Turning lemons into lemonade in social media - is that even possible?  The American Red Cross proves that it is.

With the influx of social media usage, we are all too familiar with the story of a rogue tweet.  For example, we’ve seen a community manager accidently updating a professional account with personal information, sarcasm not quite jumping across the 140 characters, and a business not understanding how to use the channel.  But according to the American Red Cross, this doesn’t have to lead to the social media #fail blog.

Don’t believe us?

Check out what @RedCross did on Twitter recently.

First, a social media specialist tweeted this:

Obviously not what the American Red Cross wants to tweet. Immediately the Social Media Director received a number of emails and quickly deleted the post. 
What happened next?  From past examples of business blunders, we’d think @RedCross would be scorned for such a tweet, but that wasn’t the case.
Quickly the American Red Cross tweeted this:

Did they really tweet a joke in response to that?  This is an impressive way to spin the conversation around, @RedCross. Kudos!

Furthermore, in the spirit of this tweet, beer brand @dogfishbeer perpetuated the positivity, generating donations for the American Red Cross using hashtag #geetngslizzerd.

What!? An extremely positive result to a potentially disastrous tweet? Who would have thought?

Based on recent history, we would definitely say “no,” but this example proves otherwise.  I’m extremely impressed with the foresight of @RedCross to put up that tweet.  This is a great example of how social media continues to evolve and surprise.  If you have a community manager that sends a “rogue” tweet, learn from this and turn lemons into lemonade.

Facebook has done it again: an update. But unlike previous updates, this one was a complete fan page overhaul.

As a business using Facebook fan pages, you probably liked quite a few features already:

•    Longer updates that include thumbnails, links and insights to views.
•    The option to add new customized tabs to look more like a webpage.
•    The chance to develop your own custom applications for more consumer click throughs and interaction.
•    The ability to easily share information from your website to Facebook through consumer updates and simple social plug-in installs.

The possibilities for marketers to reach their consumers on Facebook seemed endless. Then you realized your marketing was limited to Facebook advertising and your fan page, giving you no chance to interact, browse or use Facebook like a user does.

That large negative is no more.

Facebook now allows pages to interact across Facebook.  That is, the admin of the fan page can now surf Facebook as the page and “like” other pages, or the admin can be distinguished from the page and comment on their own fan page.  (Before the admin used to always be attributed to the page so they couldn’t comment on the page at all.)  How companies utilize this increase in interaction will be interesting to monitor in the coming months.

Facebook fan pages now resemble profile pages more so than the ‘traditional’ fan pages we are used to.  With the same updated photo viewing across the top of the wall, smaller profile picture and the tabs being moved to the left-hand column, you’d be hard pressed to know you’re on a fan page at first glance.

Facebook has once again given marketers an overwhelming reason to use their platform to market and connect with consumers.

We believe this is a great opportunity for businesses to become more engaged on Facebook.  Twitter has always been the platform for direct customer interaction, and now Facebook has inherited this ability plus the option to customize your page.  We’ll learn what will become the ‘social norm’ for fan pages.  Facebook will always continue to evolve over time, but this is the first major overhaul to fan pages in quite some time, and the new functionality is a true game changer.  As with updates, it will take time to see how this shapes Facebook for marketers moving forward, but we are excited to see the transformation and can’t wait to interact more with our fans on Facebook!

Social media, mobile marketing, digital marketing, blogs and cross-channel Integration – all of these are buzzwords you hear on a daily basis from the marketing industry; but it’s what you make of them that’s important. 

Today at Digital Cement we went through a creative exercise for a campaign and started talking buzzwords.  The conversation quickly went to specific examples of great social media, mobile and digital campaigns – I’m sure we can all name a few – but what does it take to enjoy the same successes?  To make a splash it’s about paving your own way, creating compelling creative and cultivating a story that is different from the rest.

Marketers are often told, “We went to a conference and we need to integrate the brand in more digital channels. Do it.” This is a bit of a daunting task, and you may start by checking out past campaigns and competitors’ profiles. In the end, you just need to get it done and it often happens with no real planning. Unfortunately each channel has their own set of ‘unwritten rules’ and we’ve all heard of the companies that crashed and burned, especially on social media!

I believe that when buzzwords are thrown around it’s not a matter of looking at campaigns, it’s a matter of taking what you have to offer and making it the best within the channel you choose.  Don’t jump on the social media train because everyone else is, don’t build an app when you don’t need to and definitely don’t fall for a buzzword that doesn’t mean anything to your brand.  Go to the channel that you’ll succeed in, or do the proper research to understand where your brand or company fits in.  Listen, learn and create within that channel to make yourself memorable to everyone.

Buzzwords have been around for ages. At one time, they included “radio” and “television.” Channels have changed, message delivery has changed and being more direct and interactive takes center stage.

What recent buzzword has caught your attention and why?

Cheers!

We've seen the Oscars, the Grammys, the Tonys, even the Daytime Emmys but no awards show season would be complete without the inclusion of the Brickies!

Last night Digital Cement let loose, noshed and celebrated the 2nd Annual Brickie Awards.  This is our night to acknowledge the extraordinary efforts, special talents and hard work of our co-workers.

This year's awards included The Mister Bright Side - which went to our 'eager beaver' project manager Marc Boileau for his amazing personality, work effort and true passion for the industry - and the Octopus Award - given to our application development manager,  Alina Stanca for her ability to multi-task like no one's business.  Twelve awards in total were given out, with one being a team honor for our creative team.  To see their handy work check out, www.digitalcement.com and the fantastic fun buttons!  The night was a smashing success and we're already looking forward to the 3rd Annual Brickie Awards!

Snapshots from the evening:

"Pre-dinner/awards fun"

"The Team Award - Equipped with a Uni-Cat!"

"Enjoying the night out!"

"Our Mr. Bright Side"

"The beautiful awards all hand painted by Joyce"

"Post Award Ceremony Chatter"

Thank you to all who organized the event!

Cheers,

Jill

When many businesses look into using social media they try to find the "big idea" or find a new way to promote their business, but to be successful they don't have to.  I am a social media specialist, but I am also a consumer who uses the channels available to me to talk to the brands and companies that I have questions for - this is a common use of social media by consumers.  I don't expect anything earth shattering, if I have a question I don't need anything free, just answers.  Recently I had an exchange with the Twitter handle @Overstock, and I could not have scripted it better myself.  The person in charge of this account helped and answered my questions beyond my expectations.  See for yourself:

There are so many posts available telling businesses how to build a social media presence and make it successful.  Yes, you do need to learn the tools, but like this example and many others - do what you do best as a company and stand out that way.

Thank you Overstock.com for a great customer service experience!

Cheers,

Jill

Five years ago, when I was the editor of strategy magazine, I spent a lot of time writing about how the consumer was control—and how marketing departments had to evolve to reflect that new reality.

The basic view was that technology had made marketing more democratic, given the consumer a voice and brought more transparency to every conversation. At the time, there were few companies that were actually engaging and encouraging consumers to co-create messaging for their brands.

That was before Facebook came on the scene. Today, 14 million Canadians are signed onto the social networking site—and counting. The majority of marketers realize they need to be in the space, but they might not be entirely clear on how to facilitate brand-consumer interactions.

The first step is for companies to recognize consumers view brands as their own property. Here are some other tips:

•    Respect the space. Allow conversations to happen naturally. Don’t remove posts unless absolutely necessary; doing so will just turn consumers off.
•    Refresh often. If you’re using Facebook, you need to post daily to get maximum exposure and keep consumers engaged. This means you won’t be able to pass every word through the legal department.
•    Be timely. Make the content relevant, by tying into current events, or asking compelling questions that lead to fun or interesting conversations.
•    Speak like a “friend.” If you’re on Facebook, you already know how friends interact. Your brand needs to establish a similar conversational tone, without trying too hard or straying too far from your brand’s character.
•    Be flexible. You can plan all your posts in advance, but be open to having them rewritten along the way.

Finally, take advantage of the medium’s versatility and affordability to be experimental. Try new things, surprise consumers, have fun and learn from your mistakes along the way.

-Lisa

Picture yourself sitting down with someone and having a nice conversation over coffee.  Next imagine walking into work every day and seeing the same stranger yelling random messages to you that obviously mean something to them, but not you.  If I had to choose, coffee it is! 

This situation happens across social media channels constantly, and it’s a marketers’ choice as to which experience to give.  Since 2008 social media has become something a business can’t ignore—their brands are already being discussed in this space, so it makes complete sense to join in the conversation. But how to join in remains the million-dollar question. 

So as a marketer, do you recreate the coffee shop atmosphere or do you simply yell your message a certain number of times per day?

In the world of social media marketing, I hope you choose to recreate a coffee shop atmosphere.  Marketing in this space is about conversations, building relationships & sharing valuable knowledge with all your friends, fans, followers etc.  The notion of broadcasting is not welcome in this space and marketers who try typically learn this lesson quickly.

Social media is now a major component to many marketing plans, as it’s a valuable tool when used properly.  Think about it, where else can you talk to hundreds of people at once on a personal level?  To gain traction, build a trusted following and make a lasting impact, communication must take place on a one-to-one level. 

When messages are broadcast it’s all about you.  Instead of telling the social media space how good you are, give them information (news, offers, sneak peeks and more) that they can’t refuse.  Make your message about them, benefiting/enriching their lives, instead of just a quick sale.  Building trust and loyalty in a consumer base starts there regardless of the medium.

Social media is still very new and marketers will stumble, but start on the right foot by building great conversation instead of just noise.

What is the best example you’ve seen of a company building a conversation, not yelling, in the social media B2C or B2B space?

Cheers,

Jill

Twitter? Facebook? YouTube? LinkedIn? Wordpress? Blogger? MySpace? Trust me, there are MANY more social channels available. So, how do you sift through the options to find out what will work for you? 

First, ensure you are committed to a social media presence. The worst thing a company or brand can do is dive in too quickly and then leave a graveyard as a presence. It is a time commitment, but a worthy time commitment. Your consumer or users rely on social media as a place to connect with you and get feedback, so don’t leave them high and dry.

Now, the important part: Deciding which channel is right for you.  Many options are available, but not all of them are a good fit. The best way to start the decision process is to research each channel and LISTEN.  Ensure that your company or brand is being discussed on this channel.  Verify that it is worth the time commitment to build a presence there.  Outlining where you belong, and what your capabilities are, makes this decision easier, because it will help you find the right space for your company or brand. 

Once you’ve decided on a channel, create a plan specifically for that channel.  Your content, links, tone or any actions are monitored by your consumers and it must be aligned with you brand philosophies. At the same time, you need to emphasize what you want to get out of the channel(s).  The goal is to be human and be there, but still be professional. 

It takes time, energy and commitment, but social media is a great resource for any company as it has continued to skyrocket in popularity over the past two years.  Don’t miss the chance to get into the channel that is right for you and build deeper conversations and relationships with your consumer.

At Digital Cement, we’re all about creating and nurturing those relationships. As the social media girl, I’m here to help facilitate that through social media.  I’ve developed a system to help any business gain a social media presence and can work with them to generate traction, interest and conversation.  Feel free to contact me at Digital Cement anytime as I’d love to dive deeper into this conversation with you.

Cheers,

Jill