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April 11th, 2011
By Richard Brasser
1. What is your CPC (Cost Per Click) budget going to be?
This one might make me crazier than any other. Savvy marketers might be able to naturally evaluate CPC and arrive at an appropriate number, but most small business will have absolutely no idea.
• The question should be: What is it worth to have virtually unlimited access to the attention of your key prospect for the foreseeable future? If you just ask yourself about CPC, you will be thinking about things all wrong and will probably significantly underestimate (or totally miss) some key factors. To mention just one, let’s take a look at the difference between Facebook and Google advertising. If you have a pay-per-click ad that targets certain search words, it is relatively easy to figure out how much you should pay for one active lead. However, if your Facebook ad campaign results in a prospect “liking” your page, then you have free access to that same prospect forever…unless you annoy them and they “unlike” your page. The fact is that you can’t just use one impression for the formula because Facebook could give you access for many more impressions. Therefore, your budget should reflect the actual long term impact and not just the first click.
2. What is the best way to maximize the clicks on my ad?
Are you ready for a no-brainer, just put “free” or a really cool picture of an exotic beach location…don’t worry, it won’t produce any results but it will cost you a ton. Sorry for the sarcasm, but you really don’t want to increase the clicks from useless passers bye. This is probably the number one mistake that I see. You want to refine your ad message so that it only resonates with a potential buyer and decision maker.
• The question should be: What is the best way to position my ad so that only the right prospects click on it? Well, the truth is that if I had the perfect answer to this, I wouldn’t be writing this blog. I would be sitting in one of those tropical locations. However, there are some good ways to maximize the effectiveness of your ad campaign. Leverage the fields in the profiling section. Facebook allows for fairly broad use of terms in the “Likes” and “Interests” field. If you put your buyers job titles, Facebook will deliver your ad to the right people if they mentioned their title. You might also think about putting your list of top targets in the “workplaces” field. The long and short of it is to use an ad that is specific about what value you will bring and clearly identifies who you are looking to speak with about your solution.
3. Do I really need to spend time on analytics?
I know you saw this one coming. Ok, so I am hearing this less and less but in general, small businesses spend way too much time creating the ad and targeting the ad and far too little time on the analytics. The fact is that the analytics are the only real way to derive value from your ad campaign besides direct sales.
• The question should be: What percentage of time should I devote to analytics and what exactly should I be looking for? I met with a social media marketing manager a few weeks ago that explained that she had no time or resources to do analytics. I advised her to stop doing everything until her head cleared. The fact is that if you aren’t spending at least fifty percent of your time analyzing your results and trying to make sense of the data, you are probably missing the entire point of the effort.
You should be actively compiling a prospect list from your responders and creating a matrix that includes most of their key attributes. Look for commonalities in the data…you never know what you might find. For example, a small capital equipment medical firm found that (strangely enough) almost all of their prospects were hockey fans as well. Changing the ad to include a drawing for Stanley Cup tickets just might have an impact. You have to really spend time in the data and the good news is that the free analytics in Facebook are pretty sophisticated. Take full advantage of these tools and continually build your database (NOT JUST NAMES AND EMAIL ADDRESSES) and constantly try to figure out WHO the people are that liked your ad and why they clicked on it. The insights gained will not only make you real money but will also save you as much or more in the long run.
With over 11 years of experience in the interactive marketing world, Richard has become one of the leading experts in social media and interactive marketing. Helping clients like SAP, Avaya Nortel and GMAC, Richard provides business focused strategic guidance that leads to tangible results.
Connect with Richard: Twitter – @socmedia365 LinkedIn – www.linkedin.com/in/brasser Email: rbrasser@targetedgroup.com
Web – www.thetargetedgroup.com
Tags: b2b marketing, digital marketing, facebook, facebook ads, facebook advertising, facebook strategy, interactive marketing, social media for business, social media marketing, social networking, social technologies
Posted in Digital Delivery, Social Media Matters | 12,005 Comments »
April 6th, 2011
By Richard Brasser
1. Is your target audience on Facebook?
This is a not a helpful question when trying to evaluate whether to use Facebook as an advertising platform. The answer is probably “of course they are on Facebook.” With over 600 million people on the platform, the chances are very good.
• The question should be: Is your target actively looking for your solution while on Facebook? There is a huge difference. Think of Facebook as a person’s living room. It is a personal and intimate space. Your prospect is also sitting in their real living room but you aren’t knocking on the door and asking them if they want to buy your IT consulting services, right? On the contrary, someone sees a message about their friend getting engaged and they want to find a cool gift…bang…ad for cool gift gets clicked. You get the idea.
2. Do the demographics of Facebook align with my market?
Facebook is just kids and people who love pictures of pets, right? Of course it isn’t. Almost every social media presentation belabors the point that people of all ages, genders, etc. are on Facebook. However, once again, it isn’t whether they are there or not.
• The question should be: How well can you segment your exact demographic, psychographic and technographic to achieve the right results with Facebook? There are eleven attributes currently available for targeting but the list is growing. If you can really hone in on your exact high value target, it could pay huge dividends. One thing to keep in mind is that “Targeting your audience is as important as the message itself. Develop personas to represent your target audience. Learn what they’re interested in — their educational background, relationship status, and where they live. Reach only the audience you desire by leveraging Facebook’s targeting to meet your ideal customer profile,” advises Paul Dunay from Buzz Marketing for Technology in his Facebook for Dummies book. So make sure that the targeting parameters fit YOUR targeting matrix before using Facebook for your product.
With over 11 years of experience in the interactive marketing world, Richard has become one of the leading experts in social media and interactive marketing. Helping clients like SAP, Avaya Nortel and GMAC, Richard provides business focused strategic guidance that leads to tangible results.
Connect with Richard: Twitter – @socmedia365 LinkedIn – www.linkedin.com/in/brasser Email: rbrasser@targetedgroup.com
Web – www.thetargetedgroup.com
Tags: b2b marketing, digital marketing, facebook, facebook advertising, facebook strategy, interactive marketing, social media for business, social media marketing, social networking, social technologies
Posted in Digital Delivery, Social Media Matters | 14 Comments »
March 29th, 2011
By now you’ve probably created a facebook page, a twitter handle, and maybe even a LinkedIn profile. But if you’re anything like some I work closely with, you’re sitting there with a “what now?!” look on your face trying to decide exactly what a “Like” or “Retweet” means, how it translates into the powerful interactive marketing tool everyone’s buzzing about.
First things first: identify a goal. Are you looking for an outlet to convey information? Are you hoping to inspire action? Do you want to promote a highly interactive sense of community? There is no definitely-right way to approach social media. Experts may encourage one way or another, but the truth is, social media plans must be tailor-fit for each organization.
The Center for American Progress’s Alan Rosenblatt, Ph.D. devised this chart to aid in identifying a social media objective:
| 1-D |
2-D |
3-D |
| Information |
Action |
Community |
| One-way Communication |
Two-way Communication |
All-way Communication |
| Audience Interacts with Information |
Audience Interacts with Campaign, Organization, or Government |
Audience Interacts with Each Other |
| Email Lists & Brochure Websites (Broadcast & Narrowcast) |
Transactional Websites (Information Exchange, Donations, & Action) |
Social Networks & Social Media (Grassroots & Grasstops) |
Tags: digital communication, digital community, facebook, linkedin, sharing information across online platforms, social media, social media plan, twitter
Posted in Digital Delivery, Social Media Matters | 4,472 Comments »
March 25th, 2011
By Jean Whiddon
Timely, clear & relevant information is what your members want – and being able to provide it to them shows your value as an association. But with websites, e-mail, social networks and all the other channels the web now has, what’s the best way to reach who with what info? Unfortunately, there is no single answer because everyone uses the web differently. But there are some tips you can follow to be as effective as possible. Why just 9? See tip #1.
1) Be aware of information overload. Be sure what you are providing is helpful and necessary, and don’t overwhelm your members.
2) Make your website a timely information resource – not just brochure-ware. Build an RSS, blog roll, or Twitter feed into your homepage, so the relevant industry news of the day is always right there.
3) Regular e-newsletters, with short, relevant topics that link to more in-depth information let you deliver information to those not actively seeking it. Plus, it’s a great way to keep your e-mail list/CRM scrubbed.
4) Make sure your website is designed for mobile screens. Big graphics, wide horizontal navigations and the like don’t allow convenient communication with mobile users. Be sure to have a mobile friendly or mobile site.
5) If you’re going to have a Twitter account, tweet regularly. Twitter users want to know what’s happening, daily. Product trends, governmental regulations and trade show happenings are just a few of the things you can tweet about.
6) If you have a blog , be sure to post at least 3-5 times a week to keep your audience engaged. The posts can and should be more informal and personal than your main website. Entries should encourage discussion through comments.
7) Re-tweet and use hash (#) tags.
8) If you have a Facebook page, the more people who’ve friended you, the better. Host a contest that exchanges trade show sponsorship points for friend acceptances. Whichever company drives the most friends gets a free sponsorship. Post regularly with all sorts of information.
9) Keep Facebook and Twitter separate – do not repost the same info to both as they each serve different audiences. Facebook is to people who have opt-ed in by “liking” you. Twitter is mostly public and can be searched or followed by anyone with hash (#) tags.
Jean Whiddon is President & CEO of Fixation Marketing, the largest full-service agency specializing in creative strategy, design and interactive solutions for association events and trade shows.
Tags: association communications web trade shows events, association twitter, how to use facebook and twitter, membership outreach, social media in associations
Posted in Digital Delivery, E-mail, Member Outreach | 7,120 Comments »
March 24th, 2011
By Nikki G. Bannister, principal, Nik Scott LLC.
It’s a situation too common.
Somebody or something in your organization is perceived or reported to have run amuck, fail to work or be misinterpreted; then everybody does nothing. Now, someone has to respond, and while everyone panics, your organization seeks to keep a cool head and maintain damage control with your audience. But …
Look! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s … Crisis communication.
Crisis communication is the true gatekeeper of an organization. It provides the proactive before you have to become reactive. Effective crisis communication changes the left-to-right headshakes to the up-and-down headnods at the end of any crisis. It satisfies all.
A company’s reputation is its pride … and vice versa. Ironically, it’s the pride of a company that can ruin its reputation if crises aren’t handled effectively. Every company, whether large or small, regardless of industry, should have an effective crisis communication plan. Everyone in the communications department and management should ask “what if?” and for every “what if,” there should be a competent response.
Where to go, who to go to, why go here or there? These are questions that should be answered in every crisis communication plan. You know those glass boxes that have the fire extinguishers or axes that are labeled “In Case of Emergency, Break Glass?” That’s how every communications department should utilize its crisis communication plan.
Be accessible, genuine and more important, be transparent. Nobody wants to give the media bad info and get bitten by the truth bug later. Know the facts and get the numbers right. Nobody wants to overestimate numbers when statistics are key factors. In 2004, the media leaked a registrar at a small Southern U.S. college was involved in a grade-changing scandal. The chancellor announced that hundreds of students were involved or had their grades changed so they could eventually graduate. However in the end, it was found that less than 20 were actually involved. The chancellor got the numbers wrong. It was actually hundreds of students records were being audited – at random – as part of the process.
Get. It. Right.
Ensure every person or outlet that has a need to know indeed gets to know what going on. Whether its managers, the public, stakeholders or every media outlet, let them know ASAP! Waiting makes people wonder and as my grandma used to say, “Wait broke the wagon.”
Remember, when you expect the unexpected, nothing can go wrong. Then you can save your organization’s pride and reputation and come out like Superman.
Nikki G. Bannister, is the principal of Nik Scott, an “editorial consulting” firm, and freelance reporter, based in the bayous of Louisiana.
Nik Scott is an editorial consulting firm created to “set the stage” for associations to they can take flight, set sail or get running. Find out more about Nik Scott.
Posted in PR Media | 2,570 Comments »
March 17th, 2011
Your print sales representative has probably been the bearer of bad news over the past two weeks. Ink and paper price increases have been announced, effective as early as April 1.
The majority of print contracts specify that prices are in place on an annual basis with increases based on a national index such as the Consumer Price Index. These prices do not include any increases for commodity pricing that can change at any time based on market conditions. Ink and paper are considered commodities.
The major ink manufacturers have announced increases that average 8% for sheetfed presses and 10% for web press products starting April 1. The major driver of this increase is the cost of petroleum and gas. Ink usually represents 8% to 12% of your total print invoice. Your print sales representative should have already alerted you to this increase. If not, contact your representative to confirm the exact price increase and timing.
The industry has not seen a paper increase since October 2010. Paper mills passed on a January 1 increase, but all of the major players have announced price increases of $2.00 to $3.00/cwt starting as early as April. This increase was not unexpected, and it shows that paper mills see an improvement in demand for the remainder of the year. The paper mills have succeeded in eliminating paper supply through consolidation and shutting down paper machines that are no longer efficient.
This is an important time to work closely with your print sales or customer service representative. Make sure he or she is keeping you up to date on the timing and implications of these increases. Reach out to your printer if you have not heard anything. You do not want to be surprised when you receive your May or June invoices that include unexpected price increases.
Any price increase is difficult to explain, but framing the discussion in the context of market changes will help to put it in perspective along with an accurate projection showing the impact to the bottom line.
Joanne Harap is the president of Production Matters, a consulting firm that provides evaluation, management and problem-solving services related to publications production and printing. She specializes in producing cost-efficient and cost-effective association publications.
Tags: ink prices, paper prices, printing cost, printing increases, publication printing cost
Posted in Paper Outlook, Print Outlook | 1 Comment »
March 15th, 2011
By Randy Townsend
Though most pundits agree that the recession is over, this does not necessarily mean that every organization is experiencing growth this quarter. During a slower period, there are plenty of things you can do to stay productive.
Assess the software that your staff uses on a regular basis
Pay close attention to the capabilities of the programs and how they are most often being used. For example, if you are using Microsoft Outlook as your primary email system, encourage your employees to utilize the additional features, such as the calendar, to schedule appointments and meetings. Make sure that all of your software is up to date. A lot of time, the Help menu will guide you through the nooks and crannies of the program.
Do some housekeeping
Designate time for your staff to organize their workspace. Delete obsolete and unused files from your network drives. Analyze and update operational procedures to streamline the process.
Team build
If you are not doing so on a regular basis, schedule one-on-one meetings with your staff to make sure you understand the pulse of your office. Challenge them to find ways to improve current processes and propose the implementation of changes.
Research and Develop Yourself
Make sure that you are up to date with the latest trends in your professional environment, from management to operations. Listen to Podcasts, like the Harvard Business Review’s free downloadable “HBR Ideacasts,” or the project management podcasts, http://pm411.org/. Staying engaged will bring out your best.
Rather than succumbing to the pressures of hard times, prepare yourassociation for Life After Recession.
Randy Townsend is a Team Leader in Journals Production at the American Geophysical Union. He is currently securing a Master’s Degree in Publishing at The George Washington University.
Posted in Bottom Line, HR, Next Generation | 2 Comments »
March 10th, 2011
By Megan Stevens
At many scientific association conferences I have attended on behalf of an STM publisher, I’ve heard the same refrain from many older scientists: “With all this online content, the serendipitous discovery of new techniques or innovations that could be applied to other disciplines is lost!”Apparently, being able to down-select immediately on the journal’s homepage or subscribe to a discipline-specific RSS feed is causing the downfall of the STM world. And the publishers are to blame!
It may be true that young scientists are no longer sitting down in large cushy armchairs and leafing through cross-disciplinary journals (in print). These young whippersnappers just pull out their laptops and do a keyword search when they need an article. Though search features and well-categorized websites have eliminated most of the aimless paper flipping, I would argue that there is a different place that provides the desired chance encounters. Social media.
As of March 3rd :
- the Science Facebook page had 31,773 “likes”
- @Sciencemagazine had 14,701 followers on Twitter
- the Nature Facebook page had 34,546 “likes”
- @NatureNews had 133,271 followers on Twitter
Look at those numbers. That’s a lot of people who are being notified every time these publishers tweet (each averages more than 4 times a day). I can’t provide the number of click-throughs generated, but I can promise that if it wasn’t working ,they wouldn’t be doing it.
What these older scientists don’t realize is that most STM publishers have a very strong social media presence, just like the younger scientists do. They write about interesting articles they publish, links included, so that anyone who views the page can see a list of highlighted articles and click straight to them. People go there to read up on the new stuff, make comments and ask questions. The community built online is probably even better at generating such opportune insights. Young scientists are still as interested in the goings-on in other disciplines—they just prefer to find out about them on their smart phones. And the publishers get that.
Megan Stevens is a graduate student in the Publishing program at The George Washington University.
Tags: facebook, publishing, science and social media, scientific publishing, STM publishing, twitter
Posted in STM Publishing | No Comments »
March 8th, 2011
By Dawn Glossa, MPA
Scientific, technical and medical communications are consistently a challenge to interest consumer media. My team has been able to implement a successful press program with our scientific journal by:
- Working with our editorial board to identify upcoming abstracts that may interest the general public (No animal studies).
- Writing press release that are attractive to the consumer media—easy to understand and making it real with patient connected stories.
- Actively reaching out the consumer media outlets—getting them used to knowing us.
It has been a long road, but we see pick up each month from our releases. Our members are happy and the public is starting to see anesthesiology in a different light.
Dawn Glossa is the Director of Communications at the American Society of Anesthesiologists. The association’s weekly newsletter, ASAP, has a 25% read rate, and the association won a bronze award in the Association TRENDS All Media Contest for its annual report.
Tags: medical journals, medical publications, scientific journals, scientific publishing, STM publishing
Posted in PR Media, STM Publishing | 11,396 Comments »
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