, in every single place they look.

The successful consumption of text-based content takes time and an element of peace and quiet.

Video-based content, while powerful, can be time consuming and requires a half-decent wireless connection.

As for audio content, while descriptive, it takes a lot of time to create unless it is a live play-by-play.

But photo-based content is peerless when it comes to effortless engagement.

The photo-based consumption process

Unfortunately, I can't explain this via photos (text-based content still has a huge role to play, but not like we're used to).

The best way to illustrate this is not to focus on the money Facebook have just spent, but the popularity of image-shaped online destinations like Pinterest.

You don't have to be a wordsmith anymore to be part of the social-web movement (but we knew that, hello Twitter) all you need is a phone with a camera.

Again, I'm not saying anything ground-breaking here, but take a look at your marketing and communications activities.

Did you just get sign off for a company blog?

Forget writing 750 word posts, only a handful of people will read them.

Forget issuing 10 paragraph press releases, only the headline will be plastered all over Twitter.

Instead, think imagery first.

Not necessarily your own, but the library of shots your customers and stakeholders are taking on your behalf every single day.

Or, ideally, put yourself in the shoes of the person you are trying to communicate with an ask yourself 'which way do you like to consume your content'?

And while it might not seem natural to replace a bunch of words with an image and succinct caption, remember you are not the person you are trying to reach.

10 new ways to create kick-ass online resume

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Vincenzini) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 10:58:00 +0000

Earlier this week I spent a little time experimenting with Facebook Timeline as a resume option.

It got me thinking about how popular the traditional word-based resume still is.

As a result I did a little more research to find out how else you can get your resume to stand out from the crowd there are a number of new school options for you to consider.

And we're not talking about simply having a LinkedIn profile which could almost be considered 'old hat' now.

Nope, we're about to enter a new world of resume building and sharing.

The only question is; Are prospective employers ready for what you can now dish up?

It's time to find out!

Social Resumes

1. Zerply.com Zerply is one of the more high profile socially-shaped resume and career sites going around. In fact, Zerply makes a point of telling new users that it is 'killing the resume' by showcasing your work in a more interactive and engaging manner. It features all of the social elements you'd expect including the ability to follow people, access a news stream and analyse stats.

2. ResumUP The first of two Facebook-powered apps, ResumUP wants to make your 'social profile visual'. Of the two options you are given (Facebook or LinkedIn), the latter will give you the most professional looking account of your history. And they'renot kidding about the visual aspect, it can make anyone's work experience look hot!

3. BranchOut.com Yes, BranchOut is technically more a 'network' than a plain old resume builder option but it allows you to create a profile which features everything that is wonderful (or not) about you.

4. LinkedIn Resume Builder LinkedIn have been quietly developing this functionality as an add-on to the main site. It literally takes your profile information and formats it in traditionally-styled word-based resume. If you are after consistency across the web, this is possibly the one for you.

Visual Resume Builders

5. ResumeBaking.com This is one of the more robust options out there thanks to its powerful interface. It also features all of the most up-to-date social sharing links so you can get yourself noticed too. Other key features include job search and notification functionality, a cover letter builder, stats and insights and adjustable templates.

6. VisualCV.com VisualCV.com is one of the more popular resume builder sites thanks to is simple user experience. To get the best feel for what it can do, check out the big bank of examples hosted here.

7. ResumeBear.com The most exciting element of ResumeBear is its real-time tracing capability which can give you a sense of how popular your resume is. It can even tell you who opened your resume so you can reach out to them while the iron is hot. You can access your resume dashboard via your mobile phone (iPhone and Android).

8. DoYouBuzz.com This is quite similar to ResumeBear in that it provides you with a complete build and track solution. You have a number of design options with DoYourBuzz and it is also optimised for SEO visibility (but then again you should expect this benefit as standard for services like these).

Mobile Resumes

9. Infinity resume app (for iPhone) I'm an Android guy so I can't vouch for this one first hand but it looks interesting enough. The Infinity Resume Builder (iPhone app) essentially brings basic resume creation capabilities to your mobile. It features a series of drop-down menus to help you create your 'on-the-go' work experience snapshot.

A Left-field Option

10. The Facebook Timeline edition resume One of the more unique and VERY new ways to illustrate your career history is by creating a Facebook timeline edition of your resume. While it may not be the most natural way of showcasing your career, the chronological timeline display and ability to back-date milestones works pretty well. I actually created my own Facebook timeline edition resume which you can see here.

These were ten of the more interesting options we discovered.

Are there any you'd add to this list?

How to create a Facebook 'career highlights' timeline

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Vincenzini) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 11:28:00 +0000

Does Facebook's new timeline feature work as a resume?

In theory it seems like it should, especially due to the increasingly popular chronological scrolling format.

After googling 'Facebook timeline as a resume' I discovered a couple of real-life examples and some decent how to posts.

But, I still wasn't convinced so I thought I'd create one using my own work history as the fuel.

And then, in time, look at some other creative alternatives out there to see which might be the most appropriate route if I was job hunting (which I'm not, just to clarify!)

Anyway, here's a little recap of my career timeline creation experience to help you decide...

My career as a Facebook timeline

You can check out my Facebook career timeline page here.

Content aside, do you think the timeline format works?

Would your opinion change if I told you how long it took me to put the page together?

If you weren't especially Facebook-savvy, would you find this method of presentation helpful or confusing?

Questions, questions, questions!

Tips and hints

If you do decide to create a Facebook career timeline, here are a few things I discovered when attempting to complete mine:

Make sure you have a bunch of landscape style images on hand to illustrate your career history (750 x 300 pixels is a decent size)
Think beyond your typical CV / resume - the format allows back-dating so any articles, links or videos that help tell your career story are incredibly useful
Use a combination of status updates and milestone updates - status updates can be back-dated too so use this option to break things up a bit
Leave yourself a lot of time - there was (and probably still is) a lot of trial and error involved in creating my page so don't expect to knock it off in a hurry
Keep your career highlights in a accessible place - I did a bit of back searching to locate some of the content for my page but it would have been a lot easier if I had kept some of these bits and pieces in the cloud somewhere

So, whaddya think?

Does this work?

Is a more classic resume a better option?

Are there any other tools out there that you'd recommend?

The YouTube '300 Views' Rule

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Vincenzini) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 07:14:00 +0000

We all know that YouTube is a powerful platform.

But, it is also one of the world's most misunderstood platforms, especially when it comes to the specifics.

We do a lot of work for our clients on YouTube and managing expectations regarding viewer interaction is often a challenge.

One particular YouTube 'quirk' often baffles people so I thought I'd try and explain it in a bit more detail here.

The 300 Views Rule

The following image is a screen grab of the YouTube 'trending videos' tab taken at 7.30am this morning (29 March).

These are the videos generating huge buzz online and significant interaction.

But take a close look at how many views each video has had...

That's right, each is hovering at around 300 views.

The reason for this, although it has never been officially made public, is that YouTube verifies the legitimacy of views / interaction of any video that starts to trend (or go viral).

Popular videos tend to pause at that 300 mark for up to 24 hours and then will be corrected with a more representative view count.

Reason being, just like Google search results, your faith in YouTube depends on it being accurate.

The last thing you want to do is share a 'hot' video with your friends that has been manipulated to appear more popular than it really is.

How on earth can people manipulate viewership figures on YouTube?

I'm not smart enough to understand how that's done, but when so much money is involved in the success (or failure) of video content, you can bet people try to 'game' YouTube just like any other social network.

You're much better off producing quality content in a consistent manner if you want to make inroads on YouTube.

If you'd like to learn more about how to get the most out of YouTube, download version two of the YouTube creator playbook here.

Finally, marketers out there, just be careful when you invoke the '300 Views' rule with your clients / bosses - sometimes you're legitimately waiting on the verification and update, while on others...well...you may just have something that isn't as popular as you thought it might be.

50 (mostly) free social media tools you can use every day

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Vincenzini) — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 16:21:00 +0000

A couple years ago, Jay Baer wrote a great blog post called 'The 39 social media tools I'll use today' which was an all-in-one toolkit for social media marketers (and still is).

A lot has changed in the two years since that post was published so here a '2012 remix' of that post featuring mix of (mostly free) tools you can use on a daily basis.

Whether you are just starting out in the social media arena or have been at it for a few years, this will hopefully be a handy resource.

So, here is my attempt at the complete social media marketing toolkit...

Listening / Research

The foundations for any social media marketing activity start with listening and in-depth research, ranging from influencer identification to campaign planning.

General listening tools

Best in class: SocialMention.com - As far as 'free' options go, this is a solid as it gets.

Alternatives: BoardReader.com (discussion board specific), Addictomatic.com (a general listening dashboard) and PeopleBrowsr.com (big data, big insights).

Specific listening tools

Each of the major social media platforms can be interrogated using a combination of specific tools including:

FBsearch.us (Facebook), Monitter.com (location-based Twitter search), TagDef.com (Twitter hashtags), YouTube/KeywordTool (YouTube content optimization tool).

General research tools

Domain / Username Checking: KnowEm.com, CheckUsernames.com, Claim.io (all solid options)

Alternative Site Research: SimilarSites.com (the most robust website alternative engine), SmilarSiteSearch.com, SitesLike.com

Blog / Blogger Identification: AllTop.com (online blog 'magazine rack'), IceRocket.com (use the advanced blog search function for best effect), Google.com/Blogsearch (always improving).

Influencer Research / Identification: This is a much-debated topic thanks to the existence of Klout.com, PeerIndex.net, Kred.ly and the like. While these tools are useful to a degree, the listening tools listed above (when used manually), are just as useful.

Another very handy tool is Google's AdPlanner which can help you determine which online destinations are most relevant to your product, brand or service.

Content Creation / Curation

Publishing / blogging

Best in class: WordPress.com - The world's best publishing platform catering to the very big to the very small.

Alternatives: Tumblr.com, Posterous.com and many more.

New kid on the block: CheckThis.com - Need a single page website in an instant? This is the tool for you.

Content discovery / curation

There are literally millions of tools and process for discovering relevant content and arranging it online so it can be re-purposed / re-shared. Here as just a few:

Bo.lt, Trap.it, YourVersion.com and MyCube.com are all examples of content curation and discovery tools which you can tailor to suit your needs).

If you are looking for specific forms of content, the following tools are useful too:

Imagery: Stock.xchng (the best place to find free images by keyword) and New.Pixable.com (A Pinterest-style image aggregator based on your networks and interests)

Video: en.fooooo.com (video search engine which aggregates results from all the major video platforms)

Engagement

Dashboards

The best engagement dashboards are often a subject of much debate. The most widely used ones include TweetDeck.com, HootSuite.com and SproutSocial.com, but there are a bunch of other alternatives out there too.

Scheduling: BufferApp.com - A simple way to 'pace and space' your updates across multiple social networks.

Blog comments
Two of the most popular blog comment management tools are Disqus.com and LiveFyre.com but there are a host of others out there too, including IntenseDebate.com.

Analysis / Insights

There is definitely no shortage of analytics tools out there, and the free ones pack some formidable power.

Website analytics

Google Analytics is the king when it comes to free website insights but lots of other tools can play a role too.

StatMyWeb.com is a great all-in-one tools to get a feel for the performance of any website on the planet and SiteTrail.com/analysis/ can track site performance over a time period.

Social media analytics tools

Twitter: TweetReach.com is perfect for measuring the impact of a campaign or hashtag and TwitterCounter.com is great for analyising the growth and impact of Twitter accounts.

Facebook: In addition to the Facebook Insights tools, sites like SocialBakers.com can give you an idea of page performance outside the ones you manage.

YouTube: The YouTube Comments Search tool is worth having in your toolkit to assess community sentiment post-upload.

If you are after a social buzz aggregator, you're not short on choice either with sites like ZoomSphere.com, YourBuzz.com and Unilyzer.com also worth a look.

ViralHeat.com provides great insights too and has a nifty extension that provides you with sentiment on any social network page (as reliably as is technically possible).

While this suite of tools doesn't take care of absolutely everything on your social media marketing plate, it is a decent starting point and something you can add to...and add to...and add to...

2012's best social media stats and insights (so far)

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Vincenzini) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 12:26:00 +0000

2012 has already seen a number of big changes to the social media scene.

The Pinterest explosion has been well documented and Google+ continues to add to its user base.

I'm not sure about you, but keeping up with the all the updates to usage stats is hard work so I've tried to compile some of 2012's best resources.

Here are some of he better ones I've located this year...

2012's most useful posts, inforgraphics and round-ups:

User number of the 15 most popular global social networks / platforms (Feb 2021 Update) via The Realtime Report
12 revealing stats about B2B social media marketing (Jan 2012) via SocialMediaB2B.com
29 social media stats and facts (Jan 2012) by Erik Qualman
Next Generation Media 2012 Insights Report via SlideShre
Visitor number and time spent data on major social media platforms (Jan 2012) via comScore
Infographic: Social Media Stats of Today (Jan 2012) via MediaBistro
100 social media statistics for 2012 (Jan 2012) via TheSocialSkinny
SlideShare Zeitgeist 2011 (Jan 2012) via SlideShare - a look at the world of presentations in 2011 including some great facts and insights
Global Web Index Report (Jan 2012) via SlideShare
Internet marketing and social media statistics report (Jan 2012) via Lauren Proctor
10 mind-bowing social media stats for 2012 via Active Endurance

2012's most useful real-time resources, sites and tools:

Socialbakers.com - The most reliable source for user stats and information relation to the major social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and YouTube)
Famecount.com - Facebook, Twitter and YouTube stats to see which brands, personalities and organisations are attracting the most followers
Checkfacebook - A site dedicated to the latest Facebook stats
AppData.com - Facebook app stats courtesy of the Inside Facebook network
Hitwise.com - Hitwise, especially in the UK, release regular insight into web and online media usage
eMarketer.com - One of the best places for online digital marketing intelligence (it is also worth signing up to the enewsletter)
Google Insights - If you want real-time insights into what the world is searching for, this is your starting point.
Quantcast blog - Quantcast provides web usage insights or site owners and marketers. The Quantcast blog serves up general stats on regular basis to supplement the specific site insights.
TrafficEstimate.com - This search engine gives you insights into specific websites and / or keywords in real-time.

Are there any other resources out there you have spotted in 2012 that might come in handy?

5 new ways to monetize your content in 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Vincenzini) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:54:00 +0000

This week's Pinterest content monetization 'scandal' has taught us a lot about the naivety the modern-day web user.

Yes, platforms like Pinterest (and Pocket-Lint and WIWT) use a tool called Skimlinks to generate revenue from subtle referral links.

As Skimlinks CEO Alicia Navarro so aptly explained: "It's not a secret. We do monetize social discovery, and it's great".

For those of you about to fall off your high horse, how else can these sites exist without such revenue streams?

Banner ads are ugly, un-engaging and hated by users, so solutions like Skimlinks are a win/win/win/win (publisher, service provider, advertiser, user).

Yes, publishers have an obligation to disclose such arrangements (and you'll see an example in a minute), but providing that box is ticked, we should encourage this approach to content monetization, not scoff at it, because the user receives the biggest portion of the benefit.

New ways to monetize your content

In the four years this blog has been around, I've never made a single Pound / Dollar directly from it, but I have often thought about the various approaches I could take if I wanted to monetize it.

After reading about Skimlinks this week (and even though it has been around since 2008), I have decided to apply to be part of its affiliate programme.

In the essence of full disclosure, if you click on any of the Skimlinks links in this post I can potentially earn a tiny bit of commission from the referrals this post generates.

I'm doing this so overtly as a test to see what the reaction is like and to get a tangible feel for how successful these arrangements can be.

To give this post the balance it requires, I'm also going to tell you about some similar products that help you monetize your content (minus the affiliate links).

Here they are...in no particular order...

1. Skimlinks - In their words: "Unlock the cash in your content". This works by converting links and product references into affiliate links which take you to places to make a relevant purchase. Apply to be an approved Skimlinks partner here.

2. Cleeng - This works by hiding portions of your content which can only be unlocked if you pay a small fee.

3. Infolinks - In-text advertising that isn't so subtle and verges on annoying. But, it has a proven track record of generating revenue.

4. VigLink - Very similar to Skimlinks, VigLink uses a thing they call LinkWeaver to connect merchants with existing product references.

5. PivotShare - The newest kid on the block, this rewards authors and publishers with revenue based on how much a particular community has interacted with the produced content.

Where to from here?

As mentioned at the very top of this post, content requires some for of monetization for it to be sustainable.

While the enjoyment of people reading your posts and sharing them on Twitter and Facebook is a vanity boost, it doesn't impact on the money you have in the bank.

Expect to see a bunch of new and even more 'covert' ways of content monetization in the future, and if you want to kick up a fuss about them, have a quick think about what you might lose if aren't able to create win/win/wins.

Note: Mike Phillips made a good point after I published this - all of these aren't necessarily that 'new' but in the wake of the Pinterest debate this is the first time many people have been made aware of such services / solutions.

10 new ways to discover, share and listen to music online

noreply@blogger.com (Adam Vincenzini) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:58:00 +0000

"Just because everything is different doesn't mean anything has changed." - Irene Peter

I'm not going to argue with Irene here, music is still music.

But, the ways in which we discover, consume and share music online has changed. Big time.

In fact, some of the new online music services, tools and apps I'm about to mention may seem to good to be true.

But, thanks to a combination of timing, technology and people-powered media, they are all at our disposal. Now.

Here are 10 new online toys I have been playing with which you may want to check out too...

10 new ways to discover, share and listen to music online
1. mSpot.com - store your music library in the cloud

The creators of mSpot have cleverly called this a 'music service that follows you' and it couldn't be a more apt description.

mSpot collects all of your music, uploads it to an online folder and gives you access to your music from anywhere and on any device.

2. Maestro.fm - store your music library in the cloud (option two)

Almost an identical service to mSpot but it also comes with a desktop shortcut that is quite handy.

I have some invites for those who want to test it out - just click here.

3. Top10 Spotify app - Collaborate and create your Top 10 lists

Proceed with caution: The Top 10 app makes Spotify even more addictive than normal!

Spotify unveiled app functionality in late 2011 to bring added features to the Spotify platform and this is probably the first one you should add to your player. Awesome.

4. Soundrop Spotify app - Enter or create your own listening room

The wannabe DJ in you will fall in love with Soundrop.

It allows you to create playlists and then invite your friends to listen to your 'sets' all within the Spotify interface. Boom.

5. Tinysong.com - Tweet any song in a flash

Have you ever had the urge to share a tune with the world via Twitter?

Then bookmark this site and use it to satisfy that urge on demand. Powered by Grooveshark.

6. QCmixtapes.com - 'Pinterest for mixtapes'

If you like getting your paws on new mixtapes, then you should head over to QCmixtapes.com (presented in an easy-to-scroll Pinterest-style format).

7. MixCloud.com - The home of 'cloudcasts'

MixCloud is one of the more well-known 'new' online music destinations which brings you a true social music experience.

Follow friends, vote and recommend music and users, and connect your other social media accounts all from the one place. Nice.

8. SoundCloud.com - Share your music with the world

The focus of SoundCloud, as opposed to MixCloud, is more on creating and publishing but that also makes it a great place to discover music too.

9. RaRa.com - An alternative to Spotify

A slightly cheaper way to enjoy a Spotify-like experience, created by a team based in the UK.

10. Grooveshark.com / Deezer.com - Steaming online music goodness

You've probably heard of both of these services but if you haven't they are worth adding to your mix (pardon the pun).

Are there any others out there you'd add to this list?

Adam