I am really enjoying this great new book by James Amos and BJ Emerson about Social Media Marketing.The Tasti D-Lite Wayis hot off the press and definitely worth a look by all marketers.
To say it’s a book about social media in the franchise industry only tells part of the story!
This book isn’t just a Franchise system. It’s a true American business success story about how to build a brand.
It’s not just about Social Media. It’s about creating a culture, a product, a team, and stories your customers want to share. As we often have discussed, social media is just the channel where those stories are shared. Do yourself a favor and steal as many ideas from Jim and BJ as you can!
As we’re winding down the summer and gearing up for a big retail season, I thought I would share my presentation from Franchise Social Media Camp (FranCamp) from back in May. The topic was leveraging social platforms for Franchise systems.
One slide (#6) that lead to some good discussions with attendees is the view of social platforms compared to your franchisees’ stores. Think of it as a map. What platforms are you using as roads to get to other platforms? And, more importantly, what’s the route to get foot traffic in the stores? Are you sharing links on Twitter to draw consumers to an app on Facebook for coupons that drive store traffic? Are you using Google+ or Facebook start a discussion and then sharing video that lives on YouTube that has a great call to action? There are many more combinations than there are platforms! Remember, some channels may be a better or faster route for your customers than other routes.
Every two years after the Olympics, we should declare a Post-Olympics Withdrawal Stress Disorder Day. After 2 weeks of constant updates and events filling our TVs, tablets, and phones, it feels like not much is happening out there this morning. I predict speaking with a lot of grumpy people over the next couple of days.
We’ll be missing the events, pre-packaged stories of inspiration, cheesy NBC montages, musical cues, and drama that dwarfs any scripted television programming.
My wife and I get pulled in to this sports-opera more than most. Since the ’92 games, we have gotten caught up in the big events as well as the stuff that you can only see during an Olympics. Trampoline, badminton, and the equestrian events were tough to catch this year.
I didn’t see nearly as much coverage on TV this year as in years past due to travel, work, and other real-life events infringing on our TV time this summer. But with the ample updates via social channels, online video, and mobile apps, it was easy to get a quick fix.
While I’m no fan of NBC, GE, or Adobe, these guys got it together for a great Olympic iPhone app in 2012.
It also marks the last time until the next Olympics that the once-great NBC will have any content of value. Case in point: the preview clips from the new Matthew Perry show, “Go On”, looked dreadful. From the people who brought you “Joey”, indeed!
The media geek in me will soon fill the entertainment / sports / news void with the NFL season (#GoBears!) and a big political storm about to hit. We’ve got two conventions, 4 debates, and an election night on the horizon people!
So there’s lots of good media content to look forward to this fall. And, if that’s not enough to cheer us up, note that the opening ceremony of the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi is only 543 days away.
Welcome to the first of a series of weekly posts reviewing cars. As a frequent business traveller, I rent a lot of cars. Sometimes, they are your typical boring car rental fleet cars: Dodges, Nissans, Kias, and the other uninspired small sedans, compacts, hatchbacks that rental companies are using in place of the once-omnipresent Pontiac Grand Prix. But occasionally, I can score a nice upgrade to something more interesting.
Case in point: The 2012 Dodge Challenger. This car was not what I expected. Maybe it’s the resemblance to the Chargers of 5 years ago or the original Challengers and Barracudas of 40 years ago. All were a bit sparse on features.
I found the ’12 Challenger to be just the opposite. The standard 3.6L V6 was peppy but not the monster you would expect by looking at her. She was quiet, polite, and adequate. Too bad I didn’t have access to the 6.4L HEMI V8!
What are they harvesting in Northern Iowa these days? Wind!
Meanwhile, the creature comforts also surprised me. Again, I was expecting the no-frills interior of the Challenger’s pony car ancestors but found it to be more like a fully-loaded Chrysler 300. It was a comfortable ride even after 800 miles across the Midwest in one week! But that was only for one person. Two people would also be fine as the front seats are spacious with plenty of leg room. But forget bringing a third person. The backseat could barely fit my laptop bag and small suitcase.
Overall, the Challenger is a fun and interesting car for one traveller, or maybe two.
Bottom Line
Car: Dodge Challenger
Area traveled: Illinois, Iowa (Interstates, US Highways, and Great River Roads)
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Would I rent again? Traveling with others: no. Traveling solo: Hell yeah!
You see it everyday in retail stores, coffee shops, and pizza places:
Like us on Facebook!
Here’s the issue for the owners and managers of these stores: the people reading that sign are already in your store!
And instead of engaging them in real life, having a conversation, or selling them stuff (!), some retailers are pushing them over to Facebook or some other online presence to Like them, take a survey, etc. Don’t fall into this hole! Again, these people are ALREADY in your store! And, don’t worry about Facebook; Zuckerberg’s traffic will be just fine.
Don’t get me wrong – it’s extremely valuable to have your current customers join your online community. Engaging those folks on Facebook or other social channels is key in cementing your relationship, offering customer service, and perhaps creating a returning customer. Also, I think many people are drawn to the Facebook logo and would read anything on that sign!
But please don’t let your engagement in social marketing end there! So far, you’ve preached to the choir. Now you need to find a congregation.
Focus your resources on attracting people who are not currently in your store to come to your Facebook Page. Find consumers who are not already customers and invite them to learn about your business. Use Facebook to drive store traffic, not the other way around.
Remember the progression you want:
Person living in your community —> Person interested enough to go to your Fan Page —> Person interested enough to go to your shop —> Person who buys a product or service
Note: here is a republished post from November of 2011 I wanted to share as we remember Andy Griffith today.
As we begin to wrap up a year of explosive growth in Social Media usage and engagement, I’m seeing many Social Media Marketers moving into new stages of their own involvement. It reminds me of similar changes of audience engagement by one of the all-time great story tellers. I speak, of course, of Andy Griffith’s portrayal of Sheriff Andy Taylor of Mayberry!
Stage 1: Over the top and finding our way
At the start of The Andy Griffith Show, Andy’s depiction was the same as the characters he had been playing on stage and screen and in his popular monologues and comedy records for the previous few years. Andy was over-the-top, absurd, and loud. It’s what Andy knew how to do to get attention and laughs.
Stage 1 Andy: All Laughs
We dig into our own history of past success and use those same tactics when launching our social media engagement. Sometimes it fits, but more often than not, marketers need to tweak their voice and role, leading to…
Stage 2: Getting down to business and finding our role
After the first season or so, Andy realized that it would be best for the show if he played the straight man and let those around him get the laughs. His decision to pay it forward catapulted the show into legendary status.
Stage 2 Andy: Paying It Forward
The character of Andy as the normal and wise hub for the crazy Mayberry citizens’ shenanigans is a great role model for how Social Media Marketers should carry themselves within their online communities. Be the Andy by helping solve your connections’ business problems, mediating different point of views, and most of all promoting others before yourself.
Note, many so-called Social Media “Experts” or “Gurus” are the equivalent of Deputy Barney Fife. They take credit for others’ heroics, crow about their own expertise, and obsess on the tools of the trade rather than the message. Barneys don’t really make a community worse; in fact, they can be funny. But in the end, we’re just laughing at them.
Stage 3: Getting annoyed by and tired of those around us
It would be best if you as a Social Media Marketer could stay in a perpetual stage two. Toward the end of The Andy Griffith Show’s original run, Andy’s character further developed into a role that you don’t want to be. These episodes are easy to identify as they are in color and “Angry Andy” is constantly irritated by the dimwits around him.
Stage 3 Andy: Annoyed
If you feel yourself getting easily agitated by the day to day engagement with the Goobers and Aunt Bees in your online communities, it may be time to stop and to move on to new challenges.
We’re all competing for your attention. Your friends are competing for your attention on your newsfeed. Brands are competing for your attention on all social channels. And social channels are competing for real estate on your phone.
Déjà vu is a new location-based app that is smart enough to stay out of that last competition. Instead of creating a yet another place for your friends / contacts / consumers to see your check-ins and comments, Déjà vu utilizes Facebook as the place where you connect.
Think of Déjà vu also as a location-based app for places that you haven’t checked into yet. It allows users to share places where they may want to go and tap their friends for a review, comment, or advice on the location.
Déjà vu CEO Keith Murphy also emphasizes the deals users can find at or near any location. “There are daily deals around you from over 80 different sources – Groupon, Living Social, Gilt City, and more – with a click of the Daily Deals tab.” Again, Déjà vu is not jumping into the deals fray, but aggregating the best that are already available for Déjà vu users.
Murphy also emphasizes the ability to pre-screen places as a differentiator. “You can see where other users have said they want to go in our Trending Section and sort through those locations by age and gender to find the perfect place to go right now.” I think this part of the app has the biggest potential for those looking to connect in real life with friends (and perhaps for marketers!).
Déjà vu is currently in Beta, and just became availablevia iTunes– check it out now and let me know your feedback via comments below.
If you’re in Chicago and are looking to advance your career in Public Relations or Communications, please check out the PRSA Chicago / Help A PR Pro Out event. From the PRSA website:
The PRSA Chicago luncheon on May 15 will focus on employment and hiring opportunities for our industry in 2012 and beyond.
Attendees will participate in a series of roundtables to network and discuss related topics with Chicago’s communications leaders. Topics will include finding jobs in the PR 2.0 world, resume review and the skills necessary for landing your next position. Register here!
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