In several recent campaigns, mobile technology proved to be an important tool. It’s easy, fast, and accessible features make it extremely valuable for any campaign. Whether it’s holding a contest, fundraising, petitioning an issue, or updating followers on the status of a campaign, mobile technology is simply the ultimate way to connect.

These days, everyone has a mobile phone (or cell phone). In fact, they’ve become so commonplace that, if they’re not chock-filled with the newest gizmos and gadgets, people won’t buy them. Cell phones have gotten so technologically advanced that they’re called “smartphones” instead. Cell phones aren’t used just for phone calls anymore, too. They can search the web, stream video, connect to social networks, message each other via SMS (text messages), and play music.

Social networks are increasingly being used various PR and Marketing campaigns. Social media, in general, has become a standard tool to increase the reach and visibility of campaigns. So, it’s not surprising that utilizing mobile phones, which easily connect to a multitude of social media outlets, would become popular. But I doubt anyone knew how popular this would get. People have begun to use their phones to perform the tasks computers used to do. Campaigns have become innovative in their attempts to engage via mobile access. Geo-location programs, like Foursquare, let companies reward consumers for their loyalty. Non-profits, such as the Red Cross, have been able to raise substantial funds from SMS donations. Even more recently, QR Codes (scannable squares – like barcodes) offer information, discounts, as well as many other innovative uses.

Companies can align Facebook, Twitter, a website or blog, mobile marketing, and traditional PR and Marketing tools to create a seamless, user-friendly campaign. Mobile technology should be seriously considered as a useful, cost-effective, and sustainable tool. It’s ability to go anywhere trumps every other method of reaching an audience. In order to reach your target audience, you need to find where they are. Well, look no further – it’s probably in the palm of your hand.

Related articles

• New Technologies as Social Media Tools (icemanbaldy.com)
• 10 Ways to Leverage Mobile Technology for Marketing (hubspot.com)
• New QR Codes Emulate ‘Hobo Symbols’ Of The Past (newyork.cbslocal.com)

Image via Wikipedia

Social media is no longer a new subject. While there may still be some skeptics, social media has been embraced as an important business tool. There are dozens of platforms available and just as many reasons to utilize one or multiple platform.

Each platform is unique. Some are great in some areas but fall short in others, and vice-versa. Let’s take a look at the most popular social media and their strengths and weaknesses. Which platforms help customer communication, brand exposure, boost site traffic, and search engine optimization (SEO).

Facebook:

• Facebook is an excellent tool for customer communication. It creates a central, open hub that companies can use to drive their social interaction with customers. Companies can send their message and respond to the positive and negative feedback.
• By using sharing buttons, linked icons, and a company page makes it easy to expose your brand on other relevant sites.
• Facebook is a powerful tool for driving traffic to posts and messages. However, it doesn’t have the same effect with driving traffic to a company’s website.
• Adding Facebook to your arsenal has little effect on SEO with the major search engines. Although, if well done, it won’t hurt your SEO either.

Twitter:

• Twitter is, probably, the best tool for customer communication. Outbound messages can have an enormous reach and do so quickly. Inbound messages are brief and to-the-point, allowing easy monitoring and responding.
• As a metaphorical “Cocktail Party”, by interacting with customers and other Twitter users, the opportunity arises for others to spread exposure of your brand creating real impact.
• One issue with Twitter is that there is a ton of chatter, making it difficult to ensure you’re reaching your target to drive traffic to your site. However, it generates traffic from other sites (i.e. Facebook, Digg, StumbleUpon).
• Twitter is not the ideal tool for improving your SEO. Although, the potential reach of your brand or message has a positive effect on your visibility.

Flickr:

• As an image and video hosting site, customers can comment on and share images or videos here. While Flickr creates a rather professional, organized hub for media, it’s only useful in certain areas at certain times.
• Combining its search ranking and integration with other social media platforms, Flickr is perfect for high-quality image posting.
• Unfortunately, Flickr is abysmal for boosting site traffic – end of story.
• While there may be some short-comings, Flickr is great for SEO. Everything is indexed in search engines and this platform is a major player in Google’s and Bing’s social search component.

LinkedIn:

• This platform isn’t optimal for communicating with customers. While you can create polls on industry-related issues, LinkedIn shouldn’t be your communication hub.
• LinkedIn flies under the radar but is a very useful, and powerful, tool to promote your brand. It highlights your professionalism and allows employees to create profiles, shedding light on the high quality of your team.
• Don’t count on boosting site traffic through this platform – period.
• Your LinkedIn profile will help with your SEO rankings, usually showing up on the first page of a search. However, it’s not where you want traffic.

YouTube:

• YouTube is an excellent channel to inform and entertain customers. It shows you’re tech-saavy and allows quick responses to customers.
• As long as you update your channel steadily, YouTube is an imperative tool for promoting your brand. Combine this with Facebook and you have a brutal one-two punch.
• New additions to YouTube’s toolbox, such as in-video messaging, are starting to improve driving traffic back to your site.
• Videos have an enormous impact on SEO rankings. Generating brand exposure through building links back to your site, which rank well on every search engine.

Digg:

• Any actual communication with customers is non-existant.
• The opportunity for mass exposure of your brand is available. If a story about, or from, you does well on Digg, it will definitely garner great exposure. However, there’s no guarantee.
• Digg is the most consistant viral-traffic generation site.
• Regardless of the popularity of your posts or stories, they will be indexed quickly and creates visibility among bloggers in your field.

Tumblr:

• Tumblr is a rapidly growing platform. Communication with customers is easy and effective. Tumblr is growing so rapidly that, if it continues to grow at this rate, it will rival Twitter.
• The platform is simple and makes content-sharing easy creating a viable branding tool.
• At the moment, what happens on Tumblr stays on Tumblr. There is virtually no traffic potential.
• Tumblr sites rank well and is compounded by the blogging style it uses to be a useful SEO tool.

Related articles

• Which Social Sites Are Best for Which Marketing Outcomes? [INFOGRAPHIC] (mashable.com)
• Social media tools for startups (globalthoughtz.com)
• Traffic Source Diversity is Essential for Successful SEO (seomoz.org)
• Social Media and your team (essexbrandadvertising.wordpress.com)

Posted July 30, 2009 — Social Media Revolution: Is social media a fad?

Or is it the biggest shift since the Industrial Revolution? This video details out social media facts and figures that are hard to ignore. This video is produced by the author of Socialnomics.

For more information on the creator of the video, Erik Qualman, please visit his blog:

http://socialnomics.net/

In today’s tumultuous economy, companies are finding that the customers’ trust and respect is almost as important as profit. More and more companies have developed their own corporate social responsibility programs. Following a rather general template:

• Choose an affiliate organization with RELEVANCE to their product/service
• Make a campaign with the highest ROI possible
• Pick a cause affecting certain DEMOGRAPHICS
• Build a RELATIONSHIP with community

However, CSR has almost become trite. The market is now inundated with these cookie-cutter campaigns and there is hardly any originality. Of course, there are a few that break the mold. For example:

1. TOMS Shoes – With every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need. One Day Without Shoes is a day to spread awareness about the impact a simple pair of shoes can have on a child’s life. On April 8th, TOMS Shoes asks people to go the day, part of the day or even just a few minutes, barefoot, to experience a life without shoes first-hand, and inspire others at the same time.
2. Ford -  “Invisible People” Campaign is InvisiblePeople.tv host, Mark Horvath, traveling across America to capture the stories of people without a home. By visiting tent cities, motels, and other modern-day accommodations for people without a home, this tour will unearth the modern-day realities of homelessness while providing a venue for “invisible” people to tell their story, raw and unedited.
   

   Logo is a trademark of Pepsi

3. Pepsi – Pepsi Refresh is looking for people, businesses, and non-profits with ideas that will have a positive communityimpact. Anyone can submit an idea and vote for their favorites. Each month, there will be up to 32 potential Pepsi Refresh Grant Recipients selected.

There is one technique I’ve been following, recently, which combines CSR with some flash – PHILANTHROPY. The world is filled with foundations offering grants, funds, and awards to programs or individuals for going above and beyond expectations. Although the foundations aren’t the same as a company, the idea is solid. In fact, it parallels a CSR campaign in some areas.

The cause still has to be relevant and focused and relationships must be built. However, there are neat advantages to having a more philanthropic mind-frame.

• COMPETITION to receive an award or grant increases visibility and buzz
• Grants/awards can be given annually, creating a more EVERGREEN campaign
• When a recipient is chosen it’s the perfect opportunity for a large EVENT

What do you think? What are the advantages/disadvantages?

What kind of computer do you use? What kind of car do you drive? What brand of shoes do you wear?

The point of these rhetorical questions is to show that you’re a consumer everyday. Even though you may run a company, it fundamentally comes down to what the customer wants. Shown by the questions above, you can be both company  and client at the same time. The important part, is to remember to do your marketing strategy by looking through the customer’s eyes, as if you were buying the product or service.

Side note: I use a Mac, I don’t drive any car, and I wear comfortable shoes — in case you are interested.

The same theory applies to your PR strategy. All of your tactics need to be interesting to the consumer in order to drive them towards you. After you decide which tool to use and the work needed to follow through, make sure that you’re as interested as you hope your customer will be.

For example, if you create a Facebook page, you need to follow the  proverbial map on how to reach your customers. Hopefully, you’ve done the research to understand the best way to reach your audience. However, after implementing the page, add a little spice. Facebook is one of those opportunities to be a little more casual and a lot more colorful. It’s imperative that you grab the opportunity and use it to its fullest potential. You also  to stay vigilant with its upkeep.

Most people will tell you that content is the most important part of gaming a strong reputation. That’s only half true. Your content is definitely one of the most important pieces in your public relations strategy and can easily decide whether clients choose your product or service or one of your competitors. However, it’s even more important to create a strong relationship with your clients and customers. Don’t patronize them and prove that you actually care, contrary to their beliefs.

One of the best ways of doing this is to tie your product or service to a relevant advocacy program. By combining these two tools, your company is showing that it cares for its community and customers, as well as acknowledging that there is a difference between getting your hands dirty and writing a check. Any goofball can sign a check but you will stand out by getting on the same level as your clientele and understanding their point of view.

With social media becoming such a large part of public relations and marketing, it’s no surprise that using it correctly will help your company find an advocacy program that relates to your product or service, spread the word that you’re very sentimental and community oriented, and generate a boost in your company reputation. The basic idea — if you give, you will get.

Again, it’s a very thin line between actively engaging the community and simply annoying  them to hell. The truth is, no expert or blog can tell you how to straddle the line perfectly because each case is unique. The only thing to do is to take all the information, and your common sense, and try to create the perfect balance.

Step back — try and sell to yourself — if you don’t like it, chances are nobody else will.