Author Archives: Alex George

Interview with a Social Media Star: Your Questions Answered!

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March 1, 2010 | 3:32 pm

Maddie Grant is the chief social media strategist and co-founder of SocialFish, a consultancy firm that teaches association professionals how to effectively use social media. Maddie and her SocialFish business partner, Lindy Dreyer provide social media strategy, marketing and training to clients like ASAE and the Center and the National Association for the Self-Employed. Maddie and Lindy provided valuable social media training to our team at Fixation last year, for which we remain incredibly grateful.

I often get the question "what’s the ROI for using social media?" How would you answer this question?
This is actually the "big question" that seems to be top of mind for everyone now that a lot of organizations have started using social media. In one sense, it’s like saying, "what’s the ROI of building relationships?" or "What’s the ROI of email?"–because social media is a way of communicating and interacting with stakeholders. Having said that, there can be defined and measurable results–but those results need to be directly tied to business and strategic goals. There needs to be a starting benchmark and deliberate tracking–as well as factoring in of indirect costs (staff time, overhead and resources) in order to really measure ROI–which I would say many organizations don’t do a great job of in general, not just for social media efforts.

I’ve heard several folks in the industry say that Twitter’s relevance to business is dwindling. How would you respond?
We believe that the core purpose of social media (including, of course, Twitter) is to build relationships and we’ve seen that work very successfully. If business strategies involve an understanding of that core principle, then Twitter is a fantastic way to reach people in an organization’s "ecosystem" and get to know them and what their needs are. If, on the other hand, Twitter is used merely to spam people with marketing messages without a care to fostering that community, then it’s not going to work for that business for very long.

What are 5 initial steps that an association professional can take to begin using social media tools right now?
The first step is always to "listen" on the social web–which means start using Google Alerts to search for brand mentions, industry terms, key people, etc. — to see what people are saying about you or your industry. You can do this, to some extent, without actually having social media profiles at all. Step two is to focus on the places where your people are, and start building a presence there. Step three is to begin building relationships by responding when appropriate to relevant questions, following discussions, answering feedback. Step four, start providing value by posting information people need. Step five, identify those champions (influencers in those spaces who care about what you care about) to help you grow your presence and community and take things to the next level.

Do you see practical applications for associations to use video and mobile applications? Do you agree that video and mobile will grow exponentially in the next year or so?
Ab-so-lutely!! Mobile is becoming huge across all industries–not just because of geolocation, which empowers local connections between people and businesses, but more fundamentally because devices like the iPhone are revolutionary in terms of changing how we want and expect to get what we need, in a very individualized way (e.g. each individual user downloads the apps that they want to use, so every individual phone is different. The Long Tail thrives on mobile!) And if we consider the Millennial generation (now entering the workforce in substantial numbers) and younger, these are people who do all of their communicating through mobile phones, which is changing the landscape of how we work (not tethered to a desktop, which means not tied to 9-5…) With regard to video, associations are definitely starting to see just how valuable it can be to add video to their arsenal of ways of communicating with members–it’s easy and attractive, and it’s humanizing, in terms of potentially giving some much needed personality to the "brand" they want to promote to their members.

Is there an association that in your opinion has done a really good job of using social media? If so, how and why?
Honestly we’ve seen many associations doing fabulous things. If I had to pick one, we often show the International Society for Technology in Education as a great example of an association conference home base site that aggregates lots of different social media activities–but really I think the beauty of social media is that much of it is all out in the open for everyone to find. I’d love your readers to check out the Association Social Media Wiki if they are looking for specific examples. I also had a really great series of interviews with association social media managers on the SocialFish blog, where people working for all types and sizes of organizations told us how they internally managed the social media management work.

Categories: Communication, Marketing, Social Media, Tradeshows | 1,297 views No Comments

Resolution: Listen in. Don’t be silent.

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November 20, 2009 | 1:43 pm

If an application was invented that would allow you to listen in on what your customers are saying about you and respond to their needs, wouldn’t you want it right now? Imagine how this insight would help you frame your company’s growth objectives for the new year. What if I told you that this application already exists and that it’s FREE to use, right now? Would you hesitate? You wouldn’t, right? Well, guess what? If you are not already utilizing Twitter to listen in and respond to your customers, then you are hesitating. So make a resolution as the new year quickly approaches. Commit to joining the Twitter community. Don’t make excuses. Don’t allow yourself to be overwhelmed by the technology. Don’t feel like you have to know what you are doing the minute you join. 

As you read this, you’re probably asking, what are the immediate benefits to participating? Well, below are a few…very simply put:

If you join the conversation, listen in and then respond, you begin to more fully understand your customers’ needs

If you understand your customers’ needs, you can more easily meet those needs

If you can more easily meet those needs, you strengthen your relationship with customers and they trust you more

If they trust you more, they’ll come to you more often and buy more of whatever you are selling

If they buy more of whatever you are selling, then your profits increase

If your profits increase, your company can grow and expand

If you feel intimidated or confused by what Twitter is and how to properly use it, the good news is that you are not alone. There are enough case studies out there now like this one that prove that businesses are using it to grow their brand awareness, communicate with customers and provide a higher level of service.

Ask for help. Ask Fixation for help. Ask a friend for help. Ask your kid for help. Whatever you do, don’t be silent any longer. Listen in and respond. The world of business-customer communication has changed. The shift isn’t happening. It has happened. Now is the time for you to get in the game, join the discussion, satisfy your customers and reap the benefits.

Contact me for some no-strings-attached, good-old-fashioned help.

Call or email me

Join our Facebook page and post your question(s) there

Find me on Linkedin 

Or, if you’re feeling super adventurous: Join Twitter, then follow me at Alex_fixation, then direct message me with your questions.

 

Categories: Communication, Marketing, Social Media | 2,200 views No Comments

Namaste

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November 6, 2009 | 3:57 pm

Let’s talk about the success story of my friend and fashionista extraordinaire, Kimberly Wilson, who has employed some excellent social and viral marketing tactics over the years to build her businesses. Kimberly is a self-described teacher, writer, do-gooder, entrepreneur and eco-fashion designer who founded Tranquil Space Yoga in Washington, DC in 1999. Today, Kimberly is also the author of two books, Tranquilista and Hip Tranquil Chick, a fashion designer with her own clothing line, TranquiliT, and runs the Tranquil Space Foundation which provides opportunities for women and girls to develop leadership skills through creativity.

I met Kimberly Wilson eight years ago when she was teaching my yoga class at Joy of Motion studio in Washington, DC. It didn’t take long for me and many other Joy of Motion students to become devotees of her classes. She taught a select number of classes there, but lucky for us, we quickly learned that she was teaching additional classes at her own studio called Tranquil Space Yoga.

10 years ago, when Tranquil Space was just getting off the ground, Kimberly’s strategy for attracting students was organic and authentic. She created buzz about Tranquil Space by wearing "Tranquil Space Yoga" t-shirts to the classes she taught around town. She patiently built her business, step by step, by relying on her students to spread the word. She posted flyers on community boards in coffee shops. She had a website that clearly outlined her philosophy, class schedule and "brand". And, ultimately, she put her money where her mouth was by providing an excellent service and product that filled the need of many DC urbanites that were looking for a creative, challenging and vibrant yoga practice to balance their busy city lives.

All of these tactics helped the studio to grow from a few classes with a few students a week in her living room to what it is today multiple studio locations in the Washington metropolitan area with more than 75 weekly classes and recognition as one of the 25 best yoga studios in the world by Travel + Leisure magazine. The studio has also been the springboard for Kimberly’s other business ventures.

Back then, Kimberly hit the ground running to spread the word about Tranquil Space Yoga. Today, she’s still doing that with help from a full-time staff and viral communication tools like Twitter, Facebook, a blog, and podcasts. Kimberly understands that when these tools are used authentically – to engage, to start a discussion, to provoke thoughtful awareness, to spark an inspiration, to share a success story – they can be effective for growing a community.

As marketing professionals, we sometimes get so excited by the functionality of new interactive tools that we forget to ask the crucial questions: why and how do we use these tools to engage our communities and get them excited about our products, services and events? We could all take a page from Kimberly’s strategy book in understanding how the universal rules of authenticity, engagement and delivering on your brand promise can equal success and growth regardless of whether you’re in the business of yoga or tradeshows.

Categories: Communication, Fixation in the Community, Marketing | 1,733 views No Comments

Are You Okay?

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July 31, 2009 | 9:48 am

It can’t be all work and no play. Learning experiences come from both. Following is a noteworthy vacation experience…

Last week, I was vacationing off the coast of Long Island, NY, near Ocean Beach. One morning while running on the boardwalk along the sand dunes, I nearly crashed into an elderly man. As I approached him at a running speed, I halted in reaction to what seemed to be some sort of SOS signal from him—both arms above his head, waving up and down. He was pushing a wheel barrel filled with grocery bags. I removed my headphones and said, "Hi, are you ok?" He put his arms down, smiled weakly and replied, "Yes, but I need you to lift my cart and help me home." I picked up the handle to his wheel barrel and began on an hour-long detour from the run I had planned. Along the way, he told me his name (Winthrop), age (82) and that his partner of 62 years had just died this past December.

We stopped at his friend Jack’s place to borrow his electric scooter. He scooted the rest of the way home and I trailed behind him pushing the wheel barrel, concerned he might run off the boardwalk. Finally, we arrived at Winthrop’s house in one piece. He removed the house key from around his neck and I helped him open the door and unload his groceries.

The end of the hallway opened to a large TV room with kitchen off to one side. Winthrop pointed to a gold-leafed box on a table, and said, "That’s Peter, my partner. Those are his ashes in there." Feeling a sudden, heavy wave of responsibility and concern, I asked, "Winthrop, do you have folks around here that check in on you regularly?" He said, "Oh sure, there’s Lorraine next door. She’s a pediatrician." I then noticed the dishes in his sink, a bag of overflowing trash and a plate of half-eaten food on a TV tray. He continued to assure me that he has a variety of neighbors with whom he interacts daily—neighbors who supposedly check in on him from time to time.

I felt compelled to offer him some immediate support—washed his dishes, took out his trash and tidied up a bit. I repeatedly asked him if he would be okay. He laughed it off and told me to get going. I scribbled down my number on a pad affixed to the refrigerator, but knowing my few days here would hardly be the solution to getting this man the sustained support he clearly needs. I momentarily shook off the guilt I felt by leaving him, said goodbye and continued my run. But his face and his words wouldn’t leave me. I kept hearing him say, "Oh yes, I have people who check in on me all the time." His SOS signal on the boardwalk and the state of his house told a different story.

Here I am back in DC tending to my "real" life while working to find a reliable line of support for my new friend. This experience has reminded me that everyone deserves support in whatever capacity they need it, but sometimes we wait until things are dire before asking for help. And sometimes, we can’t bring ourselves to ask at all. For those who have the power to help, we sometimes get so caught up in our own lives—acquiring, competing, advancing—we may not recognize when someone else is throwing out the distress signals. I was feeling guilty taking a vacation when things were crazy at work. But if I had cancelled my trip and not taken the time to stop and smell some roses, I would have missed the opportunity to meet Winthrop and help someone in need.

Categories: Fixation in the Community | 1,845 views No Comments