When Peanut Butter Met Jelly

By John McGory

Dean Keith Simonton, in his 1989 book “Scientific Genius,” suggests that geniuses are superior because they form more novel combinations than the merely talented.

Exciting new opportunities or experiences are possible through novel combos.  When peanut butter met jelly, magic happened.  The same can be said for Monday nights and football, sizzle and steak, Oreos and milk, spandex and clothing and recliners, remote controls and flat screen TVs.  Once the atom of creativity is split between entities, the fusion of genius is created.

The rush to social media for business applications is impressive.  Companies of all shapes and sizes are creating Facebook fan pages, Twitter accounts and blogs.  But in many cases, rather than creating magic, these efforts are provoking ire from the boss who wonders why they are paying someone to tweet, “Have a nice day.”

Like Einstein and energy, mass and the speed of light, astonishing business results come from the combining of ideas.  It takes a truly creative mind to fuse unlikely combinations that turn a zipper into Velcro.  But it doesn’t take Lennon and McCartney to put together simple social media and business ideas to make sweet music.

Think strategically about how your company uses its newsletters, blogs, social media and web sites in tandem.  These vehicles need to act in unison to create community and eventually drive traffic to your web site.

After scratching our collective heads over our own web site, social media channels, blogs and newsletter, we at Web Face decided to coordinate two or three messages at a time.  Here are some non-techie ideas on how to put it together.

1.  Create a blog.  Keep it short, in the 150-to-500-word range.  Make it topical, interesting and fun. Entice the reader to want to know more about your company without pushing a hard sell.  If you have different topics, create several blogs and include a link to your web site.  Write catchy headlines.  Hire talent if you don’t have the staff to create attention.

2.  Create an email newsletter.  In the newsletter put two or three teasers about your last few blogs.  Link the blog so people can find it.

3.  Tweet your blogs and post them on your web site or Facebook page.  Track your blogs to see where your traffic is coming from – your tweets, your Facebook page or your newsletter?    

4.  Track which topics drive traffic.  Improve the system as you progress.

The key is to take a couple catchy blog ideas at a time and promote them using the social media tools available.  This combo of your ideas and social media tools will bring more customers to you.  It isn’t peanut butter and jelly, but this simple lesson on combining ideas can bring a new appreciation of the power of the Internet.

John McGory is a partner at Web Face.  Web Face (www.web-face-solutions.com) can help you combine the ideas that will make your company’s social media efforts soar.

Vaudeville Tips for Going Viral in Peoria

By John McGory

Does your social media business plan “play in Peoria?”  If not, then consider a few 100-year-old tips from the vaudeville stage to attract an audience to your tired Facebook act. 

Vaudeville was the main form of entertainment in our country from the 1880s through the early 1930s.  The term vaudeville came from the French phrase “voix de ville” or voice of the city.

Social media is today’s vaudeville.  Our “voix de ville” comes from Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

The original vaudeville show was a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill.  Comedians, singers, dancers, Shakespearian actors, jugglers, freaks and anyone else who could entertain an audience shared stages across America.

Entertainers strived to refine their acts to work their way from the small towns to the big-time venues of New York and Chicago.  “Will it play in Peoria?” was vaudeville’s mantra, as promoters knew talent would shine through no matter where it played.

The similarities of vaudeville and social media are hard to miss. Many gather on common digital platforms these days to provide entertainment, social commentary and business, all on the same bill.  Statistics show that more than 90 percent of Americans work to be noticed in the social media theater.

Yet many businesses still struggle on the social media stage.   They strive for the big time but too often end up getting the hook.  Here are five vaudeville principles that apply to your social media efforts. 

1.      Keep it clean. Vaudeville promoters passed out blue envelopes each Monday to acts that used lewd language or themes, warning them to change the material or be blackballed.  Off color content will repel more people than attract. Keep your web sites, Facebook pages and Twitter accounts PG clean.

2.      Know your audience.  Vaudeville comedians drew on numerous accents for their acts.  They would not, however, make fun of Germans in a town full of Germans.  They made fun of Italians.  (ba-dah-bing) Be relevant, not repulsive.   

3.      Content rules.  Milton Berle, the late vaudeville and television comedian, said it took 18 months to two years to develop seven minutes of good stand-up comedy.  Having quality social media content takes time, effort, talent and continuous editing.      

4.      Pay for talent.  Telling a joke does not make you a comedian.  Hire the talent to make your web site and social media channels crackle with excitement.  The business owner is the promoter, not the act.

5.      Keep it current.  Audiences in 1920 wanted to hear Swanee, not By the Old Mill Stream, which was so 1910.  Vaudeville audiences wanted fresh, exciting and fun stuff.  Your audience wants the same.  Update your social media material on a regular basis.  If it never changes, you’ll be playing to an empty house.

Keep these ideas in mind as you try to attract an audience for your business.  And who knows?  If it plays in Peoria, it just might go viral!

Why do you think most business social media campaigns don't attract an audience?  Too boring?  Visually unappealing?  What one tip would you give to make a social media campaign zing?

John McGory is a partner in Web Face, a Columbus communications and marketing company that will help your company “Play in Peoria.”

Social Media Crisis Management

by Martha Wilson

Most of us find it hard to imagine what Rep. Anthony Weiner was thinking when he committed a serious social media faux pas by tweeting out near-naked photos and inappropriate comments to young women. While social media can be a minefield, when used correctly it is not a dangerous entity. In fact, it’s standard practice for smart companies to use Facebook and Twitter to manage negative publicity.

As Weiner discovered, juggling multiple Twitter accounts can be a challenge. And while nothing could have saved the New York congressman’s job, the best tack to take in a crisis is to acknowledge, apologize and use humor to move on. When a Red Cross employee recently tweeted about buying a six-pack of beer for the chapter’s entire blood donor base, Red Cross embraced their “human voice.”  They tweeted an apology and admitted the mistake.

The guilty employee also jumped in with apologetic tweets.  Right away, consumers loyal to the brand weighed in with supportive comments, reminding people that mistakes are human. In short, most said, “Hey, we’ve all been there.” 

The brewery even encouraged customers to join the Red Cross blood drive. “Brand evangelists (people who believe in your product or company) want to see you succeed,” says mackcollier.com.

Before you jump into a fray, consider pondering these crisis-situation questions offered by Walter Shrabe at fusedlogic.com:

·       Is the information factually accurate or inaccurate?

·       Is the responsible person, account or organization credible?

·       Which platforms are being used for the negative activity?

·       Does the responsible party understand the technology they used and the community they reached?

·       Is there current conversation you can research related to the incident?

·       What was the sentiment of the initial responses to the negative statement?

·       Is the discussion growing in size or is it isolated?

Once you’ve answered these questions, it’s time to respond using the social media platforms that reach your audience and customer base.

A final thought from Bloomabq.com: “It’s important to remember that corporate reaction through social media can’t change facts, but it can build (or rebuild) confidence among customers that they will get what they pay for.”

It’s likely Weiner has a long way to go to rebuild, but Bloomabq’s advice is worth remembering.

Martha Wilson is an associate at Web Face, a communication and marketing company helping clients stride through the minefields of social media

Selling Frappuccino in the 21st Century

by T.C. Brown

There’s a whole lot of hubbub in the digital universe these days.

Here’s a question.  Has your business embraced social media?  If the answer is yes, would a social media guru give you an A, or are you in need of serious tutoring?

One more question. If you don’t use social media, have you set a date yet to join the 21^st century?

Evidence abounds that businesses are spending more time with social media to market their products and services, and many are starting to realize some serious ROI.  Best of all, benefits are greater than ever for small businesses.

There is, however, another side to that coin – companies continue to cling to the “old ways” of marketing, and are turning a deaf ear to their social media sages.

That according to a recent IBM survey, which showed that many firms use these digital tools as PR platforms instead of thinking of them as magnets to attract more viewers, aka potential customers.

Maybe your company is the best thing since a double chocolate frappuccino, but a majority of consumers told IBM they don’t visit corporate websites.  Of the ones who do, 60 percent said they must first have “complete” trust in that company.

It’s not complicated, folks.  People want free stuff, or at minimum a bargain. Or they want helpful advice for their needs or concerns.  In short, build a community.  It’s that simple.

Meanwhile, while several surveys show companies devoting more time to social media, it is small businesses reaping the greatest results.  More than 90 percent of the 3,342 small business owners who responded to the 2011 Social Media Marketing Industry Report said social media plays a key role for them.

This stuff works. Firms that spend at least six hours a week in the digital world are nearly twice as likely to get leads generated as those who spend less time.

Just remember: stay fresh, be relevant and take measurement.

Basically, your company has two choices.  You can climb aboard the train, or wave bye-bye as it leaves the station.

TC Brown is a partner at Web Face, a communication and marketing company helping clients climb aboard the train.