| Why would you want these people to crowdsource | | | | So here I am, getting really into marketing on |
| for you? Look at them. Teenagers. Derelicts. Hippies! | | | | Facebook, and finding myself excited about the |
| Ok, that's sarcasm. | | | | opportunity of riding a wave that will either dissolve |
| I've been really into the idea of using other properties | | | | before reaching the shore, or smash into beachfront |
| for marketing for a while. I really got into a Twitter | | | | property like a tsunami. My only regret is that I wish |
| kick last year, and am still active. I've played with | | | | I had the foresight to jump on it sooner. Actually, my |
| every social bookmarking, social voting, image | | | | regret is that more businesses still don't have the |
| network, and tagging sites. I've recently been | | | | insight to jump into it now. |
| working with my company on a social media | | | | It's a tough sell. I can completely relate to the |
| marketing offering via Facebook. It's not a new | | | | business owner. It's very similar to convincing a CMO |
| concept, but it is. It's still very much fluid, and very | | | | to try building a blog in 2006. By the time they were |
| much worth exploring. A lot of companies turn their | | | | all convinced, every company had one and none |
| nose at it. Yeah, but we're used to that. | | | | were being used properly. A lot of noise. But how do |
| Remember when we used to try to talk CMO's into | | | | we convince the CMO's that these teenagers, |
| letting us post on forums? They were worried about | | | | derelicts, and hippies are all extremely important |
| negative responses (at the cost of the positive | | | | components of your business, and not just because |
| responses). Then we had to convince the CMO's that | | | | of their dollars? It's now officially a different world |
| blogs were good! We often got the go ahead as long | | | | online, and I'm afraid business is once again way |
| as we had a dedicated moderator to cut out the | | | | behind. The CMOs are reading all the trades, and the |
| negative stuff. I admit it - I had that job once. But | | | | "social media is where it's at" articles, but it's not |
| somewhere thanks in part to the slow adoption from | | | | sparking enough passion in the CMOs to pick up all |
| major brands like Dell, Zappos, and Amazon, the | | | | the Lego pieces and start building. How big does the |
| publicly posted negative feedback and reviews | | | | bang need to be this time? |
| stopped getting censored. When they would get | | | | But what about the content, cross-channel |
| censored, there would be a public outcry. Progressive | | | | implications? They're huge. Maybe Facebook |
| CMO's were more worried about that outcry than | | | | marketing doesn't seemingly pass as much SEO value |
| the negative posts on their domains. Good call. If the | | | | based on the structure of the Facebook platform, |
| products can stand for themselves, then let the | | | | but SEO is so much more than algorithms. It's |
| social media prove it for you. Now we're talking | | | | marketing. It's content. It's helping search engines |
| about something truly valid. | | | | adore your business, content, and value. Facebook |
| The social media space really evolved this past year. | | | | (and the content it provides) means more than most |
| The community noticed the companies making these | | | | people think. To me that's the hurdle you have to |
| efforts, and taking these risk. The companies were | | | | get over first and foremost. With passion. Show that |
| embraced for it. Fans and followers became as | | | | it's rock n' roll, yeah, but it's not dangerous. It's |
| faithful as NASCAR fans are to their brands. And | | | | cultural. It's last year's next big thing. Let's get a |
| even when the quantity is few, their presence was | | | | move on, already before the crowd actually moves |
| very illuminating. | | | | on! |