Mainstream Embrace of Twitter

In year’s past, marketing gurus and branding experts touted Twitter as a revolutionary force in communications. The only problem was a lack of measuring sticks. Social media campaigns of yesteryear lacked the means to measure the all important Return on Investment that CEO’s and accountants like to see before they give the green light. In 2010, web-developers have caught up to the industry and have produced a wealth of resources for measuring your social media campaigns.

If you are a marketer and you can use these tools to prove the value of your Twitter presence to clients.

Twitter Analyzer

This tool is offers one of the most comprehensive snapshots of your Twitter account. In one clearly-labeled window, you can gather a bounty of client-impressing information. Some key attributes include:

• A graph displaying the amount of users that clicked on each Tweet sent
• A “Unique Readers” reach total
• Percentage of your Tweats that are retweeted
• Which links were read the most
• How popular your Tweets were on any given day

This data can be assessed and presented to any client wishing to see the results of a social media campaign. In this sense, you have more access to audience information than with a TV commercial or Radio advertisement.

Klout

Klout is a valuable resource when it comes to evaluating the essence of your Twitter presence. It is also one of the most respected measurement applications and was recently integrated into CoTweet – one of the internet’s most heavily used Twitter assistants.

Klout’s rating system defines a Twitter user by a number of factors, identifying who the major influencers are on the Twitter-sphere. A score in the 70’s or 80’s indicate that your campaign is a success and people are listening to your message.

TweetBeep

For the ultra-obsessed client, set them up with a TweetBeep account. This (free) service allows you to keep tabs on your Twitter progress by monitoring each Retweet, product mention, direct message, website link, etc. with hourly updates sent to your email account. The more updates they get, the more respect your campaign receives.

Tweet Stats

I prefer Tweet Stats for long-term evaluations of my Twitter progress. I usually use this site for personal analysis of my various campaigns, but clients occasionally like to see these colorful graphs as well. This program graphical displays data on the amount of Tweets you send per month along with which of your Tweets receive the most traction on the web.

Tweet Effect

This tool is incredibly valuable if you are focused on reaching the most followers possible. Simply enter your Twitter handle and the application determines which of your recent tweets affected your following; that is, which tweets resulted in an increase or decrease in the number of followers to your account.

This insight can prove invaluable if your client lists “a huge number of followers” amongst campaign priorities. You’ll be able to Tweet more effectively in the long run.

Your Tweets Matter

There are many other Twitter tools on the web for Twitter analysis and evaluation, and more coming out each day, but these resources will answer many of the questions your client has in regards to ROI. Like and TV commercial or billboard, you and your client need to know the reach and frequency of each campaign. In the past, these numbers were merely estimates based loosely on polls and meter systems. But now we have exact measuring sticks and tools to see precisely the effectiveness of your campaigns.

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Being social on the web isn’t natural for everyone and certainly not for every company. Once people and companies “get it” and develop processes, listening programs and overall strategy, social media policies tend to lighten up and move towards being productive vs limiting.

Some people really shine in their social web participation and companies often see increased social networking and engagement by individuals as an uncertain area. Some see building personal networks and attention as a threat to the brand that prompts questions as to whether individuals are simply building their own brand, (brandividual) on the company’s dime or are they acting as they should on the company’s behalf?

This issue has come to light several times in the past. As an example, there are some interesting arguments surrounding Forrester’s recent policy decision to limit staff blogging to non company topics. Forrester’s product is their IP, so they want to control what IP is released. At the same time, analysts discussing those topics on their own blogs can build more attention and awareness of the products Forrester sells.

The issue of corporate brand and brandividualism will only increase in importance. The real and perceived loss of control for managers has to be dealt with eventually.  Concerns from managers are totally reasonable since not all individuals promoting themselves and growing their networks during business hours are doing so with corporate business goals in mind.

On one hand, the employee is paid to promote the company brand. Because of so many opportunities for self promotion with corporate brand promotion, there can be “distractions”.

It’s essential that the company and employees acting on behalf of the company operate with a congruent vision and mutually agreed upon expectations.

Many budding brandividuals have an over-inflated sense of importance because of what they perceive to be end goal successes which are often more like proxies or stepping stones to what’s really important for a business.

For example: attracting friends/fans/followers, being mentioned by influential blogs, networking with other “known” digerati can seem uplifting to an individual that seeks increased visibility and credibility.  Those are important events, but they’re not the end goals that help companies make payroll. They’re a means to an end (revenue, brand, customer acquisition and retention). I think a lot of the folks that get “amped up” by social celebrity confuse notoriety with the ability to generate revenue.

Of course customers might become aware of a company’s services because of their social connection with a brandividual and may even stay with a company due to their relationship with that individual. But that’s not the issue I’m describing.

I did a post about the crack-like addiction to online fame in the SEO industry a while back, observing newer SEOs giving away loopholes and “secret” tactics to gain notoriety. Seeing fame as an end goal vs. a tool to extend brand exposure and shorten sales cycles created a situation in the Search Marketing world where individuals would focus all their efforts on becoming “known”, missing the business objectives entirely. “It’s hard to pay the bills with a pocket full of famous”. 

On the other hand, empowering staff to become better known and influential with which to promote your brand can be a great investment. The employee gets something to take with them when that time comes (and it will eventually) and at the same time, they have more to work with when promoting your brand.

Some managers will look at such activity and try to control it. That’s not the productive move thing to do in my opinion. Others will embrace it and encourage their staff to be all they can be to meet personal goals and company goals at the same time.

It’s critical to set expectations and have a strategic perspective of what the brandividual’s efforts are to achieve. Managers have to talk to these staff members and get involved with what they’re doing more than other types of company marketing. That’s a bit of a rub sometimes because executives hire community managers or digital marketing managers for the purpose of promoting the company because they don’t have time and expertise themselves.

I think in most cases, the best thing to do is keep in perspective that the stronger the brand of the individual that is tasked with promoting a business, the more reach and impact they may have. Getting exposure themselves will indeed benefit them personally, but if they’re doing so as a member of your brand’s “team” then it’s no different than an all star on a sports team drawing more attention to the team franchise.

What do you think? Does “brandividualism” put companies and their brands at risk? If you work at a company and have become a bit of a brandividual yourself, how has the company dealt with it? If your company has some “rock star” social media staff, how do you best empower them? Or does your company prefer to try and control such activity?

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And while it’s on one hand a positive that we’re stating to see some norms and best practices emerge within social media, it’s a tremendous mistake to restrict your social media activities to just the “Big Five.”

There are literally hundreds of other places your customers could be talking about your brand within the social Web, and it’s imperative that you hear all of them. If a subset (even a small one) of your customer base loves Tripadvisor, or Yelp, or FriendFeed, or their Ning group or whatever, that does not make them less important to your brand’s perception than people on Twitter or Facebook, it just makes them a different segment of your audience.

Remember, there is a REASON they spend their time within the social ecosystem on Yelp and not Facebook – because that’s the community they PREFER. And in fact, people that make choices that are less conventional tend to defend those choices more passionately than the “me too” crowd. And, because there are fewer total users, the opinions of any individual are magnified.

Further, regardless of where the content is posted, it will be found and indexed by search engines, becoming part of your brand’s permanent record, like that crappy tattoo of a hummingbird you got in Cancun.

Dear Marriott: Pay Attention

Consider this horrifying example for Marriott. I did a quick check of Google Sidewiki (a plug-in for Firefox and Internet Explorer that lets you comment on Web pages, and those comments are “stuck” the Web page like a Post-It note). I found this solitary post, ripping Marriott for not removing this guy from their email newsletter list. I’m not sure what’s worse, the company not paying attention to secondary and tertiary layers of the social Web and thus not finding this, or knowing about it and not leaving a reply. Either way, their silence is deafening.

Do millions of people use Sidewiki? Not yet, but since it’s a Google project, there’s a fair chance it will take off. And for the people that are already using Sidewiki, doesn’t this impact how you perceive Marriott? And now I’ve shared it with all of you, so a comment on a “minor” social outpost continues to fester, unabated.

I realize it’s a hassle to monitor your brand across all of these places. It takes time. Time you probably don’t have. But you know how municipal police forces crush graffiti problems? They paint over it immediately, wherever it occurs. It’s a lesson that applies equally in social media.

The days of “if we answer back, it just gives them credence” are over. Take off the blinders, remove the earplugs, and defend yourself.

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Decision-centric organizations deliver agility because they can make rapid changes to the way they conduct business. Decisions are the changeable elements of most operations and rapidly changing policy or regulation and competitive pressures affect these decisions, not the processes or functions within which they are made. Decision-centric organizations deliver the business control executives want over operations by giving them control over the decisions that drive day to day operations and implement business strategy. These decisions are compliant, and demonstrably so, because those who understand the regulations are driving the decision with no IT/business disconnect.

A decision-centric organization maximizes straight through processing, delivers consumer- and information-driven processes that are infinitely customizable and that flow easily from automation to case management and back again. Decision-centric organizations gain operational advantages and a competitive edge through a systematic focus on decision making throughout the organization. Decision-centric organizations deliver increased agility by decoupling the IT and business lifecycles and it dramatically reduces the complexity of IT and hence its cost.

Decisions have always been at the core of an organization’s behavior but for too long they have been buried, considered only as part of an organizational function or a business process. Such buried decisions are rarely automated effectively, are hard to improve and the lack of explicit management of these decisions leaves organizations at a loss to know how to maximize their effectiveness.

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Before diving into this, it should be stated that sometimes employee morale is beyond your control. Unforeseen factors can always rear their head, sometimes bringing higher morale, but may lower it. Instead of worrying about these factors, it’s best to simply focus on what you can do.

As someone who’s been on both ends of being an employee and manager, it all comes down to honesty. Nothing kills the morale of a business faster than when employees feel as though they’re being led around by their nose. Also, it’s not a simple enough situation to simply “not lie”, as sometimes being silent is just as hurtful as making up something. The reason for this is because uncertainty is much more of a defining state of mind then actually knowing bad news. The bigger the company, the more important honesty becomes, as it’s easier for the truth to surface. Then you have to put up with employees who think you’re a liar, or at best someone who keeps information from them.

We all want more money. There’s probably very few people in this world who would turn down a million dollars. The reason for this is because money is a tool, one which provides security for everyone in the world. Some become overly greedy for it, but for the most part, people are obsessed over it because it sustains their way of living. Extrapolate that feeling even more if the person has a family. Therefore, when regarding employee morale always remember why money is important. Sometimes you have to make cuts, but if you do so, try and give something back through either better benefits or maybe a small end-of-the-year bonus.

I took a business class in college that taught me a lesson I’ll never forget. The one factor which turns an ample company into one which goes above and beyond is — love. Many don’t equate love to business, but for those who work for a company they love, you’ll not find a better employee. So many beneficial factors come from love: loyalty, respect, happiness. Getting employees to love their work and company is no small feat. Something to remember from a management standpoint, is to be accessible. Always be involved with your employees, and try to instill a feeling of dedication into them.

Climbing the arduous mountain of morale isn’t easy. Many times you can do your best, and employees will still be dissatisfied. Always try to fight the battles you think you can win. Beating your head against the wall, trying to devise a solution isn’t healthy from any aspect. Good luck.

When people think of various generations, Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials, there tends to be negative connotations when mixing them together. This is many times a very wrong thought process, as all of these generations have wonderful things to offer one another. This BolingbrookSun article has a humorous take on the changing generations, stating that black flip flops will be considered formal attire in the future. Stating the Millennial generation loves flip flops, and is a great comparison of their mindset when it comes to business.

I found the article funny because I’m one of the older members of the Millennials (25 years old) and I love flip flops. I’d wear flip flops to formal occasions if it was completely acceptable. Hopefully any future wife I have will let me show some toe at the wedding. Why are flip flops great? Because they’re comfortable, let your feet breath and allow faster access when going off and on. This thought can encompass the overall feeling when talking about the workplace with younger generations. So much business is conducted in front of a computer, what’s the point of formal attire?

The paragraph I wrote above is a perfect example of why having various generations is a positive for a company. While I love my flip flops and would wear them to work all the time if possible, older generations see why they can be a negative. Having a perception of professionalism is also a positive, particularly if your company is selling perception to a client. Our generation needs that help, we need older and wiser minds to step in and give us a professional gut check.

If you’re to believe this latest Fidelity Investments study, many generations aren’t so different at all. Generation Y is trending to be more conservative in their views towards careers. Here’s a direct quote from the press release,

“Many young workers surveyed (41%) say the economic crisis has made their generation more conservative, which is reflected in not only their financial decisions, but also their employment choices. More Gen Y individuals today show a reluctance to “job hop” with one in four indicating the intent to remain with a current employer until retirement, up from 14 percent of those surveyed in early 2008.”

There are of course various factors which drive that mindset. The economic downturn probably affected every generation’s mindset when it came to jobs, retirement, and finances.

At the end of the day, human nature is still the bond that links us all. Young, old, Gen Y, Baby Boomers, the factors that have driven good business and employee management are seen as much today as was in 1959. Showing respect, having admiration for your employees, and utilizing strong management skills are the tools of success no matter which generation you’re dealing with.

I’m about to unleash some honest and scary news on you. Are you ready? An employee of yours is on a social networking service, for personal reasons using company time. EGADS! Using a company’s time to engage in one’s social life can be a serious matter. Instead of banging your head against the wall, trying to fight the tide – embrace it.

I’m not telling you to let your employees run free to constantly talk to their friends. However, when communicating throughout the office try using a social media platform. This will keep you engaged with your employees and can help your monitor their own usage. Start a Facebook group and have employees communicate with each other and you through the group.
With the wide assortment of social media apps out there, using a social media service for direct communication is a more plausible idea than before.

‘Recruiting Talent’

I had a friend who was a manager, and he always told me the hardest thing to do in a business was hiring someone new. Firing people, while difficult in an emotional sense, is a decision a bit easier to make than hiring. When you’re interviewing a potential employee, it takes savvy to decide if they’re right for the job or not. Then you have people who falsify resumes, so there’s tons of leg work when hiring a new employee.

Social Media can provide a huge boost in the hiring process. I don’t recommend using Facebook because it’s a more personal service. LinkedIn and Twitter are great places to scout potential talent. I recommend starting with LinkedIn because it’s a professional based site. Some people use the site as a huge resume, and point to it when searching for potential employers. Finding proof of prior employment can be conducted using LinkedIn as well.

Twitter is a viable option, you just have to know what you’re getting into when searching for a potential employee. First, some are complete dunces when it comes to using Twitter. Which in itself can be a good way to weed out someone for not fitting the bill for a potential position.

When you think of what you want to streamline in your company, it’s best to start with your least efficient areas. This can be hard to do because you don’t want to admit inefficiencies in your company. There are so many ways to improve though, that it’s vital to admit these problems.

It’s the worst question in social media. Sorry Chris for picking on your question.

It’s actually a question lots of people wonder, but it’s the kind of thing that no one really can answer.

Why?

Because we’re not in control of who follows us.

So, I’d rather not think about it.

I rather think about things I CAN control. What are those?

1. What I write about.
2. Who I follow.
3. Who I hang out with.
4. The lists I follow and steal from.

See, the people I follow will inform my opinion. I find I use what I’m learning on Twitter all the time. So, if I follow smarter technologists, I will probably become more informed. At least I’ll be able to @reply to the best thinkers in the business.

Wait a second, did I just discover a way to get followers? Why, yes! See, if you have something smart to say back to people who are smart they just might follow you.

But, really, followers don’t matter anymore. Here’s proof. I just created a new Twitter account to display only my RSS feed (this blog will be on that new account shortly). I told everyone that I would add the first 500 people who followed that account to a list. Guess what? I didn’t need to follow them back. Here’s the list.

This list is useful to me. Why? It gives me a look into what the people reading me (and who are online on Friday afternoon) are thinking about. I might never have followed many of these people. But now I get to see them. I wish I had a list of ALL of my followers but Twitter is lame and only lets 500 people onto a single list.

So, I can “Follow You” (big “F”) without “following you” (small “F”). So, is the new Twitter goal to get me to follow you? Or put you on a list? Help, my head hurts.

Seriously, why else doesn’t getting followers matter? Twitter search. Several times a day I read every tweet that has the word “Rackspace” in it. Every day! Same for “Scoble.” Same for all sorts of different terms. Today I’m tracking “Google Chrome.” Say Google Chrome in a Tweet and I will see it.

Do followers matter in a search scenario? No! I see your Tweet whether you have 1 follower or a million!

Yesterday I was talking with @pistachio, Laura Fitton, who runs One Forty, a great way to find Twitter apps, and she told me that it’s not the number of followers that matters anymore.

It’s the content you write. Oh, geez, I’m doomed!

So, if you want more followers you gotta find a way to write better? Or do better videos?

Now THAT is the best question in social media: “how do I write better?”

Me? I’m too lazy and it’s Friday afternoon so I’m gonna give up on this writing thing and head to San Francisco for a nice meal with Maryam and friends.

In the meantime, good luck with the followers. I’ve been working in online communities since 1985 and I still haven’t figured that out.

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Here goes my attempt at sharing my latest observation with you by just getting to the point.

Social media is the best business development tool that has ever come down the pike. It’s simple (when you let it be), it’s relational and it’s informational. These are the most effective elements of taking someone who knows nothing about you and your product / service and helping them to decide, on their own, if you are good fit or at lest worthy of a real conversation. It builds trust which builds business.

Simple – If your message is simple people smile because you took the onus off of them to have to figure out what the heck you are saying.

Relational – If you let someone see who you really are, not your business persona, you are way down the road of seeing if there may be a chance to do business. Actual, honest to goodness, well-intentioned, win / win business.

Informational – If you give someone great information and expect nothing in return you are valuable. You are allowing people to make up their mind based on good information. Information you provided. When it’s time to buy you will have an inherently higher position in someone’s pecking order of possible vendors. You are a trusted source. That’s good.

Keep it simple. Build a relationship through giving valuable information. Build trust. Now you are truly developing business and not just a transaction. That’s cool.

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