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I think sharing and collaboration is one of the most interesting trends when it comes to the ways we consume goods in services. Interestingly, although the idea is simple and pretty straightforward, this could not have happened even 10 years ago. But not because of the absence of technology — it’s been there for decades — but because of how the word “stranger” had changed its meaning over the years.
It used to be that a stranger was someone we didn’t know anything about. Even when the Internet became popular, we ended up hiding behind the veil of anonymity. This, in turn, created its own problems, as the web became a refuge for scammers and sex offenders.
But then something interesting happened. Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, and other social networks changed the way we share information. In fact, we started over-sharing. These days, an interested person can find not only one’s name, but also their home address, all contact info, and what they had for three months ago.
To some, this phenomenon is scary. The web is full of articles and blog posts about the privacy issues with major social networks. Yet I believe that this, as I call it, “post-privacy world,” is one the most positive cultural shifts in history.
Today, the word “stranger” bears a different meaning. It’s still someone you have not met, yet it’s not someone you know nothing about. On the contrary, you may know everything about them. Which creates a special environment of trust between people. And if you trust someone, why not share?
So Superbowl happened, and one thing that every marketer will be talking about for the next few weeks are the ads. I watched them all, and I have to say that I’m quite disappointed, and not just with the general level of creativity — with Teleflora being most pathetic, — but with how many companies have failed to extend the conversation to social media.
Personally, I expected that this year more businesses would try to drive traffic from their TV impressions towards one of their social media channels. Samsung did a good job with its “Party continues on Facebook,” then Bud Light successfully threw in a dog rescue message at the end of its spot. Yet, most of the companies did the same thing they’ve been doing for decades: show an impressive visual with some music or voiceover and hope that it’s gonna stick.
Social media is a two-way channel that allows brands to interact with customers on a continuos basis, build relationships and keep the conversation going. This ability to keep marketing to the same people over time is social media’s main and most powerful advantage. That’s why it is upsetting to see how companies are missing out on an opportunity to go beyond a 30-second spot. Why wouldn’t you want to keep engaging with people after the commercial break is over? This type of engagement could make your RIO shoot through the roof, and yet so many keep ignoring it.
Always go beyond one-time impressions. Start by crafting a compelling message, be it in the form of an ad, a speech, a landing page, or whatever. Then ask people to continue the conversation on social channels, and if your message is right, they won’t hesitate to follow you. And once they’re connected, use those social media best practices to keep them engaged, entertained and appreciated.
This is the kind of marketing that will make the most money in the years to come. And being among the first to adopt it can prove incredibly powerful for you and your business. I really hope that the next Superbowl will be a better example of how marketing should be done in the digital age.
While many still doubt the importance and power of social media used for marketing, some of the world’s largest corporations start to catch up. Particularly interesting is the decision of P&G to lay off 1,600 of its employees and pay more attention to the cheaper, less traditional media, such as Facebook and YouTube. After the enormous success that Old Spice brand managed to achieve using viral video campaigns with a personal touch in 2010 and 2011, it doesn’t come as a surprise that Procter & Gamble would question the relevance and the ROI of the old-school channels.
Furthermore, I would expect many other large companies to see this as a sign to get on board and start channeling their expenditures into social marketing, which means more job cutting and restructuring.
I bet a lot of business students looking for a career in marketing for consumer packaged goods companies like P&G are trembling from fear right now. How are we supposed to get employed in this environment of cost-cutting and lay-offs? Are we going to stay without a job? What do we do?
Do not panic! I, personally, believe that this is a great news for everyone who’s young and willing to adopt to the new conditions. As more corporations are looking to utilize the power of the Web, they will be looking for people who feel most comfortable with using the new media, and who have grown up connected to the Internet 24/7. This could be you. In fact, many of the students are already falling into the category of digital natives, and I see an extraordinary opportunity to position yourself as one, develop your e-marketing skills, and be on board when CPG Enterprise Marketing goes 2.0 on a large scale.
Last year I’ve written a number of resolutions for each letter of the alphabet. Not everything went the way I expected but, in general, I’m happy with my 2011. Here’s the revised list.
Accomplished:
A - assume less, listen more. D - develop better studying habits. E - English, master. G - Gary Vaynerchuk, meet. H - help more people than I’ve helped in 2010. I - improve relationships with my parents. K - keep being awesome. M - meet someone truly amazing. N - notes (music), learn how to read. R - raise, get. S - speak in public about branding. T - turn 22, hopefully. X - forget about her. Y - because.
Failed:
B - build and improve this blog. C - Chris Brogan, meet. F - fight laziness. J - join a marketers’ association. L - lose 10 pounds and keep it that way. O - obey this resolution. P - post guest posts to some top-of-the-line blogs. Q - quit watching so many tv-shows. U - utilize video content more effectively. V - visit New York. W - write a book. Z - come up with a task for “z” next year.
In April, I became the president of the UBC eBusiness club, and it’s been a rewarding on-campus experience that opened doors for new people in my life and provided me with an opportunity to master a variety of new skills.
In May, my friend and I started NotChefs, a social network for sharing recipes. After 2 months of development, we decided to put the project back on the shelf due to limited resources.
In September, after working at HootSuite Media for 13 months, I left the company to pursue new adventures. I’ve been working a few small contracts since then.
In November, I went to Startup Weekend and co-founded EpicBets, a social game that takes betting on sports against friends to a whole new level.
In December, I’ve reached an important milestone — 1 year of school left. Yay!
There have also been many huge positive changes in my lifestyle and social life. I learned to enjoy the rain and really fell in love with Vancouver. Overall, it was a great year.
There are some major events that will be happening in the next 12 month. I’ve been invited to write for a student magazine and a student blog as a guest author. I’m continuing to work on a variety of projects and getting deeper into the startup and agency communities in Vancouver. Finally, I’m planning to graduate in December 2012 and will soon start looking for a permanent job. Exciting stuff!
(And of course I’m totally stoked for the Zombie Apocalypse.)
EpicBets: Startup Weekdays: EpicBets, Three Weeks After Startup Weekend Vancouver -
On November 18, 2011, ten people were standing in the middle of the Segal School of Business’ lobby discussing their next move. Ahead of them were 2 intense days of building a mobile game that would change the way friends bet on sports games. There was an original idea, and now there was…
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This blog had been about cool pictures; then about marketing; then about learning…
Every new beginning for this blog meant a new attempt for me to figure out what (and how) exactly I was able to write.
This blog has not been updated in a long time, which can only mean one thing: the what and the how were not right for me. More specifically, writing success tips for students 6 days a week was not my thing.
Now I’m trying to find a new what and a new how, and when I do, I’ll blog again. Until then, you can either enjoy the archives (there’s some cool stuff there) or leave.
Out of all the things, I’ve written on this blog and the ones I was too lazy to write, here’s one that will probably get into the TOP3.
Always analyze and evaluate your experiences.
When I came to work at HootSuite for a one-week-long internship, I had not idea if I would stay longer or no, but I wanted to make the most out of it. So I set a goal to write down “5 things I’ve leared today” for every day of that week.
It wasn’t hard, but it made me think and evaluate everything I was doing and look for more valuable information around. After 2 weeks, I had a nice list of 50 things HootSuite had taught me.
As you may know, it’s been 9 months and I still work at the “owly company.” I don’t take daily notes anymore, but I still think about my experiences there from time to time.
So the interesting thing I’ve come to realize recently is that this simple practice can be applied to anything, especially to school, and it can be extremely beneficial.
It shows you your ROI of learning. It adds value to even the most boring course and justifies spending time on it, and it makes you love the interesting courses 10 times more!
For example, I’m extremely bored with Finance, as my motivation has nothing to do with banknotes, stocks or, thanks god, treasury bills. But if I think about what the course actually taught me, I can easily find important knowledge I can use in my life.
Think about 5-10 things you’ve learned in any course this semester. Sit and write them down. Don’t think about all this in boring terms (“I’ve learned how to calculate present value”). Instead, think about this in a fun and meaningful way: “I’ve learned how to pitch my startup idea to an investor.”
Also, write down everything that you personally consider important, and not just the stuff teachers care about. It doesn’t have to be on the final exam to have value for you.
Now that you know how many cool things 4 months of suffering have taught you, feel free to pat yourself on the back :-).
In the future, continue using this practice and keep relating what you learn to what you do. You’ll end up being way more satisfied with yourself than ever before.
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