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Why don't teams follow back their fans?
Posted on January 27, 2016 at 9:28 AM |
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NFL teams are not exactly small
businesses. In fact, according to Forbes the
2015 NFL franchise value for the Denver Broncos is $1.94B making them the 11
most valuable team. The Carolina
Panthers at $1.56B are ranked 19.
When you compare their Twitter follow-to-follower ratios the Broncos are
above average while the Panthers are below average. The average for the entire league is less
than one half of one percent (0.32%) which means that bar is not set very high. “This
Copyrighted Broadcast is the Property of the National Football League” Let’s face it, NFL teams
broadcast on Twitter; they don’t follow back for purposes of fan engagement. Too bad, because the numbers above suggest
that each team is passing up an opportunity to show their fans just how much
they appreciate their support by following them back. Think about it; how would you feel if your
favorite NFL team followed you back? How
cool would that be?! Based on the
numbers above I may start cheering for the Chargers. Why don’t teams follow
back their fans? Would it take away their brand prestige? Would the process and
cost be too great to implement a strategic follow back plan? Based on their financial values I don’t think
it would break their bank accounts to support their customers with a new social
engagement strategy. And it’s not like
the NFL doesn’t leverage technology. Why
do major brands ignore their customers in this manner? The business goodwill they could be generating
would be priceless. |
Can One Percent Be Influential?
Posted on January 4, 2016 at 7:54 AM |
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I grew up in Iowa which is generally considered a pretty low
key state. However, this February Iowa will
be the keynote when the first step in the United States Presidential nomination
process for both the Democrats and the Republicans begin with the Iowa Caucuses. The Iowa caucus is generally defined as a
“gathering of neighbors,” as many Iowans will be meeting in local schools,
churches and public libraries to publicly stand up for their presidential
preference. Neighbors gathering to discuss who should be in, as well
as who should be out. Does that sound a
little like a social network in action? Believe
it, these caucuses will be followed closely by the rest of the nation, and can
be an important factor in determining who will remain in the race and who will
drop out. Iowa may represent only one percent of
the U.S. population; however, since 1972 when Iowa began to hold the country’s
first caucuses, the eventual nominee of each party has been among the top three
finishers in Iowa. Can one percent be that influential? It’s something to think about as you kick-off
your 2015 social networking strategy. Happy
New Year! |
Be Well-Trusted and You Will Never Want
Posted on September 23, 2015 at 8:10 AM |
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“Be liked and you will never want.” Willy
Loman – Death of a Salesman If you’ve spent any time in personal sales you know that Willy’s philosophy
that anything is possible as long as a person is “well liked” is not going to
close every deal. To influence someone about an important idea, you need to be
more than just liked. A successful, persuasive personality that projects a
positive selling image focuses on building rapport, reducing risk and has the substance
that comes with having credibility. In short, their calls to action are
answered because they are well-trusted. Professional sales and marketing people have to consider not only
face-to-face and over the phone encounters, but also digital platforms. In
fact, digital may very well be todays default communication channel. So, how do
you establish rapport, build credibility and reduce risk in order to develop
trust in today’s digital environment? The following might help. How to Establish Rapport Online: 1. Look people in the eye and smile. Online that
means use their real name when you can. Everyone likes the sound of their name.
Drop the automated direct messages and @replies. Respond real-time letting them
know you are not a social bot. 2. Adapt. We feel comfortable and relaxed with
people who are like us. Synchronize your profile with your targeted personas in
order to facilitate immediate connection. 3. Capture their imagination and tap into their
emotions by using sensory-rich language and pictures. If you’re not talking to
the emotional side of the brain you are not talking to the decision maker. 4. Listen more and talk less. Encourage them to
talk about themselves. Talk in terms of their interests. How to Build Credibility Online: 1. Positional authority is one source of personal
credibility. Your profile bio should reflect your experience in a professional
tone. 2. Expertise and knowledge. You can demonstrate
your expertise and knowledge through your content. Blogs, articles, discussion
forums, white papers and video are all excellent content artifacts. 3. Personal integrity. The history of your online
behavior allows others to see your personal qualities. If you’ve been highly
recommended and followed by other credible sources a lack of positional
authority can be mitigated. How to Reduce Risk Online: 1. Transparency. Yes, just as brands need to be
more transparent with consumers, we need to be more transparent with each
other. Make sure your motivations are sincere. 2. Empathy. Try honestly to see things from the
other person’s perspective. Different points of view appear obvious to the
observer. |
Don’t Be That Twitter Person
Posted on August 21, 2015 at 11:08 AM |
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Their Twitter profile looked legitimate. It had a professional looking
picture, a well written bio and a customized banner. So you followed them back. It always feels good when a professional
finds your page and follows you first. It kind of feels like your social media
content is catapulting your personal brand forward at great speed. And then
blunt force trauma. An automated tweet or automated direct message from that
professional looking profile smashes into your communication stream. You are
jolted by the fact that this person is immediately requesting that you should
“Like” their Facebook page, check their website, and schedule 30 minutes for a
“quick chat.” Don’t Be That Twitter Person… Social media platforms are great communication channels for meeting new
prospects and building your reputation, but you don’t want to be “that person.”
Here are three important points to keep in mind. 1. You don’t get a second chance to make a good
first impression. And the first impression doesn’t stop with your profile page.
Yes, it definitely helped you get the follow back because you took the time to
present your background in a professional manner. But using automation to make
a bold request from someone you really don’t know yet is not a good strategy.
In fact, many people immediately unfollow profiles demonstrating that type of
behavior because it feels like you are now dealing with Bad Comedian Eli Manning. 2. Reevaluate your social media lead qualification
process. We get it. You targeted certain profiles based on their job title,
company, location or the hashtags they were using. And then you followed them
hoping they would follow you back. They did, so you proclaimed instant interest
and jumped all over them. The fact that you performed those tasks completely
through automation made you feel both efficient and effective. However; you’ve
just made a very bad tactical error because your “suspect” does not necessarily
have the qualifications to be a “prospect.” And even if they do they will most
likely be put off by your blunt initial approach. 3. Prepare to meet your new connection by
developing a preapproach strategy and process. Wait a minute. I’ve already
approached them; in fact, I’ve sent them my “happy to connect, let me know if I
can help” message! No, even in the social media world, you really haven’t met
them as it relates to their individual needs, desires or goals. Be honest, you’ve
merely made assumptions based on their job title and a few hashtags and arbitrarily
marked them to be a qualified lead. At this point you are demonstrating in the
most direct way that you don’t care what motivates them or what their current
goals might be, you just want their immediate attention and for them to get
interested in what you have to sell. There is a big difference between personal salesmanship and mass
broadcasting. A professional sales person realizes that people are different
from each other; they also know that the same person is different under
different conditions. Your preapproach strategy and process should include time
to study and learn in what respects your new high value connection is different
and what might motivate them. Remember, we all have buying motives – that inner
urge that makes us want a product or solution. But that motive is a
psychological concept, not a material one. That is to say it’s in our minds,
not in the product. |
How to Keep Your Audience Looking Down
Posted on August 15, 2015 at 11:59 AM |
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It was the most engaging of times. It was
the least engaging of times. It was an age of fabulous fellowship. It was an
age of fake followers. It was the spring of sharing. It was the winter of shilling.
Our audience was looking down, but would our prospects ever look up? Are you looking down right now? There is a good chance you are if you
are reading this post on your cell phone. What type of content makes you look
down? ·
A funny video? ·
A pithy blog post? ·
A text message from a friend or family member? ·
A scandalizing picture? ·
An email from your boss? ·
A good book? We all look down for many reasons. Sometimes we are just bored, or want
to appear busy or popular. Other times we are truly interested in and engaged
with the content on our mobile screen. It’s no secret that marketer’s want your
attention. They want you to engage with their content and they spend money to
tempt you to bow your head as though you are praying to their “Like” button.
But what type of content truly captures the imagination and holds attention? Sure, the content should be relevant to their needs. Of course the content has to interest them. It helps if it’s also
timely. OK, it’s also helpful to tap into their emotions to create a
connection. And you definitely want them to feel understood. Yes, nothing captures attention or creates a bond quite like a good
story… When you create your relevant, timely, interesting and emotional content
who is the hero in your story? Who rides in to save the day? ·
Your company? ·
Your product or solution? ·
Your executive team? ·
Your sales rep or other staff members? If you want to keep them looking down and engaged with your content you
need to turn your prospect into the hero of the story. Who doesn’t like to be
the hero in the story? You can’t expect them to begin to like you if your
approach keeps suggesting that they are the villains and their own worst enemy
in their current situation. Does your copy state the following? ·
You have outdated technology. ·
Your people haven’t changed with the times. ·
You haven’t kept up with the competition. ·
You write product focused stories that are just
like all the others. OK, just kidding on that last one. Yes, I know, I’m suggesting you drop
the direct fear, uncertainty and doubt babble. I was raised to use FUD too
during my sales tenure and I know it’s hard to let go of. But if you continue
to transfer ownership of blame back onto the shoulders of the person you are
trying to woo you are in for a long day. Accept the role of the hero’s mentor
and let a new story begin. |
Back in the day, a common LinkedIn group meant something
Posted on July 6, 2015 at 1:14 PM |
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“Back in the day” is a phrase that is often used to refer to a blissful
time in the past when life was simpler. For example, back in the day, you could
get away with a LinkedIn message as follows: “I noticed we share some of the same groups
so I wanted to reach out. I’d love to start a conversation with you about your blah,
blah efforts. When would be a good time for a chat?” Wait a minute Alan; I’m still using that approach today! Well, first of
all, if that approach is getting meetings for you, keep using it. I’d never
tell you to stop doing something that produces the results you desire. But my
guess is that you don’t get many replies. Here’s why: 1. There
are over 2.1 million LinkedIn groups and over 8,000 new groups formed weekly.
In fact, there are some LinkedIn groups that have over one million members. Back
in the day, before the group explosion, an affiliation through a common
interest was more unique and could attract attention. 2. You can join up to 50 groups. Back in the day,
you could join as many as you wanted, but that functionality changed around
2008. The
average LinkedIn user joins seven groups, so the 50 limit seems to be more
than enough. The fact that you didn’t take the time to mention a specific group
just tells me you are casting a wide net and hoping something will stick. You
might as well as said “I noticed we both speak English.” 3. We are all coached to join. Join Facebook, join Twitter,
join LinkedIn so you can join the conversation and be a thought-leader. Yes, we
are both members of a common group. That just suggests we both know the potential
power of a community, in addition to what types of personas are likely to do
business with us. Congratulations, you understand target marketing. That factor
alone will not make you my new trusted advisor. OK, you just told me why I’m not getting any replies. What should I be
doing differently? “Your
comment in the (specific) group was spot on. I noticed it was related to your
recent blog post on (specific). In the spirit of networking I’d like to learn
how that strategy impacts your blah efforts. I’d be willing to share some
research that helps support your position.” May I extend a connection request? 1. Obviously the approach above suggests you took
much more time researching my blogging background, interests and participation
in group conversations. From the beginning this approach takes away the feel of
“spray and prays” and screams personalization. 2. You played to my ego, and believe me; every
executive likes to have their opinions validated. As Mark Twain stated … “I can
live for two months on a good compliment.” 3. You crafted the message so that it was about me
and not about your product or company. You also offered value-add (access to
research), and made a polite request in your attempt to build rapport and trust.
“When would be a good time for a chat” only feels like you’re trying to close
me. |
You’re Always Both the Messenger and the Message
Posted on June 30, 2015 at 1:39 PM |
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For your entertainment; a short knock-off skit
based on the Drew Carey TV series “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” The Host:
Welcome to “Whose Content Is It Anyway?” Where the quota is made up and the
revenue doesn’t matter. Our first skit is called, “Your marketing content sucks.”
Mr. Sales VP, you’re very nervous; you’ve just examined your sales pipeline and
discovered your team will not meet its sales objectives. Ms. Marketing Rep, you are a super confident business development
person from a marketing technology company ready to save the day. Ready? … Action!! Sales VP:
Oh my! No wonder we don’t have a #salespipeline. We don’t have the support we need
to nurture our leads and move them through the #salesfunnel. Marketing
Rep: I know #whatkeepsyouupatnight. You
have a #contentmarketing problem! Our #robust #scalable #cloudbased #revolutionary
#unique #endtoend solution helps business #engage with their prospects so that
they can #buildprofitableloyalrelationships and #closedealsfaster! Sales VP: I’m glad you called! I’m so
lucky you just happen to come across my #LinkedIn profile and decided to reach
out! Our #marketingcontent is terrible. Is there any hope?? Marketing
Rep: Never
fear! Although your pipeline is practically nonexistent, we can help. We can
quickly implement our solution and you’ll be #fillingyourfunnel in no time! Sales VP: Oh thank you!! I’ll sign
the #orderrightnow! Content is the Totality Can you relate to the skit above? Of course not, your quota may feel
like it was just made up, but you know revenue always matters! OK, on a more
serious note; did you notice that marketing was thrown under the bus? The “what
keeps you up at night” situation was described as a “marketing content problem.”
But what if the social profiles of the sales force is the real content problem?
Content is the total picture. And that means you’re always both the messenger
and the message. Your message may contain great content concerning your product
and your company, but the receiver is still going to check your personal credentials.
Yes, they are going to look you up on LinkedIn and will probably Google your
name. The question is; are they going to find someone they believe is capable
of adding value to their day, and allow you the opportunity to develop their
trust? Making a Good First Impression There is no room for error here. Does your profile brand you as a
professional?
Social platforms, particularly LinkedIn, are ideal for business
development. If used properly they can be a map of all your business contacts,
and create a route to important prospects you don’t know yet. Just remember,
you are both the messenger and the message. |
A Tale of Two Social Media Strategies
Posted on June 23, 2015 at 12:29 PM |
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It was the best of times, it was the worst
of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness... it was the
era of brands buying Likes and Followers, it was the era of executives pushing
the same old content, it was the period of social media spray and pray
marketing. I’m sure you recognized the reference to Dickens’ “A Tale of Two
Cities.” It’s fitting because you can often see a duality
when you compare the way organizations use social media channels. Many use
social communication the same way they use traditional media. They’ve resisted
the social relationship revolution and have let yesterday’s marketing rules
resurrect inside the new platforms. They continue to broadcast tired old
content. They spray and pray for results.
And then turmoil erupts because many in the social audience want to
overthrow the brand aristocrats. Take them to the guillotine … off with their
heads! OK, it’s not that dramatic; but
you get the picture. Adjustments should be considered for social media. Here
are three areas to examine: I) Follow
back your targeted audience. Most major brands don’t take the time to follow back their audience. In
fact, in the example below, you can see that
the average NFL team only follows back 0.40% of their fans. I’m sure they have their reasons for not following back. It could be a
time or budget issue. Or perhaps they feel it would damage their elite brand
status. Yes, that must be it. Major brands don’t have the time or money to spend
managing that aspect of engagement on social media. And even if they did they’d
probably feel funny acknowledging their audience with a follow back. Of course we know they are missing an easy opportunity to influence the
customer experience. After all, how would you “feel” if your favorite brand actually
followed you back? II) Turn
off the automation and fake personalization. Yes, social media automation promises to improve your marketing efficiency.
But just because it’s efficient doesn’t mean it’s effective. In fact, some forms of automation throw key
social media tenets to the wind. Take for example transparency and authenticity.
Does an automated direct message that thanks me for following you and then
suggests I “Like” your Facebook page improve your transparency and
authenticity? It might feel like a polite and efficient thing to do, but it’s
really just a non-value-add annoyance. Besides, is the content in your
automated direct message really the first impression you want to make with your
new connection? III) Focus
on content. Your social content is the voice and personality of your brand. And
since the average
attention span is only 8.25 seconds you don’t have much time to make an
impression. This may very well be the toughest area you will examine because
you need to ask yourself: 1. Are we agile? Can we quickly produce a variety
of channel appropriate content? Does our content proactively support all phases
of the customer buying cycle? 2. Is our content entertaining? Is our content
available in several formats (video, etc.)? Does it quickly capture attention
and tell a story? Does our content invite two-way conversation? 3. Is our content relevant to our audience? Does it
answer their most important question, “what’s in it for me?” It’s the age to use your social media program to make this the best of
times. |
Go West Digital Immigrant, Go West
Posted on June 18, 2015 at 1:34 PM |
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"Go
West, young man" is a phrase often credited to the American author Horace Greeley
concerning America's expansion westward, related to the then-popular concept of
Manifest Destiny. My great grandfather traveled west to homestead on the Great
Plains. That’s where my grandfather was born - in a sod cabin. I’m not old as
dirt, but I am a trailing edge baby boomer with both pre-digital and digital
world footprint. That makes me a “digital immigrant,” while my children, all born after
1980, are considered “digital natives.” Technology age gap or digital divide, I
don’t really care what you call it, but it’s a form of segmentation that often bugs
me. I suppose it’s because I disagree with the notion that, in general, digital
immigrants are not supposed to find the change brought on by digital
transformation natural to their life. Sure, over 150 years ago, in the charge to go West seldom were
mentioned the hardships of the climate, the isolation or the lack of
conveniences seen in the populated states back east. The West tested the
courage and strength of every man, woman, and child and often only the strong
survived. But they did survive, and in fact they thrived. Are you a digital
immigrant? Have you ventured west on the digital media trail? If you have
experienced hardship on your digital journey and feel like you’re stranded, don’t
despair. Here are a couple of trail markers to get you back on track. Create a Roadmap What’s that - you loaded up your wagon without a roadmap? You don’t
like to ask for directions and decided you would just follow the first trail
headed west. Well, at this point you may be retracing your steps back East to
the old family farm. In many ways, executing your personal digital
transformation is similar to a westward journey. A digital journey is about
lifelong learning that requires a vision of what you’d like to achieve, a map, as
well as some determination. Digital goals often involve different social media platforms
such as, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, YouTube and Pinterest just to
name a few. And let’s face it, the social part of the World Wide Web can feel
like the Wild Wild West because the competition between those applications often
goes against the pioneering spirit to work together. Adding mileage to your
journey, your personal learning curve may need to include using those
applications on a smart phone, tablet, and a personal computer. The challenge
will be aligning your strategy across applications and devices in the limited
amount of time you have budgeted each day for learning. Remember, the pioneers
didn’t cross the Great Plains in one day, and you can’t learn all about social
media in a one hour webinar. It’s a lifelong journey. Circle your wagons around
one platform and one device; when you feel comfortable, break camp and move to
the next. Check Your Compass Regularly A compass is an instrument for determining directions by means of
a needle that indicates true north. Your digital compass or dashboard is a set
of regularly tracked measures directly linked to the metrics that matter most
(your true north) to your digital vision and strategy. You don’t have to
measure everything and your dashboard doesn’t need to be technology based. Sure,
you can use Hootsuite or some other social
media dashboard application; but if you are just starting out, learning how to
use another software application may just frustrate you. Measuring, analyzing
and acting on your key metrics will help keep your digital journey on track. My grandfather died before the digital age really took off. But he
experienced firsthand the way transportation was changed by automobiles and air
planes, how communication was changed by the telephone, and how indoor plumbing
and electricity improved the comfort of our homes. He even watched a man walk
on the moon. Lots of people have lived to see the before, during and after
pictures of some form of industrial revolution or technology transformation. In
general, it’s called progress. And progress is what makes all of us immigrants
when it comes to change. |
How to Use Transparency for Power
Posted on May 27, 2015 at 11:57 AM |
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What
does “transparency” in business actually mean? A lot of material has been
written on that topic over the last few years in relation to social media
marketing. Most of articles deal with
transparency at the corporate branding level although some authors provide
commentary around personal branding. I’ll
admit that a few of my own blog posts touch on transparency; yes, in many cases
authenticity, relevance and trust are also mentioned. One business dictionary defines
transparency as a “lack of hidden agendas or conditions, accompanied by the availability
of full information required for collaboration, cooperation, and collective
decision making.” If we go with that
definition, what might a transparent exchange sound like? Of course transparency
doesn’t imply being rude or cutting people short. In the example above both individuals are showing
a type of transparency. The executive is
asking very direct “what and why” questions.
Yes, the example may feel a bit abrupt, but according to G. Richard
Shell’s bookBargaining
for Advantage “you often get
more by finding out what the other person wants than you do by clever arguments
supporting what you need.” On the other
hand, the sales rep is not making any attempt to find out what motivates or might
inspire the executive to move forward with a meeting. He is circling around what would be a good
outcome for him. Information about what people
want is power. Are you using
transparency to gather information? Or
does your transparency represent a threat to your prospects because it’s
obvious you are only considering your own needs and perceptions? |
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