Naturally Social is the Best Social

Posted on March 3, 2010
Filed Under Blogging and Bloggers, Social Media Marketing, Strategy | Leave a Comment

I’ve been working on a bunch of stuff lately and I noticed that my social engagements on sites like Twitter went down a bit. I didn’t really notice it until I went a full day without updating on Twitter. I know there is nothing wrong with that. I’m not one of those types that likes to be on there just for the sake of being on there. To me it has never been about the numbers (followers, fans), the popularity (being at every local gathering) or other metrics. I use social media because it’s really fun being social through the Internet.

Recently as I’ve been working with a potential new opportunity, I was asked how to do social media. My answer was really simple. Be naturally social. In this new media nothing should be forced. Otherwise, when you force it, the whole effort will come across as fake. No one likes it when its fake. Its like running into a salesman pushing their new cleaning agent at a birthday party. Not desirable.

Now going back to what I mean about being naturally social, I mean you just adapt your work and lifestyle so you can seamlessly become socially active online. For instance, if you have a blog and you’re worried about generating enough content then you’re not doing it as well as you could. As you go about your day carry a camera around with you and take pictures. Post them on your Flickr account. If you also happen to be traveling, email yourself a summary of each day. Then when you get back in front of the computer, pull up your emails and your pictures. Put them together and you have a blog post. Simple and raw. And don’t worry about the length of your blog post, how you might come across and things like that. If you’re you then you’ll be you as you are social.

At the end of the day social media shouldn’t be about adding another layer on top of your already busy schedule. Otherwise it’s not worth it.

photo credit: ketrin1407

Social Media 101 (chrisbrogan.com)
Does a lawyer need to blog to make effective use of social media? (kevin.lexblog.com)
Blogging Now a Refuge for the Old (scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org)
What happened to liveblogging? (beingpeterkim.com)
Twitter Speeding Towards 10 Billion Tweets (mashable.com)

Socializing With Dru Bloomfield: She Beat the Down Real Estate Market Using Social Media

Posted on February 22, 2010
Filed Under Blogging and Bloggers, Social Media Marketing, Social Networking | 5 Comments

There are many reasons why social media and real estate mix so well. For one thing real estate is an intensely people business. Successful agents are defined by how well they treat their customers and are able to deal with them more than anything else. With the vast majority of people starting their home search online, its almost a given that agents need to have a solid presence on the Internet. What many do not understand is that having a website and your MLS listings is not enough and does not constitute having a strong Internet presence. Today you need to be able to demonstrate your expertise to those who are seeking it as they are searching. There is no better way of doing this than thorough various social media channels.

I first met Dru Bloomfield back in 2007 when she attended my “Blogging in Real Estate” class. She is one of a few that took to heart the importance of blogging. Once she got going she has never looked back. Since then she’s been mentioned on Forbes magazine and been named as one of the “Top 12 Women Real State Bloggers of 2009″. Besides the accolades her business has thrived in a severe down market, the likes of which we probably will never see again in our lifetimes.

I followed up with Dru a few weeks ago to see how things are going. I wanted to ask her a few questions about social media, blogging and business. Here is what she had to say:

1. Why did you choose social media (blogs, twitter) as an integral part of your business development strategy?

My decision to blog was almost an instinctual response. I heard about it a few times and was thinking it was something I should explore. My broker mentioned it a few time in his meetings. I heard you speak. A colleague told me I’d better. Plus, I love to write.

As far as social media goes, it was a natural evolution. I like connecting with people, and connecting others that seem like they should know each other. I would say that it felt like the right thing to do at the time, and the positive results have validated that decision.

2. What is the most amazing thing you did in 2009 when it comes to social media? Perhaps there was a blog post or a Twitter connection?

Making the front page of the AZ Republic Real Estate section for using Twitter to connect to clients.

Real-estate agents use Twitter, blogs to boost clients – Arizona Republic / AzCentral.com, July 16, 2009

Having my blog mentioned on Forbes.com as an example of a locally focused real estate blog.

Must-Read Real Estate Blogs – Forbes.com, October 8, 2009

And one more honor:

Top 12 Women Real Estate Bloggers 2009 - Sellsius Real Estate Blog, December 22, 2009

Having my sunrise photos used for the morning news. (Channel 12)

Getting reconnected to aunts and cousins in the Mid-West through my son on Facebook who had never met any of them before!

3. As a real estate professional is it possible to successfully use social media without being passionate about real estate? What role does passion play in making your social media usage successful?

I think that one has to be “real” to be successful in social media, whether it has to do with real estate or some other related topic. For the most part, my blog is very real estate focused, either about the market or the city I work, live, and play in. With Twitter, I share a broader view of me, and find that it’s opened the doors to some fantastic dialogue and friendships. I’ve explored ideas, concepts, music, photography, and all sorts of other non-real estate related subjects, because I enjoy them, and because I’ve connected with others who do to. And, I suppose that is where the passion comes in. Do what you love and the rest will follow.

For me, being real is about being positive and passionate about life, that’s the vibration I hope people sense and want to tap into. Part of my strategy for my blog and my other social media interaction is to attract and connect with fun people that I would enjoy working with, and that would enjoy working with me.

4. How do you answer those that say social media takes too much time and is a waste of time?

Don’t do it. Find another way to connect with people that you actually like to do. I view social media as a time investment that I enjoy. That enjoyment is key — people know if your heart is in it.

5. How do you measure the success of your social media strategy? What role did social media play in making 2009 successful for you?

My success in social media is measured primarily by the quality of my interactions with others. I do generate business from my social media strategy, and find that it is a growth channel for me. My advances in social media in 2009 provided me a level of confidence in the medium, and I decreased my most costly business generating expenses by half. I’m also much clearer about my branding and how I want to expand it in the future.

6. How has the use of social media directly affected your business since you actively began using it?

I would say that the quality and quantity of my business relationships have expanded exponentially. I have touched and am touched by so many that I would never have known, if it weren’t for social media.

7. How has the use of social media affected you personally?

I think that social media has “forced” me to be more open. I tend to be a fairly private person. For me, using social media requires me (my voice) to be genuine. However, I have found that sometimes I have to stop myself what I really want to say, and other times, I force myself to push the Enter button, just to get the thought out there.

Plus, I think (hope) that I’m a better writer, too! Twitter does require me to be very succinct in what I want to say. My blog allows me to develop a thought into a concept, and requires that I do it in such a way that it’s understandable to a variety of readers.

8. What are your hopes for 2010 when it comes to social media?

I plan to use social media even more as the year progresses. I want to write more, as my blog suffered last year when my business is extremely busy.

I’ll continue to use Twitter, LinkedIn, FaceBook, and Flickr to develop networks. I’d like to get more organized in how are the services interact with each other. I find that it’s a bit messy right now, with all the services feeding into one another. I need to decide on which service is the focal point and develop an operational plan from based on that.

Also, I’m finding that I’m “reporting” more real-time info, from my phone, so I assume that I’ll become more even more mobile this year.

Something new and exciting will come along too, I’m sure I’ll have to try that too!

Thank you Dru for sharing your insights with us.

Read the other “socializing interviews” to learn more about social media practitioners.

Socializing With Non-Profit Director and Refugee Advocate Kelli Donley

Socializing With Mortgage Pro & SEO Expert Justin McHood

Socializing With Online Marketing Expert Nipa Shah

photo credit: philcampbell

Kodak’s Jeffrey Hayzlett on Social Media and a Global Brand: a B2Bbloggers Exclusive Interview (pamorama.net)
New Realtor.com iPhone App (agentgenius.com)
Some straighforward thoughts on social media… (e1evation.com)
The Personal Blog 2010 (dave-lucas.blogspot.com)

Success – de Motivational Poster

Posted on February 17, 2010
Filed Under Fun and Such | Leave a Comment

Success – de Motivational Poster – Golf Photo, originally uploaded by ACME-Nollmeyer.

Love this. It’s actually quite motivating!

Optimizing Your Pay-per-Click (PPC) Campaign – Part 2

Posted on February 16, 2010
Filed Under AdWords, Internet Marketing, Search Marketing | 1 Comment

Following up on my earlier post “Optimizing Your Pay-per-Click (PPC) Campaign – Part 1″, today I will focus on placement bidding, landing page targeting by keyword and managing the content network. In case you missed the original post I discussed geo-targeting, the search query report and, effective day-parting.

Placement Bidding – The natural inclination of every marketer is to shoot for the highest position on any given keyword. The answer is never that simple and this strategy can be very expensive. While there are words for which you do want to rank in the top slot, there are instances when ranking in the third or fourth slot actually makes more sense. I’ll be honest though, the slot that is best for your keyword is not easy to identify. It can take lots of testing and close analysis to determine the most profitable position. At the end of the day the ROI at the keyword level should determine the best position for that particular word.

Whenever I start a PPC campaign I start by bidding for the mid-low positions. This would be potions four and below. The reason I do this is because I don’t to waste money right away. Plus I want to learn as I move up in position (which is cheaper) than when you move down in position (which is more expensive). I allow three to four days of data collection before making adjustments to the bid price. Words that receive high impressions and good CTR (greater than 2%) I start bidding higher and moving up in position. Then I closely monitor the ROI and keep track of any sweet spots I identity.

Once I have found spots that work for certain words then I utilize the placement bidding option in AdWords to lock in the position. Placement bidding automatically adjusts your bid price so you maintain the position. The default option in AdWords is that your bid price stays the same and your position changes accordingly. So, by choosing placement bidding you’re locking in your position (within a certain bid price range of course).

I’ve found that placement bidding can be a powerful tool in lowering the cost of keywords and maintaining a strong ROI.

Landing Page Targeting by Keyword – Grouping a similar set of keywords into the right ad group is a fundamental part of a successful campaign. This helps to improve your quality score both at the keyword level and the ad level. However despite your best efforts there will always be a few words that do not quite match the theme of the adgroup and hence it does not make sense to diver all words to the same landing page.

Or, sometimes what I’ve found is that a particular word outperforms all the other words and you want to send some words to a different landing page to improve performance. Furthermore, there are instances when a particular keyword will appear in the search query report and you want to improve conversions for this particular word. This will of course necessitate using a different landing page than the one for the adgroup.

What I’m saying is that regardless of how well the keywords are grouped together in an adgroup there are always instances when you might be interested in diverting traffic for one word to a particular land page. I have found this to be very helpful in improving ROI. For example, for a particular hospitality client I was working for, I found that the word “romantic” was a common search query. However, the word was grouped with other similar words and was going to the same landing page. I wanted to see if I could improve conversion for only queries with “romantic” and so diverted this to a different landing page. I found that doing so dramatically improved ROI for this word. This discovery resulted in creating a romantic specific offers and its own targeted landing page.

Managing the Content Network – When setting up a new campaign one of the first things I recommend you do is create two campaigns for the same set of words. Set one campaign for the search network and the other for the content network. There are many reasons for this but the primary reason is this deliniation will help you better manage the ROI of your campaigns.

For instance, over time you will see that the ads that work on the search network may not work on the content network and vice versa. Additionally, the content network is cheaper than the search network, so being able to control the bid price for each is very important in delivering high performing PPC campaigns. Finally, while you mange position on search networks you’re managing content websites on the content networks. The tactics you employ to improve performance is different for these two metrics.

In the long term you will see that the content network has lower CTR, high impression but is cheaper. The ads you deliver here will be different than on the search networks. Search traffic on the other hand will have higher CTR and lower impressions and will tend to be more expensive. This is not to say that the search network is not profitable, it is. The only difference is that you need to manage it differently than the content network in order to see a good ROI. Lumping the two together makes it very difficult to mange effectively and consequently result in lower ROI on both networks.

As I mentioned in Part 1 of this series, I’ve identified seven factors that make a strong PPC campaign. These are: geo-targeting, the search query report, effective day-parting, placement bidding, landing page targeting by keyword, managing the content network and, effective keyword discovery, research and utilization.

I will discuss keyword discovery, research and utilization in the next post. Stay tuned.

Optimizing Your Pay-per-Click (PPC) Campaign – Part 1 (socialmediatoday.com)
Understanding Google Adwords Quality Score (smtusa.com)
Using Landing Pages to Maximize PPC Results (smtusa.com)
Successful PPC Campaign Management and Making It Work For You (ronmedlin.com)
Advanced PPC Set-Up and Management (revenews.com)
Simple Steps to Take to Create Killer PPC Ads on Google (suescaletta.com)

photo credit: ActiveSteve

photo credit: Las Valley 702

photo credit: Marc_Smith

Four Reasons Why Google Buzz Is Doomed

Posted on February 12, 2010
Filed Under New Digital Media, Social Networking, Technology, Twitter | Leave a Comment

“Me too”.

That pretty much summarizes Google Buzz.

It’s obvious they’re trying to take away market share from Twitter and Facebook and quite frankly its not going to work. Most tech types flock to anything Google does thinking the company has some special power. It’s almost a religious experience for techies. If you look closely though you’ll see that Google’s recent history is littered with failed products and services. Remember Orkut? No? Well, I don’t blame you. How about Wave? Yep, I thought so. Lively? Well let’s not go there.

Buzz will soon join the dustbin of history. Here are five reasons why I think Buzz will be forgotten before you finish reading this article:

1. Bandwidth

Social bandwidth is limited for most people and most don’t like to re-gift! I already update my status on Twitter and Facebook. I’m not the kind to feed one status into another. It creates clutter and pisses people off. The communities I belong to on these different sites are different and why would I link status updates between the two? That means I have different status updates on each social site. So, now Google wants me to update my status on Buzz. I’d love to (not really) but, sorry, no time. I guess I could feed my Tweets into Buzz, but what’s the point? Seriously. It’s like re-gifting. Might make sense financially but socially unacceptable.

2. Clutter

I played with Buzz for a day or so and soon realized it was starting to clutter up my neatly organized email. Ok, ok, I’m not that organized but it did make reviewing email and finding stuff much more difficult. Plus Buzz just looked like another email between my contacts. Why not just email them? Why deal with this clutter.

3. Purpose

I use Twitter to find and network with new people. My professional network has grown tremendously as I’ve used Twitter over the years. I use Facebook to keep in touch with people I already know from my past. Co-workers (mostly only after I leave the job), college friends, family etc. My updates and engagement on Facebook is mostly “private”. So, where does Buzz fit into this distinction for me? I don’t need to “buzz” with my email contacts who already see me on Facebook or Twitter. Business contacts you say? Well, lets start with email first, then we’ll connect on LinkedIn. Then, we may have a chance for something more.

4. Confusion

Google’s ecosystem of products and services is getting complicated and is becoming harder to keep in focus. I upload my pictures using Picasa, then update my status using Buzz, chat on Google Chat, share videos on YouTube, send invitations on Google Calendar, create groups on Google Groups etc. For the vast majority of people this is far too complicated. Especially when you call do all that within Facebook. Pretty simple. Maybe what Google should create is an interface that brings all this together. Hmmm…….

What?

You have more reasons.

Add yours in the comment section.

Google takes aim at Facebook, Twitter with Buzz (sfgate.com)
Google Buzz: What It Means for Twitter and Facebook (mashable.com)
Gooogle unveiled a new service today, called Google Buzz (the-web-tech.blogspot.com)
Google Buzz (teabreak.pk)

Bandwidth photo: photo credit: Ed Yourdon
Clutter photo: photo credit: wadem
Purpose photo: photo credit: SkilliShots
Confusion photo: photo credit: The Artifex

Socializing With Non-Profit Director & Refugee Advocate Kelli Donley

Posted on February 10, 2010
Filed Under Social Media Marketing, Social Networking, Strategy | 1 Comment

In many ways social media and non-profits are a match made in heaven. Social media is about conversations that are authentic, genuine and transparent. These are all attributes of successful non-profits. This is not to imply that for-profits can not use social media, but only that non-profits have a built in advantage when it comes to the new media. It is therefore not surprising that major non-profits such as The American Red Cross, have been early adopters of this new media.

Beth Kantor, a prominent non-profit blogger writing for Mashable puts it this way:

We’re just at the beginning of seeing how social media is impacting how non-profits engage with their supporters and do their work. As more and more non-profits adopt social media and their practice improves over time, we will no doubt see a transformation of the non-profit sector.

headshot-kelli When I decided to do a series interviewing social media practitioners, it was only fitting that I interview Kelli Donely. Kelli at the time ran a local non-profit (COAR) and has integrated social media seamlessly into both her professional and personal life. I met her on Twitter as she was talking about her work with refugees in Arizona. I decided to follow her updates because of the recent influx of Nepali speaking Bhutanese refugees in Phoenix. Since our connection on Twitter, Kelli has even recruited me to help with assisting refugees. The power of social media in action!

Kelli Donley is an Arizona native who received her BS in electronic media from NAU in 2000 and her Masters in Public Health from U of A in 2004. She served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Cameroon and previously worked in international health. She’s managed health projects in the United States, Bolivia, Mozambique, Nicaragua and Mexico.

So, lets get to it and see what Kelli has to say:

1. Do you get excited when you think about COAR, the power of social media and the endless possibilities the fusion of the two could create?

KD: I do. This is of particular importance to an organization like COAR that relies on a strong volunteer base to function. With one paid employee and more than 200 volunteers, social media makes finding, recruiting and training our workforce dramatically easier. It also makes it that much easier for our volunteer base to communicate with their friends and family about their work with COAR to spread our message.

2. What is the most amazing thing you did in 2009 when it comes to social media on behalf of COAR? Perhaps there was a blog post or a donation received via Twitter?

KD: I think the most amazing thing we did was have IWS – Integrated Web Services — take over our social media on a pro-bono basis and increase our subscribers by 400%. They did this for both our twitter and our facebook fan pages.

3. Do you think that in many ways its easier to use social media on behalf of a nonprofit vs. a business? Are there any examples that come to mind?

KD: I don’t have the business experience to answer this, but I think people are more tolerant of social media that is asking them to get involved in lieu of buying something.

4. How do you answer those that say social media takes too much time and is a waste of time?

KD: I say, “silly.” It is ridiculous that people don’t want to use social media because of time. We are a nation that on average watches more than 4 hours of tv each day. There is your time. Turn off the TV, step away from your recliner and get to work.

5. How do you measure the success of social media when it comes to a non-profit? Specifically, how has the use of social media directly affected COAR since you actively began using it?

KD: Participants and donations. We have used both twitter and facebook to get a large number of volunteers this year and to raise awareness about our giving campaigns.

6. How has the use of social media affected you personally?

KD: Some has been good, some not so good. It is a fine line when you are the head of an organization and also have a life. You are always extra wary of what you are posting so it can’t be taken out of context. I like twitter. I could do without facebook. It is like an extended yearbook and I find most of the communication there is pointless.

7. What are your hopes for 2010 when it comes to social media?

KD: To raise awareness for COAR.

photo credit: sun dazed

Lessons on Success From Super Bowl 44

Posted on February 8, 2010
Filed Under Strategy | Leave a Comment

Many sports analysts are dissecting Super Bowl 44 and offering their thoughts on how the New Orleans Saints pulled off an upset victory over the Indianapolis Colts. I personally think this game was decided by the mental state of the two teams and came down to the question of “desire”. The difference in “desire” meant the Colts played to not-lose and the Saints played to win. This sounds like the same thing but it isn’t. In business and in sports you play to win. If you don’t have a desire to win but only to “not lose”, then you’re not going to win. If you’re playing not to lose then you’ll make mistakes that will cost you the game. (I’m not blaming Manning for the loss. I’m only pointing out that the game would have been different if the Colts had approached it with a greater desire to win.)

I’m not going to delve into the details of the game but I believe the game turned into the Saints favor towards the end of the second half. Facing fourth and one at the one yard line, the Saints went for it, instead of kicking an easy field goal. This demonstrated that they were willing to give everything they had to win this game. Unfortunately they were stuffed and at the time looked to be a terrible gamble, one that could cost them the game. However, what the Colts did next revealed that the Saints were going to win this game in the end.

After stuffing the Saints, the Colts got the ball back with almost two minutes left. Plus they were up 10-3. The Colts now had an opportunity to send a clear message to the other side and take complete control of the game. I don’t know about you but I was expecting the Colts to go into their two minute offense. I was expecting them to march down the field and score. I was expecting them to enter half-time with a 17-3 lead. Such a lead would have changed everything.

Instead the Colts played ultra-conservative and called lack-luster plays going three and out. They punted the ball back to the Saints, who then advanced the ball sufficiently and kicked a field goal. The Saints went into half-time behind 10-6 instead of 17-3. Energized, they came back with an on-side kick to open the second half. They recovered and subsequently scored a touchdown. The rest as they say is history.

Here are three things I learned in from these moments:

1. If you have an opportunity to greatly advance your business, do it. Go for it. Don’t hesitate. Don’t sit back. When opportunity knocks be ready to take advantage of it completely. No “ifs”, “ands” or “buts”!

2. Sometimes the only way to get ahead with your business is by taking a huge gamble. Time your risks well and boldly execute them.

3. Ask yourself if you really truly have the desire to win. The level of your success is directly tied to the intensity of your desire. Do you have that burning desire to succeed no matter what?

The 2009 New Orleans Saints have certainly given me inspiration for the coming year. Congratulations to the city of New Orleans on showing the world what it takes to be a champion!

photo credit: RMTip21

photo credit: ian_ransley

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