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SMWCHICAGO 2011

A Twitterview with AARP Illinois: A Look at Demystifying Social Media for Seniors

Tuesday, October 25th, 2011

This week, I had the chance to “Twitterview” (Twitter + interview) Jennifer Baier, Senior Program Specialist, Technology and Volunteer Engagement at the AARP Illinois State Office, as a follow-up to her Social Media Week presentation, Demystifying Social Media for Seniors and Beyond.

We’ve heard that those over 50 are one of the fastest growing demographics on social networks, but what exactly are older adults doing online? Besides looking at photos of their kids and grandkids, they are using social media for advocacy, healthcare and job hunting. Take a look below to view our live Twitter Q&A exchange to find out more about what’s getting some seniors plugged in and what’s still keeping some offline.

kaitlin_doody: Hi @nanifu from @aarpillinois! Thanks for taking the time to chat today about social media for seniors. #smwchicago #socialmedia101

aarpillinois: @kaitlin_doody No problem glad for the opportunity – we love to talk #socialmedia101 :) and #smwchicago was awesome!

kaitlin_doody: We’re doing a follow up “Twitterview” to her presentation during @SMWChicago’s Demystifying Social Media for Seniors and Beyond. #smwchicago

kaitlin_doody: If anyone else has questions for @aarpillinois, feel free to chime in or DM me! #smwchicago #socialmedia101

kaitlin_doody: @aarpillinois Q1: To start, tell us what you, @nanifu, do for AARP. #smwchicago #socialmedia101

aarpillinois: .@kaitlin_doody A1: I do “digital technology” train our staff and members on using Social Media ie Facebook & Twitter #socialmedia101 #twill

kaitlin_doody: @aarpillinois Q2: What is the fastest growing demographic on Facebook? #smwchicago #socialmedia101 #fb

aarpillinois: .@kaitlin_doody A2: According to PEW those over 50 are the fastest growing Twitter and FB demographic! http://ow.ly/6Nzlb #socialmedia101

aarpillinois: .@kaitlin_doody A2 they want to keep in touch with their kids and grandkids! Makes sense :)

kaitlin_doody: @aarpillinois Q3: Great article from @pewinternet! But why are some seniors reluctant to get involved? #smwchicago #socialmedia101 #SMW11

aarpillinois: .@kaitlin_doody A3: The #1 reason we hear is privacy concerns. We go through privacy settings in each training session. #socialmedia101 #fb

aarpillinois: @kaitlin_doody A3 sometimes it’s just a fear of the unknown or thinking there’s really nothing in it for them #socialmedia101

kaitlin_doody: @aarpillinois Q4: Good point, so what usually gets seniors to “take the plunge” and sign up for FB or Twitter? #smwchicago #socialmedia101

aarpillinois: .@kaitlin_doody A4 cute and adorable #grandchildren online #job hunting and ability to do online #advocacy #socialmedia101 #smw11

kaitlin_doody: @aarpillinois Q5: Once they get signed up, what are seniors’ favorite online activities? #smwchicago # socialmedia101 #SMW11

aarpillinois: .@kaitlin_doody A5: Connecting with family and friends is a big one. Our members are also very involved in online advocacy #socialmedia101

aarpillinois: .@kaitlin_doody A5 you probably know that the biggest voting block is the 50+ they’re paying attention to their legislators! #socialmedia101

kaitlin_doody: @aarpillinois Q6: Ah ok, that’s interesting! Can you give example of how they use social media for advocacy? #smwchicago #socialmedia101

aarpillinois: @kaitlin_doody A6: Lots! They fill out online #petitions reply to action alerts and send lots and lots of emails.

aarpillinois: .@kaitlin_doody A6 here’s an example of an action alert. It generated thousands of emails to IL legislators! action.aarp.org/il

kaitlin_doody: Cool, thx for sharing! MT @aarpillinois here’s example of action alert. It generated 1000s of emails to IL legislators! action.aarp.org/il

kaitlin_doody: @aarpillinois Q7: Are seniors using social media for health information? If so, how? #smwchicago #socialmedia101 #SMW11

aarpillinois: @kaitlin_doody A7 Absolutely! They ask their family and friends for advice in status updates some follow their docs on #fb or #twitter

aarpillinois: .@kaitlin_doody A7 they’re also using it to STAY healthy. They search for tips on #brain health and #active aging #socialmedia101

kaitlin_doody: @aarpillinois Q8: Can you think of any major brands (besides AARP) that are targeting seniors on #FB or Twitter? #smwchicago #socialmedia101

aarpillinois: @kaitlin_doody A8: Lots of companies are engaging with #boomers. They change the way we think and the way we do business. #socialmedia101

kaitlin_doody: @aarpillinois Q9: What advice should ppl my age give to our parents/g-parents who are reluctant to “go social”? #smwchicago #socialmedia101

aarpillinois: .@kaitlin_doody A9: It’s a great way to stay in touch. Privacy concerns are valid. #socialmedia101 #smwchicago

aarpillinois: .@kaitlin_doody A9: There are lots of free classes to get you started. It may not be for everyone but give it a shot! #socialmedia101

kaitlin_doody: @aarpillinois Q10: This has been great! Any other info to share? Or places for more info about social media for seniors/boomers? #smwchicago

aarpillinois: .@kaitlin_doody A10: Here’s a #fb101 to get them started http://bit.ly/o1xdxY @aarp has resource center http://ow.ly/6NBnQ #socialmedia101

aarpillinois: .@kaitlin_doody A10 the help centers of Facebook and twitter are very good too! Facebook.com/help and support.twitter.com

aarpillinois: .@kaitlin_doody A10: Facebook and Twitter friends love to help too! Just ask your friends if you get stuck! #socialmedia101 #smwchicago

aarpillinois: . @kaitlin_doody thanks for the opportunity to talk with you today, it’s been fun!

kaitlin_doody: Thank you @aarpillinois and @nanifu for your time tonight! Great “Twitterviewing” you! #smwchicago #socialmedia101 #SMW11

 

 

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Posted in SMWCHICAGO 2011, social networks

Managing your Reputation: “Back in the Day” and Today

Tuesday, October 25th, 2011

“Oh, Johnny the butcher, he’s great! He always asks about the kids and serves up the best three and a half pounds of roast that my family could ask for.”

Back in the day, word of mouth recommendations were a golden currency. Proprietors got to know the people who came to their shops – they understood who they were and what their needs were. In turn, business owners relied on their customers to spread the word to their friends and family about the services they provided or the products they sold.

Today, the web is actually taking us back in time, according to Mark Britton, CEO of Avvo.com, the largest legal- and health-related Q&A website. Just like with Johnny the butcher, people today are usually using a good or service based on a friend’s or family member’s recommendation. And sometimes, it’s not just friends and family, but the random person on Yelp that helps you decide what hair salon to go to or which Mexican restaurant to eat at downtown.

Britton, who led the second half of the seminar on How to Manage Your Online Reputation, said the web has collapsed the boundaries between business owners and consumers. Businesses and brands cannot hide behind the web.

As Britton insightfully (yet obviously) points out: If you want to know more about a company, what do you do? You Google it!

It is important for brands and organizations to be online, and to have their web assets properly optimized for search engines like Google.  And, he’s pretty blunt about it: If businesses aren’t online and they don’t have a strategy behind their online presence, they will fail.

Britton calls it a “core web presence.” Not necessarily tons of bells, whistles and all of the social media platforms that exist, but rather a smart web presence that works best for your brand. He also notes that when you spend a lot of money on a website (which many companies do), you should be invested in it for the long run, updating regularly with fresh content and images.

However, your web presence needs to do more than just market your business. It also needs to be interesting to people by pointing them back to something informative or entertaining. A brand needs to contribute to the online conversation in a timely and productive way.

It really comes down to providing consumers that added value – whether it’s the friendly smile that goes along with the delicious roast from Johnny the butcher, or the strategic, informed web presence that only your brand can offer.

 

 

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Posted in SMWCHICAGO 2011

Reinventing a media career on alternative platforms

Tuesday, October 25th, 2011

Put four TV, newspaper and radio pundits on a stage and there’s a lot to be quoted. Get them talking about reinventing a career on alternative platforms and there’s practically no stopping them.

“It’s clear that if we want to be meaningful, we need to get into social media,” said Robert Feder of TimeOut Chicago and previously of a long career at the Chicago Sun-Times. But it’s not always that simple.

Steve Dahl, who has a long radio career and started podcasting as “something to do,” soon realized it was the perfect medium for him. He’s had his domain name since 1995, three years prior the Chicago Tribune purchasing theirs. He refers to it and his podcast as a lifeline to the listener.

Feder was “completely out of the loop” with the Internet, and had to decide between quitting completely after leaving the Sun-Times, or starting something new. “It’s up to each of us,” he said. “We’re responsible for our own brands.”

Nancy Loo of WGN-TV has found a home and a strong audience via Twitter after jumping on three years ago. “It made TV a two-way street,” she said. “We are doing the work we enjoy. (It’s an) outlet.”

Chicago Sun-Times columnist Richard Roeper has seen the possibilities of social media, but it isn’t always what it seems. “Every time you see news break, it broke on Twitter… What they’re saying is that a reporter from the New York Times reported it,” he said.

With this proliferation of easy media, there is a lot of content, and much of it is free. “There’s only so much money in the universe and it’s being dissipated among so many outlets,” Dahl said. “People got pissed off (for paying for a podcast). What’s your time worth? I can deliver the essence of what I do in 90 minutes or two hours for less than 50 cents a day with virtually no commercials. For me it’s the perfect medium.”

Loo noted that she’s not paid for her blogging or social media work. But she considers it an investment in herself, while Feder cautioned “as soon as you give your work away for free, you’ve established your value at zero.”

Roeper takes questions at random via Twitter and his show and values the instant feedback.

Feder is very excited about Twitter: “Big public events – it’s like being in the room with the smartest, funniest people you know. They’re all chiming in on real time. Those events are a transcendent experience.”

Along with the good comes the bad. On the negative feedback, Feder says that you have to develop a thick skin. “That’s what being open means. I have my say, I start the conversation and I open it up. That’s the most dynamic and exciting part of the world of blogging,” he said.

Tools spanned the gamut but most were open source: Loo uses WordPress, while the Chicago Tribune uses P2P; Feder is using Drupal; Roeper is using WordPress and Tweetdeck. Dahl is on WordPress and Echofon.

Among their picks for whom they read, Dahl is a fan of Gapers Block, Frank Senate and TimeOut Chicago. Feder endorses Roger Simon, Roeper reads Eric and Justin Stengel, the head writers for the David Letterman Show, and other television show writers. All cited Roger Ebert.

For those who are looking to do the same as our panelists, Roeper cautioned, “It’s more difficult to break through. (We) had the advantage … to take the audience with us. My path is gone. I can tell you my story but it’s not there anymore. Find out what you love to do and the really, really, really hard part is to find someone to pay you for it. Find a specialty.”

Dahl said that a blog is good place to start. “Podcasting is pretty easy to do. Content has always been king and more so now.”

Roeper thinks we’ll see a wider gap of those who can communicate and those who can’t, no matter the device.

Said Feder, “It doesn’t matter who you are, it’s the quality of your content. It will rise to the top and millions of people will see it. When has media been so democratic, ever, in history?”

 

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Posted in SMWCHICAGO 2011, social networks

Pay Me to Like You: An overview of the FTC disclosure rules as applied to social media

Tuesday, October 25th, 2011

When Ashton Kutcher guest-edited a recent digital edition of Details magazine and promoted five tech companies therein, he didn’t disclose his share in four of them. This raised some industry — and FTC (Federal Trade Commission)— eyebrows with a growing concern.

The newer, somewhat controversial set of FTC guidelines are meant to promote a competitive marketplace, and to protect consumers from false advertising and unfair business practices, especially in the age of blogs and new media.

Daliah Saper, of Saper Law Offices,  discussed this 2009 ruling, which requires endorsements to carry disclosures on the connections between advertisers and consumers, experts and celebrities. Simply put, it’s not easy to discern if a particular endorsement comes because the endorser was given money, a gift of the product or other incentive to write a positive review.

Bloggers aren’t journalists, per se, says Saper, so they aren’t often held to or aware of the standards journalists are usually held to. This has opened up other questions as to how much governmental interference is raised, and how it chills consumer free speech and limits business’ marketing tools.

The guidelines are rather vague, with no specifics as to what is a sufficient disclosure, or an endorsement.  The clear messages are that material connections between a blogger and a business must be disclosed, the post must reflect the writer’s honest opinion, and it’s all in response to bloggers who review or promote products while earning payments or freebies. Even a negative review, or one where the product is returned, should carry a disclosure.

Similarly troubling is “astroturfing,” when an employee of a company promotes it or seeds forum comments without disclosing they are from that business.

And though this is a concern for bloggers, it’s an even larger one for the companies themselves. Advertisers are liable for false statements by bloggers, even if they’ve previously trained them otherwise. Training and monitoring by the advertiser or its agency ensures they are following best practices, and that the information is correct.

Because the disclosures themselves are left vague, Ruth Wagner of cmp.ly saw an opportunity. Risk management is a newer area to social media, and big brands have to be sure they are covering all bases — legal exposure, the court of public opinion and brand erosion are all easily affected by false or negative postings.

Cmp.ly is a tool that provides text, URLs and icons for bloggers to disclose any association and link to a longer disclosure. The URLs are trackable across social media and even video, making documentation and monitoring easier for agencies, advertisers, employees and the influencers themselves.

Wagner points to having a process in place in case of issues. Currently cmp.ly is the only company in this space, with surely more to come.

Though, for now, the FTC isn’t bothering Ashton.

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Posted in SMWCHICAGO 2011

Linksharing, Hotlinking, and Rolling with the Bloggers

Tuesday, October 25th, 2011

Moderated by Jimmy Greenfield of Chicago Now, a Tribune-owned network of local bloggers, this panel featured four bloggers who spoke offline about the best ways to write, edit, and publish online. Kelly Ryan O’Brien of fashion blog Idols and Egos, Nikki Knepper of parenting blog Moms Who Drink and Swear, Julie DiCaro of sports blog A League of Her Own, and Andrew Huff of arts and culture blog Gapers Block all have one thing in common: they recall that the creation of their blogs was purely accidental. But more specifically, their blogs were created out of the necessity to address an issue that needed its own web address.

Huff said that he got the idea for Gaper’s Block, which now includes eight section editors and countless contributors, while writing a monthly newsletter to family and friends and realizing that there would inevitably always be stories he couldn’t squeeze into just one newsletter. DiCaro, on the other hand, realized she needed her own blog when she and her friends started getting flack for dominating the comments section of more traditional sports websites. Twitter led her to other women who were writing about sports; over 90 women have contributed to the blog since its founding in 2007.

DiCaro’s advice on styling a distinctive voice in your blog? Offer different kinds of content and coverage than that of the major online news outlets like ESPN, for example, when writing about sports. Otherwise, why would your audience choose your blog over ESPN if you’re covering sports exactly the same way? DiCaro’s other piece of advice for starting a blog: “Grow about five new layers of skin, particularly if you’re a woman and you’re blogging about sports.” If you can’t deal with it, she warned, then you should probably just be writing in your diary.

Nikki Knepper agreed that airing her opinions online occasionally went hand-in-hand with receiving nasty feedback and disturbing emails. But for Knepper, whose blog is published by Chicago Now, the perks of blogging outweigh the negatives. The staunchly anti-profit blogger likes to use her social media presence to promote other mom bloggers and charities in her community, rather than selling ad space on her webpage. “Your blog is jacked up with crap,” Knepper said of other bloggers who use their online presence to turn a profit.

Meanwhile, O’Brien said she didn’t have a problem with using sites like Commission Junction and Linkshare to make a commission from linking to a company or a product that she already liked and intended to blog about anyway.

While some bloggers disagreed about the legalities of hotlinking, (or linking to an image already in use by another website), they all agreed on the importance of building your audience by adding other blogs to your own blogroll and linking to other sites whenever possible. “Links are the currency of the web,” said Huff, while DiCaro echoed similar sentiments: “blogging is a collaboration, not a competition.”

-Jennifer Swann

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Posted in facebook, Publishing, SMW Chicago media coverage, SMWCHICAGO 2011, Social Media Week Chicago sponsor, Social Media Week Event Schedule

Recipe for Dining Social with Chicago Magazine

Monday, October 24th, 2011

A delicious look at Facebook and Twitter for chefs, foodies, and restaurateurs.

Ingredients

  • 5 foodie panelists
  • 1 founder of Restaurant Intelligence Agency
  • A bunch of Tweets
  • A sprinkle of Facebook posts
  • A variety of blog content
  • 4 oz. of a good red wine

Directions

1. Preheat your digital presence. Heating up to the idea of social media can be a challenge. Hoosier Mama Pies’ Paula Haney, who admits she’s not very tech savvy, thought that social media was a waste of time. For Liz Mendez of Uva Chicago, traditional PR and marketing wasn’t effective for the brand that she and her husband wanted to build for their restaurant. Both Paula and Liz realized that they needed to get online and get engaged – or else they would be missing out on a huge opportunity for connecting with their customers and fellow foodies.

2. In a large bowl, combine promotional content with general industry content. Then, throw in a handful of “@ replies” and give other blogs some love. Keep your content homegrown and fresh by balancing posts about your bar’s drink recipes with general industry content, like a Chicago magazine article on new trends for autumn cocktails. Paula of Hoosier Mama Pies insists that you need to keep your tone sweet (much like her pies, I’d image), while Liz Mendez follows a simple rule: Don’t talk about anything that you wouldn’t talk about at the bar (i.e., no politics, religion, or bad mouthing anyone else in the business).

3. Hand select who will be creating and posting social media content for your restaurant. Figure out if you’ll be in charge, or if you’ll have a sous-chef, so to speak, in charge of running your blog, Twitter handle or Facebook account. Chef Curtis Duffy thinks that someone inside the restaurant needs to be the one tweeting. Paula of Hoosier Mama Pies says she can tell when it’s not the right voice or when it’s a “canned” tweet, so it’s important to keep the tone authentic.

4. Don’t let online criticism simmer. Use your social media assets to respond to your customers. Phillip Foss, Chef and Owner of EL Ideas and The Meatyballs Mobile, says that if one person is commenting about a particular dish or a customer service issue, then probably another 10 customers have thought the same thing. Both Shelby Allison of The Whistler and Liz of Uva agree that you need to address customer complaints posted online with a brief public apology and then, follow up with the customer by an email or a phone call to pacify the issue.

5. Let your social media concoction bake for a few weeks and continue to stir in new content. People are equally interested in being “regulars” at your food joint as well as being “pals” with the owner, said Shelby of The Whistler, who thinks her social media presence has allowed their restaurant to make these personal connections. Liz of Uva says being active on her blog makes her more approachable in real life and that their customers are more likely to reach out and connect in person. Social media allows restaurateurs to connect with their customers at a whole new level, which grows loyalty and satisfaction – a recipe that is delicious for everyone!

Yields: The opportunity for a top-notch business with customers who keep coming back – to both your blog and your restaurant – for more.

Note: The red wine is optional. But who doesn’t love a good red wine?

 

In this photo: Rich Gamble, Publisher & General Manager of Chicago Magazine

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Posted in SMWCHICAGO 2011, social networks

Tucker & Julia Bring Chicago’s Social Media Community Closer with Tempe, AZ

Friday, September 23rd, 2011

As we wind down what has been an incredibly cool experience with Social Media Week Chicago, I thought it would be a good idea to talk about what some of us have learned this week.

If you go on #SMWChicago’s Facebook page, you’ll see we asked that very question; we encourage you to answer with as many things as you wish.  However, one thing that I learned came from (of all things) the Tucker Max/Julia Allison presentation on Tuesday night.

(I’ll let you insert your own dirty joke, or @TuckerMax, if you’re reading this, feel free to comment as we know you can…)

The real deliverable and point of this blog post is to share just how powerful Chicago is as a social media hub.  Those of you who attended might have seen some people with a small digital camera, a microphone and an iPad conducting interviews.  Would you believe that these folks came to #SMWChicago all the way from Tempe, AZ JUST to see us?

Head honcho Martin, second-in-command Amanda, Elizabeth (who loved Julia Allison’s shoes, by the way) and the camera guy (sorry dude, we didn’t catch your name!) from Internet marketing company Titaneer came to town just to see what Social Media Week was like here in town and (perhaps) if they could bring a similar model to Arizona.

Hey Crowdcentric crew–Tempe might not be on your list of “Coming Soon” cities, but give these folks a listen.  You can hear how passionate these people are about social media and Internet marketing.  If @titaneer could come into Chicago and sleep in one room of a Comfort Inn just to see how we do things and share their experiences, imagine what would happen if they had SMW in their own backyard?

Maybe they could sell out an entire hotel, or if given the opportunity, a few of them…maybe we’ll come along for the ride!

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Posted in SMWCHICAGO 2011, Social Media Week Event Schedule

Foodie Fascination

Friday, September 23rd, 2011

Ellen Malloy, founder of Restaurant Intelligence Agency, played jovial moderator to the packed house at “Dining Social: Facebook and Twitter for chefs, foodies, and restauranteurs” on September 19th at the Tribune Tower. The panel featured five culinary experts: Curtis Duffy of the Peninsula, Phillip Foss of Meatyballs Mobile and EL Restaurant, Shelby Alison of The Whistler, Paula Haney of Hoosier Mama Pie Company, and Liz Mendez of Chicago wine bar Uva.

The panelists brought a melange of social media experience to the table; Paula was reticent to twitter before garnering 800 followers in a single afternoon, and Liz never tweeted anything she “wouldn’t discuss in a bar,” while Phillip alluded to a social media makeover stemming from past tweet mishaps and fluid dispense of his personality.

The panelists sparred with each other throughout the presentation, joking, questioning, and prodding each other for explanations as to their social media strategies. The only thing the panelists agreed upon was authenticity of voice. Authenticity was the intuitive reason for engaging with fans and customers, for having a media presence in the first place. A “canned tweet” was the gravest of sins, Liz argued.

Pop culture fascination with food and foodies (Top Chef, No Reservations and Cupcake Wars) has heightened the demand for personal access and the panelists were cognizant of their celebrity status and responsibilities: to communicate honestly, kindly, and authentically, and to put their best foot forward via Facebook and Twitter. They saw a responsibility to acknowledge their fans and update them on current events and culinary trends.

Phillip was perhaps the liveliest of the panelists as he himself had felt the ebb and flow of social media. He blogged about cooking with asian carp and found himself inundated with media attention, making appearances on Fox News and The Today Show, The Wall Street Journal and tweeter feeds around the nation. He was cheery, good natured, but understood the trials and tribulations of sharing one’s work and life on the internet.

“There’s always an opportunity to turn a wrong into a right,” Phillip said and the panelists laughed if a tad uneasily, conjuring up their next tweets for a hungry public.

 

 

 

 

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Posted in SMWCHICAGO 2011

Holy Mother of All Things Delicious, Frito Lay!

Friday, September 23rd, 2011

Frito Lay certainly knows how to rope its audience in. Last night’s “Chip Buffet” was the first of its kind (that I’ve heard of, at least). Pairing some old favorites (how can anyone resist Sun Chips?) with some new varieties (Carolina BBQ=holy mother of all things delicious) certainly provided for a delightfully unique concept for a blogger networking event.

The hour-long networking session prefaced one of the more entertaining panels which I had attended to date. Four Chicago bloggers (Kelly, Nicki, Andrew and Julie) were featured in a panel discussion moderated by Jimmy Greenfield. From the beginning of this conversation, it was apparent that no two bloggers and/or blogs are alike, as each blogger detailed the reasons or events that culminated into the blogs which they have today.

Kelly started her blog out of boredom, when she had to leave her job in LA due to an illness. Nicki’s blog snowballed into creation through the popularity of her Facebook group, “Moms Who Drink and Swear”. Andrew started out by emailing a monthly newsletter to family and friends, which ultimately evolved into the pride and joy that is Gaper’s Block. Finally, Julie had a blog, got into a fight with the official “owner” of the blog group, and used that opportunity to start her own blog, “A League of Her Own”.

Each blogger’s personality clearly shown through the discussion that took place throughout the evening. One of my favorite pearls of wisdom learned from tonight’s session was from Nicki, who indicated that “a good rule for most bloggers may not be a good rule for you”. As long as your genuine voice shines through your blog, you are on the right path… in addition to being able to grow about five layers of skin, since every blogger is essentially putting himself/herself “out there”.

Of course, the topic of making money from one’s blog was addressed, but the panel made sure to note that if you are more focused on making money rather than being a genuine voice for your blog, you are inevitably going to alienate your readers. If you focus on blogging on what you love with an authentic voice behind the writing, your readership will ultimately grow- especially if you blog on a regular basis. After all, blog readership is directly proportional to blogging frequency.

The best ways to continue to increase your blog traffic? Network, network, network! Use tools like Twitter, Facebook and, heck, real-life like-minded people (imagine that!) to advertise your blog and formulate relationships and conversations.

SUCH fitting advice… it is Social Media Week, after all!

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Posted in SMWCHICAGO 2011

The Million Dollar Question

Friday, September 23rd, 2011

During Social Media: An Information Treasure Trove, our moderator, Amy Guth of the Chicago Tribune, kicked off the session with a fully loaded question: Why do we measure, what do we measure and how do we measure?  With only an hour and a half, my first thought was how are we ever going to get to the second question?  This is the million dollar question for any marketer exploring the social space.  As Justyn Howard, CEO of Sprout Social, pointed out, we would be surprised how many businesses don’t even have a benchmark to measure against and it’s probably because they don’t know where to start.

So, where do you start?  Patrick Rooney, EVP of Zócalo Group, says the first step is listening.  You need to get to know the landscape of your industry by understanding your audience, what they are talking about and where they are talking about it.  Knowing your market will be indicative of your success.

Then you need to determine what you are going to measure.  Just measuring everything is not the solution.  Chuck Hemann, VP of Digital Analytics at Edelman, shared that even at the enterprise level you can’t measure everything.  Your goal is going to be at least one of three things: make money, save money or make consumers happy.  What you track needs to help you prove one of these.  Understanding the objective of your program will help with this.

Among all of the metrics you can measure, the panel agreed there are some that are undervalued.  Content is one, Patrick suggests.  Listen to what your audience wants to hear about and take a closer look at your content mix.  Mandy Zaransky, Manager of Strategic Insights for the Chicago Tribune, says sentiment is undervalued.  Although most tools used to measure sentiment are not totally accurate, if done right, sentiment is a great indicator of how people feel about your brand or product over a period of time.

However, the most powerful statement made was from Chuck: primary research is not dead.  You should be surveying your fans and followers, as well as holding offline focus groups to learn from your consumers.  When someone tweets “I love your new line of gym shoes!” instead of just saying thank you, ask them why they like them?  What’s their favorite part?  Would they recommend them to a friend?  Use these engaged followers to gain some insight. When you couple primary research with social listening, Mandy says, you will get the best results.

Are there any social media metrics that you feel are undervalued?

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Posted in Engagement, facebook, SMWCHICAGO 2011, social networks

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