From the category archives:

Social Media

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One of the things I am involved with in Columbus is the American Marketing Association Special Interest Group on Social Media or AMA SIG - Social Media for short.  Instead of doing our usual speaker / Q&A format we mixed it up a bit with Round Tables!  Watch the video for how it went.  You can check out photos from the event on this Flickr Set!

AMA SIG Social Media Round Table Discussions from TOM WILLIAMS

Here are a few of the take aways from the Different Round Tables:

Using LinkedIn for Business - Hosted by Nate Riggs:

  1. Think about LinkedIn outside of your profile. Focus on how your updates reach other people’s profiles across the network
  2. To get the most out of LinkedIn, you need to engage. Get in the habit of checking LinkedIn for updates 4-5 times daily in short interval
  3. Make the most of using applications like TripIt, Answers and SlideShare to augment your network with more valuable content

Twitterlicious - Hosted by Cheryl Harrison

  1. Be real, be personal
  2. Tweet interesting content, not just stuff about you
  3. Tweet regularly

Getting your Net Worth from your NetWork - Hosted by Jason Velliquette

  1. Come prepared. Understand what value you are seeking from a new contact, and what value you have to offer in return.
  2. Use a targeted approach. It is often more important to hone in on the quality of new contacts, than the quantity.
  3. Develop a follow up strategy. Find a hook, a reason to meet again. Establish upfront a follow up time.

Facebook for Business - Hosted by Christy Williams

  1. The conversation has already been started on facebook. Go to other fan pages and answer people’s questions.
  2. With so many cooks in the kitchen on a campaign (brand strategy, web, social media, the client), pick your channels carefully when measuring results. Are facebook fans the goal of the campaign? Are conversions on the corporate site the goal? Everyone needs to know what the goal is and work to the same end.
  3. Before you build up your fan base with a special promotion, have a plan of action on how you’re going to engage them once they’re fans. Engagement needs to start immediately.

Blog Table - Hosted by Tom Williams

  1. If you’re unsure you can pull it off for your business, try a personal one first.  Get through the learning curve when the stakes are low
  2. Don’t blog about “me, me, me”.  Write about what your audience is interested in
  3. Mutli-person blogs are more desirable than single-person ones but you need to get the C-level Execs on board and past their “fear” of what employees might say.

Stop talking at them and Engage! - Hosted by Andrew Spott

  1. Driving users to become fans/followers of a brand/product page is most effective when offering something of value to the user. Abbott Nutrition gave a free sample Zone Bar to each person who fanned their facebook page. Their page went from 1k fans to 30k fans almost overnight!
  2. Engaging users requires a lot of time and effort. The bigger the brand or user following, the more humans it takes to keep up with your customers.
  3. Large brands or ones with a huge amount of feedback from users need to devise a strategy to identify the keywords and crisis scenarios that require personal responses and engagement, and others that are more “rhetorical” and can be left alone

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Is Voicemail Becoming Obsolete?

by Tom Williams on March 2, 2010

in Social Media, YouTube

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I admit it - I still leave voicemails.  However, I have found myself hanging up on voicemails more and more lately.  I don’t do this because what I have to say is unimportant…just the opposite usually.  I have information that is too urgent to drop it into someone’s voicemail box.

Voicemail Monster

Voicemail Monster

So, instead of trying to call again and again or simply giving up on the first try, I hang up on the automated voicemail and  immediately employ any number of OTHER communication vehicles to reach my target.  These could include cell phones or text messages; emails or twitter!

One more thing about voicemail… It’s been around for a LONG TIME folks.   You don’t need to be all polite and thank me for calling.  You definitely don’t need to tell me to leave my name and number after the freaking Beep, and I assume that you will call me back at “your earliest convenience” - so scrap that line too.  If you actually want me to leave you a message, just say “This is [insert name here]  please leave a message”.  Done.

I decided to do a little experiment on myself recently.  I counted how many different ways someone can get in touch with me.  Depending on how well you know me, there are a huge number of ways to reach me, should you get the dreaded voicemail.

  1. My physical office (you could stop by)
  2. Direct Office phone
  3. The InnoGage 1-800 number
  4. Home phone
  5. Cell phone
  6. Google Voice Number
  7. Fax
  8. Text message
  9. AOL IM
  10. Facebook IM
  11. Facebook message
  12. Twitter @me
  13. Twitter DM (which also sends me an SMS on my phone)
  14. InnoGage Email Account
  15. Gmail Account
  16. Yahoo Email Account (yes, I have one…had it since 1994…can’t give it up)
  17. GoogleTalk
  18. Foursquare
  19. LinkedIn
  20. Skype call
  21. Skype IM
  22. Comment on the InnoGage blog
  23. ‘Contact’ form on the InnoGage website
  24. Message via YouTube Channel
  25. Message via Vimeo Channel
  26. Message via Flickr Channel
  27. Message via SlideShare account
  28. Message via my Delicious account
  29. GoogleWave
  30. GoogleBuzz

So, drop me a voicemail if you must, but if you really need to reach me…you know how to find me!!

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Twitterview with EduWEB Conference Director Shelley Wetzel

February 25, 2010

I recently did my first ever Twitterview with Shelley Wetzel, director of the eduWEB conference.  This conference pulls together some of the best and brightest Web developers, marketers, designers and technologists serving the Higher Education market (both working in colleges and universities and serving that market).
Last year, InnoGage joined forces with Jadu and sponsored the [...]

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Usage and benefits of social media in Higher Education Institutions - Research

February 18, 2010

A company I continue to be more and more impressed with is Jadu.  Based in the UK, Jadu has an incredible CMS solution.  Developed initially for Higher Education and Government, they also have client in the private sector.  What I love about Jadu is how well in tune they are with real people and the [...]

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Social Media Smart - Don’t let your brand walk out the door

February 10, 2010

About a year ago Butler University in Indiana had a social media superstar working in marketing and admissions.  This individual really put Butler on the map and in front of the curve.  The problem is that when this individual left Butler to start his own social media consulting firm, all that Social Media Equity walked [...]

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Marketers walk the line between Social Media and Data Privacy

February 4, 2010

As a marketer, you dream of data.  With data you can deliver more relevant information.  You can deliver more timely information!  You can Micro-Market directly to those who are most likely to buy!
Which brings us to the issue of privacy.  You see, privacy and social  media are inherently at odds with one another.  Marking [...]

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Favorite 2009 Blog - Social Media Today - Five Reasons Companies #Fail at Social Media

January 12, 2010

Before January gets away from me I wanted to give some kudos to my favorite blog post of 2009. The Award goes to Social Media Today with their blog entitled: Five reasons corporations are failing at social media.
Here is a brief summary of the Five Points with my personal insights and commentary.  For the [...]

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AMA Social Media SIG Presentation

November 19, 2009

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to co-present at the American Marketing Association Special Interest Group on Social Media (AMA SIG for short).  I worked with Steve Bell, Founder and Principle at Strategic Marketing Innovations Consulting.  It was so much fun working with Steve, who is one of the smartest guys I’ve ever [...]

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Social Media sites gain large percentage of online time – Industries increase advertising spending

November 5, 2009

Some people still say “social media is a fad”. In fact I have heard several individuals say they will not advertise or spend time on social media marketing because they do not think that people use it. They think it’s for teenagers to chat with each other after school. But new reports are showing this [...]

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Report shows social media adds to financial performance of top companies in this down economy

October 12, 2009

A new report issued by enterprise wiki provider Wetpaint and the Altimeter Group details four major profiles companies fit into and shows that the ones most heavily engaged in social media have experienced an 18% growth rate in the last 12 months and 15% gross margin growth.
Of the four profiles, “Mavens” are brands heavily engaged [...]

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