Archives for July 2011

Advisory: Google Begins Booting Brands

Much has been said about marketing on Google+. Both of us have been intentionally conservative about marketing on the new network due to a statement from Google+ specifically asking business and brands to wait until it formalized its business offering. This offering is rumored to include an open API for applications and data usage. Yesterday, a confirmed report from KCET-TV in LA surfaced that Google+ community managers are enforcing the brand “no fly zone.”

To date, ABC News Radio, LAUNCH and Boing Boing have all been removed, or have voluntarily taken down their Google+ profiles. In the face of complaints about brands being unceremoniously dispatched, community managers have indicated that Google+ will focus on optimizing community interaction between people first.

Both Bonsai Interactive and Zoetica represent real brands, corporate and nonprofit. We are posting this advisory to provide clear guidance for our clients and network on how to approach Google+ during this interim phase:

1) Do not invest in formal brand marketing on Google+. As we have seen, Google+ is now policing its network and you risk losing your entire time investment. Further, until the business offering is created by Google, no one really knows how corporations and nonprofits can successfully navigate this new social network. In essence, until Google+ for business is released efforts are likely to be all for naught

2) Do experiment on Google+ and learn how the network works using your personal profile. It’s too soon to formally say that Google+ will be a significant consumer network, but with reports of 18 million followers and growing, momentum indicates the network is succeeding. Further, as demonstrated by its policing of the network, Google is clearly focused on community first. Becoming knowledgable through participation on Google+ is prudent at this point.

3) Be wary of marketing services firms and individuals who are seeking paid fees for Google+ marketing insights. Again, per the first point, no one really knows how to market on Google+. Investing financially in Google+ is not a good use of resources until finite offerings are available. Ethically speaking we would not charge our clients for advice and strategies in the face of such uncertainty.

Google+ is starting field trials with brands in the immediate future. As Google works through the kinks and formalizes its offering, it is a great time to become comfortable with the social network.

Many of our fellow bloggers are openly sharing their insights and learning together in a fashion we have not seen in years. Enjoy this time, friends. This kind of new social network launch is unprecedented.

Update 21 July 2011 11.41am: NBC News is the latest to remove their Google+ profile.

image: Sean MacEntee
image: KCET-TV?

Debunking Popular Myths of Social Media

Social media is many things to many people. For some, it’s a core part of their overall business and marketing strategy. For others, it’s a key player in driving traffic to their blog. For others, it’s a new toy they’re just beginning to play with. And for some, it’s about as interesting as pond moss.

So, lots of uses and definitions, depending on who you speak to.

Yet there is one area where all the definitions can come together and agree on, and that’s the area of social media myths. The claims from people that should know better, either for a hidden agenda or a lack of foresight.

So, here are a few social media myths that we can probably all agree are out-of-date thinking at best, and dangerous advice at worst.

Social Media is Free

Bzzzzt (insert noisy buzzer sound here). This one’s been doing the rounds for a while now, and still seems to pop up, even though everything points to the complete opposite. So let’s make it simple – social media is not free.

Yes, the tools are free (unless you have the premium version of these platforms). And, no, not everyone will be looking at the cost investment from the example linked to above.

But even if you’re a small business user or solo entrepreneur using social media to help raise awareness of your brand through interaction, you have to invest a serious amount of time for any traction to begin. So take whatever salary you give yourself, deduct the man hours you put in by the financial cost of this, and that’s the bare minimum of how much social media is going to cost you.

Add to that any advertising on the likes of Facebook Ads and LinkedIn Advertising, and then how you’re going to integrate all your online stuff into your everyday marketing and promotion, and the costs start to add up.

Sure, you can bootstrap your way around social media – but free it ain’t.

Social Media Levels the Playing Field

One of the pros of social media, according to many of its most vocal proponents, is that it levels the playing field. This comes from the viewpoint that it allows the consumer – who never had much of a voice before – to air their grievances in a far more public forum, as well as have access to leading players at these brands.

The belief is that this now means the brand is no longer in control, and the little guy is now the giant. And it’s true – social media does allow the consumer to be a bigger part of the business decisions being made.

Yet there’s also the flip side for businesses. A lot of social media purists will say that small businesses and solo practitioners can compete with the huge corporations and the big agencies, because the tools are the same for everyone.

Except they’re not. A corporation with a $10 million budget for research, strategy, implementation and measuring is going to have a heck of a lot more at their disposal than a small business with $10,000 to play with. And then the scale factor comes into play – can a one-man band (or even a two or three-man band) monitor and respond to social interaction the same way a dedicated team of fifty can for the bigger guys?

The simple answer is no. So, yes, social media can level the field somewhat – but then it also means you have to get new machinery to keep it level, and that’s still beyond the capabilities of many businesses.

You Need the Voice of the Influencers

Like any eco-system, social media has many layers, and at the forefront of these layers are the Influencers. Usually these will be early adopters in the space, and they’ve become influential for identifying trends and looking at how these tools can be used for business.

The problem is, influence is based on relevance, yet many businesses still try and get the Influencers to talk about their products, regardless of whether they’re experienced in that brand’s niche or not. The mindset is that the Influencer has over 100,000 Twitter followers, or tens of thousands of blog subscribers, so it’s an easy “in” to that audience.

Except it’s not.

Because nine times out of ten (not a scientific figure), the Influencer will only share your brand or product for reward. Hard cash, or a large amount of swag. They’ll write about you once, and then move on to the next brand. Because they’re (usually) not invested in you.

But your brand advocates are.

The ones that write and talk about you every day, both online and offline. The ones that truly have your best interests at heart, so they’ll offer you honest feedback on how you can improve. Compare that to the Influencer who thinks your product is great, now just pony up the greenback.

The Influencer may get you a quick buzz, but longevity and success very rarely come from a fire sale. It does come from having an army of advocates and loyal customers, though – look after your advocates and they’ll look after you better than any Influencer can.

Conclusion

There’s no doubt that social media has changed much of the business landscape, and continues to do so. And with potentially game-changing products like Google+ entering the fray, the real fun could just be beginning.

We just need to make sure we’re keeping a level head at what social media can, and doesn’t, offer. If history has taught us anything, it’s that hyperbole is very often the precursor to, “Remember so-and-so?”…

image: Luminis Kanto

If This Was My Last Blog Post

Over at For Bloggers By Bloggers, I offered up a new list of free blog topics to help you with ideas for your blog. There are ten topics to choose from, and it’s something we offer up as a thank-you to the For Bloggers By Bloggers community.

One of the topics suggested is If This Was My Last Blog Post, and its premise is wondering what you would say, if you knew it would be the last post you ever write (if you were to die). A little morbid, maybe, but I’m curious about these kind of things.

So, putting my money where my mouth is, here’s what I would write.

We Waste Too Much Precious Time

We always think we’re too busy to do the things we should be doing. We hang out on social networks; we stay late at the office, doing that one last report; we leave our kids in front of the TV while we read the paper or catch up on emails; and more.

Ask yourself if you really need to be doing these things, or if they can wait. Ask yourself the last time you spent quality time with your loved ones; children; or even just you, away from all the noise and distractions. You might be surprised at how freeing and rewarding it can be.

Don’t Be Afraid to Make Mistakes

As children, we’re unafraid to take risks. We see the world as one big adventure, and if we hurt ourselves along the way we simply shed some tears, get a kiss from our parent(s) and move on to the next adventure. It allows us to grow, because we know not to make the same mistake that hurt us in the first place.

Unfortunately, as adults, it seems like we’ve forgotten the art of learning from our mistakes. We stay with abusive partners; we accept shit from our boss instead of looking for a job where we’re valued; and we never take action on that one big idea we have, because everyone will think it’s stupid.

The thing is, though, we became the adults we are because we learned from our mistakes as children. And we turned out all right (mostly). There’s something to be said for that, no? Don’t be afraid to make mistakes – you’re only hurting yourselves if you do.

Thanks For All The Fish

Bloggers are a strange breed. We basically share our personal thoughts in public, looking for feedback and endorsement (or disagreement). It’s almost like reverse narcissism.

Yet from that weird approach, magical things happen. Communities are built; friendships are grown; mindsets are changed. And sometimes, just sometimes, movements are created from the springboard that a single blog post can create.

I’m incredibly biased, but I see you as one of the best communities on the web. You’ve never been afraid to challenge, whether that be my thoughts or that of other guest writers or commenters. You’ve discussed topics with respect for each other, and helped me grow as a person. Say what you want about online relationships, but you’re all as real and valued as anyone I know offline.

Thank you for being with me while I was on this little blogging journey. It would have been boring as hell without you, and maybe we can continue our conversations on the other side. Underworld+, anyone?

Takeaways and Wishful Thinking

I hope I’ve kept you entertained on this journey. I know I’ll miss everyone I’ve formed bonds and connections with, and I’ll be a little sad for not having the chance to meet more people I would probably be inspired by.

But I can’t complain. I’ve met wonderful people; experienced wonderful events; saw history being changed; and wouldn’t change a single thing. We spend too much time wishing things were different; but sometimes we just need to see the great things we already have because things aren’t different.

If there are any takeaways that I hope I can depart with, it’s that maybe, just maybe, this blog helped you realize you don’t need to be anyone else; that it’s okay to question popular opinion; and that having belief in your convictions is never out of fashion. And maybe gave you the odd bit of business advice along the way…

Take care, guys, and thanks for the memories!

———————–

So, there you have it. My last blog post. I deliberately left out personal words to my family and loved ones, as that would be something just for them. This post – and the premise behind the topic – is for your swan song to your readers.

So – what would you say? Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Or, if you’re feeling really inspired, write your own post and either share it in the comments, or link back to the For Bloggers By Bloggers post so others can read too.

Look forward to being inspired.

image: gwilmore

The Art of Patience

We’re an impatient bunch.

We always want the new; the shiny; the next big thing. And we want it now.

As consumers, we want the latest and greatest to show off to our friends and family. As businesses, we always want to be first to market to get a jump on the competition.

The problem is, being first doesn’t always mean the best or the shiniest.

The business world is littered with examples of companies that were first to market but were superseded by competitors who learned from the path beater’s mistakes.

On the consumer side, homes are filled with gadgets and contraptions that are no longer needed by the buyer, nor supported by the company that made it (HD-DVD, anyone?).

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be first. Just make sure it doesn’t end up being the last thing you’re remembered for.

Does Your Blog Embrace Mobile Browsing?

Some interesting figures about mobile browsing and user activity:

38 percent of web users in the U.S. access the web from their phone (or 89 million people).
53 percent of Americans using their phones to go online do so at least once a day.
65 percent of mobile users aged between 18-29 use their phones to go online.
43 percent of mobile users aged between 30-49 use their phones to go online.

And these stats are just for American users. Across the globe, mobile browsing is continuing to grow at a huge rate and, as you can see from the image at the top of this post, it’s expected to overtake fixed (or desktop) browsing within the next 2-3 years, going by current trends.

Which begs the question – is your blog or website mobile-friendly? And if not, how do you make it more mobile-friendly?

Defining Mobile Friendly

Depending on who you ask, making a blog or site mobile-friendly is as simple as asking the question, “Can I view it when I open my phone’s browser?” (or tablet, as the likes of the iPad and Playbook continue to grow in popularity).

While this might help, it’s not really looking at the bigger picture, and the differing experiences of the various mobile browsers that are in use. Apple uses a different browser from Android uses a different browser from BlackBerry and so on. Then you also have older phones that don’t have the features of a smartphone, and this makes the experience even more different.

So to define mobile browsing, let’s work with the meaning of “compatible with as many mobile browsers as possible”. It might look better on some than on others but at least it’s available on more than just the latest smartphones.

So now that’s kinda cleared up, how do you make your site or blog mobile-friendly? It depends on the experience you want to offer and how much you want to spend (if anything).

The Build It Yourself Approach

The most intensive way to mobilize your site is to give it a full mobile makeover. This can be by yourself with some recoding, or by hiring a professional to do the work for you.

Depending on how much you want to make your site mobile-friendly and still interactive, the cost can run into several thousands of dollars.

Other ways you can bootstrap and make immediate changes include:

Use a fluid width design. This is a fairly straightforward approach and just involves modifying your CSS style sheet to allow your site to change widths depending on what browser it’s being viewed on. Make sure you make a back-up of your site and refer to any manuals before progressing with this option.

Centre your content. If you’re reading this blog on a desktop browser, you’ll see that the content is pretty centred, as opposed to being full-width and starting on the left. This means I don’t waste any content in the sidebars, and keep the main post area as the one that’s always front and centre.

Friendly Links. A lot of websites and blogs use contextual links, so when you hover over them a box opens up on-screen and shows you an ad or similar (think Kontera and Apture). Great for desktop browsers, not so much for mobile. Consider making all your links simple and mobile-friendly too.

Easy and Complete Navigation. When you’re on a site and you can’t find what you’re looking for, then it’s either a choice of searching (if it has that option) or simply leaving (never a good scenario). For mobile browsers, it can be even harder to implement a search option for such limited space. So make sure you have a clear, uncluttered navigation option, and have the most important pages you want your visitor to view upfront and centre.

Brevity is King. Depending on what browser a mobile user comes in on, the load time of a page filled with content can be nasty, and put them off. Counter this and have a short, punchy page each time – the easier the experience (including load), the more likely a repeat visit.

The Plug-In Approach

While the most comprehensive way to mobilize your site is by in-depth optimization, like I say this can be pretty expensive (though definitely worth it for larger sites). For blogs, though, it can be less expensive, because generally most blogs only worry about the post content, and not other sales pages, etc. This means you can choose a simpler option, and there are a ton of these available. Note – these are for self-hosted WordPress blogs – there are options for Blogger and other platforms.

WPtouch Pro. Probably my favourite out of all the mobile plug-ins for WordPress, WPtouch Pro offers a great-looking and customizable app that supports all the major mobile browsers. You can even add less popular browsers through the excellent WPtouch Pro documentation. There is a free version – but it’s definitely worth investing in one of the premium licenses. I use WPtouch Pro on this site – if you have an iPhone, iPad, Android or similar, check it out. You have the choice to switch between mobile and desktop view.

Wapple. Wapple is another excellent option, and one that I’ve used previously on this blog. It’s hugely in-depth and really lets you set up the mobile version of your site to replicate a lot of the desktop version. Again, it offers a free trial, but it’s the premium options that stand out. I prefer the simpler approach of WPtouch Pro, but Wapple would be my next choice for sure.

WordPress Mobile Edition. Built by the guys that developed the popular Carrington framework, the WordPress Mobile Edition automatically detects what browser is on your site, and offers a straightforward user experience based on simplicity. It’s probably the least “graphic” of the three plug-ins here, but its ease-of-use and simple set-up make it one to check out. Oh, and it’s completely free!

So these are the two main ways to make sure your site and/or blog is mobile-friendly. Some are more in-depth and expensive than others – your needs will determine how much you need to spend.

But with mobile browsing become more popular by the day, it’s a small cost to pay compared to losing readers and customers, no?

Note: A version of this post originally appeared on For Bloggers By Bloggers, the free blogger resource centre from Bonsai Interactive. It’s reproduced here to give you an idea of the daily tips on offer to help you grow your blog. If you enjoyed the read, feel free to drop on over and check us out.