Own your influencer network - get your fans to do your talking

To recap, influencers aren't just celebrities, they're anyone who has an actively engaged social media community and move those people to take action. Vogue is one company that seems to have identified this early on and has created their own Influencer Network. Their network is made up of super fans aka, hard core "fashion and beauty enthusiasts hand-selected by Vogue". Vogue is incredibly smart for doing this. They have essentially created an exclusive network and making it enviable to be aligned with Vogue and talk about the brand with friends. Put simply, Vogue is making it attractive for fans to do their marketing for them. In return, fans are the 'first to know' about new products, industry events and the like. But what is smarter than this is that Vogue gives each fan an influencer score, a measure of how many people see your posts about Vogue. The influencer score is akin to Klout or Kred in some respects , and adds a level of gamification that entices fans to compete to be the ultimate fan. For Vogue, this results in a greater amount of posts generated, seen by a greater number of potential customers. Moreover, as these customers are influencers by those they trust (the influencers), those posts are likely to have a higher conversion rate to sale and lead to increased sales. Brilliant.

However, this isn't the first time a company has created such a campaign; movies have been doing it for years. Harry Potter and The Hunger Games are two prominent examples of movies that have used their own fans as influencers/super fans to promote up and coming films. Late last year in November 2014, Frontline presented a documentary called "Generation Like"  which followed teens use social in all aspects of their lives, shining a light on  the proliferation of social media take-up among teens and the ubiquity of smart phones. More specifically, Generation Like showed how the Hunger Games was working with young teens and avid fans, such as Ceili Lynch, to launch the Hunger Games sequels. While the documentary portrays the movie production companies as a predator who uses innocent teens for advertising, it demonstrates fans willingness to be involved in a campaign if there is incentive. In the case of The Hunger Games, incentives came in the form of being noted as a top fan among thousands of other teens competition for the title, giving  them notoriety amongst their peers, exposure and access to exclusives that they would never had had otherwise.

Why do I love this strategy?

1. Vogue only has to focus on a core group of fans to promote their products, or brand. The influencers come to the band, in this case Vogue, and those influencers also bring their targeted audience.
2. Influencers have already created active followings that are actively engaged with that particular influencer's content. Following parrot's principle, this saves a huge amount of time and money creating blanket campaigns, instead it allows the company to target those already aligned with the company's strategy. As influencers have credibility with their audience, followers are more likely to take recommendations from what influencers say.
3. Vogue can take the creme of the crop, making the network exclusive. This ensures each fan is accountable for the quality of his or her posts.
4. They are creating their own media network, a new form of leveraged distribution. Other brands are paying big bucks (up to $100K+) for the same result. Furthermore, creating an owned network means that Vogue can call upon it each time it needs to, unlike other forms of paid advertising.
5. Competition - Vogue have implemented an influencer score and you can increase your score by sharing your posts on social media. Again, they have associated reward with actions Vogue wants fans to take.

Network agnostic, influencer specific

Brands and marketers need to shift their focus from being social network specific to creating campaigns that target their audience no matter what platform they are on. The idea of doing something because everyone else is doing it means that you're following the pack and not clearly on your own path to success. It's unlikely you're following your own strategy and trying to compensate by copying the actions of your competitions. Mark Tawin would call this 'red ocean strategy'  . It's important to carve your own stream and create your own sand castle (with solid foundation). Instead of focusing on a particular network, look where your audience is and that may not necessarily be where you think they are. The internet is innately social. I think a more accurate definition of social media is anywhere where there is two way dialogue between people. By this I mean that even blogs and forums come into the mix. It's about finding where your people are and and also where they are going. Every customer group is involved in trends, at a micro and macro level - discover these. Go out there are and finding YOUR customers and then engaging with them in a meaningful and memorable way. I highlight 'your' because just because a customer group i.e. within a Facebook group talk about an industry's products, does not mean that they fit your ideal customer criteria. Keep this in mind.

However, we're at a point in time when there are so many social networks. Yes, there may be the 'big 4' (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram) however there are many different platforms out there and more launching all the time. The social landscape has become scattered and for brands to create a following in each channel becomes time and financially costly. Brands are now having to generate and pay to promote fresh content (and fans expect it, putting the pressure on them to be creative). The pressure is coming from 1) social networks, for instance Facebook who has changed their algorithm to preference new content and 2) fans who now have a plethora of stories from friends, news sites and social media stars who are raising the bar. Speaking of costs, I'm not purely talking about the cost to advertise on these networks necessarily, I mean to include the cost to 'play' including resources (time, effort and other intangibles) devoted to the effort. There is always opportunity cost. Adding to this, each social networks has its day when it is super 'cool', gains enormous traction only to then petter out later on when fans aren't as engaged or even jump ship. For example, while Vine is still popular, we're seeing that vine stars such as Logan Paul and Jarred Jared moving onto other social networks namely Snapchat and taking their following claiming that "It’s clear that Vine is sort of plateauing". This brings up the issue of growing a social media community located on a platform that you don't own instead of building communities around own assets such as websites, apps etc. but let's leave this for now. A takeaway is to find the social network that fits your brand and your customers, taking into account where your customers are heading.

Fortunately for brands, they can also reach their audience through influencers who are bridging the gap between the brands who want to reach millennials. Influencers are those people with a large social media following and typically have between 5,000 to millions of fans (real fans, not fake! make sure you've done your research). While influencer marketing has been around a while now, brands seem to be a little hesitant to give over control to these social celebrities. I think influencers are part of the solution for brands, allowing them to deliver branded content to consumers through people those consumers trust. Especially if that content is delivered by influencers who actually like the company (hint, hint). You can definitely tell when it seems inauthentic so do your research to make sure there is brand/customer/influencer alignment. If there is no alignment it would be like Jillian Michaels promoting butter. Go to it!

Saturation and speed of technology, social profiles and their use in movie promotion - The Duff movie

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I have to admit, I found the whole concept of internet language and how technology is adopted amusing. The Duff was absolutely full of social media use at the extreme. The movie shone a light on how teens, particularly teen girls are using social media and technology to get at one another in the same way they did on Mean Girls. From a promotional perspective, the movie was set-up for a new level of social integration that had the main target market, young teens between 13-18, talking about the movie on social media to their friends. As an outsider watching its rise on social media, it seemed to have the same effect that other movies such as Harry Potter had had in the past. The people behind Harry Potter famously used 43 teens with large social media followings to promote the then-upcoming film. Bob Pearson from W20 Group said that engagement for the Harry Potter campaign gained an additional 9% to 9.5% click-through rate using influencers. However, what was more interesting was that the social media networks they used in the movie were already 9-12months old. Even the way the teens in the movie were using social media has slightly changed since then. Most likely because when it was written to seen at cinemas there is a time gap. It highlights the rapid ascension of social media, its adoption rate and rate of change.

The movie also showed that our identity is so entwined with what we post and who we connect with online. A sense that we are not fully complete without our profiles being complete. It makes me wonder how many of the current teens realise how much information they are freely giving away and whether they are mindful of what they say and to whom. Mark Cuban, in his video  'The Big Mistake You Don't Know You're Making on Social Media', talks about the need to be vigilant about what we do online as data is being collected and used by companies as a psychological profile about us. I think this is not too far off in the future. Amazon, Google and Facebook are already using data to show us what we 'should' like based on our previous interactions. These interactions are mostly with products and content we with which we engage. I see social media as the next evolution of this. As an advertiser, the data is ever so valuable. On the other hand, it does put digital into perspective and as an individual, our privacy is being eroded it doesn't hurt to think before posting!

Social media consumers - The mass of power

Interestingly, we are moving away from an age of powerful businesses that dictate trends and consumer wants to an age where one where customers have all the power. It is clear that social media is having a massive impact and is helping to bring about this change. I have seen a lot of companies integrate a social presence into their marketing campaigns, however, it is rare to find a company that truly understands the core reason for being there. Some are jumping on the band wagon because their competition is there and therefore don’t want anyone to have an advantage. If that is you, don’t worry because you have done the right thing. What I want to show you now is how you can start to take advantage of what you already have in place. You see, It is not enough just to have a website, twitter account, set a Facebook page and technically tick all the boxes.  We are now in an age where customers hold great power in deciding what you and you company are, what you do, and how you do it. It is not your business that has the power to dictate terms anymore, it is your customers that have this power and are becoming a force that really needs to be listened to.

One of the primary faults I see with businesses in the online world is just pushing their sales messages out there; thinking that this is the way business in both online and off-line situations. This is a total turn off for customers. You have to be actively engaged with them and create a personality for your brand.  Your business has a responsibility and duty to act in the best interest of its stakeholders and customers. Part of this responsibility is the need to demonstrate that you are able to solve people’s problems and highlight the value proposition your company brings to the table. Establishing and fostering you community is an important part of this to create value and trust.

Brian Solis talks about the three F’s, friends, fans and followers. Essentially, the three Fs are different types of social consumers on different social networks. It is important to note that these three are not created equally. They all have different amounts of value to your business depending upon your strategy and goals. Social media is by nature social, and your company needs to reflect that. It is vitally important that you decide on a direction for your business including the type of image you are going to portray, how you are going to voice your brand, when you are going to do so. It is up to your company to define and implement a mission statement to demonstrate what your company is all about; not only off-line, but online in this social space. You need a core brand that people can resonate with, one that has personable characteristics customers can identify with. These three Fs are really a new commodity online and it is your responsibility to look after them.  Once you have your goals, only then will you be able to sit down and truly work out what is the best course of action.

Facebook groups, pages, profiles - which is best for you?

A lot has changed over the last year on the internet. In fact the rate of change is so fast  that it is not uncommon for people to say, “that was a year ago”, or now even more common “that was two months ago” or even “last month”. If you’re business is to keep up with the times and with your  customers, you are going to have to adapt to these changes. However, one change that is here to stay, or at least in the mid-to short term are Facebook Pages. For those who are unsure there are four types of products Facebook has launched; pages, groups, personal/or business profiles, and community pages. The challenge occurs when you have to decide which is the right option for your business.

Key Points Takeaway points:

• Use a Facebook Fan Page for your business
• Use personal profile for your personal relationships
• Groups are old news
• Do not invest time in "Community Pages"

Personal/Business profile

Business profiles can be used by individuals to manage ad campaigns and administer their various “pages” on Facebook. However, people with business profiles cannot view other people’s profiles that are not connected to the pages. Therefore there are limitations.

Personal profiles are as the name suggests are personal. From a personal account the individual can administer “pages”, “groups” and can additionally view other people’s profiles. Furthermore, those who own a personal profile can also run and administer pages as well as ad campaigns.

Each person is only allowed one profile and therefore it is a violation of Facebook’s terms and conditions to have both. Hence an individual cannot have a business profile and a personal profile. Your personal profile should be the place where you “hang out” with your friends.

Both personal and business profiles cannot be found in search engines, so they are not the best for exposure online.  Consequently from a business perspective it is not the best idea to invest your time in these accounts. Keep profiles for personal not business relationships. Additionally, you are only allowed 5000 people on your profile, something to keep in mind.

Pages

Pages are the way to go for Business

• Unlimited members
• Can add custom content or Apps to create a unique customers experience
• Can message people through “updates”. These are not private messages and you may not even know they are there.
• These pages are “indexed” by Google which means these Pages can be found in Search engines. Therefore, they help your business rank or be seen higher in Google searches. This is great for awareness.

Groups

Groups are the 2008, and early 2009 version of Pages

• You can have over 5000 members, but you can’t message more than that. Because of this you cannot manage a group properly and therefore they are not the best option for business in 2011.
• Can’t add custom content
• These pages cannot be found in the search engines and hence are not indexed by Google.

Community Pages

These community pages are like a Wiki. Facebook has created all of these based on your activites and interests and has added you to the to “quote unquote” group you. They are really good SEO (search engine optimization) for Facebook (as the company itself) but not for you and for business purposes they are certainly NOT a good idea.

When these first came out i tested building a community around them, however after i hit 10,000  fans Facebook took over the administration and all my time and effort was wasted to a large extent. It was a hard lesson but I think I’m better for it.  Moreover, you don’t have a lot of control of these pages because anything said about a topic goes on the Wiki Page.

Recommendations & Moving forward...Facebook Fan pages are the only way to go. If you have a business I would certainly start building and extending your brand here.

To delete or not to delete - Social media moderation 101

Deciding on the best moderation strategy is an important part for any business on Facebook, or on any social network for that matter. Deciding whether to delete a potentially negative comment needs more thought and consideration than you might think. "The first thing that comes to mind when a business fears feedback from social media, is that they are more important issues that need to be sorted before even venturing onto social media. Your business really should not have a problem with it. In fact, if you are managing customer expectations, and are reliable and accountable to your customers, you have nothing to fear."

When you are on social media, you must always think as though you are the customer. One of most important roles as a business is really to listen and solve problems that your customers may potentially be having. Therefore you should think about how your audience will react to anything that is said and done by your company.  For example, deleting a post may send off signals to your customers that you are not listening to their problems and as a result you are ignoring problems in your business. In reality, such a customer is helping your business because they are identifying issues which when sorted will help your business prosper.

You should treat you fans, and followers as if they are your “real” friends/business clients. Your customers must ultimately feel as though they can trust your brand and your company, and by doing so you will remove any barriers people might have when interacting with your business.

Having an open relationship with people will not only give your business more of a likability factor, but also help you to understand your market at a much deeper level. It will allow you the be the fly on the wall as your customers interact with each other. A while ago it would have been unheard of to get this amount and depth of market insights, but now you can have your customer base right under your fingertips (literally).  Moreover, having an open relationship will foster fans that are willing to stick up for your brand, which is not only great social proof but displays a kind of loyalty not really seen before in a public way towards companies.

If, however, your company has decided to delete comments, maybe because they are obscene, have a “House Rules” custom tab on your Facebook Page. It is a good idea to have guidelines for your page, including what you will not tolerate i.e. swearing, threats against any other member of the page etc. Then if there is a complaint, you can point them to your 'House Rules" which outlines clear guidelines for your community. A word of warning, do not try to control the situation too much. As a business, you are entering people's personal lives and space. If you are too harsh you will get very negative reactions, most likely ones like "we can do whatever we want, this is ... (e.g. Facebook). Be lenient, and fair.

Maximise Your Facebook Fan Page effectiveness with Thumbnails

Have you noticed that some of the pictures that you have posted on your Facebook company page show up in the area just above your status updates, in the form of little photo thumbnails? If not you should definitely take a look. 

Unfortunately, I am seeing a lot of businesses miss-using these thumbnails when they could be using them a lot more effectively. When this Facebook feature first came out, there were quite a few people with very creative profile pictures and thumbnails like the one below. This was great, and it sparked the idea in me that the same thing could be tailored for businesses so that businesses could get an actual benefit from it.

It is true that companies have been very slow to adopt a creative way to use this area to greater customise their pages and capitalise on this opportunity. And even those that have used this space creatively are not doing such a great job.

So What Should You Do?

You should be using this area to showcase your products. This is a great opportunity to create awareness for your products and gives you a way to indirectly advertise to the people connected with you on your page. When a heat map was done on Facebook pages, this area (the tiled thumbnails) received quite a lot of attention.  People are naturally curious and if you make this tiled area really creative people will want to click and take a look. Eye-balls can be monetised and this is definitely something to keep in mind.  

Why not take it a step further and use this as an chance to get more people to your website. Experiment with a short description after the image, as well as a link to the product or service you are offering. Under Armour do a great job of ensuring a tight marketing funnel. Take a look at how they are using this space. 

It would be great to hear your thoughts. Is it something that you will implement?

Interaction Is Key

Interaction is key for businesses that want to use social media to its full potential. I was walking through an art gallery today and came across this beautiful piece of aboriginal art, when it reminded me...we are inherently social and community orientated beings. Just like the circular communities shown in the paint, our world and our lives are full of these vibrant communities.  However, too often I am finding that businesses are not treating their customers on social media like they would their friends in an off-line situation. The fact is, is that only 31% of consumers believe that a company has the right to market to them. Therefore just pushing sales messages out, without interaction, is suicide.

Moreover you have to be "likable". As the saying goes, "people buy from people they like", and it is no different online or on social media for that fact. You have to create a likable brand with personality, and interaction and engagement is the crux of creating this. The only way campaigns can work is if you build trust and reciprocity. Remember, you are dealing with real people with real emotions; not merely a number. Furthermore, you cannot force people to buy anything.

Trust is an integral part of any relationship. And as you know, it is something that takes time and hard work. However, when you can gain trust from someone, it can be extremely rewarding. The same principle  applies when you are talking with customers on social media. Communication channels and trust needs to be established before you can  market anything.

You can gain trust by giving away content, being genuinely interactive and interested in your customers, asking questions, or facilitating topics of conversation that are related to you brand, but done in a way that is indirect. Building trust, and offering free content for instance, will pay dividends in the long run.

Not only does great content and value build trust, but it also increases what psychologists call “reciprocity”. Have you ever heard, the more you give the more you will receive? This describes this psychology and is exactly what business need to be thinking about when entering an online relationship with customers. However, not many businesses are actively interacting. In fact, most do the opposite

Dunkin Donuts' Facebook Page does a really great job of interaction. They are definitely a company to watch and learn from. As a result of actively engaging with their fans, they have increased their brand awareness, received new customers and raving fans, and if they manage it correctly and have the right systems in place they will get a return on their investment.  Not bad? Plus you will also notice that fans stick up for the company when someone posts a negative, engaged fans are there to rescue your brand.