10 Smarter Things to Say Than “Let’s Make This Go Viral”
Let’s make this more effective. Let’s make this more entertaining. Let’s make this easier to understand. Let’s solve someone’s problem. Let’s eliminate our redundancies. Let’s thank someone who deserves it. Let’s learn more about our customers. Let’s learn more about ourselves. Let’s ask “why?” Let’s…
Defending Your Brand: How Some Companies Are Setting Themselves Up for PR Problems
Not every company feels compelled to use social media. But those who haven’t at least moved to establish their own online presence may be in for a surprise: it’s incredibly easy for someone else to do it for you — and not always with the…
Would You Rather Be Cool or Popular?
Or, asked another way: to whom is your marketing directed? On one hand, maybe you’re convinced that influencing the influencers is your best bet. Rather than spending money to reach an audience that isn’t prepared to act on your message, you’d rather focus on the…
AT&T vs. Verizon: Why Bad PR Is Still Good for You
In Andrew Cherwenka’s recent case study, he explains how AT&T used Facebook to defend themselves against Verizon’s claims of a better 3G network, and how that plan backfired when the very customers AT&T expected to rally to their defense instead fell silent while the conversation…
Teaching Marketing: What If No One Knows the Answers?
There’s a great conversation happening on Amber Naslund’s blog, where she asks: What does the next generation of marketing professionals need to know? The answers from her readers are practical, including: Critical thinking Storytelling Consumer behavior How to engage with multiple (and quickly-changing) demographics The…
5 More Reasons Companies Fail at Social Media
Last week, Amy Mengel brilliantly summarized 5 Reasons Corporations Fail at Social Media. Those lessons (which she gleaned at the 2009 Inbound Marketing Summit) are entirely valid concerns for any company that’s navigating its way through the mostly uncharted waters of social media. But, in…
Your Social Media Strategy Says a Lot About Your Company’s Character
Heidi Sullivan’s* recent blog post about “the Amp app” makes a valid point: “Don’t alienate your customers.” She also gives credit to our client, Bigelow Tea, whom she cites as a positive example of a brand adapting its messaging after discovering its social media audience…
What Companies Fear Most About Social Media
A recent survey from eMarketer outlines both the perceived benefits and the primary concerns that business executives have about social media. Chief among their reservations: information security and employee productivity. Considering that 51% of the survey’s non-social media-using respondents said they “don’t know enough about”…