Blogging is a very important tool for companies to reach out and interact and inform their customers in an informal setting. Blogging is not a technical manual, but a place where readers come for either enjoyment or information.
Creating, updating and maintaining an active blog can be time consuming, however, it encourages conversation and thoughts with the consumer. A blog should be written in a personal fashion, not full of technical jargon that an average consumer wouldn't understand. It should have a personality of its own, yet one that still represents the company in a professional matter.
The goal is to engage customers, and hopefully have them return over and over again to read more, in the end, creating a connection between company and consumer.
Here are my three important points for companies to keep in mind when writing a blog:
1- Persona. Create a personality, and write creatively. This will make the blog more personable, allowing readers to connect to your company.
2- Length. Keep it short. No one wants/has time to read a long blog. They have come to you on their own and don't want to have to read through pages of text to find a small piece of information. Keep it short and sweet with well organized paragraphs.
3- Content. Not only good strong text content, but more so with video, photos and links. Use hyperlinks to allow people to open other materials (I suggest having it open in another window, so when they are done with it, they simply close it and they are back to your page vs. sending them to another site, and your blog has now disappeared into the history folder). Embed the photos and videos into the blog as much as possible, so that people stay on your site longer.
Good luck everyone with your blogging. Remember to attach a link of your blog into my comment section so that I can follow you.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Facebook Fan Page Review
This week, I took a look at a number of Company Facebook Fan pages.
I wanted to know which ones I interact with the most, and why? What are they doing well, and what can they work on?
This was an interesting task for me, because I take pride in not falling for these, what I like to call "marketing traps" that are Fan Pages. Company fan pages are very successful because the consumer can interact with company, by posting on the wall, liking different photos or comments etc. The 2 most beneficial points of a Facebook Fan Page are that people are already on Facebook (no need to go to a different webpage) and the company has the option of pushing information to you via messages or updates showing on your News Feed.
So to begin this investigation, I had to look through the few fan pages that I "Like" and ask myself, why am I a Fan of this Page and not another one?
For starters, I am not a Fan of Coca-Cola, Starbucks or any other large corporation. Those 2 that I mentioned are consistently in the top 3 for Social Media Marketing dollars spent, as well as consumer interaction. So why not me? My immediate thought is that I don't consume their products. I do not drink coffee. In fact, the only time I have ever had a cup (and this is true) was when I was in France, and my boss ordered one for everyone. It is in their culture to have a small pressed strong coffee after meals (especially lunch) and I didn't want to be rude. As for Coca-Cola, I tend to prefer water or perhaps a juice. I am not a soda pop kind of person. And when I do indulge in a soda, it is not cola. Most likely Iced Tea (I know it's not a soda, but it is found with the fountain drinks at fast food restaurants) or Ginger Ale, on the odd occasion that they offer it.
Alright, so I was a Fan of a few pages, I think 8 to be exact. Why did I "Like" these companies? A few of them I had worked for, so it was to support them. Others are companies of friends, so again to support them. As I'm looking through these companies, I realized that the one I interacted with most isn't a company of a friend or anything else similar to that. In fact, I have had zero contact with this company at all, other than finding them on the Facebook ads on the right hand side of the page. I saw the ad one day, and was very interested and curious, and have been following them ever since. Actually, interestingly enough, it's not even a company, it's an event!
Tough Mudder. An extreme event that takes place all across the United States of America. It is different at each location as it moves across the country, however, it is on average about 12 miles long, with a minimum of 10 extreme obstacles. The extreme obstacles vary from swimming/running through 3 foot deep mud, to jumping over fire, to running through a wall of live wires putting out 10,000 volts (I'm not kidding). It is made to be one of the most challenging events in the country, and has a growing following that is quickly turning into a small community, or better yet, a family. Throughout the Facebook Fan Page, people comment on others photos etc and call each other "Mudder brother".
There are a number of interesting bits about this Facebook Fan page that pulls me in for up to a half hour at a time. To start, it is an event that takes place in different locations at different times, thus, there are constant updates of the "Next Mudder", or photos and stories from the previous one.
A recent favourite has been the hand drawn obstacles of the upcoming Mudder. These are not blueprints or engineer drawings, but are the original hand drawings from the creator, just after he thought of them. Some of them are designed on the computer using the program Paint, while others are pencils drawings on a scrap piece of paper, with arrows and descriptions all over. My favourite section is not the ever interesting professional photographs of the past events, but the photos of the regular joe who is training for the event. These are amateur photos of everyday people doing extreme or extraordinary things in order to physically and mentally prepare themselves for this intense event.
In allowing participants to post photos and videos, others are encouraged to post their own, comment on others, and just generally get excited for this first of its kind event. This kind of activity and participation not only adds to the community feeling amongst strangers, but engages people year-round. There have been a few who plan on following the event around the country hoping to participate in each one.
The general feeling of the site is for continued engagement, where people will return after the event to post tips for others, and answer questions. Compared to a regular run, where visitors may visit once before the event for some more information regarding the run, this has created a small community of loyal followers. I will admit, it does help that it is an extreme event, helping to bring people together faster, especially with such low participant numbers. But the fact remains, wether or not the numbers are large or small, the online presence and participation is large.
So, technically, what do they do well? Well, they grabbed me online. Right off the bat, that is a fantastic start. Especially for pulling in a Canadian (the event is only held in the states), who is likely not going to participate in the Mudder, and yet, I will browse the photos of the latest run to see the photos, read the stories and see what new obstacles were thought of. So they used Facebook advertising to bring in new viewers. And guess what I did as soon as I found it? That's right, I forwarded to my friends. No, not all of them, but to the specific ones that I thought might be interested.
Secondly, they kept me engaged by allowing everyone to post photos, videos, comments etc. Mudder also does a fantastic job of uploading professional photos after each event, where participants can go through and tag themselves.
In the information section, they describe their Mission Statement, Vision, and location of all events (including future events still in the planning for 2012), with dates. All the key information is there for you right away. The tab below "Info" is "Intro" where there is a short professionally made video, with links to register below. Having the ability to register right there is amazing for converting views into dollars right away. Very efficient.
This is all great, but where can they improve? Nothing is ever perfect. Well, by looking through the page I notice that the page wasn't personalized at all. It looks just like any other Facebook page. It has the same format and tabs, where Coca-Cola for example, has a completely personalized look. This could be for a lack of technical support in designing and maintaining the site, or it could be done like this on purpose. Looking at the target market, jocks, athletes, extreme outdoor enthusiasts who perhaps don't spend much time online, and who feel more comfortable with a format that they are familiar with.
All in all, this is a very engaging and interactive Fan Page. My favourite part is that you are not always conversing with the company (or product) but with other past and future participants who want to help each other prepare for this amazing event. I am just as excited as them, and I can't wait for the Tough Mudder to arrive in Vancouver in 2012.
Check out the Tough Mudder Facebook Fan Page here.
I hope to see you there!
I wanted to know which ones I interact with the most, and why? What are they doing well, and what can they work on?
This was an interesting task for me, because I take pride in not falling for these, what I like to call "marketing traps" that are Fan Pages. Company fan pages are very successful because the consumer can interact with company, by posting on the wall, liking different photos or comments etc. The 2 most beneficial points of a Facebook Fan Page are that people are already on Facebook (no need to go to a different webpage) and the company has the option of pushing information to you via messages or updates showing on your News Feed.
So to begin this investigation, I had to look through the few fan pages that I "Like" and ask myself, why am I a Fan of this Page and not another one?
For starters, I am not a Fan of Coca-Cola, Starbucks or any other large corporation. Those 2 that I mentioned are consistently in the top 3 for Social Media Marketing dollars spent, as well as consumer interaction. So why not me? My immediate thought is that I don't consume their products. I do not drink coffee. In fact, the only time I have ever had a cup (and this is true) was when I was in France, and my boss ordered one for everyone. It is in their culture to have a small pressed strong coffee after meals (especially lunch) and I didn't want to be rude. As for Coca-Cola, I tend to prefer water or perhaps a juice. I am not a soda pop kind of person. And when I do indulge in a soda, it is not cola. Most likely Iced Tea (I know it's not a soda, but it is found with the fountain drinks at fast food restaurants) or Ginger Ale, on the odd occasion that they offer it.
Alright, so I was a Fan of a few pages, I think 8 to be exact. Why did I "Like" these companies? A few of them I had worked for, so it was to support them. Others are companies of friends, so again to support them. As I'm looking through these companies, I realized that the one I interacted with most isn't a company of a friend or anything else similar to that. In fact, I have had zero contact with this company at all, other than finding them on the Facebook ads on the right hand side of the page. I saw the ad one day, and was very interested and curious, and have been following them ever since. Actually, interestingly enough, it's not even a company, it's an event!
Tough Mudder. An extreme event that takes place all across the United States of America. It is different at each location as it moves across the country, however, it is on average about 12 miles long, with a minimum of 10 extreme obstacles. The extreme obstacles vary from swimming/running through 3 foot deep mud, to jumping over fire, to running through a wall of live wires putting out 10,000 volts (I'm not kidding). It is made to be one of the most challenging events in the country, and has a growing following that is quickly turning into a small community, or better yet, a family. Throughout the Facebook Fan Page, people comment on others photos etc and call each other "Mudder brother".
There are a number of interesting bits about this Facebook Fan page that pulls me in for up to a half hour at a time. To start, it is an event that takes place in different locations at different times, thus, there are constant updates of the "Next Mudder", or photos and stories from the previous one.
A recent favourite has been the hand drawn obstacles of the upcoming Mudder. These are not blueprints or engineer drawings, but are the original hand drawings from the creator, just after he thought of them. Some of them are designed on the computer using the program Paint, while others are pencils drawings on a scrap piece of paper, with arrows and descriptions all over. My favourite section is not the ever interesting professional photographs of the past events, but the photos of the regular joe who is training for the event. These are amateur photos of everyday people doing extreme or extraordinary things in order to physically and mentally prepare themselves for this intense event.
In allowing participants to post photos and videos, others are encouraged to post their own, comment on others, and just generally get excited for this first of its kind event. This kind of activity and participation not only adds to the community feeling amongst strangers, but engages people year-round. There have been a few who plan on following the event around the country hoping to participate in each one.
The general feeling of the site is for continued engagement, where people will return after the event to post tips for others, and answer questions. Compared to a regular run, where visitors may visit once before the event for some more information regarding the run, this has created a small community of loyal followers. I will admit, it does help that it is an extreme event, helping to bring people together faster, especially with such low participant numbers. But the fact remains, wether or not the numbers are large or small, the online presence and participation is large.
So, technically, what do they do well? Well, they grabbed me online. Right off the bat, that is a fantastic start. Especially for pulling in a Canadian (the event is only held in the states), who is likely not going to participate in the Mudder, and yet, I will browse the photos of the latest run to see the photos, read the stories and see what new obstacles were thought of. So they used Facebook advertising to bring in new viewers. And guess what I did as soon as I found it? That's right, I forwarded to my friends. No, not all of them, but to the specific ones that I thought might be interested.
Secondly, they kept me engaged by allowing everyone to post photos, videos, comments etc. Mudder also does a fantastic job of uploading professional photos after each event, where participants can go through and tag themselves.
In the information section, they describe their Mission Statement, Vision, and location of all events (including future events still in the planning for 2012), with dates. All the key information is there for you right away. The tab below "Info" is "Intro" where there is a short professionally made video, with links to register below. Having the ability to register right there is amazing for converting views into dollars right away. Very efficient.
This is all great, but where can they improve? Nothing is ever perfect. Well, by looking through the page I notice that the page wasn't personalized at all. It looks just like any other Facebook page. It has the same format and tabs, where Coca-Cola for example, has a completely personalized look. This could be for a lack of technical support in designing and maintaining the site, or it could be done like this on purpose. Looking at the target market, jocks, athletes, extreme outdoor enthusiasts who perhaps don't spend much time online, and who feel more comfortable with a format that they are familiar with.
All in all, this is a very engaging and interactive Fan Page. My favourite part is that you are not always conversing with the company (or product) but with other past and future participants who want to help each other prepare for this amazing event. I am just as excited as them, and I can't wait for the Tough Mudder to arrive in Vancouver in 2012.
Check out the Tough Mudder Facebook Fan Page here.
I hope to see you there!
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Whistler Fire and Ice show Social Media Release
March 11, 2011
For Immediate Release
Fire and Ice come together for this incredible FREE show!
The whole Family can enjoy watching skiers and snowboarders jump through the dazzling Ring of Fire.
- Every Sunday @ 7:30pm
- Weekly to April 3, 2011
- Location: Skiers Plaza, Whistler Village base between Whistler & Blackcomb Gondolas
- Cost: FREE
- Fun for all ages!! A great family show!
Monday, March 7, 2011
Commercials poking fun at commercials
The new big thing in television commercials right now seems to be poking fun at television commercials.
The first commercial below is for the new Chevrolet Camaro, and I immediately fell in love with it. It makes reference to a number of ridiculous situations that carmakers have often put into their television commercials. I find it interesting, because to make this commercial different and noticed, they didn't go against the old tried and true formula. In fact, they stuck to it, but differentiated it from other car commercials by openly mocking them. Check it out below, and I can almost guarantee you will laugh. They chose some excellent personalities to do this.
The second video that I am posting is designed more towards viral videos. It is a SmartWater ad. SmartWater has Jennifer Aniston as a spokesperson, and has used her in many bus stop, magazine and other published ads, but not television.
Again, this ad takes the success of viral videos and makes fun of them to promote their water. I think it is a fantastic campaign that is obviously working because it was sent to me on the internet. Jennifer also does a great job of it, and seems to be a really good sport about everything. Very clever, enjoy.
The first commercial below is for the new Chevrolet Camaro, and I immediately fell in love with it. It makes reference to a number of ridiculous situations that carmakers have often put into their television commercials. I find it interesting, because to make this commercial different and noticed, they didn't go against the old tried and true formula. In fact, they stuck to it, but differentiated it from other car commercials by openly mocking them. Check it out below, and I can almost guarantee you will laugh. They chose some excellent personalities to do this.
The second video that I am posting is designed more towards viral videos. It is a SmartWater ad. SmartWater has Jennifer Aniston as a spokesperson, and has used her in many bus stop, magazine and other published ads, but not television.
Again, this ad takes the success of viral videos and makes fun of them to promote their water. I think it is a fantastic campaign that is obviously working because it was sent to me on the internet. Jennifer also does a great job of it, and seems to be a really good sport about everything. Very clever, enjoy.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Audi tackling Social Media
How should a large luxury car manufacturer utilize Social Media?
Audi has now come out with a plan. They originally started by focusing on only 1 form of Social Media, Facebook. Realizing that Social Media is a growing and almost necessary form of marketing, Audi has added 3 more social media sites to their marketing plan. They have chosen to use Facebook, twitter, YouTube and Flickr not only to engage with customers, but also to communicate with them directly.
Audi most recently had over 10,000 customers sign an online petition stating that they wanted the brands TT RS to be brought to North America. Audi, realizing that there is a desire for the car over here, decided to unveil the vehicle at the Chicago Car Show. What was interesting, is that they contacted all the people who had signed the petition in the Chicago area, and invited them to come to the unveiling of the TT RS.
I found it nice to hear, not only that a car company will listen to its customers, but will also go out of their way to invite the petitioners to the show.
So, what else can Audi do to improve their Social Media presence? Especially now that they have all these people at the car show, what will they do to engage them?
Well, Audi came up with a fantastic solution of using Facebook Places and Foursquare, so guests of the car show could check in at the Audi stand. They took that even further by adding an incentive. The first 100 guests each day will receive an enhanced calendar from the company. They also encourage you to take a photo with your favourite Audi and post it to their Facebook page. This is very smart, as it not only tracks people to Audi's stand at the show, but also to their Social Media pages. That's called hitting 2 birds with one stone. It also involves experiential marketing to a degree, in that guests will engage directly with the vehicles (taking photos etc.) and then posting and sharing them with others. The more I think about this, the more incredible it becomes, because now Audi has hundreds or thousands of people advertising for Audi for free and enjoying it. It is also extremely powerful as word-of-mouth advertising is the most trusted.
Social Media could have been very difficult for a car manufacturer to begin using if they didn't have a solid plan, which is why I think Audi did a fantastic job. They started small, not out-stretching themselves, and once they had a strategy set, they went out and activated the plan in a subtle and effective way.
Audi has posted a video of their Social Media Marketing strategies surrounding the release of the Audi TT RS at the Chicago Auto Show. I posted the video below for you to enjoy.
Audi has now come out with a plan. They originally started by focusing on only 1 form of Social Media, Facebook. Realizing that Social Media is a growing and almost necessary form of marketing, Audi has added 3 more social media sites to their marketing plan. They have chosen to use Facebook, twitter, YouTube and Flickr not only to engage with customers, but also to communicate with them directly.
Audi most recently had over 10,000 customers sign an online petition stating that they wanted the brands TT RS to be brought to North America. Audi, realizing that there is a desire for the car over here, decided to unveil the vehicle at the Chicago Car Show. What was interesting, is that they contacted all the people who had signed the petition in the Chicago area, and invited them to come to the unveiling of the TT RS.
I found it nice to hear, not only that a car company will listen to its customers, but will also go out of their way to invite the petitioners to the show.
So, what else can Audi do to improve their Social Media presence? Especially now that they have all these people at the car show, what will they do to engage them?
Well, Audi came up with a fantastic solution of using Facebook Places and Foursquare, so guests of the car show could check in at the Audi stand. They took that even further by adding an incentive. The first 100 guests each day will receive an enhanced calendar from the company. They also encourage you to take a photo with your favourite Audi and post it to their Facebook page. This is very smart, as it not only tracks people to Audi's stand at the show, but also to their Social Media pages. That's called hitting 2 birds with one stone. It also involves experiential marketing to a degree, in that guests will engage directly with the vehicles (taking photos etc.) and then posting and sharing them with others. The more I think about this, the more incredible it becomes, because now Audi has hundreds or thousands of people advertising for Audi for free and enjoying it. It is also extremely powerful as word-of-mouth advertising is the most trusted.
Social Media could have been very difficult for a car manufacturer to begin using if they didn't have a solid plan, which is why I think Audi did a fantastic job. They started small, not out-stretching themselves, and once they had a strategy set, they went out and activated the plan in a subtle and effective way.
Audi has posted a video of their Social Media Marketing strategies surrounding the release of the Audi TT RS at the Chicago Auto Show. I posted the video below for you to enjoy.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
A friend named Larry.
I was lucky enough to meet a nice guy the other day, named Larry.
Larry introduced himself to me in the elevator at school, however, there is a slight backstory as to why he introduced himself to me. Allow me to tell the story from the beginning.
It was break during my night class. I went downstairs and across the street to the Starbucks. Since it was about 7pm, they were getting ready to close. There was a keen and young employee mopping the floor by the door.
I gently and carefully walked across the clean floor to approach the cashier/barista and put in my order for their double chocolate chunk cookie.
I receive my cookie, complete the transaction as normal and turn to leave. As I'm walking across the room towards the door, there is another gentleman walking into the cafe. The employee mopping, kindly stops and pulls her mop aside to allow us to walk across and enter/exit.
Now, with me being the way I am, and wanting to have fun whenever possible, I had already been thinking about what I could do to make this little pit stop a little more interesting.
As I was crossing the wet floor right in front of the employee, the gentleman and I weren't able to manoeuvre around each other, due to the slippery surface, and we gently bumped shoulders. He immediately turned to apologize, even though the blame was shared 50/50, however it had set me up perfectly for my performance. I had planned on pretending to slip in front of the employee, just for fun, and without actually falling (I'm not a stuntman after all).
So as he nudges me, I immediately throw my right foot in the air in front of me, and swing my arms, with a look of shock on my face.
Right away, I catch myself, turn around and smile at everyone so they know it was only a joke. Haha, I thought the employee was going to have a heart attack.
The apologizing customer suddenly started laughing as well as the barista who had watched the whole situation.
Everyone had a good laugh, and then we all waved to each other and went our own ways.
As I was waiting for the elevator to go back up to class, the gentleman who bumped into me walked up next to me, also waiting for the elevator.
We both pointed at each other doing the ol' "HEY!!", as if we were friends who hadn't seen each other in ages.
We both started laughing, with him telling me how he totally thought I was going down.
Once we got in the elevator, Larry introduced himself to me, and started a short conversation about our studies before I had to get off.
It just goes to show that one goofy joke, or gesture can make a group bond quickly, as it separates you from the masses. I now look forward to seeing Larry again, as well as walking back into that Starbucks. What exciting adventures you can put a few strangers through, all in good fun of course.
Larry introduced himself to me in the elevator at school, however, there is a slight backstory as to why he introduced himself to me. Allow me to tell the story from the beginning.
It was break during my night class. I went downstairs and across the street to the Starbucks. Since it was about 7pm, they were getting ready to close. There was a keen and young employee mopping the floor by the door.
I gently and carefully walked across the clean floor to approach the cashier/barista and put in my order for their double chocolate chunk cookie.
I receive my cookie, complete the transaction as normal and turn to leave. As I'm walking across the room towards the door, there is another gentleman walking into the cafe. The employee mopping, kindly stops and pulls her mop aside to allow us to walk across and enter/exit.
Now, with me being the way I am, and wanting to have fun whenever possible, I had already been thinking about what I could do to make this little pit stop a little more interesting.
As I was crossing the wet floor right in front of the employee, the gentleman and I weren't able to manoeuvre around each other, due to the slippery surface, and we gently bumped shoulders. He immediately turned to apologize, even though the blame was shared 50/50, however it had set me up perfectly for my performance. I had planned on pretending to slip in front of the employee, just for fun, and without actually falling (I'm not a stuntman after all).
So as he nudges me, I immediately throw my right foot in the air in front of me, and swing my arms, with a look of shock on my face.
Right away, I catch myself, turn around and smile at everyone so they know it was only a joke. Haha, I thought the employee was going to have a heart attack.
The apologizing customer suddenly started laughing as well as the barista who had watched the whole situation.
Everyone had a good laugh, and then we all waved to each other and went our own ways.
As I was waiting for the elevator to go back up to class, the gentleman who bumped into me walked up next to me, also waiting for the elevator.
We both pointed at each other doing the ol' "HEY!!", as if we were friends who hadn't seen each other in ages.
We both started laughing, with him telling me how he totally thought I was going down.
Once we got in the elevator, Larry introduced himself to me, and started a short conversation about our studies before I had to get off.
It just goes to show that one goofy joke, or gesture can make a group bond quickly, as it separates you from the masses. I now look forward to seeing Larry again, as well as walking back into that Starbucks. What exciting adventures you can put a few strangers through, all in good fun of course.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
4 main points to making a successful Vlog
Here are the 4 main points to making a successful Vlog.
I decided to make these helpful hints because as I was doing research on vlogging, I found there to be very little helpful information out there. So, after 43 attempts at a decent vlog (none of which have made it onto the internet, thankfully), I had come up with my own short list of Vlogging rules.
4- Choose an appropriate background, as well as minimize any distractions.
3- Don't ramble. Keep your message clear and concise.
2- Keep your message and video theme appropriate to the industry or topic.
1- Have a Point or Message!!!
These are the points that I have believe to be the most important when making a vlog. Whether you are a first time vlogger, or daily pro, these are applicable each and every time. These rules also apply to any and all industries. If you find differently, please let me know by leaving a comment below.
Watch my first Vlog as I explain these points in more detail, by clicking on the link below.
These are the points that I have believe to be the most important when making a vlog. Whether you are a first time vlogger, or daily pro, these are applicable each and every time. These rules also apply to any and all industries. If you find differently, please let me know by leaving a comment below.
Watch my first Vlog as I explain these points in more detail, by clicking on the link below.
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