Social Media Soup

Social media is on the rise as a marketing channel, but is that what consumers want to hear?

I can now ‘Become a Fan’ of, follow the tweets of, and subscribe to any number of rss feeds from the companies/brands I enjoy.  Does having a Twitter account with a river of tweets about products make me more likely to purchase from a company? No.  It’s hard enough to keep up with what  friends are tweeting about, much less take in advertisements.  So, what angle should a company take to get attention in this blossoming channel?  How about share something interesting with those who opt to hear from you.

When friends opt to see status updates from each other, they expect to see something personable… something to keep them in the know about each other.  Companies should keep this in mind when attempting to harness the various social media outlets.  Instead of a push of impersonal ads, how about something that relates to the company/brand’s story?  Could you share bits of historical interest?  Photos? Provide some interactivity such as a game or contest?  Special offer and sale notifications are acceptable as well, in moderation.  If you’re interesting, in a real sort of way, you’re less likely to land an ‘un-follow.’  Just something to think about.

Filed under: Branding, Marketing, New Media, Social Networking , Branding, Marketing, Social Media, Social Networking

Five Brand Must-Dos – Proving Your Brand

Can you prove your brand is not just another bland one in the sea of mass marketing?

Today’s consumers are more knowledgable than ever before, and no wonder… they’re used to sifting through tons of false marketing ploys.

How does your brand measure up?  Is your brand:

1. Believable?
Consumers are so overwhelmed these days with brands pitching everything from “green initiatives” to “new and improved.”  If your brand is pitching, it better have the proof to back it up. Can you illustrate the ways you’re “going green” to your customer? Can you show how this product is “new and improved” over the product it replaces? Give the customer a believable story to back up your claims.

2. Unique?
Does your brand represent a niche market? Is it strikingly similar to others? If niche is your realm, then good for you – you’re unique! If not, you have work to do. What makes your brand (let’s say Brand A), any more worthy of purchase than Brand B?  Tell customers precisely why they should purchase – cost? quality? performance? Again, you must explain PRECISELY WHY the customer should purchase your brand over another.

3. Passionate?
Do you love your brand? Of course you do, else it wouldn’t exist, right? Conveying the brand’s own history and stories breathes life into what might otherwise be a bland, faceless product or service.  This is a vital part of illustrating the value of your brand.  Find your brand’s core values and explain them to your customers in a way that they can relate.

4. Engaging?
Are customers invited to actively participate in making your brand a success?  Seems like a no-brainer, but still some companies are afraid to let their customers’ voices be heard.  If you believe your brand is worth it, let the customers provide feedback, reviews, and ratings.  You can learn more than you’d ever imagine about your customer and just how to reach them effectively by doing so.

5. True to its consumer?
Lastly, but most importantly… Putting the customer first in all brand-related decisions is always a must.  It’s not just “give the customer what she wants,” but “would the customer perceive this as a value-add to her experience with the brand?”  No clue if something is a value-add? Customer surveys are an excellent way to find out!

Filed under: Branding, Marketing , Branding, Marketing

Blissful Branding – Sweet! and Achievable!

And, I’m not just saying this because it’s one of my favorite brands.
(Okay, that might have a little something to do with it.)

Raven’s Brew coffee has been a favorite brand of mine for 5+ years now, never letting me down… not once.  I discovered them while googling for Christmas gifts one holiday season.  I’ve placed numerous orders with them and am a true Raven’s Brew brand evangelist.  What makes this brand so special?  I’m so glad you asked.

• They’re real people with a story and a passion for coffee.
  These folks eat, sleep, and breathe coffee roasting perfection andpromoting positive relationships with the regions from which their coffee is harvested.  And, they do a beautiful job of educating their customers to emphasize their focus on quality, sustainability, andculture.
• They’re creative, spirited, and just plain fun.
  The precisely right combination of artwork and prose can be found on each bag of Raven’s Brew signature coffee.  Not only can you ooh and aah over these masterpieces on the bags, but there are full-sized posters (among other merch) available for purchase.  I personally find it hard to throw away these bags even if I have dupes… that’s how much I REALLY like the artwork.
• They deliver a superb product and have excellent customer service.
  When ordering, I always get exactly what I pay for – fine, quality-roasted coffee beans with an unparalleled flavor.  Blissful, indeed!   And, if I contact customer service, I literally feel as if I’m conversing with a friend, not a company.  I mean, the sympathy expressed when I panicked because they ran out of Cherry Karma (my favorite, and a very very limited offering) was enough to make me a lifetime customer.

So there you have it.  Whether small or large, brands should be able to understand the very powerful basics to blissful branding. Again, they are:

• Demonstrating a real passion for the product being sold
• Taking a brand-appropriate, creative and personable approach to marketing
• Delivering a quality product with excellent customer service backing.

I truly hope to see more businesses focus on these fundamentals as our economy recovers from its current state.  Also, I’ve not been solicited in any way to add this information, however, I’m going to go ahead and throw it out there because it is timely.  The Valentine’s Elixir is now available on the RavensBrew.com website. Yum!  And, thank you, Raven’s Brew, for giving me a full brand experience to “glow” about!

Filed under: Branding, Glows, Opinion , advertising, brand evangelist, Branding, customer service, Marketing

Need a Creative Outlet? Make a Zine!

The kind folks at OpenZine.com have put together a community website where members publish their own online magazine, or “Zine,” for all to see.  Once I got used to the controls, it was super simple to add photos and content.  Even if you don’t have all the content in mind when you begin, this site allows you to piece together relevant video, photo, and text content from other members and various locations relating to the topic in which you are interested.  And, all that available content is searchable, so it’s a snap to find, yay!  Don’t be shy, go over there and try it out.  And after you sign up, feel free to check out/subscribe to my first Zine as well - “Food is Love.  ( http://www.openzine.com/yelhsadesigns ) It was as fulfilling to create as it was to eat the food that I featured and discussed. So many Zines, so little time… Enjoy!

Filed under: New Media, Online Publishing , food is love, online magazine, Online Publishing, openzine.com, zine

One of the Worst EVER eMarketing Mistakes

Anti-relevance.  And, I know it’s not just me who thinks this!

I’ve long stressed the importance of relevance to the budding eCommerce designers, developers, and marketers I’ve managed. It’s what most online marketers now think of as common sense, especially with the advent of paid search and getting folks to what they are searching for at all costs.

One area where so many websites still drop the ball is once the customer gets to the site, regardless of how or why, they must even be taken to relevant pages WITHIN the site when clicking around.  Seems like that would make sense, yes?  However, so often, the homepage of a website will show a picture of a flashy, attention-getting product, but with NO WAY TO GET TO THAT PRODUCT.  As a consumer, if I see a picture that catches my eye, and that picture is clickable, I expect to end up at a page that contains that item, explains more about it, and/or allows its purchase.

Example:

If I were to click on the flaming pink guitar, you’d think I’d see it on the resulting page… but no.  It’s nowhere to be found.

category page:

resulting page:

So, food for thought when designers are putting together the page.  Just because an item is flashy and attention getting doesn’t mean it’s always the best choice for a teaser.  If it’s nowhere to be found for sale, it’s likely to generate more customer frustration than interest!

Filed under: Opinion, Rants, Usability, eCommerce , eCommerce, Marketing, online marketing, relevance, Usability