Marketing is focused on getting people to notice brands and behaving in a favorable direction. So, how can this be accomplished?
Research psychology has defined a framework called ABA (applied behavioral analysis). It is simple and effective. Any situation can be viewed and modified using this framework to generate real and measurable results.
The first step is to identify the behavior that you want. Then look at the real life context of this behavior as it is happening at the moment. Consider these three sequential components
The Antecedent
Think of this as a signal for the behavior to occur. Examples of antecedents on the web include basic links, display ads, headline titles and Twitter/Facebook posts.
The Behavior
After the antecedent, of course, comes the actual behavior. Desired online behaviors include clicking on links, making purchases, sharing content, commenting etc.
The Consequence
Behaviors need to be reinforced. This is the most important part of ABA. It can make or break what you are trying to accomplish. Consequences need to be rewarding in ways that matter to the individual. Also they need to be provided on a regular basis. This is the only way to get desired behaviors to occur with greater frequency.
Examples of consequences: the acquisition of helpful or valuable knowledge, feeling recognized, the discovery of an ideal product, service or connection.
Using ABA
These concepts are deceptively simplistic. But don't be fooled. Understanding these concepts on a mental level is completely different from applying them in real life strategies. Every encounter that customers have with your brand should be positively rewarding and meaningful in ways that are important to them. Every one of these instances cultivates an ongoing a mental and emotional association with your company.
This is why regular content and conversations through social media matter are important. They provide more opportunities for audience members to interact with your brand. But it is up to you to determine what elements are reinforcing for the people you are targeting and to provide this on a consistent basis.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Oliver Peoples Online
Oliver Peoples is one of those brands that I've always been familiar with, but never paid much attention to. This changed when I came across their online presence.
I follow them on Twitter and came across a link to one of their videos explaining how to select the right frames for different face shapes.
I think it is important to note this video. It provides viewers with a personable, interactive experience, while showcasing the product. This is quite different from a more direct sales driven approach of just displaying the items along with their prices. It's inviting, not pushy.
Another video features Elijah Wood and Shirley Manson in an artsy vignette which highlights Oliver People's eye wear in ways that are subtle and charming.
In addition to their videos, Oliver Peoples has a lifestyle blog which engages the viewer much like a glossy magazine.
Blogs and videos are very simple solutions available to everyone. One of the take away lessons we can learn from Oliver Peoples is that the difference is in how well they are executed. The end result should make people want to stick around.
I follow them on Twitter and came across a link to one of their videos explaining how to select the right frames for different face shapes.
I think it is important to note this video. It provides viewers with a personable, interactive experience, while showcasing the product. This is quite different from a more direct sales driven approach of just displaying the items along with their prices. It's inviting, not pushy.
Another video features Elijah Wood and Shirley Manson in an artsy vignette which highlights Oliver People's eye wear in ways that are subtle and charming.
In addition to their videos, Oliver Peoples has a lifestyle blog which engages the viewer much like a glossy magazine.
Blogs and videos are very simple solutions available to everyone. One of the take away lessons we can learn from Oliver Peoples is that the difference is in how well they are executed. The end result should make people want to stick around.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Tool verus Solutions- An Illustration
One of my previous posts discussed the difference between tools and solutions. Again, there are the tools themselves. And there is the result of using these tools. I thought it would now be fun to illustrate this distinction. Understanding concepts is a completely different experience from seeing actual examples.
Pencils
Pencils are cheap. They are readily available. Most of us think of them as a tool for writing. But they can also be used for drawing too.
Anyone can create this.
But what about something like this?
(image courtesy of jamesjean.com)
The Piano
Of course, the piano is considered an instrument, not a tool. But nonetheless, it is something that requires skill.
Beginners start off learning simple tunes like Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. With practice and a sincere passion for music, it may be possible to sound more like this.
Social Media
There are countless examples beyond the ones I gave above. But I didn't want to let this post get too long. The lesson is this.There's more to the advanced levels than just technical prowess. It takes imagination and inspiration to come up with results that make us go, "wow!"
Back in February, I wrote about a company called Threadless as an example of a social media campaign to learn from. They harness the power of collaboration with their customers to create products that sell.
And if you follow my tweets, you will also learn about other successful campaigns. Cultivating the intangible in an extraordinary way is how you get the most out of tools and instruments. It's an inner game.
With this said, I'd like to leave you with a quote by Spike Humor, a speaker, author and consultant.
Pencils
Pencils are cheap. They are readily available. Most of us think of them as a tool for writing. But they can also be used for drawing too.
But what about something like this?
(image courtesy of jamesjean.com)
The Piano
Of course, the piano is considered an instrument, not a tool. But nonetheless, it is something that requires skill.
Beginners start off learning simple tunes like Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. With practice and a sincere passion for music, it may be possible to sound more like this.
Social Media
There are countless examples beyond the ones I gave above. But I didn't want to let this post get too long. The lesson is this.There's more to the advanced levels than just technical prowess. It takes imagination and inspiration to come up with results that make us go, "wow!"
Back in February, I wrote about a company called Threadless as an example of a social media campaign to learn from. They harness the power of collaboration with their customers to create products that sell.
And if you follow my tweets, you will also learn about other successful campaigns. Cultivating the intangible in an extraordinary way is how you get the most out of tools and instruments. It's an inner game.
With this said, I'd like to leave you with a quote by Spike Humor, a speaker, author and consultant.
"Great things come to great people who create great value."
Monday, June 7, 2010
Upgrade Your Social Strategies By Understanding Network Theory
You might already be familiar with the book by Albert-Laszlo Barabasi, Linked: How Everything is Connected to Everything Else (2003). He explains that the fundamental principles behind network growth and maintenance are universal. These principles are at work, not only in social media, but also in technology and the natural world as well.
Understanding these principles will help you make effective decisions for your social media strategies.
The basics of network theory are quite simple.
Components
Networks are made of nodes. Nodes can be thought of as people. In social media, they would include our Twitter followers, Facebook fans etc. When nodes connect, they form clusters or hubs. The entire network is held together by the connections (i.e.interactions) between the nodes.
A collection of non-interacting nodes does not constitute a network.
Strong Networks versus Weak Networks
Strong and weak networks are defined by the number and strength of their connections. Strong networks have lots of strong connections among members. Weak networks can have lots of weak connections.
Weak networks, made of casual connections with many individuals, yields more value to members because more information can be shared. (i.e. the strength of weak ties, Granovetter 1973). In other words, it's more advantageous to be connected to lots of people who aren't necessarily your closest, dearest friends.
Check out these links if you'd like to explore more details:
The Value of Influencers
In network theory, certain people (nodes) are more influential than others. As influencers, they are connected to lots of other people. Familiar examples might include mom- bloggers, celebrities and high profile organizations. These types of individuals add immense value to networks. Not only do they have large audiences, but also their messages have a higher degree of impact on their followers.
What this all means
Building a network of people around your brand or idea is a way to build loyalty and trust. People are more likely to be receptive and share your messaging.
Forming a network is not solely about collecting numbers of followers, fans and friends. As we learned from network theory, connectivity is what drives value.
Network building is more dimensional in nature as opposed to the linear strategy of aggregating quantity x to yield outcome y. It's like building a house ( a three dimensional form), where you are proactively constructing a desired environment. A home is one example of an environment. But it can also be thought of as a set of conditions that fosters particular outcomes. In social media, having the right set of conditions will enable positive outcomes such as word of mouth dynamics and conversions.
Simplicity and Strategy
Network theory is deceptively simple. The fundamental ideas are easy to grasp. The real challenge lies in the actual creation of thriving networks, which is contingent on interaction. Strategic actions might include:
Numbers and marketing are always going to be inseparable. I'm not saying that you should spend your entire work day aimlessly socializing online. However, there needs to be a balance between quantitative goals and qualitative strategies that contribute to overall brand growth.
Understanding these principles will help you make effective decisions for your social media strategies.
The basics of network theory are quite simple.
Components
Networks are made of nodes. Nodes can be thought of as people. In social media, they would include our Twitter followers, Facebook fans etc. When nodes connect, they form clusters or hubs. The entire network is held together by the connections (i.e.interactions) between the nodes.
A collection of non-interacting nodes does not constitute a network.
Strong Networks versus Weak Networks
Strong and weak networks are defined by the number and strength of their connections. Strong networks have lots of strong connections among members. Weak networks can have lots of weak connections.
Weak networks, made of casual connections with many individuals, yields more value to members because more information can be shared. (i.e. the strength of weak ties, Granovetter 1973). In other words, it's more advantageous to be connected to lots of people who aren't necessarily your closest, dearest friends.
Check out these links if you'd like to explore more details:
The Value of Influencers
In network theory, certain people (nodes) are more influential than others. As influencers, they are connected to lots of other people. Familiar examples might include mom- bloggers, celebrities and high profile organizations. These types of individuals add immense value to networks. Not only do they have large audiences, but also their messages have a higher degree of impact on their followers.
What this all means
Building a network of people around your brand or idea is a way to build loyalty and trust. People are more likely to be receptive and share your messaging.
Forming a network is not solely about collecting numbers of followers, fans and friends. As we learned from network theory, connectivity is what drives value.
Network building is more dimensional in nature as opposed to the linear strategy of aggregating quantity x to yield outcome y. It's like building a house ( a three dimensional form), where you are proactively constructing a desired environment. A home is one example of an environment. But it can also be thought of as a set of conditions that fosters particular outcomes. In social media, having the right set of conditions will enable positive outcomes such as word of mouth dynamics and conversions.
Simplicity and Strategy
Network theory is deceptively simple. The fundamental ideas are easy to grasp. The real challenge lies in the actual creation of thriving networks, which is contingent on interaction. Strategic actions might include:
- reaching out to more influencers
- becoming an influencer
- combining offline and online tactics (e.g. events)
- enhancing the level of your offerings (giving people more to share and talk about)
Numbers and marketing are always going to be inseparable. I'm not saying that you should spend your entire work day aimlessly socializing online. However, there needs to be a balance between quantitative goals and qualitative strategies that contribute to overall brand growth.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
How to Come Up With Great Content Ideas
Great social media campaigns provide quality and engaging experiences for audiences on an ongoing basis. This is different from just shoving out (whatever) messages to as many people as possible.
Providing these ongoing and engaging experiences requires creativity. My last post was about social media being more of an inner game. Creativity is certainly a part of it.
Creativity can seem like a daunting, unattainable, fleeting quality to some. Others might feel strange or intimidated if they have never thought of themselves as being creative. I've seen people get pretty competitive and egotistical over it, as in, "who's the most creative of all?" Creativity is not a source of power that puts you ahead of everyone else. As kids all of us had easy access to it. It's the conditioned adult mind that covers it up.
For now, let's just focus on your campaign. If you are interested in coming up with fresh, ever evolving material practice these tips.
Brainstorming
Brainstorming is a great way to access ideas that normally don't occur during the course of your regular day. There is no right or wrong way to do it. This is why I am noting the points below in bullets as opposed to numbers.
I personally like to use blank sheets of plain paper. But if you'd like, you can use a journal instead.
- Clear your mind of any thoughts and feelings centered on obligations (e.g. I have to come up with the greatest ideas and insights in order to be successful at this, or I am just going to get this over with)
- Write your question or focus at the top. Don't pressure yourself to come up with great ideas. Simply jot down whatever comes to mind, no matter how unconventional or strange it may seem. Many times little epiphanies don't even have words attached to them. They occur as little blips of insights that you need to translate into words. These are often more valuable than actual statements that come to mind.
- Pay attention to how these ideas feel to you in your gut. Do they feel like something that has been rehashed from another source? Do you experience a strong sense of conviction about them? It's important to really be genuine and honest about how these ideas genuinely feel to you.
- Put away your paper or journal and let the ideas marinate in your subconscious. Revisit the ideas again the following day and again, see how these ideas and insights feel. You may come up with a flurry of other enhancements and new possibilities. It's really important to refrain from judging yourself or feeling fearful and constrained by other people's opinions (i.e. "what will they think).
- Practice jotting down ideas and revisiting them as many times as you can. The more you do this, the easier the process will become. It's really important to go back to what you have written down so that you can see it with fresh eyes and make any refinements and adjustments as needed.
- Enjoy the process. Try to put yourself in the exploratory frame of mind of being a kid as opposed to an adult trying to get to the next level. The more you can put yourself in this flow, the better the results will be.
Use the tips in the above to create new material for your campaign. As you'll notice, my second bullet was about clarifying and writing down your focus. For your social media objectives, ask yourself what your audience would genuinely be interested in hearing or knowing about. New media is a two way dialogue, as opposed to just pushing sales driven messages.
Go ahead and practice the brainstorming tips above. See what ideas come about.
Another angle you can take is to go through your saved bookmarks and links. Write down, or note what qualities you liked about these materials. Are they humorous? Unique? Daringly honest? Ask yourself how you can incorporate these qualities within your own content strategies.
Maybe even start a compilation of links and sites you don't like. Practice what you preach and use these insights in your own campaign.
Alternatively, you can also note all the links you chose to share with your friends or associates. What was it about this material that compelled you to do this? Does your existing content reflect these qualities?
Practice, Practice Practice!
If this all seems new to you, you might feel a great deal of resistance to these suggestions. The practice of brainstorming may frustrate the heck out of you. If this is the case, just put away whatever you've written. The important part happens each time you revisit your ideas and continue to refine them and align yourself with your gut instincts.
Commitment
Don't just keep these ideas in the back burner. Incorporate them into your work process. Turn them into tweets, blogs, videos, podcasts, or whatever outlet you feel is important. You might find it necessary to schedule out your ideas. And once they are out, brainstorm some more!
Monday, May 10, 2010
The Inner Game of Social Media
I think most of us know how fun it is to go online, post or share content and connect with others who share our interests.
If you really look at those who are successful at building actively engaged audiences, it's pretty evident that they truly enjoy what they do. Social media gives them a chance to share their perspective. They can show others who they are and what they do best.
The other day, I posted a tweet about how some of the most recognizable names that we hear on the internet are actually kids- like Justin Bieber and Tavi from Style Rookie.
Kandee Johnson is a popular make up artist on You Tube. She joined You Tube in January 2009. As of now, her videos have received 41,611,838 views. And she has 255,950 subscribers.
In the grown up world, we think of mom bloggers as examples of powerful influencers Marketers love to connect with them because they have a lot of engaged followers and they are able to invest time in quality posts.
On the business side, the question is always, how can we build a massive audience of loyal "users" and be able to monetize these efforts?
With the examples I gave above, I don't think these people really approached social media from the same angle as business professionals. I just can't see them fretting obsessively over their ROI and traffic stats on a daily or weekly basis.
What is common to all of them is that they are passionate about specific areas of interests and enjoy sharing what they do. And if you don't like the examples I gave, by all means, feel free to pick your own. Either way,you will notice the same dynamic as well. Top online influencers invest most of their time and energy on their interests, with the sincere desire to share this with others.
Harnessing the power of social media for business brands would not follow the same dynamic through stringent and overly organized efforts (I'd like to emphasize the word "overly." While being systematic and organized is a good thing, going to extremes can be stifling). The results are often artificial and contrived.
As much as people love to think that social media successes are the exclusive result of having the coolest, most sophisticated technology around, I will take the stand that social media is ultimately more of an inner game, where you need to harness the fun energy and balance it within a business framework.
Unless you are in a position of not having to worry about finances at all, you still have to create an organized system of action to channel your passions and interests in a given area. Being able to tap into the joy of wanting to share, create and communicate is something that is not easy for many people to accomplish at will. Oftentimes, the fears of not being able to meet certain goals and objectives becomes the driving force of many social media campaigns.
If you really look at those who are successful at building actively engaged audiences, it's pretty evident that they truly enjoy what they do. Social media gives them a chance to share their perspective. They can show others who they are and what they do best.
The other day, I posted a tweet about how some of the most recognizable names that we hear on the internet are actually kids- like Justin Bieber and Tavi from Style Rookie.
Kandee Johnson is a popular make up artist on You Tube. She joined You Tube in January 2009. As of now, her videos have received 41,611,838 views. And she has 255,950 subscribers.
In the grown up world, we think of mom bloggers as examples of powerful influencers Marketers love to connect with them because they have a lot of engaged followers and they are able to invest time in quality posts.
On the business side, the question is always, how can we build a massive audience of loyal "users" and be able to monetize these efforts?
With the examples I gave above, I don't think these people really approached social media from the same angle as business professionals. I just can't see them fretting obsessively over their ROI and traffic stats on a daily or weekly basis.
What is common to all of them is that they are passionate about specific areas of interests and enjoy sharing what they do. And if you don't like the examples I gave, by all means, feel free to pick your own. Either way,you will notice the same dynamic as well. Top online influencers invest most of their time and energy on their interests, with the sincere desire to share this with others.
Harnessing the power of social media for business brands would not follow the same dynamic through stringent and overly organized efforts (I'd like to emphasize the word "overly." While being systematic and organized is a good thing, going to extremes can be stifling). The results are often artificial and contrived.
As much as people love to think that social media successes are the exclusive result of having the coolest, most sophisticated technology around, I will take the stand that social media is ultimately more of an inner game, where you need to harness the fun energy and balance it within a business framework.
Unless you are in a position of not having to worry about finances at all, you still have to create an organized system of action to channel your passions and interests in a given area. Being able to tap into the joy of wanting to share, create and communicate is something that is not easy for many people to accomplish at will. Oftentimes, the fears of not being able to meet certain goals and objectives becomes the driving force of many social media campaigns.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Tools and Solutions Are Two Different Things
"Social media innovation will no longer be limited by technology. We will see a move to leverage existing assets, turning information to wisdom and insight to action."- ReadWriteWeb on trends for 2010.
Technology is cool. It has created numerous new possibilities for us. However, let's keep in mind that these innovations are just tools. Tools are good. But skill is even better.
In the area of social media, many professionals are enchanted by fancy technology. Before they even have an audience, they are wondering how they can track and measure conversations around their brand. Before they have a real bona fide community around their brand, they are looking at what implementations would really pimp their social network.
Losing sight of the big picture is not the best scenario. I've seen many instances where clients spend a fortune on the technological side of their marketing and have no budget left for a solid marketing campaign. A few months down the line, they are crying and upset that their plans are not going in the direction they intended.
Tools and solutions are two different things. Besides social media, I also love music and art. Being able to play or compose riveting music and art pieces requires passion, skill and talent. Anyone can buy a piano or violin. Anyone can buy a paintbrush and a paint set. But its skill and the desire to produce quality performance that drive these tools and instruments.
Going back to the world of social media, it's important to think about how technology can be used to help deliver quality messaging about quality offerings. If you really think about it, social media itself is really just a tool to help brands reach their audience. It cannot replace the need to evolve your offerings and create effective messaging. If you are not excited about your brand and how it's different from everyone else selling the same product or service, then no one else will be either.
A while ago, I wrote a post titled after the book, In Search of the Obvious. The list of quotes are a great place to start thinking beyond the scope of just having technology and actually turn insight into action.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Conversions & ROI: Creating Baseline Metrics
As a marketing professional, people ask me questions like, "How many unique visitors do you think you get me in a month," or "How many sales will you be able to generate?" Being the truthful person that I am, these types of requests put me at a loss for words because reliable figures take time to generate.
My last post was about the challenging issue of predicting ROI and conversions. Again, these types of metrics can be viewed as a way to assess the performance of what has already been done. This is obviously different from wanting to know what will happen during the course of your campaign.
Reporting and analysis during the beginning stages should be focused on collecting solid baseline data. Baselines are used in science research. They can be thought of as snapshots which tell you about the average level of performance for a specific part of your campaign. For example, you would have a baseline for Twitter and a different one for Facebook.
Wordnetweb.princeton.edu describes the concept of baseline as, "an imaginary line or standard by which things are measured or compared."
Getting reliable "snapshot" data requires that you collect information on numerous instances. More is better. For example, if you are trying to determine the average number of Facebook fans acquired per month, it's better if you had data for 18 months as opposed to 2.
So if your campaign did exceptionally well during the first two weeks, it's silly to use these numbers to gauge your success for the next two months. I'm sure this sounds really obvious. But a lot of people do this. Looking at large spans of time will only serve to help you in the long run.
Once you establish solid baseline figures, you can measure the performance of any new advancements or additional components to your campaign.
Because my original background is in science, it's natural for me to see how basic practices in research design would have a fitting role in marketing. I was thrilled when I found this article which outlines a very practical method for measuring your ROI.
http://www.stayonsearch.com/how-to-measure-social-media-roi
This is definitely a post to not only bookmark, but to use as well.
My last post was about the challenging issue of predicting ROI and conversions. Again, these types of metrics can be viewed as a way to assess the performance of what has already been done. This is obviously different from wanting to know what will happen during the course of your campaign.
Reporting and analysis during the beginning stages should be focused on collecting solid baseline data. Baselines are used in science research. They can be thought of as snapshots which tell you about the average level of performance for a specific part of your campaign. For example, you would have a baseline for Twitter and a different one for Facebook.
Wordnetweb.princeton.edu describes the concept of baseline as, "an imaginary line or standard by which things are measured or compared."
Getting reliable "snapshot" data requires that you collect information on numerous instances. More is better. For example, if you are trying to determine the average number of Facebook fans acquired per month, it's better if you had data for 18 months as opposed to 2.
So if your campaign did exceptionally well during the first two weeks, it's silly to use these numbers to gauge your success for the next two months. I'm sure this sounds really obvious. But a lot of people do this. Looking at large spans of time will only serve to help you in the long run.
Once you establish solid baseline figures, you can measure the performance of any new advancements or additional components to your campaign.
Because my original background is in science, it's natural for me to see how basic practices in research design would have a fitting role in marketing. I was thrilled when I found this article which outlines a very practical method for measuring your ROI.
http://www.stayonsearch.com/how-to-measure-social-media-roi
This is definitely a post to not only bookmark, but to use as well.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
The Reliability of ROI's and the Scientific Process
http://sociallogic.blogspot.com/2010/04/conversions-roi-creating-baseline.htmlMost of us are aware that the issue of predicting conversions figures like ROI, for example, is a tricky one in social media marketing. Clients obviously want to make wise investment choices. And in this economy, no one wants to throw money out the door. Marketing professionals obviously want to win projects and are pressured by the need to provide assurance on the value of their time and efforts spent.
Making quantitative assessments requires the obligation of providing valid and reliable predictions. Understanding why it is tricky to promise conversions and ROI during the initial planning stages of a campaign can be explained by understanding the scientific process.
We depend on scientists to tell us valid information. A knowledge of basic research concepts will help us make better decisions in social media marketing.
Multiple, Interacting Variables
Before I elaborate further, let's think about how conclusions are derived in the scientific world.
1. You have an independent variable. This is whatever is conjectured to cause a specific effect.
2. You also have a dependent variable. In simple terms, think of this as the label for the results that you are testing.
In other words, the independent variable is supposed to cause the dependent variable to occur.
In a controlled experiment, you can only test one variable at a time. If you have several variables occurring, you would not be able to conclude that the results were caused by a specific factor.
Campaigns occur in the real world, not in controlled settings. There are too many variables interacting with each other.
The success of Twitter campaigns, for example, depend on factors like
During the course of a campaign, other variables and dynamics often occur. Although a marketing specialist can have extensive experience with a particular vertical, they also have to take into account their client's individual characteristics as a brand. There is no point for a brand to be exactly like everyone else. They have to differentiate themselves in order to survive. These points of differentiation introduce other variables into the picture.
Repeatable Testing
Large numbers of people are necessary to form valid reliable conclusions. Are you going to make global strategic conclusions based on a group of 20 people? Or would it make sense to utilize knowledge based on hundreds or thousands of members in your target audience
Scientific conclusions are founded on numerous tests on large numbers of subjects to ensure reliability. Sometimes a result occurs due to chance. Repeating experiments is necessary to rule out chance occurrences.
Campaigns can be tested and measured to some degree (e.g. display ads). However the market, for the most part is dynamic and in constant motion, as opposed to static and predictable.
Establishing quantifiable parameters around a given marketing campaign is not an impossible feat. A lot of thoughtful consideration needs to be done to form any type of conclusion that is reliable.
* Now that you are aware of the challenges of predicting ROI and conversion figures, here is a solution.
Making quantitative assessments requires the obligation of providing valid and reliable predictions. Understanding why it is tricky to promise conversions and ROI during the initial planning stages of a campaign can be explained by understanding the scientific process.
We depend on scientists to tell us valid information. A knowledge of basic research concepts will help us make better decisions in social media marketing.
Multiple, Interacting Variables
Before I elaborate further, let's think about how conclusions are derived in the scientific world.
1. You have an independent variable. This is whatever is conjectured to cause a specific effect.
2. You also have a dependent variable. In simple terms, think of this as the label for the results that you are testing.
In other words, the independent variable is supposed to cause the dependent variable to occur.
In a controlled experiment, you can only test one variable at a time. If you have several variables occurring, you would not be able to conclude that the results were caused by a specific factor.
Campaigns occur in the real world, not in controlled settings. There are too many variables interacting with each other.
The success of Twitter campaigns, for example, depend on factors like
- The quality of a brand's offerings
- The popularity of a brand's offline presence
- Whether or not a brand is natural social part of our culture. (i.e. do people talk about toothpaste and paper towels?)
- How well the Tweets are written
During the course of a campaign, other variables and dynamics often occur. Although a marketing specialist can have extensive experience with a particular vertical, they also have to take into account their client's individual characteristics as a brand. There is no point for a brand to be exactly like everyone else. They have to differentiate themselves in order to survive. These points of differentiation introduce other variables into the picture.
Repeatable Testing
Large numbers of people are necessary to form valid reliable conclusions. Are you going to make global strategic conclusions based on a group of 20 people? Or would it make sense to utilize knowledge based on hundreds or thousands of members in your target audience
Scientific conclusions are founded on numerous tests on large numbers of subjects to ensure reliability. Sometimes a result occurs due to chance. Repeating experiments is necessary to rule out chance occurrences.
Campaigns can be tested and measured to some degree (e.g. display ads). However the market, for the most part is dynamic and in constant motion, as opposed to static and predictable.
Establishing quantifiable parameters around a given marketing campaign is not an impossible feat. A lot of thoughtful consideration needs to be done to form any type of conclusion that is reliable.
* Now that you are aware of the challenges of predicting ROI and conversion figures, here is a solution.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
"How To" Advice: When There is Too Much Of It.
Headlines that offer to advice on how to do something to make your life better are very catchy.
Don't get me wrong. I like advice. I like to give advice and consider the helpful information of other people. I'm all in favor of people making efforts to improve and do better.
Advice is an attention getter. It implies a promise to help make our lives better. And this is what causes us to immediately respond.
It makes us feel good when we've read through the information. But do we ever really follow through and implement a new plan of action based on this new knowledge?
If the advice was something that we actually searched for, then I would say yes. But if the advice was something that we stumbled upon, it's easy to just leave it on the back burner, even though it offered helpful insight. It becomes easier to collect information than it is to implement it.
I've been through this many times before. I feel guilty when I don't take action to change something or move to the next level.
This is a perpetual cycle for a lot of people. The best way to address it is to really make a commitment to continuously evolve ourselves and our work. We can make the choice to be one of those people who reads a lot and overly indulges in the intellectual aspect of it. Or we can make the choice to make real changes happen.
Just as metatags help in web development, metacognition is something we can use to manage the information we come across on a day to day basis. Metacognition involves having thoughts about thoughts.
- 10 Ways To Monetize Your Social Network
- How to Use Customer Insight to Improve Your ROI
- Smart Tips on Reducing Clutter in Your Home or Office
- 4 Mistakes You Should Never Make In Your Marketing Campaign.
Don't get me wrong. I like advice. I like to give advice and consider the helpful information of other people. I'm all in favor of people making efforts to improve and do better.
Advice is an attention getter. It implies a promise to help make our lives better. And this is what causes us to immediately respond.
It makes us feel good when we've read through the information. But do we ever really follow through and implement a new plan of action based on this new knowledge?
If the advice was something that we actually searched for, then I would say yes. But if the advice was something that we stumbled upon, it's easy to just leave it on the back burner, even though it offered helpful insight. It becomes easier to collect information than it is to implement it.
I've been through this many times before. I feel guilty when I don't take action to change something or move to the next level.
This is a perpetual cycle for a lot of people. The best way to address it is to really make a commitment to continuously evolve ourselves and our work. We can make the choice to be one of those people who reads a lot and overly indulges in the intellectual aspect of it. Or we can make the choice to make real changes happen.
Just as metatags help in web development, metacognition is something we can use to manage the information we come across on a day to day basis. Metacognition involves having thoughts about thoughts.
- So the first thing to do when we find information that we plan to use is organize it. Create folders in your bookmarks list and organize all the links that you plan to revisit. If its a loose piece of paper, punch holes in it and save it in a binder. If you are reading a book, underline what is most relevant to you. And even take steps to type up an actual workable list for yourself that you will revisit as many times as needed.
- Then instead of trying to tackle the entire list, ask yourself which piece of information is most directly relevant to an issue that you are trying to solve in your life. It's usually best to go with your first instincts as opposed to your rationalized thoughts.
- Most importantly, commit this information to paper and stick it on a corkboard or tape it somewhere so that you won't forget about it. Try to mentally see how this piece of information applies to you or your project. And again, commit this to paper so that you will remember to actually implement this new piece of information.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Threadless- A Social Media Campaign to Learn From
When people first start to consider social media as part of their marketing efforts, the first thing they think of is "money." This is natural tendency of course. But thinking of dollars every minute throughout the duration of your campaign will only stifle it instead of moving you towards increasing returns.
A healthier perspective is to ask yourself, "how can I interact with my market and build a stronger relationship with my customers?" A name and a logo don't give people a strong enough reason to choose one company over another. A personalized engagement is. Aren't you more likely to choose a company whom you've had a positive personal interaction with. Or would go with one because you liked their name, logo and tagline?
"People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But they will never forget how you made them feel." I used this quote in another post by Maya Angelou. But since it is an important lesson to keep in mind, I thought to include it again.
Threadless is an example of a company who executes social media successfully by prioritizing quality interactions above everything else. In case you are not familiar with the name, they are a youth culture T-shirt company that lets their target market participate in designing and voting for shirts. Here is a video with Bob Nanna of Threadless.
As you can tell, their social campaign is quite thoughtfully done. It's a great example that illustrates how returns will follow with consistent quality engagement.
A healthier perspective is to ask yourself, "how can I interact with my market and build a stronger relationship with my customers?" A name and a logo don't give people a strong enough reason to choose one company over another. A personalized engagement is. Aren't you more likely to choose a company whom you've had a positive personal interaction with. Or would go with one because you liked their name, logo and tagline?
"People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But they will never forget how you made them feel." I used this quote in another post by Maya Angelou. But since it is an important lesson to keep in mind, I thought to include it again.
Threadless is an example of a company who executes social media successfully by prioritizing quality interactions above everything else. In case you are not familiar with the name, they are a youth culture T-shirt company that lets their target market participate in designing and voting for shirts. Here is a video with Bob Nanna of Threadless.
As you can tell, their social campaign is quite thoughtfully done. It's a great example that illustrates how returns will follow with consistent quality engagement.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
What Marshmallow Can Teach You
Success is largely determined by one's ability to delay gratification. This applies to just about any endeavor. Being the kind of person who likes to observe things, I noticed that social media and online marketing are no exceptions.
The Marshmallow Test & Delayed Gratification
Walter Mischel, a Standford psychologist, conducted a delayed gratification study in the 1960's on a group of kids. He gave each of them a marshmallow. They were told they could earn another one for being patient, if they refrained from eating it (for 20 minutes) until the instructor came back.
Some of the kids ate their marshmallow right away. Others resisted their impulse and waited. Mischel followed up with both groups 14 years later.
The kids who immediately ate their marshmallow were described in these later years, by parents and teachers as "stubborn, prone to envy and easily frustrated." (fitzvillafuerte.com)
The kids who waited were "more self-motivated, educationally successful and emotionally intelligent." (fitzvillafuerte.com) They even scored higher on their SAT's. You can read more details about their career success as adults in newyorker.com.
Here is a reproduction of the marshmallow test
Gratification Delay and Online Marketing
There are 2 ways to acquire new business/ traffic. Please note, I am not saying that one is better than the other. I am just saying that there are 2 routes for marketing. Ideally, both should be done for optimal results.
1. short term tactics
2. long term tactics.
Patience for number 2 is obviously needed.
The Short Term Path
Examples of short term tactics include:
Short term tactics give you fast results. But guess what? They are done by practically everyone. Eventually, these do hit a point of diminishing returns. When you rely too heavily on them, you lose opportunities to develop and differentiate your brand. In the eyes of your target market, you are just a name in a sea of comparative companies.
The Long Term Path
What I call long term tactics are those things that strike most companies as frivolous, fluffy, nice to haves. Upon first impression, they seem like a waste of time. But they are all ways to present unique philosophies & perspectives. And they allow you to entertain, engage and develop quality relationships that motivate brand loyalty, greater visibility and recognition.
These are things like:
When done correctly with the needs of customers fully in mind, these kind of strategies build valuable sentiment. I can just imagine some readers vehemently resisting this concept. What does touchy-feely, sentiment have to do with business?
Well I've already broken one of the rules of blogging, which is to keep posts short. So I will just present a quote by Maya Angelou which sum up the answer really well.
I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
In the eyes of prospective customers, users, members etc, do you want to be remembered or forgotten?
Again, I am not saying you should ditch all short term marketing strategies. They just need to be balanced out with the foundation building that long term strategies require. When you reach the point of diminishing returns, there will be no need to worry if you've laid the groundwork for increasing returns to come your way.
On this final note, here are more words of wisdom by Maya Angelou.
"All great achievements take time"
The Marshmallow Test & Delayed Gratification
Walter Mischel, a Standford psychologist, conducted a delayed gratification study in the 1960's on a group of kids. He gave each of them a marshmallow. They were told they could earn another one for being patient, if they refrained from eating it (for 20 minutes) until the instructor came back.
Some of the kids ate their marshmallow right away. Others resisted their impulse and waited. Mischel followed up with both groups 14 years later.
The kids who immediately ate their marshmallow were described in these later years, by parents and teachers as "stubborn, prone to envy and easily frustrated." (fitzvillafuerte.com)
The kids who waited were "more self-motivated, educationally successful and emotionally intelligent." (fitzvillafuerte.com) They even scored higher on their SAT's. You can read more details about their career success as adults in newyorker.com.
Here is a reproduction of the marshmallow test
Gratification Delay and Online Marketing
There are 2 ways to acquire new business/ traffic. Please note, I am not saying that one is better than the other. I am just saying that there are 2 routes for marketing. Ideally, both should be done for optimal results.
1. short term tactics
2. long term tactics.
Patience for number 2 is obviously needed.
The Short Term Path
Examples of short term tactics include:
- email marketing
- pay per click
- SEO
Short term tactics give you fast results. But guess what? They are done by practically everyone. Eventually, these do hit a point of diminishing returns. When you rely too heavily on them, you lose opportunities to develop and differentiate your brand. In the eyes of your target market, you are just a name in a sea of comparative companies.
The Long Term Path
What I call long term tactics are those things that strike most companies as frivolous, fluffy, nice to haves. Upon first impression, they seem like a waste of time. But they are all ways to present unique philosophies & perspectives. And they allow you to entertain, engage and develop quality relationships that motivate brand loyalty, greater visibility and recognition.
These are things like:
- regular blogging
- team brainstorming
- white papers
- quality, personable networking
- professional photography
- thoughtfully produced video content
- feedback gathering to evolve your offerings
- podcasts
- social network tools, community building etc.
When done correctly with the needs of customers fully in mind, these kind of strategies build valuable sentiment. I can just imagine some readers vehemently resisting this concept. What does touchy-feely, sentiment have to do with business?
Well I've already broken one of the rules of blogging, which is to keep posts short. So I will just present a quote by Maya Angelou which sum up the answer really well.
I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
In the eyes of prospective customers, users, members etc, do you want to be remembered or forgotten?
Again, I am not saying you should ditch all short term marketing strategies. They just need to be balanced out with the foundation building that long term strategies require. When you reach the point of diminishing returns, there will be no need to worry if you've laid the groundwork for increasing returns to come your way.
On this final note, here are more words of wisdom by Maya Angelou.
"All great achievements take time"
Friday, January 15, 2010
Peppermint Bark and the Social Experience
During the first week of January 2010, I had my very first taste of peppermint bark. I'm not a big fan of candy canes, so the idea of peppermint+ bark was not particularly appealing to me.
But it seemed like I was seeing it everywhere. Martha Stewart has a recipe for making this yourself. And as with all her projects, she showed a really pretty picture of the final product on her website. Every time I went to Trader Joe's I saw the boxes of peppermint bark on the shelves.
So over this past week, I decided to take the plunge and try the one by Trader Joe's. I've never been so wrong about a candy in my life! I am absolutely in love with peppermint bark right now.
(image courtesy of houseoffowler.com)
In fact, I was so enamored with Trader Joe's peppermint bark that I decided to Google it. Lo and behold, a lot of other people were also inspired to talk about peppermint bark online (particularly Trader Joe's versus the William's Sonoma version)
Here is a partial list, in no particular order
1. Waterowl.blogspot.com
2. Chowhound.chow.com
3. Typetive.com
4. Gothamist.com
5. Epinions.com
6. TraderJoesfan.com
7. Gigi-Reviews.blogspot.com
Heck. Even Amazon sells Trader Joe's peppermint bark. ($14.95 looks pricey. But you are getting a lot of peppermint bark)
Lesson of the day
If anyone is still asking about how they can get people to talk about their product online, the answer is to make it good and worth talking about.
When I was on LinkedIn, a title caught my eye, "Are You Creating Evangelists?" What a question! Most people...and this even includes major corporations will reluctantly admit that the answer is no. It's so easy to get caught up in short term seemingly urgent details. And we brush aside the things we need to do to create brand advocates. Rochelle Moulton, the author of this post, gives some great advice on how to do this.
I doubt that the people behind Trader Joe's sat around and asked how they could create evangelists. More likely than not, they were just concerned with providing quality food products & trusted that people would be happy to spread the word. Without direct effort, they got like me to be their evangelist! The other day I did some tweets about their baklava.And today I am publishing this blog about their peppermint bark.
This is just one example. It may not apply in this exact form to every business. It might be best for you to make deliberate efforts to create brand advocates as Rochelle Moulton suggests.
Regardless of what industry you are in, you need to make deliberate efforts to make your customers happy.
If you are not sure what to do, reach out and get direct insight from them.
But it seemed like I was seeing it everywhere. Martha Stewart has a recipe for making this yourself. And as with all her projects, she showed a really pretty picture of the final product on her website. Every time I went to Trader Joe's I saw the boxes of peppermint bark on the shelves.
So over this past week, I decided to take the plunge and try the one by Trader Joe's. I've never been so wrong about a candy in my life! I am absolutely in love with peppermint bark right now.
(image courtesy of houseoffowler.com)In fact, I was so enamored with Trader Joe's peppermint bark that I decided to Google it. Lo and behold, a lot of other people were also inspired to talk about peppermint bark online (particularly Trader Joe's versus the William's Sonoma version)
Here is a partial list, in no particular order
1. Waterowl.blogspot.com
2. Chowhound.chow.com
3. Typetive.com
4. Gothamist.com
5. Epinions.com
6. TraderJoesfan.com
7. Gigi-Reviews.blogspot.com
Heck. Even Amazon sells Trader Joe's peppermint bark. ($14.95 looks pricey. But you are getting a lot of peppermint bark)
Lesson of the day
If anyone is still asking about how they can get people to talk about their product online, the answer is to make it good and worth talking about.
When I was on LinkedIn, a title caught my eye, "Are You Creating Evangelists?" What a question! Most people...and this even includes major corporations will reluctantly admit that the answer is no. It's so easy to get caught up in short term seemingly urgent details. And we brush aside the things we need to do to create brand advocates. Rochelle Moulton, the author of this post, gives some great advice on how to do this.
I doubt that the people behind Trader Joe's sat around and asked how they could create evangelists. More likely than not, they were just concerned with providing quality food products & trusted that people would be happy to spread the word. Without direct effort, they got like me to be their evangelist! The other day I did some tweets about their baklava.And today I am publishing this blog about their peppermint bark.
This is just one example. It may not apply in this exact form to every business. It might be best for you to make deliberate efforts to create brand advocates as Rochelle Moulton suggests.
Regardless of what industry you are in, you need to make deliberate efforts to make your customers happy.
If you are not sure what to do, reach out and get direct insight from them.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
The Spirit of Engagement
Social Media & Common Sense
Some things in life happen through the right attitude or spirit. Remember when Jack Skelington used equations to analyze and figure out the Christmas spirit in Nightmare Before Christmas? Pretty silly isn't it? Check out 9:30 in the video clip below.Likewise, analysis can only get you so far when it comes to social media. Many people really miss the point when it comes to engaging online audiences. It has become needlessly complicated.
Getting people to talk about your brand does not result from sheer technical prowess. And nor should it happen automatically just because you've built an awesome site.
Believe it or not, there are a lot of people out there who seem to believe this. Maybe this is what happens when money and projects are at stake.
The Business of Online Marketing
Professionals in social media have a strong need for measurable parameters to forecast outcomes. This is understandable though.
Business is a serious game. But it doesn't need to be that serious, especially if it makes brands less appealing to audiences. And formalities shouldn't result in rigid overly conventional practices. If they prevent "outside the box" thinking, it's time to restructure outmoded & ridiculously linear ways of doing things.
Providing Experiences
Engaging your audience is about capturing their interest. And just as you can't come up with a formula for capturing Christmas spirit, you can't come up with a formula for online engagement.
Yes you can look at behavioral data to see what types of content get the highest numbers. But anyone can do this. But if you don't care about the quality of your selection, then no one else will either.
Behavioral data can be used as a general gage to see what your audience is interested in. Take this information and add your own personal touch. Then honestly ask yourself if this is interesting to you. And ask others for help as much as you can for their feedback.
If this sounds fluffy, think again. Social media is about sharing and being social.
With methodology aside, the spirit behind online engagement is about providing fresh and exciting experiences to audiences. All of us are inspired to share and talk about web content that is striking to us in some fashion.
So why not provide the same quality to your own content? Why not become focused on providing great experiences for people who come to your site? Either find a way to do it yourself, or get someone to do this for you.
Sound Advice
In my last post, I created a list of Jack Trout quotes. I think a few of them are relevant here.
- Common sense is your guide
- Research can obscure the obvious. A flood of data should never be allowed to wash away your common sense and your own feeling for the market
- When presented with a simple obvious strategy, many clients are not impressed. They are often looking for some clever, not so obvious idea.
You'd be a complete fool to ignore them.
What Does Psychology Have To Do With Social Media?
"Psychology is the study of the mind, thought, feeling and behavior"-Wikipedia
My major in college was Psychobiology. For the purposes of this blog, I am not going to talk about biology. But I'd like to discuss different topics in Psychology and how research in this area matters for social media.
Sure, there are many supposed experts in this social sphere. But does their collective knowledge represent all that ever needs to be known about harnessing the mysterious (I'm being facetious) powers of social media?
It surprises me that research findings in Psychology have yet to really interface with the realm of social media. This does take place to some extent. But applying academic research does not seem to be common practice.
Basic Questions in Psychology
The area of psychology is divided into branches. There basic inquiries are very much relevant to online marketing campaigns.
- Cognitive Psychology: How people solve problems, think, remember, forget and utilize language.
- Perceptual Psychology- How people make sense out of the information they come across
- Social Psychology- "How people think, influence and relate to one another." (socialpsychology.org)
- Psychology of Behavior-What causes people to behave in a certain way?
- Psychology of Learning- How people learn. What factors optimize learning experiences?
Why Research Findings Are Useful
Research experiments involve large numbers of subjects. Therefore the findings are not whimsical guesses. Statistics are used to determine whether or not the outcome of these experiments are due to chance or the variable in question. These two factors help ensure that conclusions are reliable. Reliable conclusions allow us to make predictions on a broad range of situations.
Being familiar with research literature is extremely useful if you want to make better decisions with social media strategies, instead of falling for various myths.
A Realistic Look At Your Offerings
What are you offerings and how are they being communicated to your audience?
Think this a ridiculously simply question?
You know what you provide. But your brand perception is your perspective. Other people might see your brand in a completely different way. These are your customers. So it does matter how your brand is represented in their minds.
It is not always easy to see your brand with fresh eyes. Getting honest feedback from other people and using this information to develop your brand will be worth the effort.
Here is a list of four basic questions for you to seriously consider in planning out your strategy for product development and marketing strategies. To make this list work for you, start writing down your answers on a piece of paper and take note of any areas where you become stuck. You might be surprised at what an eye opening experience this is.
Product development and marketing are often thought of as completely separate departments. But let's look at this realistically. If your offerings are weak, marketing will not work. Don't think that smoke and mirrors can disguise a poorly developed product. This might have worked somewhat in the past. But with the internet, everything is quite transparent. Your customer's best interests are in your best interest. On the web, word of mouth marketing and social media can work for or against you.
Think this a ridiculously simply question?
You know what you provide. But your brand perception is your perspective. Other people might see your brand in a completely different way. These are your customers. So it does matter how your brand is represented in their minds.
It is not always easy to see your brand with fresh eyes. Getting honest feedback from other people and using this information to develop your brand will be worth the effort.
Here is a list of four basic questions for you to seriously consider in planning out your strategy for product development and marketing strategies. To make this list work for you, start writing down your answers on a piece of paper and take note of any areas where you become stuck. You might be surprised at what an eye opening experience this is.
- What exactly are your offerings? Does your product benefit others? Does it make things easier? More enjoyable? Does it solve a particular problem?
- Do your offerings have a differentiated edge? If all your competitors offer what you do, then why should your market audience choose you?
- How well does the average person in your target audience understand what your product is about and how it can benefit them?
- Is the language in your marketing material convoluted & wordy? Are the benefits clearly communicated?
Product development and marketing are often thought of as completely separate departments. But let's look at this realistically. If your offerings are weak, marketing will not work. Don't think that smoke and mirrors can disguise a poorly developed product. This might have worked somewhat in the past. But with the internet, everything is quite transparent. Your customer's best interests are in your best interest. On the web, word of mouth marketing and social media can work for or against you.
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