PWB Marketing Blog

Social Media: The New Company Newsletter? [Infographic]

Posted on 05/14/2012 by Tammy Mayrend

The other day I was asked “Is social media the company newsletter?” I was going to give a quick answer, then stopped to consider. Yes, I do think social media can take the place of most of the functions of the company newsletter. And has the added benefit of instant conversation.

Years ago we’d get news from our companies via beautifully printed “magazines” with articles about the company, news, upcoming events and possibly an employee highlight. In fact I still get a few of those periodicals from my insurance broker, USAA and from Ford Motor Company. That’s not the case for smaller businesses though. In fact I find that often I will get news from smaller businesses on Twitter or Facebook. They are my main news sources, followed quickly by the blogs that I read, and possibly YouTube videos and LinkedIn updates.

Is social media the new “company newsletter”? With the rapid delivery of news through Twitter, Facebook and blog posts, it seems like that might be the case!

When you stop to consider the way news is delivered to us, it has changed significantly. A letter or newspaper might have taken 2 months or more to get across the nation in the 1800′s, delivering old, stale news. And that’s only considering the delivery time and does not include prep or printing. Mid way through the 1900′s companies may have gotten a boost from news delivery via radio or the earliest television broadcasts. One might argue that it was the launch of desktop publishing in the 1980′s that made delivery of company newsletters easier. Although often, the news was still two plus months old since it was often a challenge for many company’s to crank out quarterly company newsletters.

It really wasn’t until e-mail was more mainstream in business that regular e-newsletter delivery became possible. So long as a company avoided becoming tangled in multiple editing sessions and getting past the many levels of approval, getting a company e-newsletter out quickly was possible. The flip side of that however was that with the ease of sending e-newsletters, it was possible to dilute the impact of messaging by sending too many messages to a client e-mail list.

I receive many newsletters each day, and would bet that for every 10 received, 9 are immediately deleted after just reading the subject line. I do however, see much of the same information from the deleted messages, through the social networks I monitor. I am always on Facebook, and on Twitter often enough, that I see the messages these company’s wish me to see. I am just not finding it through their newsletter.

I am not suggesting that companies only deliver their messaging through social media, in fact it is quite the opposite. There are demographics that expect delivery of news in certain ways; that is something to carefully address and align with your company marketing plan. You might even consider your communication strategy for each platform for your customers.

What content is appropriate for each platform?
How your customers or clients respond to messages?
What does your analytic information and open rate tell you?
What methods of message delivery prompt a response to calls-to-action?

Smooth, glossy printed company newsletters may still exist for some companies, while smaller companies often create scaled-back versions or even e-newsletters. However the growth of social media has opened the doors wide, allowing customers to respond to and experience messaging in many different ways. How has your company changed the way you communicate with clients?

Social Media Management Crisis: Don’t Play Possum

Posted on 04/27/2012 by Tammy Mayrend

You posted something to your Facebook wall that causes a fan (or two), to respond with a negative comment. Maybe someone from outside of your company sends out a Tweet or writes a blog post about your company that you don’t like or that is less-than-flattering. What do you do?

With growing consumer engagement, these types of scenarios are becoming evermore present. Individuals online are now more likely to take to social media when they feel slighted, annoyed or otherwise compelled to comment. I’ve even experienced it first-hand on a couple of seemingly innocent blog posts. Readers felt compelled to chime in with some not-so-flattering comments and their “thoughts” on my content. So what did I do? I let the comments stand and addressed them head-on.

When receiving a negative social media comment, "playing possum" until the attacker goes away is never a good idea. Photo courtesy Wikipedia.

Our response to negativity is often one of two things: Playing possum, pretending to be dead, hoping the predator will just “go away”, or the knee-jerk effect where we “pull it down” as quickly as possible, hoping no one saw it. Often times though, doing either one of these things adds fuel to the fire, increasing the power and persistence of the attacker.

There are very few circumstances where removing comments are acceptable. It may be appropriate to remove comments if they are intentionally inflammatory, illegal, or if they add spam links to your website. If these comments are placed on a blog topic, some companies also remove them if they drive the conversation off-course, leading reader engagement away from the topic written about. When comments are removed, readers should always be directed to you company social media policy or conversation guidelines.

Content should not be removed if is simply disagreeable or just because it is negative in nature. Let the negative comments remain posted, and directly address them as quickly as possible.

Make sure you are direct in your response,
When possible direct a message to each person who has commented,
Be honest and sincere with your responses,
And most importantly, apologize if you have done something wrong even if it was unintentional!

I have had several companies tell me that the “fear of what someone else could say” has turned them off from using social media. However that shouldn’t be a strong enough barrier to prevent your company from reaping the possible rewards of using social media. Add conversation guidelines for comments, create a general social media policy for your company and create a crisis plan for “before something happens”. Taking these few extra steps will add a level of comfort for your company and help you better understand what to do when something goes wrong.

Posted in B2B Internet Marketing, B2B Marketing, B2B Social Media, Business Blogging | Tagged B2B Social Media, Facebook, Media | 1 Comment

Facebook: 3 Steps to Update Your Page for the Timeline

Posted on 03/28/2012 by Tammy Mayrend

: Make sure your Facebook Page works for your business!

As of Friday, Mach 30, your business page on Facebook WILL convert to the new Timeline format. There is no getting around it, until Facebook decides to change again. So what does that mean to you as a business? It means you should stop burying your head in the sand, embrace change and edit your page before it automatically changes. It’s much better to control the way your Facebook Page looks, instead of letting the fate of your page fall to an automatic page layout. Here are three quick steps to help you easily edit your page for the new Timeline roll-out.

Step 1: Create a new cover image.

The cover image is the photo or graphic that floats at the top of your Facebook Page. The proper dimensions of the new artwork or image should be 851 x 315 pixels; Graphics and images that are wider will be cut off. An image that is taller can be shifted up or down within the space, however it too will be cut off if it exceeds the specified dimensions for the image. It’s best to correctly size your image to avoid being obscured from view. While you are creating a new Timeline Cover Image, you may want to also consider creating several visually stunning images to keep your fan page fresh!

But wait, that’s not all, there are several other things that you need to know when creating your Facebook Cover Image. Facebook Cover Image Guidelines dictate that you cannot have calls to action, contact information or other messages such as “Like”, “Share” or visit us at www… Instead you should focus on having visually stunning images or graphics and a solidly branded image.

Considering that you want a visually strong landing page, you may need to update your Facebook Profile Image too. Typically that image is seen only in your posts, but with the new Timeline it is prominently featured slightly offset to your Cover Image. How do your two images or graphics fit together? Do they complement each other? Your Facebook Profile image should be set at 180 x 180 pixels. Again remember that images that are sized specifically for these locations allow you to specifically target your messaging and how it appears to fans.

Step 2: Add any important milestones to you Facebook Timeline.

This is one time when you get to add important information from your company history, so boast away! Add the date the company went into business, grand openings, product launch dates, acquisitions, and other important or key dates for your business. These dates will show up on the Timeline should a fan want to scroll through your company history. You can even add an image to a milestone, which should be sized at 843 x 403 pixels.

Step 3: Businesses now have the opportunity to “highlight” or “pin” Facebook posts.
Highlighting and pinning adds extra attention to posts on Facebook. Do you have an upcoming event you want highlighted? Or maybe there is a news story or press release that you want pinned to the top of your Facebook Timeline. While highlighting and pinning will draw attention of fans, they both work in a slightly different way.

“Highlighting” a post means that it will always appear across both columns on your Facebook Timeline.
“Pinned” posts also span across both columns and will appear at the top of your Facebook Timeline for 7-days. This is a great way to draw attention to upcoming events and other “must-see” business information.
If you use an image in a highlighted or pinned post, it should be sized to 843 x 403 pixels.

Your Facebook Page can be a powerful social marketing tool, so make sure you use it wisely. Get ahead of the new Timeline layout and update your Facebook Page before March 30.

Have you already adopted the new Facebook Timeline for your business page? What do you think? Are there any tips you can offer those changing over?

If you need help changing or managing your Facebook Timeline, or setting up social media outlets including a Facebook Page, contact me at PWB.

Posted in B2B Internet Marketing, B2B Marketing, SEO | Tagged B2B Social Media, Facebook, Media, PWB | 2 Comments

Are You Pinterest-ed in Social Media? [Infographic]

Posted on 03/16/2012 by Tammy Mayrend

I’ll admit it; the last couple of months I have been engrossed in Pinterest somewhat – Shhh don’t tell my family, they think I have been “working”. In reality I suppose I have been, working that is. Whenever I am introduced to new online concepts, I consider what it may mean to clients or how they can leverage it. Have you been invited to join Pinterest? Do you know why it might benefit your business?

As a blogger, I can say that I have two images pinned from my blog, and those two pins have spread quickly to make Pinterest the fourth largest “search engine” traffic to my blog. At the same time it’s important to consider why some bloggers, artists, photographers or business owners might be put off by Pinterest and possible copyright infringement. For me anyway, knowledge is power, and Pinterest may be a very viable source of increased website traffic.

Below I will explain the basics of what Pinterest is, and why your company may benefit. I will also explain how your company may be able to leverage Pinterest for a bigger bang by including it in your overall social media toolkit and give examples of a couple of companies that are using Pinterest well.

What is Pinterest?

Pinterest is a social media “pinboard” that allows the organization of images. That may include especially beautiful, thoughtful or visually stunning images that a “Pinner” wants to re-visit at a later date. Think of it as a virtual scrapbook of sorts.

Knowing how Pinterest works is the first step in understanding its possible application for your business.

I used to clip home improvement ideas from publications to keep them in a binder’s labeled “Dream Home”, images and wedding ideas of dresses and centerpieces in one called “Wedding Planning” or products that I liked, useful tips and cool baby items into a binder called “For the Kids.” Pinterest is a way to collect this same information in a virtual binder! For business owners though, one of the best things about Pinterest is the ease (and speed) at which individuals can pin and share what they find and love. With Pinterest hitting over 10 million unique visitors as of January 2012, that’s a lot of potential new traffic for your website.

Pinterest Benefits

As I began to considering what Pinterest meant for businesses, I found an article highlighting the growing trend in using Pinterest to improve search engine ranking. With its rapid growth, Pinterest is primed to become a go-to source sharing visually impactful images with many users. Here’s the key to remember though, individuals who share images also share a link back to your website; Making it a great value in search engine optimization.

How Pinterest compares to other image-sharing sites

How To Leverage Pinterest?

So how can you leverage Pinterest for your business? The first step is to request to join Pinterest and poke around. Look to see who else is using it and how they are using it. There are several companies that are leveraging Pinterest well. Some of my favorites are Whole Foods, Better Homes and Gardens, Today and Mashable. They are mostly lifestyle companies however it’s worth seeing who is using this medium for improved website SEO.

After joining, consider adding a “Pin It” button to blog posts. Many of the popular blogging platforms have applications to quickly and easily add this button which quickly allows your information to be shared on Pinterest with others. Finally, be sure to share and “repin” ideas from other users to your company Pinterest account, after all, shameless self-promotion is never a good thing. It’s probably a good idea to read the Pinterest Terms of Use as well, making sure that it aligns with your company ideals.

Pinterest could certainly be a fad, however it still may be appropriate for your business. As always the key is to make sure you understand what it is, how it may be appropriate for your business plan and what resources you have available to implement this social media outlet. Check it out though, you just may be Pinterest-ed in what you discover!

Posted in B2B Marketing, B2B Social Media, SEO | Tagged B2B Social Media, Blogging, Media, SEO | Leave a comment

How Marketers Can Learn From Social Media In the Election

Posted on 02/08/2012 by Tammy Mayrend

While it’s generally accepted that one shouldn’t discuss politics or religion in polite society, this morning on the way into work, I heard a segment on NPR’s Morning Edition that caused me to ponder social media in the election. Believe me when I say, that this is a big deal too, especially before I’ve had my morning cup of Joe!

The segment, on how social media is NOT dominating this election, grabbed my attention when it indicated that “Social media… has been relatively little used by average voters and average citizens.” What? Tell that to my Facebook friends, because they have obviously not been privy to that information. I am already considering a personal Facebook blackout until this election is over. I suppose I should be clearer though. What the piece was indicating, was that as a society, we are not looking at social media for election coverage and news.

Less than 2% are seeking election news from Twitter
Less than 3% are seeking election news from YouTube
Less than 6% are seeking election news from Facebook

So, why did this leave a question in my mind? Because the candidates are missing the point in not embracing social media. If you listen to what your audience has to say, and then react to it, you can greatly increase your chances of being heard.

This is really the same challenge that so many other companies are facing. They simply miss the boat when considering targeting an audience, and feel that social networks are simply about “talking about their goods or services”.

“What do women who shop at a grocery store on Saturday afternoons instead of Sunday mornings who also happen to be executives and live in Chicago think?” said Amy Web, CEO Web Media Group

Instead candidates should consider turning to Twitter after their debate to read the political conversations unfolding online, or key in on what business professionals are saying on LinkedIn? Much like sitting in a movie theatre, and listening to the audience reacting and talking the screen, companies need to remember that these social networks are great places to listen to their audience.

So the next time your marketing person mentions that social networks are the perfect place to broadcast what’s new with your company, remember that they can be using social networks in a whole other way.

Understand where your audience is speaking, whether it is Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or YouTube;
Listen to what your target audience has to say;
React to what your audience is saying;
And implement changes that better address the needs and desires of your audience.

In better understanding your audience, you can better understand their needs, and hopefully target your messaging to reach them.

Right now I am still pondering the use of social networks in the election, and cleaning up the coffee I spit out, as I giggled at the phrase “Facebookistan” that was used at the tail end of the commentary.

To listen to the specific NPR Morning Edition segment I mentioned above, visit the NPR website.