Semper Fidelis: Always Faithful. As a Marine, I heard these words all the time. They were not just a motto; they were a call to action, a call to remain faithful to our fellow Marines, the Corps and our country.
As I left the Corps and started running social media campaigns, the words kept creeping up in the back of my head. I couldn’t put my finger on why I thought about the motto so much until it hit me: to be successful at social media, you need to be Semper Fidelis.
As social media has quickly become a dominant power in the business world, more and more companies are jumping on the bandwagon. This is a great thing but it will make it more difficult for you to be successful due to all the other companies going after the same piece of pie. Even if you put together a great campaign, it will take time for things to get off the ground. Although it can be frustrating that you are not seeing a return on the assets you are investing, you need to always be faithful that the results you want will come.
That said, all the time in the world will not help you if you are not always faithful to your followers. Although social media may appear free, time is its true cost. In order to be successful you will have to dedicate a good amount of time to creating content, finding new followers and interacting with your community. If you do not put in the time to foster and interact with you community, you will not see a return on your investment.
As I have said, the only reason a company should implement a social media campaign is to see bottom-line growth or to hit strategic marketing objectives. Assuming that is the return you are looking for, it will take the dedication of being always faithful to see that kind of return. As long as you use the words as a call to action, you’ll find the success you are looking for.
This is part four of five in the four truths of social media series. To catch-up on the posts you have missed, or to sign-up for the remaining posts, we invite you to visit timeforarebel.com/blog and put us on your RSS feed.
Social media is a lot like polygamy. Now, before you write me off for the loony bin, hear me out for a second. I’m a huge fan of Big Love on HBO and, in the show, one husband has several wives that he must care for and attend to. He must communicate with them and encourage them to communicate with each other in order to ensure the marriages work. Personally, I have trouble keeping my one girlfriend happy so I can’t imagine doing this for multiple women at once, but that is for another day.
The fact of the matter is that social media is set-up much the same way as a polygamist marriage. Whether you are promoting yourself, or a brand you represent, you play the husband role. As you grow your community, which we talked about in the previous post, it becomes your responsibility to care for and attend to your followers. Each one of your followers is a “wife” with their own needs and desires. It is your job to foster each one of those relationships to ensure you meet their needs and desires.
As just about any relationship expert will tell you, the key to a good relationship is communication. You have to be able to start conversations, listen to what people are saying and respond accordingly. If you do not start conversations, it is not communication. If you don’t listen to what people say, it’s not communication. If you do not respond to what people are saying, it’s not communication. And if you’re not communicating, you’re not going to have those relationships for very long.
Now, I’m a realist and I realize that businesses are not going to use social media to simply build relationships. As I have said all along, social media is a tool to grow businesses, which is exactly why communication is so important. If you are properly communicating with you followers, you will be able to address any concerns that would prevent them from buying from you. If you are properly communicating, you will enable your current customers to encourage other followers to buy from you. If you are properly communicating, you will have proven to your followers that you are the business they should buy from.
Proper communication starts by simply addressing the problems your community has that you fix. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, I invite you to checkout last week’s blog. Once you start communicating with your community, it is a simple matter of dedication, which will be covered next week. Until then, start communicating with your wives, it’s what a good husband should do!
This is part three of five in the four truths of social media series. To catch-up on the posts you have missed, or to sign-up for the remaining posts, we invite you to visit timeforarebel.com/blog and put us on your RSS feed.
There he was, smack dab across the table from me. As much as I like to play the cool and confident type, it was hard for me to not show my excitement. This was IT! This was the chance to sign my dream client.
As nervous as I was, I knew I was prepared for the meeting. I had researched everything I possibly could about the company, and its leader, before I even dared to step foot through the door. I was prepared and was able to answer all of his questions before he even opened up his mouth. I knew that he had problems in his business and I was just the man to solve them, all I had to do was prove it to him.
This is the scenario that I ask my clients to think about when they start their social media journey. By thinking about the dream client, or customer, we are able to start defining who that person is and where they are located. The simple demographic and location information is pretty easy to figure out. However, the true definition of that dream customer is not who they are but what they want.
And this is how we start to form a community. You define who that dream customer is, find out where they are located in the social media realm and then figure out what problems or desires they have that you can address. It is their problems and desires that will become the basis of your community. From there, you simply provide them information and tips about how to solve their problems or achieve their desires. It’s as simple as that.
Okay, maybe simple is an overstatement. In all reality, defining and creating a community can be very difficult. However, if you start by thinking about what value you can offer to your dream customer and then offer bits and pieces of that value on a daily basis, you will be well on your way. And do not fear about loosing business to your own social media campaign.
By creating a place of value for your dream customer, you will be the first person on their mind when it is time to purchase your service or product. And, as much as we hate to admit it, selling stuff is the entire reason we built the community in the first place. But, if you do want to sell stuff, you’ll have to have a community.
This is part two of five in the four truths of social media series. To catch-up on the posts you have missed, or to sign-up for the remaining posts, we invite you to visit timeforarebel.com/blog and put us on your RSS feed.
I recently heard someone talk about the “rules” social media and it really rubbed me the wrong way. First off, despite what all the “experts” will tell you, there is no right or wrong way to use social media. There is only what works for you to achieve the goals you want to achieve. Secondly, if there were rules, as a Rebel, I would have to break them.
While this may make social media seem like a lawless domain, incapable of providing bottom line growth, it is in the ambiguity of social media that you will find its strength. Although I cannot offer you a how-to guide, I can offer up the only constraints you will need to creatively grow your business. These constraints are not the highbrow thinking of academics; they were simply created by the very users of social media. All I have done is observe these users, over the course of working with dozens of different companies, and now present you with their truths:
It’s about community: The first thing I have my new clients do is describe their ideal customer. I don’t care about the normal demographic listings; I want to know what makes them tick. What keeps them up at night, what do they think about all day, what problems or desires do they have that you can solve? As you start to answer these questions you will know what kind of community to create. From there its about finding how to create this community by offering value to your audience.
It’s about communication: As any good relationship expert will tell you, communication is a two way street. If you’re the only one talking, you’re not communicating. For anyone that has ever been talked at, instead of talked with, you know how annoying this can be. Luckily social platforms make it very easy to ignore the people that simply talk at you. If you don’t want to be ignored then find a way to talk with your community, not at them.
It’s about dedication: Social media is quickly becoming a cluttered space, as every business under the sun jumps on the bandwagon. This means two things for you. First, it’s probably going to take longer than you think it should to grow your community. Even if you are providing great value, don’t expect things to take-off over night. Second, you will have to pay even greater attention to the community that you do create. If you don’t provide the value and responsiveness that your audience desires, they’ll gladly and easily go elsewhere.
It’s about flexibility: As I said at the beginning, there are no rules to social media. What has worked great for some of my clients has absolutely tanked for others. Not only that, there are constant changes and adaptations that you’ll have to stay on top of. To stay ahead of the game you will have to constantly test, measure and monitor your campaign. Find what works for you and then find out how you can make it even better.
Over the next several weeks I will be covering each one of these truths in detail. If you have any questions before then, just let me know.
My friend turned me onto the blog The Seamless Brand. They have tons of great content but I found this video on their site and couldn’t help but get pumped. I hope it gets you excited about a Wednesday!
My friend Tim, of Garland Alliance, will be hosting the main exhibit at this year’s Art in Bloom. What he has described to me sounds absolutely amazing and I cannot wait to see it! I will be going tonight and I highly recommend making it to the MAM this weekend.
Here is the official press release:
A celebration of spring blossoms at the Milwaukee Art Museum Third annual “Art in Bloom” event set for April 8-11, 2010
Spring returns to Milwaukee with the Art In Bloom tribute to art and flowers April 8-11, 2010, at the Milwaukee Art Museum. Showcasing the talents of nearly 40 renowned floral designers interpreting masterworks from the Museum’s Collection, the weekend brings together gardening, floral arranging, landscape design, and environmentally friendly practices beneath the wings of the Museum.
As Art in Bloom continues to grow, this year’s exhibition and programs include lectures and workshops with celebrity floral designers and master gardeners Ed Lyon, Melinda Myers, Bill Radler, and Kevin Ylvisaker; local horticulture expert Melinda Myers; renowned children’s book author Lois Ehlert; and many others. Visitors will also enjoy an expanded multi-vendor indoor marketplace, with original garden sculptures, and floral-inspired dining at the Café Calatrava Garden Room. Guests can also rub elbows with participating experts while supporting the Museum at the Cocktails and Blooms gathering on Thursday, April 8.
Founded in 1888 with holdings of over 20,000 objects, the Museum’s Collection inspires the floral designers of Art in Bloom with stunning works in all media by artists such as Gabriele Münter, Richard Diebenkorn and Georgia O’Keeffe. While the designs join their inspirations in the 100,000 square-foot Collection galleries, the brilliant white halls and auditorium of the Santiago Calatrava-designed Quadracci Pavilion afford the backdrop for the weekend’s events, programs, and dining.
“This event brings together so many wonderful sensory experiences,” said Dan Keegan, Director of the Milwaukee Art Museum. “Set against the stunning backdrop of the Milwaukee Art Museum, the sights and smells of Art in Bloom come to life in a true celebration of spring.”
Last year’s Art in Bloom event welcomed more than 11,000 people to the Museum over four days. With new additions to the expanded line-up of speakers and presenters, many of whom are from the region, this year’s event is sure to be an even bigger showcase of the area’s most talented floral designers and master gardners. Art in Bloom also continues the popular “Ask A Gardener” table this year, and will offer online ticketing as an added convenience.
Visitors to the 2010 Art in Bloom event will also be treated to a special nod to the Museum’s feature exhibition, Street Seen: The Psychological Gesture in American Photography 1940-1959, reflected in the landscaping of Windhover Hall. In addition, a masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance, Raphael: TheWoman with the Veil(La Donna Velata), will be on view at the Milwaukee Art Museum March 27 through June 6. Rarely lent from the Pitti Palace in Florence, Milwaukee is the last of three stops the painitng makes on a brief U.S. tour, and the only city in the Midwest or eastern part of the United States to feature this exceptional exhibition.
The presenting sponsor of Art In Bloom is the Wisconsin Energy Foundation. Additional support is generously provided by Garland Alliance and the Milwaukee Art Museum Garden Club. The co-chairs of Art in Bloom are Marcia Ferguson Velde and Nancy Hayer. The president of the Milwaukee Art Museum Garden Club is Carol Bessler.
Sometimes things are so obvious that you just completely forget about them. When these things smack you in the face you can’t help but feel stupid for not thinking of it earlier. Well, in true Kyle fashion, I had one of these realizations this week.
For those of you who do not know, I am a social media guy. I eat, live and breathe it, day in and day out. Whether it is my social media presence, or that of my clients, I am constantly working to expand networks and build communities.
One of the questions my clients generally ask is what they can do to help expand their network. I always suggest integrating social media invitations into their traditional marketing pieces to help build their community. This way the consumer not only learns about you but they also connect to your community, pretty cool stuff. Beyond the traditional forms of marketing, I also suggest they include links to their social media sites in their email signature.
Now, I am the subject matter expert, the one making these suggestions to my clients, you would think I would do this stuff for myself. But, low and behold, I realized this week that my email signature didn’t include any reference to my social media sites. How boneheaded! As I quickly updated my email signature I realized there are two lessons that you can take away from my oversight:
1) If you don’t have links to your social media sites in your email signature, add them. They are a great way to connect with people and share networks. Trust me, just because I was so aloof to the concept, does not mean that it is not a valuable add-on.
2) Take a look at what you advise your clients, customers, colleagues or employees to do. Do you follow suit in this action? I know we would all like to say that we do but unfortunately that is not always the case. Just take a quick second to run through what you ask of those around you to ensure you are meeting that expectation yourself. I wish I had done this a while ago!
I’ve always said that if I can start a company than anyone can. This just goes to prove that!
A friend of mine recently sent me a great article by Joel Spolsky on why he was shutting down his blog. It appears Joel had great success in creating a blog about programming but he felt it was time to focus his time on taking his business to the next level. As he prepares to shut down the blog, he reflected back on what made the blog such a great tool in growing his business.
What Joel did, without even trying to, was create a community of programmers that were highly interested in his product. He did this by not focusing on himself or his company but rather the industry as a whole. This allowed him to draw-in over a million unique visitors a month that may have otherwise not had an interest in his company. While he admitted it was hard to not give into the impulse of self-promotion, he saw it as the key to his success.
As Joel shuts down his blog, he does so having used it to grow his company from a single person, bootstrap company, to over 30 employees and millions in revenue. Not bad for a man with a vision and a blog. What interested me in the story though was HOW he did it. Time and time again he pointed out that the only reason why the blog worked was because he didn’t focus on himself or his company, only on his industry.
This is an important lesson to take away. Even as a seasoned blogger I sometimes succumb to the temptation to self-promote, although the times are few and far between, they show how easy it is to do. All too often I run across blogs that have aired on the side of self-promotion and they immediately seal their fate that I will not return. Even if the writer is amazing, witty and captures my attention, it is not worth sifting through the sales pitch.
This is even a problem that I will run into with my clients. They will love the traffic and response they are getting and decide they want to through in a quick pitch for one of their products or services. I try to warn them against the move but it is ultimately their blog and their company. And although the results of this quick pitch might not be immediately felt, it is evident that repeated self-promotion leads to stagnated growth. Even an expert in growing a blog’s reach, like me, can do little if the content is not what people are looking for.
My mom doesn’t approve of most of the things I do. Since the seventh grade I have seemed to make it my life’s mission to act in a way that she finds unacceptable. However, after over 20 years she has learned that I am going to do things my own way and that is (usually) okay. So as I go through my life I am happy to share with her all the details that she may or may not approve of.
When I started participating in social media several years ago I thought about what information I would or would not share. I looked back to my relationship with my mother. Beneath the disproval of my actions, there seemed to be a genuine appreciation of the honesty. And so I applied that open book policy to social media.
Yes, I do and share things that some people may not agree with. I am a young man and I like to work hard and play hard. There are no apologies about that. But even after years of allowing an open book approach to my life, I occasionally cringe at the thought of sharing certain information. However, I take a deep breath and remember that even the worse of me, is still me and even if people one hundred percent disagree with me, they can at least appreciate my honesty.
So when people object to the thought of sharing information, I instinctively wonder what it is they have to hide. Don’t get me wrong, I get where people are coming from. I understand the desire for privacy and not wanting certain people to know certain things about you. Believe it or not, I am a fairly private person that doesn’t generally like to mix my business and personal life. However, I am me, one hundred percent of the time.
For the people that do question about what they should or should not share with the social media world, consider the mother filter. Would you share the information with your mother? If so, I say go ahead and let the world know about it. If it is something you would not want your mom to know about, it is probably best kept off the internet entirely. Once something is posted to the internet you should assume the entire world, your mother included, can see it.
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