With a lot of my focus centered on social media these days (for work, in class, in the news), I took one of those long pauses to consider why networks like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and blogging play such an important role in our lives today.
On any given day, I will probably access and engage in social at least 6-8 times. I login to Facebook in the morning to check our brand page for work. I wish my friends a happy birthday, if their special day happens to be popping up in my newsfeed and I will continue to browse content for my brand page related to my field of health care. I then read straight news articles and make a post for my healthcare organization on some relevant material.
If I am not in the middle of running a planned campaign, I will usually post something educational and link to an online resource. Other times I'll choose to link to a news article or program offering. Typically, I monitor the site for 1-2 hrs after posting, leaving the browser open so that I can pick up on any negative activity immediately, while I move on to other marketing work. I will check back at lunch and in the afternoon, depending on work meetings and the structure of my day. I always have my mobile phone on hand, which will alert me to activity regardless. Right now my evenings are spent studying, but inevitably, I will return to social media for personal browsing and updates on my friends and family.
Wow. You probably think I'm addicted, now. Which may be the case -- but it's a good thing. I manage the social media platform at work, which is a big task. I am responsible for growing our fan base, with significant outcomes each year. As a nonprofit, we has chosen to use only organic efforts (campaigns, interactive marketing, and creative ideas) to promote our social media. We do not use paid advertising. It is also critical to our success that we target the correct demographic, ensuring that our efforts will yield the proper results.
And it's all about the metrics! Seriously, everything these days is measurable and this is a tool that is invaluable. Measuring the value of a LIKE or the virality of a message on Facebook allows for analysis and tweaking that can greatly improve your marketing method and legitimize your brand. If you learn as you go and stay abreast of the latest developments in social media, you are on your game. The potential ROI for interactive online marketing is unprecedented.
There are many thought processes that make a marketing campaign a success, but the most important thing to keep in mind is why are people using sites like Facebook anyway? What makes these sites addicting? Why is it that people stay on these sites for MUCH longer than the average web search or page visit?
Because...
1. You can connect with friends who live in all parts of the world or from different stages of your lives. These are people that you cannot see on an every day basis, but you can keep up to date on some of the ins and outs via Facebook. Sharing challenges and triumphs with people you care about is one of the greatest joys of life.
2. You can get useful info -- current news stories, job opportunities, education on topic. All of this info can be accessed and shared by valuable individuals, your "friends." A recommendation for a restaurant or a promotional deal for a local store is much more believable and reliable coming from a friend. Trust is at the base of all Facebook interactions; trust breeds sharing.
3. You can keep yourself busy stalking people (not literally, although that some times happens). When you get bored or need inspiration, Facebook is the place to go! It is possible to suck up hours and hours of time on internet and sites like Facebook are big culprits.
Good things to keep in mind. Why does social media matter to you? There's a good chance that it matters to your next door neighbor for many of those same reasons. Of course there are always differences between different populations and the marketer must take that into account, as well.
This article is the part of a series of posts that I will make throughout my graduate studies in Marketing and Communications. With a focus on both healthcare and interactive marketing, I hope to gain a better understanding for effective health messaging--which I think plays a key role in a happy, healthy society. Please leave your comments or write to me: camorous@gmail.com.
Showing posts with label Facebook. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Facebook. Show all posts
7.17.2012
7.11.2012
Personal vs. Professional Brand Marketing
The potential ROI for internet marketing is astounding. For little to no
cost, a company or individual can successfully market themselves on a
global level through hundreds of web apps, social media channels, email
marketing campaigns, and blogs (to name a few). This is an exceptional
development and one that certainly levels the playing field between
large companies and small businesses/nonprofits. The power to increase
visibility and the reach of their message or brand is exponential.
The laws of both Moore and Metcalfe attribute to this. Moore's Law states that every 18 months processing power doubles, while cost remains the same. Metcalfe proposes that the value of a network grows by the value of N squared, when N = nodes (devices or users connected to the network). Cookies (more on these later) contribute greatly to the processing power of the internet, as networks like Facebook become wiser about the interests of individual users, enabling customized advertising and more direct marketing. At the same time, however, it is important to utilize internet marketing in a strategic manner. This is where the difference lies between personal and brand dialogue on the web.
Over time, I have come to realize that with the internet, sometimes "less is more." As a healthcare marketing professional, I always want to be aware of developments and understand how people are using sites -- but this doesn't mean that I jump on the band wagon and create an account for my company immediately. Sometimes, it is better to observe from a distance. Not all social sites are successful and it is important that you check out a site, before choosing to create an account. Affiliation = endorsement and in order to protect your brand, you have to implement a strategy for which sites you choose to use and scout things out in advance.
The difference between a personal account on Facebook, for example, and a brand page is substantial. Personal accounts are often used to share personal info (duh) about relationships, emotions, and daily life in a casual manner. Where this can be a very friendly, inviting approach to online interaction, it is not appropriate for a professional entity or healthcare organization. On a daily basis, I observe how my friends and family manage their personal accounts on Facebook, Twitter, or other social networking sites. Many people do not give much thought to how what they say on their page or sharing private information. They say what they want, to whomever they desire and they don't worry too much about the repercussions or how they appear to the outside world.
Professional brands cannot afford this luxury; they have a reputation to uphold and an obligation to their clients, investors, etc. The need for careful monitoring and clear strategy is especially true for healthcare organizations or hospitals, as they have a very high standard to adhere to and must follow protocol to protect patient confidentiality, in line with HIPAA. How can hospitals and healthcare orgs use social sites? I will discuss this soon in an upcoming post, but here's the short and sweet of it: healthcare orgs can use social media to share important health messages, improve visibility, market programs and services that they provide, and offer a place for dialogue. However, the web is NOT a place for medical diagnosis, clinical care or instruction. There may be some hospitals that employ secure chat rooms or LIVE interaction where patient health info is protected. Facebook is not one of these places -- yet.
Moral of the story: with the development of so many new technologies, it seems that the possibilities for interactive marketing are endless. A small company or program can gain a large national presence through the internet in a very short amount of time. Through Google and other search engines, brands can find out exactly what their clients want and put their product right in front of the target audience, satisfying both parties. However, without proper application these powerful tools can do more harm than good. It is important for a brand to set in place proper protocol for both internal and external internet marketing policy (including one specific to social media). The brand must consider what sites or apps it chooses to use and how these efforts will integrate into the overall marketing strategy.
This article is the part of a series of posts that I will make throughout my graduate studies in Marketing and Communications. With a focus on both healthcare and interactive marketing, I hope to gain a better understanding for effective health messaging--which I think plays a key role in a happy, healthy society. Please leave your comments or write to me: camorous@gmail.com.
The laws of both Moore and Metcalfe attribute to this. Moore's Law states that every 18 months processing power doubles, while cost remains the same. Metcalfe proposes that the value of a network grows by the value of N squared, when N = nodes (devices or users connected to the network). Cookies (more on these later) contribute greatly to the processing power of the internet, as networks like Facebook become wiser about the interests of individual users, enabling customized advertising and more direct marketing. At the same time, however, it is important to utilize internet marketing in a strategic manner. This is where the difference lies between personal and brand dialogue on the web.
Over time, I have come to realize that with the internet, sometimes "less is more." As a healthcare marketing professional, I always want to be aware of developments and understand how people are using sites -- but this doesn't mean that I jump on the band wagon and create an account for my company immediately. Sometimes, it is better to observe from a distance. Not all social sites are successful and it is important that you check out a site, before choosing to create an account. Affiliation = endorsement and in order to protect your brand, you have to implement a strategy for which sites you choose to use and scout things out in advance.
The difference between a personal account on Facebook, for example, and a brand page is substantial. Personal accounts are often used to share personal info (duh) about relationships, emotions, and daily life in a casual manner. Where this can be a very friendly, inviting approach to online interaction, it is not appropriate for a professional entity or healthcare organization. On a daily basis, I observe how my friends and family manage their personal accounts on Facebook, Twitter, or other social networking sites. Many people do not give much thought to how what they say on their page or sharing private information. They say what they want, to whomever they desire and they don't worry too much about the repercussions or how they appear to the outside world.
Professional brands cannot afford this luxury; they have a reputation to uphold and an obligation to their clients, investors, etc. The need for careful monitoring and clear strategy is especially true for healthcare organizations or hospitals, as they have a very high standard to adhere to and must follow protocol to protect patient confidentiality, in line with HIPAA. How can hospitals and healthcare orgs use social sites? I will discuss this soon in an upcoming post, but here's the short and sweet of it: healthcare orgs can use social media to share important health messages, improve visibility, market programs and services that they provide, and offer a place for dialogue. However, the web is NOT a place for medical diagnosis, clinical care or instruction. There may be some hospitals that employ secure chat rooms or LIVE interaction where patient health info is protected. Facebook is not one of these places -- yet.
Moral of the story: with the development of so many new technologies, it seems that the possibilities for interactive marketing are endless. A small company or program can gain a large national presence through the internet in a very short amount of time. Through Google and other search engines, brands can find out exactly what their clients want and put their product right in front of the target audience, satisfying both parties. However, without proper application these powerful tools can do more harm than good. It is important for a brand to set in place proper protocol for both internal and external internet marketing policy (including one specific to social media). The brand must consider what sites or apps it chooses to use and how these efforts will integrate into the overall marketing strategy.
This article is the part of a series of posts that I will make throughout my graduate studies in Marketing and Communications. With a focus on both healthcare and interactive marketing, I hope to gain a better understanding for effective health messaging--which I think plays a key role in a happy, healthy society. Please leave your comments or write to me: camorous@gmail.com.
4.09.2012
State of Media State of Mind
With a couple other blog posts in the works, I feel silly starting yet another one; however, I am struggling to get my ideas out on paper right now. So this will have to do.Writer's block? Maybe, but it's more that I am out of practice writing freely like this. I have been working in Communications, editing and perfecting messaging, for so long that I am finding it hard to put my raw ideas down on paper.
Last week, I finally finished reading the PEW Center for Research State of the New Media 2012 report. It's long and full of detail, looking at the media world from all different angles. Worth reading if you are interested in the topic and have a long bus ride ahead of you. It's not one of those reports that you can squeeze into the five minute time slot that you have between morning meetings.So, what did I learn?
1. American consumers are relying more and more on technology for their news. Mobile apps, ipads, and laptops make news acquisition easy, mobile, and customizable. No longer do we have to stay chained to our desks to catch up on emails or the daily newscast on TV. Instead, we can decide what news is relevant to us and determine how often we want personal updates sent right to us. Now wherever we go, we are always informed.
2. TV has experienced an increase in viewers and revenue for 2012 - even though newspapers continue to decline. We have been hearing about the inevitable death of print journalism for the past decade. When I enterred college back in 2006, I remember wondering if I was exploring a dying industry. All fingers pointed towards the new digital world of news, thus condemning the old fashioned newspaper to an early grave. However, I am not sure that this will be the case. It is encouraging to see that broadcast journalism has found a way to harnass JO, perfect example being the New York Times.
The success of online newspapers will depend upon the effective monetization of the print news medium. This is a problem that print outlets have grappled with for some time. Although I have no perfect algorithm to offer up (I'll leave that to the computer programmers and mathematicians of the world), I do notice some of the more effective methods that the NYT has applied as it goes digital. I will only mention a few: slow transition to paying for online news, free articles per month to encourage subscriptions, offering a diversity of mobile app options to fit consumer's needs, and increasing newspaper SEO to better utilize their online platform. All of these things can lead to a smoother transition and integration to the digital world.
The young professionals from my generation are not against print news. I believe that quality content still reigns over sensationalist jargon. It's all about how you present the news; the more accessible you can make the interface, the better it is for readers/viewers. No one minds a makeover (one could argue our society is obsessed with them).
3. News remains very important to Americans; in order to stay informed, they are using mobile technology to access articles and stay informed 24-7. I check the NYT.com website at least three times a day (as often as I brush my teeth). I suppose that news checking would be a habbit for any PR/Communications professional, but my actions also stem from an innate desire to know what is going on in the world. If I was tweeting right now, I might link this directly to the #AmericanDream. We live in a society where we are free to ask questions and we have the right to know the truth about healthcare discoveries, our ruling government, and world events. This innate desire to self-educate will be the milk that keeps the news industry alive. Of course, trust factors into this equation as well (trust between the American public and the media), but I won't go into that now. My point is: as long as we are curious and demand news coverage, the media will have a role to play in our society.
4. Technology and News industries will have to either team up, or battle it out. The teaming up part does worry me - large conglomerates and all that jazz. This was another topic that I studied during my time at BU. As it happens, I have the perfect example of this from today's CNN Money headline news: "Facebook Acquires Instagram for $1 Billion." Twitter, Foursquare, Pinterest, MySpace, the Google+, and Facebook are some of the top 15 social media websites that are leading the online media industry at present. In many ways, these power houses have a huge influence on the future landscape of the media world. Without these online forums, newspapers' reach would be much smaller and the speed of global sharing would be impossible. Social media plays a key role in driving traffic to sites, after that it's up tothe site and the content as to how long the user's interest is held. For this reason, many predict that - not unlike big media buying small media- social media sites like Facebook will continue to buy out smaller successes, in order to consolidate power. It may be a stretch to say that these companies will go as far as buying out big media like the BBC and CNN, but this remains to be seen. Already, social media is teaming up with news orgs to host shows and newscasts.
Although I call myself a social media nerd, it is a bit scary to realize that someday my raw news could come from the same place that people post about their daily activities (i.e. GTL BRB)- a place like Facebook or MySpace.
2.27.2012
Time for a Change
It is a new year and a new era for me. This blog has tracked my progress in the field of Journalism from the very beginning of my tenure. However, the time has come to take this platform (a rather holdge-podge of articles and memoirs) and turn it into something more targeted and mission driven. That being said, I am not abandoning my work...you will still be able to search back through the archives and find my early writings.
Now...the transition. Moving forward, I would like to dedicate this space as a canvas for reflection and sharing insights into the world of social media management. The key to successful social media campaigning (especially for a nonprofit) is the ability to stay abreast of the latest discoveries, and to make your own and to share them. This collaborative environment stems from Mark Zuckerberg, himself, and the Facebook philosophy of open information interaction. Instead of keeping his product a secret, Zuckerberg has attempted to make Facebook available to anyone who has an interest in exploring the network. The Facebook backend, templates, and profile fields are open to everyday users and developers, alike, to develop ideas and expand upon their platform as much as they desire. This democratic approach sets a precedent that allows for positive feedback, and sharing of information that leaves the user feeling valued and empowered. I believe that this cultural change does not discount the need for careful monitoring of social media sites and a continued effort for brand name protection, but it broadens our horizons in a world where a narrow perspective on life, limits opportunity. Well done, Mark.
Now...the transition. Moving forward, I would like to dedicate this space as a canvas for reflection and sharing insights into the world of social media management. The key to successful social media campaigning (especially for a nonprofit) is the ability to stay abreast of the latest discoveries, and to make your own and to share them. This collaborative environment stems from Mark Zuckerberg, himself, and the Facebook philosophy of open information interaction. Instead of keeping his product a secret, Zuckerberg has attempted to make Facebook available to anyone who has an interest in exploring the network. The Facebook backend, templates, and profile fields are open to everyday users and developers, alike, to develop ideas and expand upon their platform as much as they desire. This democratic approach sets a precedent that allows for positive feedback, and sharing of information that leaves the user feeling valued and empowered. I believe that this cultural change does not discount the need for careful monitoring of social media sites and a continued effort for brand name protection, but it broadens our horizons in a world where a narrow perspective on life, limits opportunity. Well done, Mark.
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