As self-professed social media junkies, we have a pretty robust obsession with keeping tabs on what’s happening right now in all facets of the marketing world. We constantly have our eyes peeled for info about emerging technologies, new platforms, and most importantly, innovative campaigns that mix it up in new ways.

Take, for example, some of the inspiring (or at least creative) work we’ve been passing around the office this week:

• Omo detergent: This Brazil-based campaign is taking the marketing + GPS recipe to a whole new level. The company planted GPS tracking devices in 50 boxes of detergent, which activate when the consumer takes them off the shelf. A promotions agency will follow the lucky buyer home, surprising the family with a video camera and a day of “outdoor fun.” A bit on the stalker side, perhaps, but definitely a new way to reach the consumer.
• Levi’s Walk Across America: This two-minute stop motion commercial nixed the aggressive sales pitch and went viral. It’s a visually stunning piece, and we’re partial to the footage of good old Mt. Rushmore. YouTube views hit nearly 2 million in just two weeks.

  Click here to view the embedded video.

• Domino’s: The pizza chain’s rebranding strategy continues with the admission that food commercials may actually (gasp) doctor the product before filming it. The Show Us Your Pizza challenge encourages hungry people to upload their own pictures of Domino’s pizzas for a shot at cold hard cash. Simple concept, but we give it an A+ for engaging the audience.

These campaigns all incorporate a social element: from the Levi’s video that’s been shared and commented on thousands of times to a dedicated website that will feature footage of Omo’s winners and their stories, social media has become an integral part of the marketing mix for both big brands and small businesses alike. Traditional advertising continues to be a major player for most businesses, but combined with social, the results can be especially powerful.

Of course, social media is constantly changing, which is both exciting (for us) and intimidating (for some of our clients). We see a lot of small businesses that are interested in venturing into social, but they’re nervous about getting started. Should they be on Twitter? What about FourSquare, or LinkedIn, or Facebook? Should they start a blog? What crazy stunts do they have to come up with to be competitive? With new tools emerging as “the next big thing” all the time, businesses are overwhelmed and unsure how to spend their time and money.

Our advice? Don’t worry about tackling every social media platform or replicating million dollar detergent stalking campaigns. Start small – focus on your business goals and pick a tool that will best support your initial efforts.  It takes commitment to build a successful social media strategy, but it doesn’t have to be over the top. Provide helpful information, talk with (not at) your audience, and post often. It’s really that simple!

Still confused about the whether social is right for you? Take a look at the answers to some  social media FAQs Kyle posted awhile back.

Social Media Inspiration: Detergent Stalking and Other Stories is a post from: RSA Blog

In a brilliant and entertaining blend of traditional advertising and social media, Old Spice simply nails it here.  With a traditional TV spot posted on Youtube, they simply monitored comments on the video, as well as on Facebook and Twitter, and then shot and posted video responses to some of them.

Simply amazing. This has got to be the first time in a long time any advertising, by itself, has made me want to purchase a product!

And they’re still doing it. Prepare to waste your afternoon…

Click here to view the embedded video.

Old Spice Does Something New is a post from: RSA Blog

A while ago I wrote about the idea of being “transparent” or “authentic” in the social web. My theory is that full transparency is actually over-disclosure (and therefore undesirable), and authenticity just means don’t be fake (rather than meaning “show yourself without any sort of filter,” as the word might imply).

This theory applies to social business (use of social media for an organization) as well.

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Transparency in Business

No single person is obligated to tell anyone anything (outside the legal sphere), but good communication demands a certain level of honesty.

For business, depending on the type of organization, you may be obligated to share certain information with employees, shareholders, customers, and the government. The relevant question, however, is where and when to do so.

Much of the information you might communicate to shareholders or employees probably isn’t appropriate for social media. But when communicating with customers, potential customers, and the public at large, reasonably honesty goes a long way.

Some advice:

• Own up to your mistakes, and do it quickly
• Be as quick to acknowledge failure as you are to boast success
• Respond to negative feedback in a constructive way, without giving people the runaround
• Let people know who they are talking to – a person is much more attractive than a brand
• If you post or reblog someone else’s idea or content, give them credit

Authenticity in Business

Authenticity is just as important for business as it is for personal, social activity. If you want real relationships with real people in any arena, a certain level of genuine openness is essential. The difference for business is that authenticity is about the brand, not the people.

We all know what it’s like to see or hear ads that just seem fake, or hear people talk in ways that seem inauthentic (by the way, we’ll help you drive granular methodologies leveraging next-generation applications to integrate leading-edge infomediaries). Our reactions may vary, but I would guess most people recognize this kind of artificiality for what it is, and reject it. No one who talks this way is being authentic.

Some advice:

• Your mode of authenticity will depend on the brand you represent. If your brand is about “quality customer service,” well you better not be treating your customers like an inconvenience
• Likewise if you tell a customer you’ll fix a problem, then fix it – don’t give them the runaround
• Neither should you be telling people you do things you don’t really do. If you sell a product of moderate quality in order to keep to a certain price point, don’t tell people you sell a product of the highest quality
• Don’t lie unless you’re a liar and want to be known as such
• Authenticity doesn’t necessarily mean you have to show the negative side of your organization, but when you’re showing ANY side, make it real
• If you’re ashamed to be authentic in this way, you need to change your business

Growth of social media gives us a new opportunity to expose the real “us” – business or personal – to other people. This is a good thing – it builds trust and long-term relationships.

So if you’re going to embark upon any social communication effort, just get rid of the old business persona of detached, callous, robotic nonsense. Be real.

Social Media and Business: Don’t Be Fake is a post from: RSA Blog

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The Black Hills Home Builders Association recently help a seminar for its members and invited RSA to come speak to them about social media for business. It was a great time with a small, intimate group, and we fielded quite a few questions. Here are a few of those questions, including our answers.

What is Twitter?
I’ve written about Twitter here a couple times. In short, it’s a networking tool, a way to engage in conversation with people around the globe. It may be new technology, but it’s still just people talking. Sign up for an account and post, 140 characters at a time, about things that matter to you and the people you wish to interact with, whether they be customers, prospects, colleagues or friends.

Try using Twitter’s search feature to find people talking about topics of interest, and begin to engage them. Keep in mind every “tweet” is an invitation to engage – people want to hear from you!

How much time should I spend on social media?
As much or as little as you want to. And like most things in life, you get out of it what you put into it. Some have called social media a big waste of time, others have thrived in the space and seen tremendous business success. I won’t lie to you – becoming adept at social communication for your business takes a lot of time. What that time is worth, and how much of it you spend on this kind of investment, will be up to you.

I spend most of the workday on Twitter, but it’s actually a passive presence: I let TweetDeck run on my desktop, updating me every so often about new tweets and conversations. I can then choose to ignore them and continue working, take a moment to read them, or take a few minutes to respond (though this last one can turn into hours of sporadic conversation if you want it to).

Which platforms are good to use?
This will differ (perhaps only slightly) for each business. There are literally hundreds of social networking platforms, though many of them are competing “clones” of the same concept. In any case it can be difficult to know which ones to use.

First, keep in mind you’ll never use them all, and if you try, you will spread yourself too thin and become overwhelmed. Second, decide which tools to focus on (this will depend largely on your overall goals, objectives for web, and the strategic approach you’ve developed).

In general I think many businesses could benefit from having a Facebook page, Twitter account, or Youtube channel, though that is not true in all cases. There are also “bookmarking” sites like Digg and StumbleUpon, and review sites like Yelp.

Another are that should get some attention as well is that group of tools created for monitoring the social web for mentions of your business, brand, competitors, or persons or topics of interest. This is a great way to supplement your market research and keep tabs on competitors, customers and prospects. In fact, if you don’t do anything else, do this. Some places to start include Google Alerts, Socialmention, or Trackur.

What kinds of things do you recommend posting?
If you’ve done the proper research and defined your goals and intended audience, this question will be much easier to answer. Though it will be somewhat different for every business, I’m confident that everyone can follow this guiding principle: be helpful, be interesting, or be gone.

If you’re not helping people out or posting something that is actually interesting to them, they are simply not going to care about what you have to say (I should know…)

How do I know what my audience wants?
Try asking them. You can make all kinds of assumptions, but the best way to find out what your audience wants from you is to ask. The next best way is to just dive in and see what engages that audience and what doesn’t.

Should I remove negative comments?
Any social platform worth using offers a way for people to comment on your content. The whole point of the social web is interactivity, and this is why people use it. If you’re removing user content, you are hampering that interaction.

That being said, there may be cases in which it is just better to remove a comment, if possible, and that decision is yours alone. In general, however, it can reflect well on you to let a negative comment stand, or even better, to respond to it in a constructive way.

That covers some of the bigger questions asked, and that we commonly get from clients. Are there other questions you might ask on this topic? Or would you have answered any of these differently? Please leave a comment!

Social Business Questions and Answers is a post from: RSA Blog

We are excited to announce the winners of our first Good Ad, Bad Ad Facebook contest! Congrats to Jackie and Gina, who posted ads deemed the best and worst of the bunch by our esteemed panel of judges (our Search Engine Marketing department, clearly).

Good Ad: Jackie won the prize with the latest commercial in the “Search Overload” campaign from Bing:

Click here to view the embedded video.

We can relate – and now our office is jamming out to Freak Nasty’s “Da Dip.”

Bad Ad: Gina caught our attention with something very, very bad to win the Bad Ad prize:

Okay, it’s not exactly an ad, but close enough. Read more about this British Airways faux pas,  which appeared in an internal staff magazine with an article about mobile boarding. Whether it was a mistake or a prank gone awry, that’s one heck of a PR mess.

Congrats again to our winners, and thanks to everyone for playing. Be on the lookout for more contests in the future!

And the winners are… is a post from: RSA Blog

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The last time I wrote a blog for RSA I discussed the joys and pitfalls of the customer service experience, and promised to return with an update on the window issue. Well I am pleased to say the glass was finally replaced and they did it on time! Wow – some good news.

Now I have another story that addresses customer service and its huge importance in today’s world.

Customer Service Failure

This customer service story involves Sears. The situation has angered me so much that I was forced to employ measures that I had never used before. Sears – a company with outlets in towns and cities across the US- was responsible for the manufacture of many of the appliances in my home. Unfortunately for me one of those appliances, the Range, has slowly developed a fault.

The root cause of the problem was the oven door hinges – they had warped due to the heat. When I called Sears, they said that my particular unit was not covered. I was furious! I was certain the model was covered but this particular range apparently was not. After asking for a call back from the manager and waiting several days without a returned call, I turned to Facebook. I went to the Sears page and selected “I like” (the old “become a fan” button – why oh why?). Anyway – back to my point – this is what I wrote, word-for-word, on their Facebook wall:

“Sears service is diabolical – I have a range that clearly has a fault. The oven door will not close and the heat is escaping and the light stays on – it seems that the heat has affected the hinges. Online forums tell me that there has been a service flash for this model. When I called Sears and after several attempts to get through – because their phone system is so bad and anti-customer, I was told that my particular model (based on the serial number) is not covered. This is sickening – it is clear that all of the model range is affected and yet I am not covered. This is a FAULT Sears; the item is defective and I am now going to have to pay to fix it. The service I am receiving will make me never to want to buy a product from this company again. Steer clear.”

After a few minutes I received an email from Carla Furca, the Social Media Moderator at Sears Holdings Corp. She told me that she’d pass my complaint to the Sears Cares team to get this problem resolved.

“That’s not how it works at Sears”

It doesn’t stop there though. After I receive a call from Robert, a member of the Sears Cares team, it seems that Sears doesn’t care at all. The nice chap told me that although there was a problem, I would have to foot the bill for parts and labor, and Sears would happily reimburse me for the service charge. Now I am not an unfair person; if this fault had occurred due to wear and tear, I would happily pay both charges.

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But an oven should last more than four years – and parts should not buckle under heat. This is, after all, an oven! Surely its components would have been tested for their suitability in a hot environment?

After arguing for a few minutes, Robert eventually checked the recall notice and determined that my range was indeed covered after all. What? Why, then, did I have to go through this entirely futile process only to be told that I was covered all along? The basic truth of the matter is that Sears will cover you, but only if you shout the loudest – it’s an outrage.

As I write this, I am awaiting the service engineer who said he’d arrive between 8 a.m. and noon. It’s 11:05 and I am still waiting.

Robert, the Sears agent who has been assigned to my case, told me the engineer doesn’t routinely carry any parts and that I will most likely have to wait for the part before they can fix the range at a later date. I argued that surely you know what the problem is, as it is a recall – why not have the part with the engineer? Robert’s response was “that’s not how it works at Sears.” It seems that Sears likes to be inefficient and distrust the word of its customers. Soon after this appointment, a second appointment was arranged and the appliance was suitably fixed.

Social Media Win

So what’s the moral of this story? Well I believe that Sears needs to invest the same amount of money in its service department as it does in its marketing department. It’s all too common these days for companies to scrimp on one of the most important areas of their operation. There are companies out there doing this who are successful – they work: TigerDirect, Virgin, even the IRS (I was overwhelmed to receive a call from them this morning just letting me know that it was processing my tax return and that it had everything it needed – shocking!). If the IRS can get it right, why can’t commercial enterprise?

This story also proves the power of social media – Facebook really can help. Anyone in the services industry should really consider how a social media strategy could not only strengthen their business, but grow it too. I hope Sears improves its basic level of service; I know it’s had difficulties in recent years, but it needs to get it right so that next time I’ll be writing a glowing review.

Share your good or bad customer service story in the comments!

The Importance of Customer Service is a post from: RSA Blog

...since sliced bread.

Q: I get a lot of clients asking me a number of variations of this question: “What’s the Next Big Thing?”

This is good! They’re interested, they’re anxious – they observed the boom of social media and they want to get in on the ground floor of whatever new craze comes along.

A: So here is the answer: it doesn’t matter. The corollary is that no one really knows for sure. Yes, you can speculate all day long – and people have – but the reality is no one knew Twitter was the Next Big Thing until it was.

Well I can tell you the Next Big Thing is data and communication implants, but it’s nothing more than wild speculation. Also, scary.

Among people who are reluctant to get involved in the web, social media, SEM, and mobile marketing, I get the sense they think they’ve already missed the boat, and so they ignore it. They’re waiting around for the Next Big Thing, instead.

Well yeah, you’re missing the boat. But guess what: Das Boot is a ferry – there’s always another chance to hop on and join the party on the other side. Stop waiting around for the Next Big Thing, because if you’re not already involved in This Big Thing, chances are you’ll completely miss the next one.

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Photo courtesy of cogdog

The Next Big Thing is a post from: RSA Blog

Simplicity and Social Media….Do they really go together?

In an age where advertising isn’t just about a billboard and a plan, many marketers are running around in circles trying to figure out the next platform to follow. While most large companies are looking for the next big thing, the next idea to get them ahead of everyone else, we like to remind our small business owners that simple can still be better.

What Is All The Fuss Really About

From Twitter and Facebook to Foursquare and Gowalla, there is plenty to choose from in the social media world when it comes to creating buzz without spending the cash. If you have asked yourself many times, “Why does any of this matter to me?” It’s simple. Advertising to your customers not at them, can be the best way to reach multiple demographics at one time.

While traditional advertising can still play an important role in any business owner’s marketing strategy, social media can play just as an important part in the grand scheme of things. Just as word of mouth between friends, family and co-workers can raise brand awareness in a traditional way, social media takes it to the next step. In turn, this allows them the opportunity to exploit their experience with your business to as many people as possible.

But what if they are sending out negative Tweets?

Keeping an eye on social media platforms like Twitter can save you from a world of hurt later on down the road. By now, everyone knows about the trouble Toyota faced with bad design. Instead of consistently denying there was a problem, they finally took a step back, entered the world of social media, and apologized for what was happening.

The same can happen for your business. Whether you are a hotel owner or a small mom and pop store owner, knowing what people are saying about your services gives you the upper hand. Negative reviews keep coming in? Figure out a solution, fix the problem and promote the heck out of the changes you made.

It’s really that simple……I promise

Besides giving you the opportunity to chase after problems or advertise successes, use social media to offer deals, promotions and giveaways – marketing your business in a very simple yet effective way.

Through a simple tweet yesterday, Starbucks announced:

Starbucks Starting tomorrow, it’s Happy Hour at Starbucks! try a @Frappuccino for Half-Price from 3-5pm! (until 5/16)

Let’s just say that the madness is on and Starbucks will be cashing in big on this deal.

Included in that tweet was a link to a video promo posted through YouTube. All together, Tarah and I gave this post an A+ for their marketing efforts.  In fact, we are probably on our way over there now to take part in this amazing deal!

Finally

This can be overwhelming, scary and sound downright crazy to most but overall, at the end of the day, we’ll tell you what we tell all of our current customers: Just do it! Social media is cheap, quick and with the right strategy, one of the best ways to reach a large audience quickly.

Simplicity and Social Media….Do they really go together? is a post from: RSA Blog

Me, in a bad dream last week:  “So, tell me why you want to be on Facebook/Twitter/YouTube?”

The phantom client:  “Because everyone else is.”

Still not using a plan? Time to wake up and smell the bacon.

Me: (Shuddering)

To be fair, we spend a lot of time talking about how important it is for businesses to have a social media presence, and a lot of people are ready to get on board, which makes us really happy. However, when we see a business with a lackluster fan page or a silent Twitter feed, it makes us sad.

Social media is seductive – it’s new, exciting, and a relatively cheap initial investment (in both dollars and manpower), requiring only that you choose a clever screen name and upload the perfect photo.

But then what?

Like everything else on the web, social media is a twisting, turning, ever-transforming thing, and you have to be prepared. It’s like having a baby, but with (hopefully) fewer dirty diapers: you need to nurture it, respond to any messes, and eventually help it grow up and do amazing things.

There are great opportunities to make social media work for you and your business, but it’s important to have a plan. Just like any other type of marketing, know what your ultimate goal is, then figure out who you’re going to talk to, what you’re going to say, and how often you’re going to say it.

Once you have that blueprint in hand, then you can jump in and start posting. Not only will strategy help your business use social media more successfully, but it will actually save tons of time and energy down the road – and keep me from having any more of those dreams.

If your business uses social media, are you operating from a plan, or just flying by the seat of your pants?

Banishing Social Media Nightmares is a post from: RSA Blog

The MacGyver of marketing.

As first-time home buyers, my fiancé and I have discovered that we are woefully unprepared for jobs that require a certain level of handiness. While I have a small (pink) toolkit that has been deemed unfit for manly use, his tools are limited to 1) a hammer, and 2) a Swiss Army knife. Apparently, that little knife is a miracle worker.

In the world of interactive marketing, we have our own pocket-size tool complete with screwdriver and bottle opener, à la social media. Social platforms are serious workhorses that give businesses an opportunity to connect with specific people who might be interested in products or services, learn about them, listen to feedback, stay informed, build the brand, and more.

While a lot of businesses have fully embraced the new frontier, there are still a few hold-outs who want to see concrete proof of the power of social media. For the remaining doubters, I’ve prepared a menu of tasty stats, broken down into fun-size bites:

• There are more than 400 million active users on Facebook. That’s more than the population of the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada combined.
• Employees access Facebook more than any other website from work (sorry Robert!).
• Twitter’s 106 million users tweet an average of 55 million times per day – that’s 636 tweets per second.
• FourSquare, a location-based social network that’s barely a year old, recently added 100,000 users in 10 days, and is being hailed as ‘the next Twitter.’
• LinkedIn, a social network for professionals and businesses, has more than 65 million users.
• The most-viewed video on YouTube – Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” – has received more than 186 million plays in only four months.

Basically, if social media isn’t part of your current marketing strategy, you’re missing out on great opportunities to talk directly to potential customers. And if you think South Dakotans aren’t as social savvy as other parts of the U.S., think again:

• 1 in 3 South Dakotans is on Facebook, the highest per-capita usage in the country.

Social platforms are like the Swiss Army knife in your toolbox; they can do all kinds of amazing things, provided you know how to use them (stay tuned for more on that later this week). While there are still jobs that other tools work best for, it might be time to consider adding a combination scissors/wood-saw/fish-scaler to your marketing mix.

Marketing’s Swiss Army knife is a post from: RSA Blog