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When talking about Blogger Relations, I tend to address my advice toward medium-to-large companies. 

Most professional marketers have figured out that Social Media can no longer be ignored, thus any good-sized corporation is now expected to have the savvy and wherewithal to listen, learn, respond and engage with the blogosphere. 

Invariably, those companies that haven’t yet “figured it out” learn pretty quickly, once they fall victim to a blogstorm, as Target did a few months ago.  And, to the blogosphere’s credit, most companies that learn to kowtow after such errors are quickly forgiven, and often given kudos for their newfound belief in the benefits of direct engagement.

But for every Target or Dell, there are thousands of small businesses that a) don’t “get” blogs,

b) don’t have the resources or knowledge to deal with bloggers effectively, and,

c) don’t warrant enough attention from Google and/or the blogosphere to be able to “recover” their online reputation from even the smallest blogstorm.

Example:  Tiny Details.  This company “designs, manufactures and distributes dollhouse miniature display pieces made by home assemblers.”  (Insert your own pun about how “small” this company must be!)

Blogger Stephen Ward and his wife contracted with Tiny Details to assemble some dollhouse pieces from their home.  I am unclear on the exact details about “what went wrong” from his post, but if you scroll through it, what’s interesting are the two levels of response from Tiny Details.

At first, the Tiny Details response is spot-on:

“We’ve had more than 55,000 home assemblers since 1999. With that kind of volume, there are going to be people who are unhappy. Our complaint volume is extremely low given the volume of business that we do… Miniatures are not for everyone, that’s for sure… We’re not illegitimate as you seem to portray. In fact, I invite you to come visit our offices, store, and warehouse here in New York… I certainly don’t want anyone to leave angry – there’s no need for it… ”

But, because Tiny Details is a small company, and because Google is awfully friendly to blogs, Ward’s post soon became the 3rd-ranked search result for Tiny Details. 

That’s a tough pill to swallow for a small company: any amount of traffic, however small, could now shrink to a trickle as a result of this online reputation hit! 

Could that be why Tiny Details execs subsequently threatened legal action, in the form of a libel suit?

This (bone-headed, imho) move only led to more linklove – in the form of more negative publicity from bloggers. 

As blogger Simon Owens sagely suggested to me in an email,

“I think with the Long Tail effect of the internet, small businesses are affected by things like this perhaps even more than big companies, because blog posts about them are more likely to pop up on the front pages of Google.

“If I were to write a long rant about a bad experience with Target, unless it gets hundreds of inbound links it'll be buried under pages of search results. For small businesses, a single post can have a large negative effect.”

The message to small business owners: be careful Out There.  Google has a long memory.  Even a hiccup in your online reputation could have very long-lasting effects on your real-world business.

Posted by Todd Defren at 01:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

For a long time during this very long race, we stroked our collective chins in the study of how Social Media was being used by the campaigns of the various presidential candidates.  

For example, in addition to his MyBarackObama forums, Obama has a presence on sites ranging from Facebook (for the kids) and Eons (for the AARP set), to AsianAve and MyBatanga and Faithbase.  Clinton’s on fewer Social Media sites, but hits the biggies including Twitter, YouTube, and a nicely-done Flickr account.  McCain’s set-up his own “McCainspace,” etc. 

But, like Kaitlyn Wilkins of Ogilvy, to me the most intriguing example of how Social Media is impacting the campaign gets back to the grassroots nature of the medium.  After all, “Social Media” is about content creation and sharing, by the people, for the people. 

We can debate whether or not the efforts of a multimillionaire rock artiste like the Black-Eyed Peas’ will.i.am represent Social Media.  Many are turned off by the Hollywood hype surrounding his “Yes We Can” video.  But check out will.i.am’s candid explanation re: the evolution of his video (bottom-left nav, his “Dip-finition”): sounds to me like Social Media... he was torn between Obama and Clinton, beleive it or not.  But when he finally got inspired, he rounded up some friends and made it happen…

Usually this process would take months... a bunch of record company people figuring out strategies and release dates...interviews...all that stuff... but this time i took it in my own hands...so i called my friends sarah pantera, mike jurkovac, fred goldring, and jesse dylan to help make it happen...and they called their friends…and we did it together in 48 hours...and instead of putting it in the hands of profit we put it in the hands of inspiration...”

And this rock&roll guy is not alone.  When you have a minute, check out user-created efforts like:

• The Vote Different video – which probably counts as stirring the first Social Media flap of the campaign.
• ObamaGirl (hey, she started out as a lark!)
• I CAN HAZ HOPE? (oh, those crazy LOLcats.)
• HillaryIsMomJeans (15,000 submissions in its 1^st week!!)
• BarackObamaIsYourNewBicycle
• YouBama (this YouTube clone dedicated to the Illinois senator has received entries from notables including Craigslist’s Craig Newmark!)
• Hillary Speaks For Me (similar to YouBama)
• The satirical John.He.Is video (watch it right after watching will.i.am’s video at Dipdive!)
• The raw number of YouTube uploads dedicated to Clinton (65,000), Obama (90,000) and McCain (30,000).

Ogilvy’s Wilkins “(fears) to think what will happen when the back room politicos get caught up to speed” on the ways of Social Media and user-generated content.  She’s right that faux attempts at consumer-generated content could become the “astroturf” of Social Media.

But call me an optimist.  I’m not so worried.  What’s not authentic and touching will simply not “go viral.”  I trust the public to suss out the charlatans.  And meanwhile the impact of these grassroots efforts are creative and inspiring to see.

NOTE TO READERS:  My blog went screwy today.  Among other challenges, the last 2 posts had to be re-posted and I lost the comments, etc.  My apologies for any inconvenience, and even more so to those who were kind enough to leave their thoughts!  I will continue to work on restoring those comments! 

Posted by Todd Defren at 02:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

It’s conventional wisdom that Google figured out that Search was the Internet’s killer app.

But I think Google’s smarter than that.  I think Google’s figured out that the true killer app is, “location, location, location.”

In “search,” clearly “location” is a critical component.  That’s why SEO is a thriving business.  It’s all about getting on that first page of results, either organically or through AdWord campaigns.

But Google has been taking the location concept further recently.

Look at “mobile” – the mobile version of Google Maps offers functions such as Real-Time Traffic (based on your location), business listings (based on your location), satellite imagery (based on your location), etc.

Look at “realty” – this Real Estate Search blew me away when I first noticed it (screenshot above).  Type something like “boulder, co. real estate” into Google and you get an interactive map of the top listings (i.e., by location), which you can sort by distance (a.k.a. location), price, square footage, # of bathrooms, etc.  Luckily for Realtors, the links drive traffic to their sites.

You can do the same thing with any business of course, from a search for Starbucks stores in SF to a search for Burger King outlets in Boston.  Why go to the Starbucks.com store locator if Google does all the work for you, including step-by-step directions on how to get to the nearest caffeine fuel-stop, based on your current location?

Old: “Wherever you go, there you are.”

New: “Wherever you go, go with GOOG.”

What other industries are so dependent on “location” that they’ll soon be devoured by the Googleplex?

Posted by Todd Defren at 02:43 PM | Permalink

Lying on a beach always offers some much-needed perspective.  While “chillaxing” (my daughter’s word) in Puerto Rico last week, here’s a brief list of subjects that I didn’t think about:

Social Media, Facebook, Twitter, Blogging, Marketing, Tipping Points, Long Tails, etc.  Nope, none o’ that.

Instead, in-between pina coladas, I mused about the future.  How much longer do I want to work?  Where should my wife and I settle down, after the kids trundle off to college?  Where else on the map do I want to visit before I kick the bucket?  What are my biggest ambitions for SHIFT?

It’s important to know where you’re headed, and to also gain a clear perspective on what’s motivating you to get there.

I am sure that within a few days, I’ll re-engage with the Social Media sphere.  But for now I am actually enjoying this Blue Sky, Big World feeling.  The suntan will fade, but the path ahead will have been blazed a bit more clearly.

What do YOU dream about?  A log-cabin in the woods?  A beach house?  A trip to Egypt?  A million-dollar bank balance?  A houseful of grandkids?  A shiny new BMW?  World peace?

Do you have a clear goal?  Do you do at least one thing per day to help get you there?  What motivates you?

Posted by Todd Defren at 02:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Back on the 25^th.  Have a good week, blog buddies.

Posted by Todd Defren at 03:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Back in April 2007, Charlene Li of Forrester Research published a paper on “Social Technographics.”  In the paper, Forrester defined consumers by their levels of participation in Social Media channels.  The rungs of this stepladder-of-participation ranged from “Creators” (e.g., bloggers, video uploaders, etc.) to “Inactives” (this somnambulent sector represents over 50% of Internet users!). 

One step up from the Inactives were the “Spectators.” 

According to Li, Spectators may read blogs, watch YouTube videos, etc., but they don’t go so far as to join social networking sites.  They seem to be indiscriminate consumers, in the sense that they recognize some value from peer-generated content.

A good deal of modern marketers’ efforts tend to target Creators, in the hopes that their content (and ensuing buzz) will reach their true audience, the Spectators.  Creators are viewed as the influencers of the Spectators.  That’s often true. 

But …

How do you reach the Spectators when there are no relevant or interested Creators to reach out to, i.e., in a “neglected” market?

For example:  The Baby Boomers are now reaching retirement age.  That means that the WWII generation is now entering its twilight. And that means that plenty of Boomers are going to be “stuck” caring for their own children as well as their elder parents, with increasing frequency.  According to the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, between 2007 and 2015, the number of Americans ages 85 and older is expected to increase by 40 percent, and by 2020, 12 million older Americans will need long-term health care.

The people most affected by these trends are already desperate for solace and counsel, and their numbers will only grow.  But, most are Spectators.  Where can they go?  The thriving community at a site like Eons is tiny compared to the larger need; besides, Spectators don’t join socnets. 

While there are some good resources available online, virtually all are currently static, “1.0” sites that will only be found via a typical Google search.  Even where message boards are available, they tend to be scattershot, redundant, and/or the “authority” of the moderators is questionable. 

Meanwhile, the blogosphere appears to be very quiet on these issues.  (Why?  Cuz the folks facing these challenges are Spectators!  They are looking for content, not creating it.)

There is a major opportunity for a large healthcare provider, insurance agency, nursing home syndicate, etc., to create compelling, interactive, ongoing content that addresses this need.  Imagine the Thought Leadership potential for a brand that gets this right, just as the challenge is bearing down on an entire generation?

That doesn’t mean “create a new social network.”  Again: the Spectators don’t join social networks!

So how do you reach the Spectators?

• Find out where the Spectators are getting their information (and solace) today.
• Evaluate the quality of available content, resources, and interactivity.  Can you do better?
• Conduct an SEO Analysis – what keywords are being used most often?  Where do those links lead?  What kinds of questions are being asked, and how do you assess the quality of the answers (via Google and in those few relevant landing sites)?
• Start developing superior content and place it where Spectators are already congregating (singly and in groups). 
• For example: how about a YouTube page filled with 90–second “helpful tips” videos, on issues such as, “talking to your kids about ‘why Grandma is moving in,’” and, “how to convince your elderly parent that it’s time to hand over the car keys.” 
• YouTube is a GOOG property and ranks high in the algorithms, so a Spectator’s desperate search for answers on “Assisted Living,” “Home Healthcare,” etc., could quickly lead them to a branded YouTube channel.  
• Further syndicate the content by offering it to the online versions of mainstream media sites (in this case, AARP.com, etc.); to any bloggers who do start tackling the eldercare issues; and via Social Media Releases.
• Start a blog that showcases these content assets.  Become the advocate, the expert.  Provide the best-of-the-web (pictures, advice, stories, links) so that the Spectators who find the blog know that they need look no further for both content and a relevant, supportive community.

I’ve dreamed up a pretty specific example here, but I think the principles are sound in any niche where you need to influence the Spectators.  I’d love to hear about your thoughts and experiences…

Posted by Todd Defren at 03:26 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (1)

The folks at crayon have been engaged in a fun experiment this week with their client, Oovoo, an online video chat provider. 

It’s called “My OovooDay” – described on the splash page as “a week-long experiment in blogger to fan interaction. Notable bloggers from across the 'sphere will host interactive conversations on hot topics, facilitated by the multi-person video chat technology from our friends at ooVoo.”

Some of the bloggers who are participating this week include CC Chapman, Geoff Linvingston, iJustine, Chris Brogan, Connie Reece & Susan Reynolds, David Meerman Scott, Mitch Joel, Irina Slutsky, Marshall Kirkpatrick, Jeff Joe Jaffe, and many others.  (Schedule of conversations can be found on the sign-up page.)

I should note that I have not been a participant in any of these chats (maybe I’m an anti-social Social Media guy?), but, I have read many of the bloggers’ follow-up posts about the experiment, and was briefed on the program in advance by my friend, crayon’s Scott Monty. 

The good: Oovoo allows up to 6 people at a time to communicate in a real-time, private video chat.  So much of our interactions with our favorite bloggers are confined to reading their posts and commenting back-and-forth – which is intellectually stimulating but dry.  To be able to chat, laugh, ask good questions and follow-up instantly – while also getting a good sense for the blogger’s true nature – is a very “social” opportunity.  If you like the idea of getting 30–minutes’ worth of up-close time with a star blogger, definitely sign up for one of the remaining time slots.

(Obviously Oovoo’s experiment suggests that we extrapolate this functionality, i.e., “Wouldn’t it be fun to use Oovoo for video chats with farflung colleagues, vs. a mundane conference call?”)

The could-be-even-better:  I was disappointed to learn that I couldn’t watch any of the fun as a curious bystander.  These chats were (by technical necessity) private: only the 6 participants online interacted … behind a screen, in a sense.  It would have been pretty fascinating to watch bloggers interact “live and in-person” with up to 5 of their biggest fans (or foes)! 

Imagine how much more social such an event would be, if – as the 6 participants bantered – external viewers could comment in a public IM window to applaud, goad, and goose the live conversation?

Maybe next OovooDay.

(Photo courtesy of Len Kendall.)

Posted by Todd Defren at 01:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

I sincerely like most of the folks I meet from the major wire services.  But untangling their claims with regard to their Social Media capabilities has proven tough. 

Each service has made huge strides since we first released the Social Media Release template back in 2006, but each service has also taken slightly different routes in terms of functions and pricing.

More than one client has asked for our opinion about, “Which service is best for SMRs?” – and we’ve never had a consistent answer.  The market changes quickly, for one, and some wire services will work better than others, depending on the clients’ needs and budgets.

Still, it’s nice to have a checklist, eh?  A quick way to compare the claims?

You can now download SHIFT Communications’ handy PDF: a one-slide Guide to Social Media Release Capabilities Across the Major Wire Services.

We contacted representatives of each service to make sure we properly represented their offerings, though admittedly we did add a tinge of subjectivity (e.g., in terms of pricing).  You’ll note that we did not provide specifics on pricing, as “your mileage may vary” in terms of negotiating with the wires’ sales reps.

It’s also important to note that we’re not making any judgments here about the relative value of each service in terms of their distribution power.  PRNewswire and BusinessWire, for example, are the grandaddies of wire services and have many strategic partnerships in place that might make their overall offering more powerful, even if they don’t always match MarketWire and PRWeb in all-things-social.  These are issues that absolutely need to be considered and discussed amongst client, agency and wire service representatives.

Special thanks to our own Christopher Lynn, a stalwart SHIFT employee and star blogger at “SocialTNT.”  Chris did most of the research for this grid.  If you haven’t already, you should subscribe to his blog.  You won’t be disappointed.

And if you find these “Social Media Tactics” helpful, be sure to check out the “Jedi Training” section of this blog.  (Why not subscribe to PR-Squared while you’re at it?)

Posted by Todd Defren at 09:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (12)

You’ve been working out.  You’re feeling good.  You’re lookin’ good.  You put on a great outfit – it’s sure to turn heads.

But, you don’t get to decide which heads are turning.  In addition to gaining the attention of attractive prospects, you’re also going to gain notice among the trolls.  You’ve set out to be noticed and have no say about who will rise to the bait.

So it is with companies that decide to actively engage in Social Media.  They need to be thoughtful of the fact that the old filters are now dust. 

It used to be that consumers tried to impact brands via letter-writing campaigns, boycotts, etc. Note that these activities tended to be activist and negative: that’s because it took a concerted effort to gain any attention.  Thus, only the truly pissed-off gave it a go; happy customers tended to just keep quiet and go about their business.

But in the era of Social Media, everyone has a say.  This can be good or bad for the brand … it’s now just as easy for fans as enemies to get involved online.  Either way the brand has no choice in the matter: whether the brand manager participates in the conversation has little bearing on whether or not a conversation is going to happen.

Smart companies tend to decide it’s better to participate than not.  Returning to our opening analogy: some of these companies decide to get dolled-up for the conversation; they try to enter the fray with a strategy that turns heads.  Maybe it’s with a branded social-networking site; or a glitzy Facebook or MySpace page; or a swarm of freshly-minted community managers…

The problem with this approach is that it begs for immediate attention, and anyone who’s watched a blowhard burst into a cocktail party knows that some folks are attracted to the alpha personality, and some folks cringe with distaste. 

When you’re online, those reactions are instantly visible.  Some folks will applaud the big, noisy Social Media debut.  But some will carp about “what took you so long?” … “why so fancy-schmancy?” … “who the f** do you think you are?” … “who let the freakin’ marketers in?” … etc.

Are you ready for that kind of unbridled criticism?

This is not a call for brands to defer their entry into Social Media spheres.  I know that there are many large companies currently researching & developing plans for Social Media campaigns.  I applaud the enthusiasm. 

But, go slow.  Listen first.  Then, listen again.  Use free tools like BlogPulse to ascertain who’s talking about your brand and similar topics of-interest.  You may find that the Big Plan developed 6 months ago is no longer relevant, since this space moves so darned fast. 

Find out where your likely friends and skeptics are … figure out how their opinions & tone changed over the past few months … take an interest in what they talk about when you’re (ostensibly) not around. 

Figure out how you might add value to their communities, without expecting an immediate Return on Investment.  It may be anathema for a marketer to discount ROI considerations, but, it’s posionous to your plans if regular folks figure out that that ROI equation is all you truly care about.

It’s not about making an impression.  And it’s not about “impressions” in terms of website traffic.  It’s about making friends.  Friends who will tell you the truth – including how you really look in that hot outfit.

Posted by Todd Defren at 10:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Over the past weeks, we’ve been called on to discuss opportunities with Social Media by a handful of Fortune 1000 companies.

I’ve written previously about Big Brands who preferred to be the TOPIC of conversation vs. a mere participant.  But in these recent meetings – if anecdotes can be considered any kind of trend – I’ve noticed a different light in people’s eyes. 

These Big Brands would be absolutely thrilled to simply become a part of the conversation; to be welcomed to the community.  One person we met with stated that a specific goal of an outreach program would be “to no longer be seen as a faceless corporation.”

Each of the people in my recent slate of meetings seemed eager, curious.  Each enthused about opportunities to use their vast resources of content and personnel to add value to online communities.  It’s been a refreshing week: like watching your kid’s eyes light up at the sight of a butterfly.

Part of our role as an agency will be to guide our new friends into this world of edgework.  We don’t want them to stumble forward and squish the butterfly in their eagerness. 

Just as importantly, we’ll remind these Big Brands to worry about the potential reactions to their outreach.  Even the best intentions might be met with a sneer of indignation.

When it comes to butterflies, you need a light touch.

Posted by Todd Defren at 09:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

There’s a pall over Boston, thanks to the Patriots’ loss in the SuperBowl.  The lack of “zing” around here – combined with an outrageously hectic schedule – seems to have sapped my blogging powers.

So, I just wanted to quickly comment on the SuperBowl & Twitter. 

Ordinarily I’d have gone to a buddy’s house to watch the game, but this year I needed to work on a monster presentation all weekend.  I sat on my bed with the trusty laptop while watching the game, and had a “private” SuperBowl party with scores of like-minded geeks on Twitter.

Cheering & groaning over plays.  Cheering & groaning (more often the latter) over the advertisements.  Teasing.  Laughing.  Geeking out over Iron Man movie previews.  It was the next-best-thing to an actual party.

Some clever blogger wrote about this same experience, and noted that the Twitterati during SuperBowl Night were akin to an opt-in market research group.  While that’s true, I was just there for the kinship.

I think we can safely call last night the dawn of The TwitterBowl.  Not sure what I’ll be up to next year for the game, but if I can’t make it to my buddy’s place again, I’ll certainly consider firing up the laptop for companionship during TwitterBowl II.

Posted by Todd Defren at 04:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)