Giving out some love to my peeps....

Friday on twitter is the day when people tell everyone else who is worth following.  It's otherwise known as the #FF Friday Follow.  In this blog post I will share the love for some people/tweeps/blogs that I follow and recommend to you all.

Twitter users.

• @rgoodchild - this very smart lady does a fanmtastic job as a freelance writer/journalist.  She spreads her time between her family, her work and twitter.  Why follow?  Because she's like a box of chocolates  you never know whay you're gonna get!
• @iceandy - the Icehouse is a business incubator set up and run by Auckland University.  And the person tasked with the immense job of pulling it all together is Andy Hamilton.  Andy is always posting plenty of interesting links and thought provoking stories that stretch our understanding of what it is to be entreprenurial and in business.
• @rotoruanz - why are these guys good? Because it's where I'm from.  Simple.

Blogs.

• paulspain.com - I am biased on this one because I have known Paul for years and years.  One thing Paul does right is he is always ahead of the game as far as technology changes and trends.  Pauls latest project is the NZTechPodcast.
• Advergirling.posterous.com - this canadian girl is all about the marketing.  She has a great blog and is also a great user of twitter and keeps people up to date what's going on in the world.
• SocialMediaNZ.com - these guys and gals serve up all the latest gossip and changes in the world of social media.  The weekly highlight is the Social-Lite video.  This is a 4 minute video that sums up all the comings and goings for the week.
• http://simone-mccallum.blogspot.com/ - Simone is a marketing/media person who works for the ASB bank.  Her blog is a users guide to social media/blogs/twitter and all things connected to them.  A very pleasent read indeed.

Podcasts.

• DFJ Entreprenurial Thought Leaders Series by Stanford University.  This for me is the premiere business podcast available today.  They have all the best speakers covering a multitude of topics.
• Manger Tools - these guys cover every scenario under the sun when it comes to management.  They are fully professional, down to earth and super sensible.  Enough said.

(Source: flickr.com/photos/joathina/)

Shifting house and getting serious!

Please bear with me over the next week or two because I am shifting house!  Not literally physically but literally electronically. 

I am moving my content from a free/simple hoster like blogspot or posterous and am taking the plunge into having my content on my own website.  So why do this?

• To get serious.
• To be visible.
• To own my own content.

I am all for using free and simple blogging services to start out with when it comes to having somewhere to place your content.  However when you have a website/product that you have a vested interest in be it – financial, time, blood sweat and tears – then you take it more seriously.

So after two years (which seems like forever already) I am getting serious.  LOL.  So please bear with me if things are a bit erratic for a week or two.  Normal transmission will continue again shortly.

Here's the moral to the story - if you are taking pride in your work and are being serious about what you are doing – then it follows that others will take you seriously as well!

Blog posts should be approached with caution....

This warning should be added to every tweet, status update and blog post. 

Use your skills of critical thinking and analysis before you incorporate any way of thinking into your philosophy or approach to life.

Social Media is a relationship... not a one night stand

(Source: http://darmano.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341bfa9853ef0147e348f5d2970b-pi)

As an educational facility we use social media to talk about what we are up to.  We also use social media for an association I belong to and the workers union.

The problem I see is that we spend a lot of time broadcasting news headlines and not so much time engaging in conversation.  There is no shortage of posts or interesting stories being put out there for people to read.

The issue is engaging with our clients/customers/stake holders.  From where I sit the issue is in finding stories or starting conversations that get students to talk to us.

Nothing beats face to face and one on one conversations.  But when we have 9,000 students spread across a huge land area.  So speaking to each of those students one on one?  It just isn't going to happen.

From where we sit as educators we assume it would be easy to engage students.  We spend up to 30 hours a week with students in the classroom.  We teach them, work with them and ultimately we hope change their lives.  So why the resistance or apathy from the students when it comes to engaging with us?

Any ideas anyone?

Bridging the social divide

by David Armano

Social media can be hazardous to your health

With the multitude of social networking tools and systems avaialable today it has become super easy for employees to vent about those people that they work with or work for.

Social media is a two edged sword.  People can connect together really quickly and remotely with ease.  Therefore the sharing of information is super easy.  The issue arises when the information and casual conversation becomes negative and pointed at people.

Remember every friend you have on facebook or through twitter can see the conversations that you are having.  And they might, just might, tell the person who you have been talking about what has been said about them.

"Be careful out there people."

 

Smart marketing - putting it in reverse.

This is one of the most powerful advertising videos I have seen in a long time.

How does it work?  It takes a simple idea - before and after - and reverses the cycle.

Super effective and very, very moving.

This fantastic video was created by Ogilvy.com.  To see more of their great work head over to their website.

With change comes increased opportunities!

(Source: http://www.millennialmedia.com/wp-content/images/SMART/MillennialMedia-SMART-September-2010.pdf) 
So if I have a product or service to offer that directly targets or could be used by moms - what advertising avenue do you think I would use?  And if the moms are that intelligent and tech savvy then how much more are the kids?

32% of moms own a Smartphone in 2010 vs. 20% in 2009 (a 60% increase).
32% of moms say they use the Mobile Internet once a week in 2010 vs. 20% in 2009 (a 60% increase).

Social Media Planning - Marketing 101

Do the basics - marketing 101.  Social media - it's that simple.  Plan and execute.

Out of Order

(Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/teflon/136587359/)

Due to travel and work this blog is out of order until further notice (or Monday - whichever happens first!)

Social Media Statistics

Amazingly even now in 2010 some people still aren't convinced that social media is a valid tool for marketing.  Honestly!  (Some of those people work at my workplace...)

If you click on the following link you will find a whole buch of statistics that relate to the Asia Pacific region speciifically - http://socialmedianz.com/opinion2/2010/10/09/an-eye-on-asia-social-media-growth/

So how do we as an education organisation engage?

1. Facebook.  This is an interesting one.  Our main institute page has over 500 fans (which is not too shoddy) but the other pages for individual schools don't seem to be able to gain any traction.  The other interesting side to Facebook is that there are lots and lots of international students who use it to find out what the institute feels like and to let others know they are coming.
2. Twitter.  Twitter is great for connecting with specific industry groups and organisations.  There is where we are able to engage in each of the different business units with our customers.

And what are great examples from other education providers?

1. RMIT.  These guys are based in Melbourne, Australia.  They effectively engage using twitter and facebook to keep on touch with their stakeholders.  They design and implement their marketing strategies across all their various media channels.
2. NorthTech.  For a polytechnic based in the far north of New Zealand these guys are great.  They are using YouTube to quietly and efficently show the world what they are up to.

The choice is clear.  Engage with customers in a non-threatening easy way through social media or keep hammering away using traditional methods like print media.  The choice is yours.  I know which one I prefer.

Social Media Policy

If your organisation is considering getting embracing social madia as a genuine tool for marketing and advertising - go for it!  It is super simple to use and it is generally free (except for the man hours of course).

If your organisation is going to get started I recommend the following -

1. Establish some protocols and policies.  Make sure people know what the rules are around what they can and can't, should and shouldn't say in regards to your organisation.  If there are no rules - the people will run wild.
2. Embrace the people using the technology.  Start by getting the people using social media for their own personal use to take up the challenge of using it to promote your organisation instead. 
3. Get edgy in what you are doing and the tack you take.  With the internet you can tell your potential customers a different story.  Get a bit wild and maybe even a bit wicked.  On the internet - cool stuff spreads quickly.
4. Pick the right web space to use and locate yourself in.  Different internet users use a variety of web platforms and pages.  Like all marketing the idea is to find where your customers are and go and speak to them where they are.

At the end of the day the statistics around social media use in your country are quite astounding.  Embrace social media before social media embraces you.

(Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/silvertje/3582813518/)

Marketing - The Viral Way

I received this email from a 'friend' of mine about an hour ago -

"Easy, Hope ur all good. .

We're shooting a music vid this Sunday, & looking for people 2 come show there support..

Basicly, we're gonna throw a lil rave inside the tube train.. We bringin drums and shit, and probably a big Ghetto blaster playin the music for our nxt release.

It's not gona take long, n hopefully no 1 will get arrested ..  If u want som more details giv me a shout..

BiG LoV."

 

Now this type of email works on a whole lot of levels.  How?

• It speaks directly to people who have an interest in the actual topic or arena.  This isn't mass marketing but speaking to the people who want to hear the message.
• It has a certain mystery quality to it that entices the reader to think more and saw - ooh and aah.
• There is a call to action.  The reader has the opportunity to choose if they will engage or not. 
• It creates a sense of exclusivity.  That is one of the keys in sucessful products and marketing.  make it exclusive or give your product some glamour.

Unfortunately I don't live in England so I can't choose to respond.  However if I did live in England - I'd be telling all my friends about it as well!  Now that is smart marketing.

The Value of Visual Thinking in Social Business

I hope this slide show interests you as much as did me.  Check it out:

The Value of Visual Thinking in Social Business

View more presentations from David Armano.

(Okay so this is a cheat of a post.  Borrowing someone elses idea.  Still - it's a brilliant presentation.  Enjoy)

Social Marketing That Works

Orcon have very successfully made the move to capturing the essence of the social media forum and have translated it nicely into a new TV advertising campaign.

What did they do?

1. Hired a big name star to be the face of their campaign.


2. Asked everyday people to create a video application for themselves.


3. The 'star' critiqued the applications down to a manageable number = 10.


4. The star and his new crew video linked together to record the song.

Why does it work?

1. Brand leverage. By using a popular cult music star people became interested.


2. Offering people an opportunity of a life time. At what other time could the average person interact with or even record a song with their star?


3. Interaction. Everyday people interact and create history.

This was a fabulous idea that perfectly captures the move towards social media advertising. The best part is Orcon have merged social media advertising along with television advertising.

10 out of 10!