Category: Marketing

Buddy Media vs. Wildfire

Josephine ButlerBlog, Marketing, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , , , ,

One of the things I love about my job in public relations is the chance to familiarize myself with emerging technologies. It seems like every single day I am reading about the latest and greatest Facebook app or measurement tool. Social enterprise software companies are working hard each and every day to enhance users’ experiences across various social networking platforms.

The tough part in learning about all of the software available is figuring out what are the differences – they can be so similar! Today, I’d like to compare two similar services –  Wildfire and Buddy Media – both of which I have used for client projects:

Wildfire

Functionality: This suite of products includes a messenger tool, where you can schedule posts, respond to posts and generally keep track of page activity in chronological order.  Additionally, it features a page manager tool where you have the ability to create as many applications (or apps) as you’d like  (quizzes, photo albums, coupons, etc. included), as well as a promotions tool where fans can register for a sweepstakes. Page-level and app analytics are also available to you.

Pros:

  • Using the monitor tool, you have the ability to compare the performance of your page with other Facebook pages.
  • Wildfire has a great selection of pre-coded templates for your use. This is especially useful if you don’t have anyone in the office (or no budget) to create a custom app using CSS coding.

Cons:

  • The analytics don’t differ that much from what Facebook offers with its Insights feature.
  • You cannot track old posts. Only posts that are made after you start using the tool will be available. While this might not sound all that problematic for some of you, it’s important to be able to track old posts when you’re dealing with the history of customer service complaints.

Buddy Media

Functionality: Like Wildfire, the Buddy Media suite of products features a conversation tool where users can schedule and respond to posts, as well as see activity in chronological order.  It also features a profile tool similar to that of Wildfire’s page manager tool (sweepstakes included) and a similar analytics feature.

Pros:

  • Buddy will work with you to create a custom template design for your tab(s), reflecting the colors and fonts of your brand.
  • You are able to track old posts! Buddy populates its conversation tool with posts that were made even before you started using the program. This is nice for reasons mentioned above.

Cons:

  • Buddy’s analytics don’t differ that much from Facebook Insights, either.
  • Without CSS coding knowledge, you are more limited in what you can do with your tabs. Buddy has a smaller selection of templates than that of Wildfire.

Of course, everything that I’ve written above could change in a matter of months, weeks even! In fact, I haven’t used Buddy Media’s tool in the last five months. Undoubtedly, the company has responded to customer feedback and has upgraded many of its services. Not to mention, Salesforce.com just entered into an agreement to acquire the company in hopes of delivering the first comprehensive marketing cloud.

Is there anything you’d like to add to the list of pros and cons for Buddy Media and Wildfire? I know that cost certainly is a concern, but because it can vary greatly from client to client and service to service, I thought it’d be good to focus mostly on function here. Feel free to share your feedback on cost, as well!

We’d love to hear your thoughts!

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Lessons from the Lemonade Stand — What My 10 Yr Old Knows About Branding & Marketing

Dana PhelpsBlog, Marketing, Starting a business, , , , 16 Comments on Lessons from the Lemonade Stand — What My 10 Yr Old Knows About Branding & Marketing
Sporting the official Neighborhood Lemonade shirt.

I learn a lot from my son. The extended remix title for this post is “Lesson from the Lemonade Stand — What You Can Learn From My 10 Year Old About Branding, Marketing, Business and Life.” 🙂 So listen up… this is good stuff.

My son has been offering his parents a steady stream of business ideas since he was able to talk. While adding another choice in Raleigh PR agencies wasn’t one of them, it is true that his entrepreneurial enthusiasm certainly inspired me and was a factor in my decision to start Clairemont Communications. He is not shy about offering ideas for the agency and our clients, and he continues to dream up a variety of dream businesses of his own. The latest: a good old-fashioned lemonade stand.

I’ve watched my son set up shop at the end of our driveway for several weeks now, and I realized what a smart business person and marketer he is! I’m compelled to share these lessons from the lemonade stand.

  1. Know your audience and cater to them. First, let’s talk hours and location. You might think that the lemonade stand was located at the end of our driveway for convenience only. Think again. The combination of the location and hours of operation — mid-morning to early afternoon on Sundays — was quite strategic. There’s a church in our neighborhood, and one of the two entrances can be accessed at the end of our street. The kid recognized a high-traffic opportunity. Now, let’s talk promotions. On Mother’s Day, he posted “Moms drink free” signs. Think about it. Mom might not be dying for a lemonade, but what dad or kid is going to let that opportunity pass. Of course, they want a cup, too!
  2. Establish your brand. Somewhere between scooping ice and pouring lemonade that very first day, my son realized the business needed a name. Neighborhood Lemonade was born, and when he closed up shop that afternoon, he immediately sat down and drew a logo. Some smart bartering with a more experienced designer and professional marketer (his dad) allowed him to obtain a digital representation of his logo. By the next week, he and his assistant (another neighborhood boy he recruited to work with him) were outfitted in official Neighborhood Lemonade shirts with the logo on the front and “staff” on the back. I believe it was the same day they added a delivery by bicycle service. (Back to point #1.)
  3. Capture your customer data. I, of course, adore my child and think he is the smartest human being on the planet. But let me tell you, he knocked my socks off when he thought to do something that many of our clients — even the large, international brands — sometimes struggle to do. I’ve tried to give him his space and watch from afar, but on the third or fourth week in business, I happened to be standing close enough to hear him interacting with a customer. He poured the lemonade, accepted her 50 cents and she took her first sip while he waited to make sure she was a satisfied customer. And then, he was BRILLIANT. Brilliant, I say! With his iTouch in his hand, he asked the customer, “Would you like to give me your email address so that I may notify you about future promotions and special events?” Tarnation Jed, I birthed a marketing genius!!! Customer data, people. Collect it. Use it.
  4. When life gives you lemons… or when your lemonade stand comes crumbling down in the blink of an eye, stay focused. Over the weeks, the stand started becoming more elaborate. It’s the way of the Hughens men. They are creators and tweakers. (I think my father-in-law is designing some sort of double-decker lemonade stand for my son as I type this.) Anyway, what started as a pitcher on a cardboard box grew to our glass-top patio table with umbrella, fancy signs and a variety of other added details. In a flash, a small gust of wind bent the umbrella and shattered glass went everywhere. Instead of going into a million pieces along with the glass top, my son quickly got another table from our back porch, helped clean up and it was business as usual. The next time I feel like things are falling apart, I will remember how calm he remained and how the idea of quitting NEVER crossed his mind.

These ideas are fairly simply — as basic, really, as a lemonade stand itself. If you have a new business or are starting a business, make sure these things are on your checklist of necessities. If you work with an established brand that has overlooked these considerations or it has been some time since you thought about your customers, your brand and how you interact with customers, it might be time to get back to the basics. Sometimes having an outsider’s view is helpful, and it happens to be summer. Let me know if you want to book a meeting with my son. 🙂

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Does Facebook Advertising Really Work?

Josephine ButlerBlog, Marketing, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , , , ,
Are these things really worth it?

I recently had the chance to sit in on a webinar hosted by Justin Kistner of Webtrends and Jason Keath of Social Fresh, where they addressed the age-old (well, not that old) question: Does Facebook advertising really work?

This question has been in the forefront of debate recently with General Motor’s announcement that the company is pulling all of its advertising from the social network. So, we must know, did GM make a good choice? Is Facebook advertising really worth it?

The short answer is yes!  The long answer: certain types of ads work better than others. Here are a few important things I learned that will help you create the most efficient and effective Facebook ads:

  1. Use many highly targeted ads versus one big-reach ad. It’s better to create separate ads that target specific groups (i.e. twenty-something females with an interest in interior design, middle-aged men that enjoy exercising) than it is to create one all-encompassing ad.
  2. Target ads to fans for conversion. Fans are seven times more likely to click on an ad than a non-fan. An added bonus? Cheaper CPC (that’s cost per click).
  3. Link ads to Facebook apps instead of websites. What happens to fans that click on a Facebook ad that leaves Facebook? They go back to Facebook. Ads that don’t redirect traffic to a different website receive twice the conversion rate than ads that do leave the site. In short, keep fans on Facebook engaged by directing them to an app on your page!
  4. Refresh creative regularly. Ideally, you should update your creative within 72 hours after launching the ad. This ensures a higher CTR (click-through rate) and will keep your audience intrigued.

So what do you think? Did you find these tips helpful? We’d love to hear your comments, and please stay tuned – we’ll be sharing a few best practices when it comes to writing copy for your Facebook advertisements.

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My First 30 Days at a Raleigh PR Agency: Day 3

Margot HorganBlog, Entry-Level PR Job, Marketing, , , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments on My First 30 Days at a Raleigh PR Agency: Day 3

Every job industry has its perks. People working for airlines can fly standby for free and those working in retail get an extra discount off their purchases. The perk of working at this Raleigh PR agency? Professional development. I’m only three days into the job and have already been asked to represent Clairemont Communications this September in Columbus, Ohio at Content Marketing World 2012, the largest content marketing event in the world.

http://www.contentmarketingworld.com/

At CMW 2012, I will be surrounded by some of the best and the brightest in the industry. Last year’s convention brought more than 600 marketing professionals from nearly 20 countries to Cleveland, Ohio to hear speakers such as David Pogue, personal technology columnist at the New York Times and Emmy award-winning correspondent for CBS News; David Meerman Scott, author of the best-selling New Rules of Marketing & PR and Real-Time Marketing & PR; and Heidi Bailey, senior brand strategist at LEGO, just to name a few.

This year, the speakers are just as notable. I will hear all the words of wisdom coming straight out of the mouths of industry leaders like Sam Sebastian, chief content officer at Google; Pam Didner, global integrated marketing manager at Intel; and Julie Fleischer, director, CRM content strategy and integration at Kraft Foods.

Content Marketing World 2012

As you can tell from the speakers listed above, this is an amazing opportunity – especially for an entry-level account coordinator on her third day of work. I am incredibly excited, but also a little anxious. I can get somewhat shy in networking situations, so this trip will definitely be a learning experience and a challenge for me in more than one way.

What am I most excited for? I can’t wait to hear Sam Sebastian give his talk, “Google’s Zero Moment of Truth” (We talked about ZMOT in my marketing class this past semester, but I was sick that day, so I can finally learn everything that I missed in class!). Also, anyone who knows me knows I love Pinterest, so the workshop, “How to Use Infographics and Visual Storytelling (ala Pinterest) to drive Demand Generation” is definitely one that I will be attending!

So, I’m looking for advice! What are your best networking tips? I would love to hear any tips and tricks on how to get the most out of my conference experience!

Here’s a sneak peak at what my schedule will include at Content Marketing World 2012:

  • “CTRL ALT DEL – How to Reboot Your Content For a Mobile World” – Mitch Joel, author, Six Pixels of Separation: One of the most sought-after digital speakers in the world, Mitch Joel is President of Twist Image — an award-winning Digital Marketing and Communications agency. His first book, Six Pixels of Separation, named after his successful Blog and Podcast is a business and marketing bestseller. His next book, CTRL ALT DEL, will be coming out in Spring 2013. You don’t want to miss this amazing presentation from one of the world’s best.
  • “Cut the Bull – Blog with a Purpose and Drive Your Business” – Jason Falls, CEO, Social Media Explorer
  • “Putting Social to Work: How to Rapidly Grow Your Fans, Your Prestige and Your Business” – Mike Stelzner, CEO, Social Media Examiner
  • “Understanding the New World of Klout, Social Sharing and Social Influence Marketing” – Mark W. Schaefer, best-selling author, Return on Influence
  • “Defending Your Content Marketing & Social Media to the C-Level: Two Proven Strategies” – Jenny Magic, CEO, Better Way to Say It; Brian Massey, The Conversion Scientist “
  • “Google’s Zero Moment of Truth” – Sam Sebastian, director, local & B2B markets, Google Inc.: Audiences initiate connections with a brand long before they make a purchase decision. These connections, which include search queries, reviews, site visits, video views and many more interactions with content, influence whether users eventually select a brand or a competitor’s brand. Google’s Sam Sebastian will discuss research and examples about what Google calls the Zero Moment of Truth and share fresh strategies of how Brands are winning and optimizing the Zero Moment of Truth.
  • “Distilling the Magic and the Mystery that is Content Marketing Success” – Marcus Sheridan, the sales lion and owner, River Pools & Spas. Put your seat belts on ladies and gentlemen, as Marcus Sheridan of The Sales Lion will take you on a content marketing ride full of learning and laughter in this keynote you won’t soon forget. Bursting with innovative ideas that you’ll be able to immediately apply to your business, this session will surely be a highlight of your Content Marketing World experience.
  • “Building Your Internal Publishing Department for Content/Social Success” – Brody Dorland, chief strategy officer, Divvy HQ
Jayme Thomason, CEO, Divvy HQ
  • “Twitter Will Win — And With the Right Plan of Attack, So Will You” – Nate Riggs, director of social business, The Karcher Group
  • “The Content Opportunity that is Google+” – Arnie Kuenn, president, Vertical Measures
  • “How to Use Infographics and Visual Storytelling (ala Pinterest) to drive Demand Generation” – Maria Pergolino, senior director, marketing, Marketo, Inc.
  • “Scalable Content Strategies for Facebook and LinkedIn” – Amy Porterfield, author, Facebook Marketing All-in-One for Dummies.
  • “How to Develop Amazing Audio and Podcast Content Marketing” – Pamela Muldoon, chief content officer, Next Stage Media
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Forget More Monday – It’s Cyber Monday!

Josephine ButlerBlog, Marketing, , ,
Jcrew.com, I'm coming for you on Monday!

If you’re anything like me, then you shied away from shopping on Black Friday. It’s not that the deals weren’t great – it’s that the masses of people were greater (and that’s just too much for me)! Perhaps that’s why I’m so excited that today is Cyber Monday, the biggest online shopping day of the year. In lieu of our usual More Monday feature, I want to offer up some tips for smart online shopping on this very special (and money-saving) day!

  • Use an online aggregation site to view deals across a variety of different sites. Otherwise, all of the deals can become overwhelming, writes Erin Williams of the Washington Post. She recommends trying out sites like DealNews’ Cyber Monday page and CyberMonday.com, a subsidiary of Shop.org.
  • Sign up for your favorite stores’ e-newsletters, says Real Simple. You’ll get advance notice about any special deals
  • Download apps. From store apps to Cyber Monday apps, there’s pretty much an app for anything and everything you’ve got on your shopping list, writes Forbes contributor Lydia Dishman.
  • Research, research, research! You may find a good deal on one site, but you might just find a better deal on another!
  • Do it on your own time. Dana, I promise I won’t make online purchases at work – I’m thinking about staying up until Midnight or doing it on my lunch!
  • Beware of scams. Sad, but true – there’s always someone out there that will try to steal your information. Only share credit card numbers and other personal information with trusted sites.
  • Have fun! For all of you other claustrophobic folks out there, this is your day!

Have any other online shopping tips for us? We’d love to add to our list!

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