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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

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

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

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

What’s the Big Idea?

Thursday, September 22nd, 2011

Reintroducing a brand to a new demographic is not exactly small peanuts. Companies spend millions of dollars researching, testing and launching campaigns like this. But Jennifer Lucente, New Media Manager for the Chicago Architecture Foundation, showed us sometimes all you need is a big idea and a Twitter account.

The Chicago Architecture Foundation, or CAF, was founded in 1966. The foundation hosts 85 tours around Chicago, all lead by 450 volunteer docents. You are probably thinking Wow! 85 tours? I had no idea. That’s exactly the problem Jennifer was facing. The CAF was only reaching seniors and, while Jennifer assured us this demographic is fantastic; she wanted to reach the younger audience as well. In what she calls a personal brainstorming session, Jennifer came up with the Around Chicago in 85 Tours Challenge.

Jennifer began her personal journey to complete all 85 tours the CAF offers in one year and broadcasted it to the world, or at least to her modest following on Twitter, Facebook and CAF blog. Without the help of a PR agency and no budget for advertising, her story was featured in publications like Crain’s, Business Week and Fast Company, all because of her genuine efforts on social media. People started to join her during tours and take on the challenge themselves. That year, the CAF had the best attendance and revenue in its history! Through her engagement with the community, Jennifer also helped increase their Twitter followers by 77% and Facebook Likes by almost 200%. The best part? Her total costs were around $300.

At the end of it all, Jennifer truly did see her name in lights. The historic Chicago Theatre offered to host a party celebrating the completion of the Around Chicago in 85 Tours Challenge and put Jennifer’s name, along with a congratulatory message, on the marquis.

So what’s going to be your big idea?

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Posted in facebook, SMWCHICAGO 2011, social networks, Uncategorized

Entertainers Finish First: Tucker Max on Twitter

Thursday, September 22nd, 2011

“Does everybody know who Tucker Max is?” host Julia Allison asked the audience of mostly iPad-equipped twenty-somethings at Social Media Week on Tuesday evening. “Why else would you be in the basement of the Hyatt?” said Max, quick to assure his interviewer that everyone in the audience had come to hear solid, if not offensive, advice from the self-proclaimed asshole whose debut story collection “I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell” was made into a movie in 2009. The University of Chicago alum who turns 36 next week got into character by taking the stage with his own personal prop: a bottle of Fat Tire beer.

During his hour-long talk, Max repeatedly harped on the evils of corporate America (and the banality of their corresponding Twitter feeds), but was quick to defend his own authenticity and transparency as a prominent personality in social media. For a guy  that claims he’s simply trying to be himself, Max certainly takes a calculated and highly self-aware approach to his Twitter feed.

“The point of a Twitter feed is that people want to be entertained,” he said, adding “if it’s not funny for me, I don’t post it.” And though he insisted he’s not trying to sell anything by using social media, his Twitter feed shows that he has no problem with shamelessly plugging his new book in an August 16th tweet. He also admitted to monitoring the analytics of his feed to track exactly when his followers were most interested in his 140 characters or less.

He has over 165,000 Twitter followers, but Max, who prides himself on having made a name for himself “outside of the system” as he puts it, is perhaps his own biggest fan. When an audience member asked about the negative feedback he receives from his not-so-friendly Tweets, Max quoted one of his heroes, Eminem: “I love being hated because it lets me know I made it.”

While touting the virtues of his “spot-on” Twitter feed, Max advised that if you’re not communicating something that other people care about, “then it’s just self-indulgent” (an ironic statement coming from a guy who makes his living off indulging in his own detailed accounts of sex, exploitation, and otherwise bad behavior).

By his own standards of reasoning, entertainers are the only people entitled to such self-indulgence, and only in the name of hilarity, as the title of Max’s third book, due out in February, suggests. But at Social Media Week Chicago Tuesday night, hilarity did not ensue. Instead of laughing, I was really hoping they served beer in the basement of the Hyatt so I could take a drink for every time Tucker Max said “I’m an entertainer.”

–Jennifer Swann

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Posted in Featured, SMW Chicago media coverage, SMWCHICAGO 2011, Social Media Week Event Schedule, social networks, Tucker Max

Are You Sure You Want to Know ROI?

Wednesday, September 21st, 2011

Demonstrating the return on investment, or ROI, for social media is a challenge every marketer faces.  But Scot Wheeler, Marketing Science Director, and Shaina Boone, VP of Marketing Science at Critical Mass, question whether ROI is what your senior management really wants to know.

ROI has almost become synonymous with value.  So is your CEO interested in the value of social media or the actual ROI?  It really depends on what they are willing to put into it in terms of time and budget.  If they truly are interested in the ROI, Critical Mass says there are three secrets to success:

1.  You have to have clearly defined business, marketing and consumer objectives

2. You need adoption, belief and trust in your objectives

3. You need to set targets and goals for your objective

Trying to measure ROI without clear objectives already set is quite literally a crapshoot.  Instead, use your first six months to a year on social media to monitor activity and set benchmarks.  This will help you estimate the returns you should expect moving forward.

As websites became more ubiquitous and necessary, people didn’t worry about proving their ROI.  Critical Mass hopes that as social media becomes a more mature channel, the same thing will occur.  If that doesn’t happen, Shaina jokes, you can easily talk someone out of wanting to know the ROI by showing them the process to find it.

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Posted in facebook, SMWCHICAGO 2011, social networks

Tucker Max. I’m Impressed.

Wednesday, September 21st, 2011

I will be the first to admit that when I saw my assignment to blog for tonight’s conversation with Tucker Max, I rolled my eyes. I can assure you- I never expected to walk out of tonight’s Social Media Week event actually being highly impressed with this keynote speaker.

Now, don’t get me wrong- I will give credit where credit is due. Clearly, the guy can write-I’ve read his blog, excerpts from I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell, and even a few of his tweets. Not only is his writing entertaining, but it’s more than a little well-written.

It was more the prospect of having to put up with his personality that caused my instinctive eye roll. I mean, it’s no secret that Tucker Max is known for partying, womanizing… and having an absolute BLAST along the way. Therefore, when he sauntered into the Hyatt Regency ballroom for his interview with Julia Allison, beer bottle in hand, I knew it was going to be one long hour.

I was wrong.

As the conversation unfolded, I found myself constantly impressed with Tucker’s insight and wisdom regarding social media and personal branding. Coming from a guy who only follows 53 Twitter handles, yet has 167,000+ Twitter followers, it’s apparent he’s doing something right navigating that social media landscape. By understanding that he must respect the attention of his fans, while always keeping in mind why his audience cares about what he has to say, he’s been able continuously effectively build upon his reputation.

Although his personality can be arguably contentious, Tucker clarified that he never tries to be hated or controversial… he just tries to be funny. In the end, though, there will always be those haters. But Tucker never lets those haters get to him, because they serve as proof that he remains relevant and important enough to challenge them.

When the conversation ventured to the topic of corporate social media, Tucker certainly did not mince words. In order for a company or brand to be successful in today’s society, it must be able to show people how their products create and add value. However, most corporations are purely interested in selling stuff to their audiences, resulting in a lack of authenticity that is crucial in order to effectively appeal to a social media audience. As such, Tucker equated corporate social media with “bullsh*t”.

I think we can safely say that Tucker Max rarely, if ever, follows brands or CEOs on Twitter.

Nor does he follow people one would “associate” with the stereotypical Tucker Max personality (read: hot girls).  His response? “The only people who follow hot girls to sleep with them are pro athletes.”

Gotta get some Tucker Max-isms in there somehow, right?

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Posted in SMWCHICAGO 2011, social networks, Tucker Max

Social and Successful by Design

Tuesday, September 20th, 2011

During the panel session: When Integrated Marketing Met Social: Love at First Like, Brad Keown of Facebook introduced the idea of Social by Design.  We, as humans, are social by design and therefore, we expect our online experiences to be as well.  If the 65% of the 750 million Facebook users who log in daily are any indication of our desire to connect, then businesses should be taking this whole social media thing seriously.

Social by Design is the idea that adding a Like button to your homepage is not enough.  You have to strategically design all of your communication points (website, email campaigns, text messages, etc.) to be social. There are four guiding principles:

Build from the ground up

When writing your social business case, make sure the questions what can we give people that they will want to share? and what would make someone want to engage with us? are at the top of the list.  You have to understand your audience and know what they like.  Facebook’s data can give you insights into this and using a third party tool, like Techlightenment by Experian, can help you leverage this data.

Once you understand who your audience is and what they like, you need to figure out how they consume information.  Take some time to listen to conversations happening on social media.  Where are they taking place?  What are they talking about?  What is the sentiment of the conversation?  All of this will help when deciding how to make your website and other marketing communications more social.

People are at the center

Your audience, or people, should be at the center of your strategy.  Regina Gray, of CheetahMail by Experian, described 2010 as the year of the follow, but 2011 is the year of the relationship.  You may already have a Facebook or Twitter presence, and you may already have thousands of followers.  Now it’s time to start listening to what they saying and using data to segment your communication with them.  A great example Regina provided was a survey for Sears.  They asked people what they purchase from Sears and one option, among many, was clothing and another was none of the above.  Using data from Facebook, they could see people who purchase clothing from Sears Like Katy Perry, whereas people who do not purchase anything Like Lady Gaga.  If the marketing team at Sears is looking for a spokesperson for a back to school clothing campaign, they know they should look into Katy Perry and not Lady Gaga.  By listening to consumers and taking a deeper look into their interests, you can be more strategic and successful with your marketing communication.

Part of putting people at the center is labeling your key influencers.  Charlie Lee, of Techlightenment by Experian, discussed the software’s ability to create a leaderboard of key influencers on social media in relation to your brand,  product or keyword.  Take Joe Shmoe as an example.  Your CRM system may show that his purchasing history is not too impressive, so he is not showing up on any extra-special-gold-VIP list when he calls the support line.  But if you look at his influence on social media, he may have 2,500 followers on Twitter and mention your brand more than anyone else.  Regardless of whether he is buying your products regularly, he is influencing others who are considering your products.  Shouldn’t Joe be added to your extra-special list?

Lay in the social plumbing

Now it’s time to add social plugins to your site so you can track and monitor who is talking and what they are saying.  Facebook makes this very, as Brad Keown phrased it, simple.  For my fellow laymen, essentially Facebook provides a couple lines of code for your tech department to add to your website.  The addition of this code gives you the ability to track shares and see demographic information on those who visit your website and are simultaneously logged into Facebook.  If your target audience is teenagers, who spend 79% of their online time on social networks, you can probably collect some pretty useful information.

Make it easy and scalable

Amy Gibby, VP of Marketing for Redbox, discussed how they have made connecting with them on social media simple for consumers.  Part of this strategy, Amy describes, is understanding that social media can be practical, engaging and emotional.  Redbox connects with users on all three levels. By thinking of social media as an inherent part of what they do in marketing, it has easily been integrated into their communications.  She attributes their social media success to being strategic and lucky, but as Adweek’s third most social company, I have to think it’s a lot more strategy.

Technology is constantly advancing and, as marketers, we need to keep up.  The CEO of Netflix recently pointed out that companies rarely die from moving too fast, and they frequently die from moving too slowly.  Keeping up with, understanding and embracing social media has become an essential part of having a successful marketing strategy.  Is your business social, and therefore, successful by design?

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Posted in facebook, SMW Chicago media coverage, SMWCHICAGO 2011, social networks

Social Media Week Chicago Sponsor Showcase: NM Incite – A Nielsen/McKinsey Company

Sunday, September 18th, 2011

One of the coolest things about social media is that ANYONE can take part in using it.  No matter what level of experience or education one may have, the platforms are there for anyone to leverage.  Increasingly, we’re seeing members of the C-suite take control of social media themselves and thinking of new ways to bring into their organizations.

 

As CEO of NM Incite (a joint venture between Nielsen and McKinsey), Dave Hudson is proof positive that senior leadership can serve as a springboard for social media.  We could all learn a thing or two—or ten—from what an executive like Dave could offer up about social media.  As you’ll see, he had his AHA moment in one of the unlikeliest of places.

 

Dave Hudson, CEO NM Incite

On that note, Dave, when was your first “AHA” moment being introduced to the power of social media?

A few years ago we were remodeling our kitchen. We had an idea about what we wanted in terms of brands for our major appliances. Once I started reading product reviews and remodeling blogs, I decided to go a totally different direction.  Based on simply reading what other consumers had written, I redirected thousands of dollars of spend.  That was my “aha” moment.

 

How do you explain the value of social media to brands and companies out there who are aware of its power and influence, yet unsure how to best leverage the platforms?

There are a few myths that we try to dispel for brands when we work with them on building out a social media strategy.  Social media should not be a “one size fits all” approach and executives need to understand this.  With so many conversations happening in so many places, it’s important to understand where conversations are happening for different segments across the consumer decision journey, and where you are most likely to have an impact with your social media initiatives. A focused approach will allow for the greatest impact and the highest return on investment.

Also, there is a lot of focus on the volume of conversation, but companies should be equally concerned about the reach of that conversation. How many people have been exposed to discussions about my brand? If you have 10,000 people talking about your brand, but that conversation is read by only 10,000 other people, it probably doesn’t matter that much. But if those 10,000 mentions are read by a million or 10 million people, and that conversation happens to be negative, you’ve got a big issue to deal with. Marketers have always understood the power of word of mouth. Social media is word of mouth on steroids.

 

What does transparency mean to you, both personally as well as within your organization?

To me, transparency for both people and in business means owning up to problems and mistakes that are an inevitably part of everyday life.  Social media has really ratcheted up the importance of transparency, authenticity and trust. We no longer live in a world where companies can pretend like they don’t make mistakes.  Customers now have a bigger stake in controlling the conversation and companies and executives not only need to learn how to become more comfortable with this, but how to use authenticity and transparency to their advantage.

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Posted in Nielsen, SMWCHICAGO 2011, Social Media Week Chicago sponsor, Social Media Week Sponsor, social networks

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