Stop Shouting on Twitter
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I can’t stand it. You can’t stand it. Everyone hates it.
Yet people keep doing it.
It’s really the fate of any new communication medium. Short-sighted people are going to look at this medium as their platform, their megaphone, their one-way street.
It saddens me to see so many people constantly posting tweets and Facebook updates that go something like this:
- Brand X is helping me lose 10 pounds a week. It can help you, too. CLick here . . . .
- If you want to make $1,000 this week on the Internet, I have what you need.
- Want to earn what you’re worth? Sign up with Brand X. Ask me how.
- I get 300 followers a day. Go here to find out more.
Nobody gets on Twitter looking for crap like this. There’s nothing “social” about using social media as your own advertising medium. This approach to social media completely ignores the fact that you need to provide value to your followers.
Shouting does not equal value.
Sadly, my direct selling friends seem to be the worst offenders of this web marketing crime. Which is a shame, because they are poised more than most to leverage social media to help build the relationships that direct sales thrives on to begin with.
Is there a time and place to peddle your goods in this space? Sure, but it needs to be separated by lots of tweets that don’t. If you can present yourself as a likeable, knowledgable resource - even expert - then people will be much more likely to consider your occassional shameless plugs. But likeability, knowledge and expertise are in the eye of the beholder.
Use social media in a social way. Networking works because it allows people to meet each other in fun, non-threatening ways and gradually find out what everyone does professionally.
What are some of the worst Twitter offenses you’ve come across?
Results of the SquareSpace Twitter Campaign
By · CommentsAbout a week ago I praised SquareSpace on their current Twitter campaign. My gut said it was a genius way to use Twitter to build awareness.
Custom Flypaper has gathered up some great stats on the campaign that prove my gut was right. Be sure to read the full post, as it has some outstanding links to other Twitter research. Some of the more eye-opening results of the #squarespace campaign:
- SquareSpace picked up 36k followers since June 8.
- The #squarespace hashtag has been used more than 95k times.
- The cost SquareSpace is paying for follower is basically 17 cents.
So, what’s your take on the SquareSpace campaign?
Here’s to another Follow Friday and another shout-out to people worth following online.
Why I follow . . . . James Dickey: I think I found James via a local Dallas Twitter search. His tweets are always pretty informative and resourceful. He’s great at keeping a dialogue going on Twitter, rather than just mass forwarding tons of links. And he’s definitely not afraid to speak his mind (just check out his take on the whole Iran election mess from a few days ago).
Why I follow . . . . Greg Atkinson: Greg and I actually played in the same worship band (i55) for about a year a few years ago. I knew at the time he presented quite a bit on church media and communication, but I had no idea how much of an authority he is on the topic until I started following him on Twitter a few months ago. Our paths don’t really cross professionally, but I always enjoy his Tweets. He seems to really have his hand on the pulse of technology and the church.
Why I listen to . . . . the Digital Marketer: A podcast I listen to regularly is Aliza Sherman’s Digital Marketer on QuickAndDirtyTips.com. What I like about her show is that it’s always quick (less than 10 minutes) and to the point on a single topic. She has some practical ideas on social media and internet marketing.
Rebranding Doesn’t Work
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The idea of branding is to make identification of an idea and position simple and quick. Ranchers would brand their cattle’s backsides so everyone knew who they belonged to. Stop signs have been the same shape and color for, well, forever. The Yankees wear pinstripes, regardless of the latest fashions.
These brands work because they are consistent. They’ve been around long enough to give us a chance to give them meaning way beyond their literal makeup.
A stop sign is more than a red octagon. Just a quick glance at it automatically makes us hit the brakes, take a little caution. It stands for something.
Yankee pinstripes are a lot more than a uniform. It’s Ruth and Dimaggio and Mantle and Mattingly and Jeter.
When you rebrand (whatever that means), you throw away your investment in your brand. You buy just before the brand is going to start making its impression. You change the color of your stop sign. You wear something other than the pinstripes.
And the result is you now have something that means nothing.
Rebranding is almost never the answer. Brand amplification and clarification is normally what companies should be doing.
Beat It
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I’m in Atlanta today, and made a point of having lunch at Ted’s Montana Grill. If you’ve never had one of their Bison burgers, then you still haven’t tasted the true potential of a burger. I love ‘em.
In addition, if you’re lucky, you can sit at the bar right in front of the kitchen. Those guys don’t hold back, and it’s great.
Today, I witnessed true leadership. The guy working the bar for lunch came into the kitchen area (they’re connected) and started complaining about something, dishing out ways things should be done better around there. On and on. The guy I assume was the head chef let him go on for a little while, then finally just looked up and said “Beat it.”
It was as if someone had pushed the mute button. It was dead silent, and the bartender simply turned around and went back to work.
When you can make things happen with just two words, you’re doing something right.
Squarespace is Trailblazing on Twitter
By · CommentsThe Twitter stream is abuzz (if not overrunning) with #squarespace, the hashtag dedicated to the web publishing tool, Squarespace who is giving away an iPhone 3G s every day until July 6 to the person’s name they draw who tweeted any message with #squarespace in it.
This is freakin’ brilliant use of Twitter by a business.
Just think of what’s being accomplished here:
- Thousands of people are spreading the word about Squarespace.
- At the very least, Squarespace is getting introduced to tons of new customers/prospects, increasing brand awareness and customer data.
- Even if Squarespace is paying full price for the iPhones, $400 (assumed) x 30 = $12,000. That’s like a 1/3 page ad in a mediocre magazine.
Keep an eye on this campaign. Follow @squarespace on Twitter and see how they’re knee-deep into participating and interacting all along the way. Granted, if the product sucks, it won’t matter, but for now this is an excellent way to use Twitter to market your business. Squarespace isn’t worried about sales right now - just awareness.
I bet there’s something about this campaign you can use with your widget. I guarantee you I’ll be ripping it off very soon.
Have you come across any other brands using Twitter the right way? Who are they?
FYI, thanks to @shawnbettes for enlightening on the #squarespace buzz to begin with.
Why I Follow Roland Gilbert, Mack Collier
By · CommentsHere’s this week’s shout-outs to those who bring me many pleasures via Twitter, the blogosphere and the like:
Why I follow Roland Gilbert (@christianjava): Roland throws out a great mix of “here’s what I’m doing” and great church communications ideas. Being a Dallas local, I’m especially interested, and can relate to, much of what he’s talking about (even when he gave almost play-by-play anaylsis of his recent jury duty escapades). Plus, he’s got a great blog that everyone needs to check out, and that I’ve mentioned before.
Why I follow Mack Collier (@MackCollier): Mack is a modern-day marketing idol in every way. His blog, Viral Garden, has long been considered one of the must-reads online. And his contributions to MarketingProfs are always worthy of the couple minutes it takes to read them. But simply observing his Twitter stream is a lesson in how to maximize the medium. He sparks conversations (esp. #blogchat, normally on Sunday nights) and he passes along pertinent info without overdoing it.
John Sculley on Marketing Data
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“No great marketing decisions have ever been made on qualitative data.”
John Sculley , former President of Pepsi and CEO of Apple, currently part of Scully Bros. LLC.
My take: Somewhere between an extremely educated guess and a gut feeling is where innovation greatness most often occurs. However, those great guesses and gut feelings are nurtured only by knowing your customer inside and out so that you know what it is they actually want and need.
This post is part of the weekly series Marketing Quotes by Marketing Greats, posted every Thursday at MarketingInProgress.com (beginning January 1, 2009). Read every marketing quote by a marketing great entry here.
Free Marketing In Progress Newsletter
By · CommentsAfter more than two years of meandering my way through the marketing waters on the blogosphere, I’m finally taking the plunge and offering a free marketing newsletter to any and all who want it.
Like you, I’ve noticed the ratio of bad e-newsletter to good ones is about 10 to 1. My aim is to not join the majority here. In fact, I’m hoping to actually pass along both items of interest and some easy things you can do right away to improve the marketing of your organization.
So who needs this free marketing newsletter?
My target is small business owners and entrepreneurs who are looking for tangible ways to improve how they market and communicate. More specifically, direct sellers, solopreneurs and local services (like pest control companies and lawn & garden services) will get to benefit from drilled-down advice based on my experiences in those industries.
What you’ll get with each newsletter
At least initially, newsletters will go out only once a month, starting next week (the week of June 15). Every newsletter will be different, but you can count on the following segments every time:
- Dirt cheap marketing ideas: easy and inexpensive marketing tactics you can do today.
- Lots of links to websites the small business owner will find useful.
- Featured article
- Links to free white papers
- A subscriber spotlight: you might get a shout-out to your business just because you subscribed.
- The best tips and info from MarketingInProgress.com.
So, go ahead. Sign up for the free Marketing In Progress newsletter now and let the marketing greatness begin.
When Why Trumps What
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A handyman is coming to our house today to seal up our leaky shower. In preparation, he asked that I shower early and wipe down the shower so it’s dry, which will help with the sealing process. This morning, I told my wife to shower in our guest shower because the handyman was coming to work on the shower this morning.
Around 7:30, I heard her turning on the faucet for the shower I’d told her not to use. Frustrated, I asked her what she thought she was doing. She looked at me confused and said “The handyman’s not here yet.”
My wife thought the reason for showering in the guest shower was because the handyman would already be working on the main shower. I hadn’t told her we actually needed to keep the shower dry.
I had told her what to do without telling her why. That was the central issue at hand.
Since we humans aren’t mindless robots, we normally like to know why we’re doing something. I need to know why my muscles need to be sore for them to grow. I need to know why I’m supposed to tithe 10% of my income to the church. I need to know why narrowing my target audience is smarter than widening it.
Granted, there are groups that work just fine only communicating what they want done. The military comes to mind. Its whole system relies on everyone following the chain of command, doing what they are told.
For the rest of us, we usually need a reason. When we know why, then we usually buy in. When you get buy-in from a customer, it makes a huge difference.
What examples and experiences do you have with communicating why and what?
