Praise for the Fan Factor

Praise for The Fan Factor

“Whether you’re a social media novice or a seasoned professional, you’ll take something away from this book. Meredith’s passion for internet marketing jumps right through the pages and inspires even this hard-to-impress reader. Count me in as the newest member of the Meredith Oliver fan club.” Alex Benshoof, Director of Marketing, Red Door Homes

“After reading Th e Fan Factor, I have a game plan to make our members our biggest fans! A must read for any association who wants to increase membership engagement.” Tim Minton, Executive Vice President, Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County

“Meredith is always a joy to read. Her energy bounces off the page, keeping you locked into the information. Another thumbs up for both content and engagement factor. Keep writing and I will defi nitely keep reading and learning.” Leslie Day, President, Inland Homebuilding Group

“In a concise, easy to understand format, Meredith Oliver outlines in detail how to capture and retain a fan base that will help you grow your business. In a world that is technologically placing everyone on sensory overload, Meredith clearly identifi es how you can position yourself and your company to attract qualifi ed buyers in today’s marketplace. Her ideas will help you develop a strategy that cost eff ectively allows you to outpace your competition regardless of their size.” Rich Carlson, MIRM, CMP, CAASH, President, Carlson Communications

“I am not the most tech savvy entrepreneur so if I found Th e Fan Factor helpful and easy to read I know you will too! Th e Fan Factor has many practical, DIY ideas you can implement to grow your business and expand your fan base.” Kerry Mulcrone, President, Kerry and Co. “Th e Fan Factor is the perfect combination of resources, information and real life practical stories and examples on how to take your social media eff orts to the next level.” Leah Turner, Turner Time Consulting, Tampa, FL

“Fan Factor is written as though a good friend was telling you a story, with timely injections of personal anecdotes. It is a quick read, although it took me twice as long to get through because of all the time I spent highlighting passages and bookmarking pages.” Steve McAuliﬀ e, Owner/Partner, McAuliﬀ e & McCormick Inc.

“Like many other professionals, I have not jumped on the bandwagon in using social media for business yet. But after reading Th e Fan Factor, I am excited to start! Meredith’s book provides valuable information on which sites may be the best fi t for you and your target audience. It is easy to read and very enjoyable!” Geri Nelson, Account Manager, DTE Energy

“Once you can engage your audience, it’s much easier to turn them into fans who will buy your products and services, and recommend you to others. Th at’s the premise of the new book, “Th e Fan Factor”...Th is is an excellent book with a ton of useful tips and advice.” Gloria Rand, SEO Copywriter, Blogger, Speaker

“I am in the process of developing an integrated marketing plan for my new real estate brokerage fi rm. Th ere are so many aspects of social media to get up to speed on. I found your book so very helpful as it was concise and methodical.” Michel e LaBlond, LaBlond Realty LLC 25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS TO ENGAGE CUSTOMERS, INCREASE REFERRALS AND BOOST SALES

All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, transmit- ted, or stored in any form or by any means whatsoever without express written permission in advance from the author, except in brief quota- tions in critical articles or reviews.

For information or bulk orders, contact: [email protected] or call 866-227-9769 www.CreatingWOW.com

Front cover design by Justin Cohen. Cover layout and interior design by Adina Cucicov, Flamingo Designs.

ISBN 978-0-9848684-5-2 Also by Meredith Oliver

Click Power: Th e Proven System to Increase Sales

Rock Your Social Networking: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube Video Tutorials

For My Mom and Dad

Table of Contents

About the Author 1 Acknowledgements 3 Preface 5 Part I—Th e Pre-Game 11 Fact #1: We Can’t Hear You 13 Fact #2: We Have Popcorn Brain 17 Fact #3: We Take Multitasking to a Whole New Level 19 Fact #4: Big Companies Spend Big Bucks to Be Heard 25 Fact #5: Social Media Is a Vital Business Tool 29 Fact #6: Engaged Fans Are the Answer 33 Part II—Th e Game Plan 41 Th e DNA of a Fan 43 What Your Fans Want 53 Part III—25 Slam Dunk Secrets 57 Section 1—Identity 57 Secret #1: Profi le Your Customers 59 Secret #2: Show the Real You 65 Secret #3: Write Like You Talk 73 Secret #4: Brand Your Sites 79 Secret #5: Feature Your Fans 85 Secret #6: Keep It Real 89 Section 2—Self-Esteem 93 Secret #7: Be a Fan of Your Fans 95 Secret #8: Build a Relationship 99 Secret #9: Reward Loyalty 105

ix THE FAN FACTOR

Section 3—Escapism 111 Secret #10 : Stop Selling 113 Secret #11 : When Your Fans Play, Th ey Pay 119 Secret #12 : Angry Birds Anyone? 125 Secret #13 : Th e Easy Button 129 Secret #14 : Pin In to Win It 133 Secret #15 : Tell a Visual Story 137 Section 4—State Change 143 Secret #16 : Time Your Messages 145 Secret #17 : Lighten Up 149 Secret #18 : Keep It Fresh 155 Secret #19 : I Did It My Way 161 Section 5—Sense of Belonging 165 Secret #20 : Get Involved 167 Secret #21 : Celebrate Together 171 Secret #22 : Invite Participation 177 Secret #23 : Meet Up and Tweet Up 183 Secret #24 : Spend Quality Time Together 189 Secret #25 : Build Online Communities 193 Part IV—Th e Equipment 197 Part V—Th e Score 207 Conclusion 219 Have Meredith Oliver Speak at Your Next Event! 223 Click Power: Th e Proven System to Increase Sales 225 Endnotes 227

x About the Author

eredith Oliver, aka “Th e Digital Diva,” is an Internet sales and mar- Mketing expert. She is a professional speaker, author and consultant.

Meredith is the founder and president of Creating WOW Communica- tions, a full-service Internet marketing and professional speaking company. Creating WOW Communications works with a variety of industries including marketing for home builders, senior communities, apartment communities, professional speakers, associations and small businesses. Creating WOW delivers services such as website design, search engine optimization and social media marketing.

Meredith holds a Master’s Degree in Corporate Communication and Technology from the prestigious Rollins College and a Bachelors of Arts Degree, majoring in Psychology, from the University of Central Florida. She has 12 years of Internet marketing experience developing websites and online campaigns for small and medium size businesses.

Meredith is also a professional speaker delivering keynote speeches, workshops, webinars and seminars to a wide variety of audiences, including real estate, healthcare, education, association, insurance, technology and women business owners.. She speaks most often to business owners, sales people and marketing professionals, and is a proud member of the National Speakers Association.

1 THE FAN FACTOR

Meredith speaks at a number of regional and national tradeshows and conferences each year. Meredith’s seminars are consistently standing room only and rated by attendees amongst the most popular, entertain- ing and educational seminars off ered. She is one of the speakers in the nationally acclaimed “Rock Your Sales” rally which appears to sold-out audiences across the country.

Meredith’s fi rst book, Click Power: Th e Proven System to Increase Sales, was originally published in 2010. Th e second edition was published in 2012 and is available online at www.CreatingWOW.com. Meredith is the author and host of a social media tutorial series titled “Rock Your Social Networking” featuring click-by-click instructions on how to use Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube for business.

Meredith has numerous published articles in national trade publications and newspapers. Her blog, Th e Digital Diva Blog, (http://thedigital divablog.com) is popular amongst sales and marketing professionals.

Meredith lives in Raleigh, N.C. with her husband, son and two Shih Tzus.

2 Acknowledgements

love being a fan. It’s who I am. I love to cheer and root for the underdog. II love competition. I love winning and even losing. Special thanks to the artists, athletes, professional speakers, authors and others who put themselves out there on a daily basis and give us something to cheer about.

I learned how to be a fan from my mom and dad. Th ey have been my unwavering fans since the day I was born. Always positive and encouraging, it’s because of them I’ve never seen any task as too hard to tackle.

Allen Oliver must be acknowledged for being the “fan” prototype in the book. Allen, I knew on our second date I was going to marry you. I just didn’t know what an incredible journey we were going to take together (or that you were going to wear “licensed apparel” for the rest of our lives).

Brittany Smith, you are an angel who was placed into our lives for a reason! Th e idea for the book started the night we went to see Bon Jovi together and it never would have actually materialized without your shepherding, encouraging and editing.

In my professional journey, I’ve been lucky to meet several incredible people who willingly formed the Meredith fan club. Special thanks to Kerry Mulcrone for all of the wit and wisdom you bring to my life. You are a natural cheerleader and I can feel you cheering me on from the snowy tundra of Minnesota every day. John Palumbo and Melinda Brody

3 THE FAN FACTOR are my fan posse; we travel the country together in the “Rock Your Sales” roadshow and we cheer each other on at every event. Th is book would not exist without either of you. I am a better person because of you.

Love to all of you, Meredith

4 Preface

am a Bon Jovi fan. If Bon Jovi performs within 200 miles of my zip Icode, I go to the concert. I play their music when I am writing, clean- ing and running (they are playing right now!). I wear one of my Bon Jovi T-shirts at least once a week. I have loved Jon Bon Jovi since I was 14 years old. I’ve been a fan of many things during my life, but none have outlasted my love for Bon Jovi.

Bon Jovi recently played in Raleigh and I was there. My husband asked me why I needed to go to another Bon Jovi concert since we just attended one the previous year. So, I asked him if we needed to watch another Miami Hurricanes football game since we just saw one last week. He promptly bought the tickets!

Th e idea for Th e Fan Factor came to me at the concert. Between songs, the band thanked the audience for helping them attain 12 million fans on Facebook. I am one of those 12 million fans. No matter how busy I am, what time of day it is, or how many deadlines I have, if I see a Face- book post by or about Bon Jovi, I stop and read it. Why? Because I’m a fan! It hit me at that moment; I needed to write a book about how to properly engage an online audience. Th e key to successful online engagement is to give fans what they want.

You may not be a Bon Jovi fan (I can’t imagine why not), but, I’m willing to bet, there is something or someone you drop everything to hear, read

5 THE FAN FACTOR or learn more about. From cooking to comic books, music to movies, dogs to decorating, everyone is a fan of something. If you tap into your own fan behaviors you can learn a lot about how to engage an online audience.

I know a lot about being a fan. I grew up in a family of avid sports fans. My mom and dad are huge Florida Gator fans. My mom’s family is from the Gainesville area and my dad and brother are University of Florida graduates.

Th roughout my childhood years my dad was a pastor. I remember one particular Saturday when I was growing up, the Gators were playing a big football rival and he didn’t want to be interrupted during the game. He put the garage door down, closed all the curtains and turned off the lights in the parsonage (except for the television of course) so parishioners pass- ing by or volunteering at the church (we lived next door to the church) would think we were not at home. He did not want to be interrupted by church business during the game!

It was an inside joke at church that if a member needed prayer, guidance or a shoulder to cry on, my dad was not available until the end of the game. After a big victory, he was known for wearing his Gator tie the following Sunday in the pulpit.

One year the Gators were playing in the NCAA Final Four basketball tournament. Th at same night I was participating in the Miss Polk County Scholarship Pageant, hoping to win a spot to compete in the upcoming Miss Florida Pageant, which was the state prelim for the Miss America Pageant. Miss Polk County was the last local pageant of the year; my last chance to win a spot at Miss Florida. After the pageant (I didn’t win), I asked, “Where’s Dad?” He was in the hotel lobby watching the Gators

6 PREFACE play in the basketball tournament! Apparently, he was sneaking in and out of the pageant whenever I wasn’t on stage to check the score. Now that I’m a parent, I appreciate how much he really wanted to watch the game and not some silly beauty pageant. To his credit, every time I was on stage and looked in the audience, my dad was sitting there. He is a Florida Gator fan but he’s a bigger Meredith Oliver fan.

Even today, if we are hanging out with my dad during a Gators football game, it’s best not to talk during plays and don’t block the television! If we aren’t watching the game together, we don’t call during the game because it could jinx the outcome.

Fan behavior was such a normal part of my childhood, it’s no surprise that I went on to marry an uber sports fan. Seriously, my husband’s degree of “fan-hood” makes my dad’s football watching habits look like child’s play. My husband’s entire wardrobe consists of “licensed apparel.” It is a major ordeal to persuade him to wear anything that doesn’t have a huge logo emblazoned on it. You might think I’m exaggerating here but really I’m not!

Football, basketball, car racing, golf, tennis, soccer, volleyball, cycling; the list could go on and on. During the Winter Olympics, he even watched curling! It’s one thing to be into curling, but it’s another thing to watch it on TV in the middle of the night half a continent away when you’ve never even played it.

Last spring during the Masters golf tournament, he actually connected his laptop to a LCD projector and projected the Internet coverage onto the dining room wall while the televised coverage was on in the next room. He explained to me this set-up was the best of both worlds; the live Internet coverage and the delayed coverage with the commentators.

7 THE FAN FACTOR

Th is went on for four days until the tournament was fi nally fi nished late Sunday afternoon. I was very relieved to see it go.

My husband is also very passionate about politics. When he isn’t watching sports on television, he is watching cable news. He only watches one particular channel. Th e few clothes he owns that aren’t licensed sports apparel have political endorsements/slogans all over them. His car is covered in magnets and stickers. Sometimes I feel like I am riding in a bill- board on wheels.

What I admire and respect about my husband’s fan obsessions is his dedi- cation even in defeat. It doesn’t matter if his sports team is losing or his political party is not in power. He always makes time and supports his causes with his whole heart. Lucky for me, his intense fan behavior isn’t limited to sports and politics. He has been my number one fan for fi fteen years. He is a fan of our family and our son, which is so lucky for us. When Allen Oliver supports something, he goes all out!

Th e purpose of this book is to teach you how to grow your business by engaging your online audience in a way that turns them into fans. Th e advent of social media gives every business the opportunity to connect with customers and potential customers. You have an online audience. Th e question is: How engaged are they with you? Your customers are going to talk about you with or without your participation. Wouldn’t you prefer to be a part of the conversation?

Th e purpose of this book is not to convince you why you need to spend money marketing your business. Th e time for that logic has passed. You know your business needs marketing to survive and common sense tells you the three “P’s of Marketing” (print marketing, phone books and pag-

8 PREFACE

ers) are dead. Your own shopping habits are proof enough that consumers overwhelmingly go online to research products and services to buy.

Th e Fan Factor is for serious sales and marketing professionals who want to increase sales using Internet marketing. Th is book can help:

+ Th e entrepreneur starting a new business who wants to build a legion of loyal fans willing to buy his/her products. + Th e executive director of an association who wants to increase and retain membership with Internet marketing and social networking. + Th e business owner and/or corporate marketing manager who wants the most exposure possible from a tight marketing budget. + Th e salesperson who understands the importance of connecting online for prospecting, presenting, closing and follow-up. + Th e social media manager who wants to develop an online community of followers who are active advocates of the brand message.

Above all, this book is for you. My goal is to teach you how to grow your business and reach new heights with Internet marketing done right.

PART I

The Pre-Game

“You have no control over what the other guy does. You only have control over what you do.”

A.J. Kitt Alpine Ski Racer 1993 Bronze World Championship Medalist

FACT #1

We Can’t Hear You

ith 293,000 Facebook status updates every 60 seconds1, 200 million Wtweets per day2 and 3.88 billion web pages in existence to date3, consumers are overwhelmed by an avalanche of sales and marketing messages.

“Every two days we create as much information as we did from the dawn of civilization up until 2003,” said Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of Google, at a technology conference in August 2010. “Th at’s something like fi ve exabytes of data.” An exabyte is defi ned as a “unit of information or computer storage equal to one quintillion bytes.”4 In layman’s terms, one exabyte of storage could hold 50,000 years of DVD-quality video.”5 Whoa. Let that sink in for a second.

Without a sound Internet marketing strategy, a compelling message and loyal fans who are eager to hear your message, your website updates, email campaigns, Facebook posts, text messages and tweets will blend

13 PART I—THE PRE-GAME into a deafening cacophony that sounds like Charlie Brown’s teacher giving instructions for a pop quiz. Blah-blah-blah. Yaddy-yaddah-yaddah. Wah-wah-wah.

Consumers today are overwhelmed with media messages because the amount of media we consume per day is staggering. An eMarketer study found the average time spent with all major media at 11 hours per day!6 Of those 11 hours, we spend on average 4 hours and 30 minutes a day watching TV and 4 hours and 40 minutes online.

One of the biggest shifts in media consumption is the increase in time spent with mobile devices. As a result, for the fi rst time in history we are consuming more digital media per day than time spent watching television!7 Pew Research Center found that “61 percent of cell phone users own a smartphone; 56 percent of all American adults own a smartphone.”8 Perhaps even more staggering is the meteoric rise of tablets; Pew reports “34 percent of American adults ages 18 and older own a tablet computer like an iPad, Samsung Galaxy, Google Nexus or Kindle Fire— almost twice as many as the 18 percent who owned one a year ago.”9

How sure are you that your online customers can hear you? Is your message coming across loud and clear? Ask yourself these questions:

+ How many “Contact Us” request forms do you receive each month from your website? + How often do you receive a reply and/or order from an email campaign? + How often does someone comment on your blog or “Like” your posts on Facebook? + How often are your tweets re-tweeted?

14 FACT #1—WE CAN’T HEAR YOU

+ How many online sales do you average a month? Is that number continuing to grow? + How often does your offl ine sales team report that a prospect purchased directly as a result of visiting your website?

If you are worried your message is not breaking through, don’t worry. Th at’s exactly what this book is all about!

FACT #2

We Have Popcorn Brain

e spend so much time consuming media, especially online, because Wit feeds our brain the instant gratifi cation, speed and unpredict- ability we crave. Some of us are so hooked we neglect offl ine tasks and relationships in lieu of being online. If this sounds geeky, pathetic or un- reasonable, don’t be so quick to judge. Answer these questions honestly:

+ Have you ever felt compelled to check your email at a completely inappropriate time, just in case something important has come in? + Have you ever forgotten or lost your cell phone and felt panicked until it was located? + How often is your mobile phone further than arm’s length away from you at any point during the day and night? + How many computers, mobile phones, tablets, televisions and/or satellite radios do you own? Are there as many devices as people in your household or perhaps even more?

17 PART I—THE PRE-GAME

+ Do you have satellite radio in your car or a USB connection for your MP3 player so you can listen to music or podcasts regardless of your location? + How many channels are available in your cable television package? How often do you subscribe to pay-per-view or premium channels because the basic channels don’t off er enough variety and choices? + Do you subscribe to a DVD or online streaming movie service where you receive multiple new movies a month in addition to the cable movie channels available on your television?

Researcher David Levy calls this phenomenon “popcorn brain” or “a brain so accustomed to the constant stimulation of electronic multitasking that we’re unfi t for life offl ine, where things pop at a much slower pace.”10 In this day and age we all suff er from a little bit of popcorn brain and it isn’t a personality fl aw. It’s a biological imperative. Our brains crave stimulation and new information.

Th e challenge for sales and marketing professionals is to ﬁ gure out how to leverage the popcorn brain phenomena into new sales. Let’s face it: Your potential customers are distracted and overwhelmed. You need to work extra hard to get and keep their attention.

Do you remember the television commercial for the investment fi rm EF Hutton? Th e famous tag line was “When EF Hutton talks, people listen.” EF Hutton wanted to hammer home their message was so important and their staff members so knowledgeable, that it was worth stopping everything to listen.

Is your sales and marketing message so compelling, interesting, informative and credible that it’s worth dropping everything to listen to?

18 FACT #3

We Take Multitasking to a Whole New Level

ot only do we spend a lot of time consuming media, many consumers Npay attention to more than one media source at a time. Researchers call this “media multitasking.” We wake up to our custom Pandora radio station on our iPhone, turn on our favorite cable news channel of choice, check our email and text friends (all before we hit the shower or have our fi rst cup of coff ee). Some of us even media multitask in the bathroom! Do you work on the computer with the television or radio on in the background?

+ Do you check email on your phone during meetings when you should be listening to the person speaking? + Do you monitor social network sites like Twitter or Facebook at work while you are answering email or doing other work on your computer?

19 PART I—THE PRE-GAME

+ Do you use a social media dashboard application such as Hootsuite or Tweetdeck to monitor several social media sites in one place because you like the streaming eff ect of multiple windows at the same time? + Do you watch television with a laptop or tablet in your lap to surf the web and check social networks? Is your phone also nearby? + Do you own a DVR? When was the last time you watched a television commercial other than during a live sporting event or news program?

If you do any of these things, you are a media multitasker. It’s not that you don’t want to pay attention (in most cases), it’s that you feel compelled to multitask partly because you have popcorn brain and partly because there is so much information available we have little choice but to spread our attention among several media outlets at once and hope something sinks in.

Wikipedia defi nes media multitasking as “Using TV, the web, radio, telephone, print, or any other media in conjunction with another. Also referred to as ‘simultaneous media use,’ this behavior has emerged as increasingly common, especially among younger media users, and has gained signifi cant attention in media usage measurement, especially as a new opportunity for cross-media advertising.”11

I fi rst became aware of the term media multitasking in 2007 when I read it in an eMarketer.com article talking about the new phenomenon of media multitasking and the implication for marketers. “Researchers es- timate that 25-30 percent of total media time is spent multitasking, and the more media a person consumes, the more likely they will consume several channels at once.”

20 FACT #3—WE TAKE MULTITASKING TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL

Th e bad news for sales professionals and marketers is that media multitaskers are not necessarily more connected, but more distracted. Ac- cording to a study of media multitasking by Boston College researchers, multitaskers “placed in a room containing a television and a computer and given a half hour to use either device, people on average switched their eyes back and forth between TV and computer a staggering 120 times in 27.5 minutes—or nearly once every 14 seconds…”12 With so much distraction all around us, a lack of concentration is bound to lead to mistakes. Th at’s why your mom insisted you do homework with the television OFF.

Th e study also found that “multitaskers who think they can successfully divide their attention between the program on their television set and the information on their computer screen proved to be driven to distraction by the two devices.” Th is particular study focused on the interaction between the computer and television; imagine what the numbers would look like if we factored mobile phones and tablets into the equation!

Given how distracted consumers are, you have two options.

1. Fight for attention. Th is is going to take money. A lot of money. You will need to stake out your territory in the marketplace and shout loud enough and frequently enough to stand out and be heard. Th is is the philosophy behind traditional “push” marketing. Consumers have grown weary and skeptical of invasive push advertising and that means you have to do even more to get their attention. It’s expensive and becoming increasingly ineff ective.

2. Ask for as little attention as possible. What? Have I lost my mind? Nope! With this option you attract or “pull” consumers to you because the message is about them. You also make it super easy to

21 PART I—THE PRE-GAME

access your message, products and services online with one click no matter how distracted a customer may be. Th is option seems coun- terintuitive because we are trained to dominate the conversation, talk about ourselves and keep the client’s attention for as long as possible. But if you let go of traditional thinking and embrace Th e Fan Factor,” you can “pull” customers in and increase your sales.

If you want to implement Option #2, your marketing will need to be one-click easy or it will demand too much time from your fans. Take the one-click test below.

Your Website:

+ Can a visitor buy your product/service and/or fi nd pricing and purchase steps with one click from the homepage? + Can a visitor fi nd your phone number, email address or physical address prominently displayed above the scroll on every page? + Can a visitor chat live with a representative to fi nd out information in real time? + Can a visitor sign up for email updates and connect to your social media sites?

Your Business (Fan) Facebook Page:

+ Can a visitor buy your product/service, search your catalog of of- ferings and/or chat live with a representative? + Can a visitor sign up for email updates? + Can a visitor connect with your other social media sites?

22 FACT #3—WE TAKE MULTITASKING TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL

Your Blog:

+ Can a visitor sign up for an RSS feed or email subscription? + Can a visitor purchase your product or connect to more information about your product/services, including pricing? + Can a visitor link to your website and other social media sites?

If you want valuable feedback about your online marketing, ask a teenager to surf your website, blog and social media sites and let them keep their mobile phone while they do it. Th ey will text, talk and check social media sites on their phone in one hand and surf your sites with the other hand. At the end of the exercise, if he/she can tell you what you are selling, how to purchase it or how to fi nd out more information, you’ve passed the one-click test.

FACT #4

Big Companies Spend Big Bucks to Be Heard

o compensate for the avalanche of media messages and the distracted Tnature of most consumers, advertisers repeat their messages with a high degree of frequency and use a variety of formats. In one day it is en- tirely possible to see a Coke television commercial, drive by a bus bench with a Coke logo on it, tune into American Idol to see the judges drink from plastic red Coke cups, see a Facebook ad for Coke, view a newspaper insert with Coke for sale at the local grocery and go online to enter to win a Coke contest printed on the inside of the cap of your Coke bottle. With this much reach and frequency, Coke creates top of mind awareness and infl uences consumer buying decisions. Coke’s marketing message can be heard loud and clear.

Coke, Nike, Pepsi, Walt Disney World, Target—all of these brands can aff ord pricey national television commercials, product placements and

25 PART I—THE PRE-GAME corporate sponsorships. If you are the owner of a small to medium size business, your marketing budget probably isn’t large enough to invest in a national mass media campaign with enough reach and frequency to break through our popcorn brains and infl uence a purchase decision. And, if you are the chief marketing offi cer for a big company, is there a better, less expensive way to get the same results?

If you aren’t a big company, what’s your game plan? Just because you can’t aff ord a Super Bowl commercial doesn’t mean you shouldn’t market your business. Aside from winning the lottery, what’s your next move?

Th e good news is that while you may ﬁ nd it hard to compete with larger companies in print or broadcast advertising, online sales and marketing tactics are highly doable and extremely aﬀ ordable. Some are even DIY (do-it-yourself) friendly if you have the proper training and tools. Inter- net marketing tools to consider include:

+ Search engine optimization (SEO) + Paid search marketing + Social media + Content marketing + Email marketing + Blogging

How do you get started? Make a list of everything you are doing to market your business and how much each item costs.

+ What marketing tactics are you currently using? + What tactics are producing sales? + What tactics are not producing sales?

26 FACT #4—BIG COMPANIES SPEND BIG BUCKS TO BE HEARD

Add up the dollar amount you are spending on the tactics that are not producing sales. Shift those dollars to online marketing. Review the results in six months. Most businesses are so pleased with the results that they fi nd even more dollars to put toward online marketing.

With eff ective online marketing, prospective customers won’t know the diff erence between your company and the big guys. You can look big, deliver big and, most importantly, sell big.

FACT #5

Social Media Is a Vital Business Tool

hile many businesses have bought into website marketing and search Wengine marketing, the concept of social media marketing is still foreign and under-utilized. Without a solid strategy, social media can be tough for businesses to manage on a practical basis because it’s 24/7/365 and can’t be completely outsourced. Social media requires someone to “think” and “apply” in order to be eff ective not simply “report” what is happening every nanosecond. Your team may feel already maxed out with other responsibilities and not realize how easy social media is to manage with training and the right technology tools.

But here’s the problem, you don’t have a choice: + Not just because social media has become a mainstream communications channel; a 2012 Experian Marketing benchmark report found “91 percent of online adults use social media regularly.” 13

29 PART I—THE PRE-GAME

+ Not just because the consumers of the future who are currently in high school know no other way to research and purchase products and services. + Not just because your competition already has already fi gured out social media and therefore gaining market share right from under you.

You don’t have a choice but to adopt a social media strategy because it works. Engaged fans refer other fans. What other marketing options still work today AND you can aff ord? Remember big companies spend big bucks to be heard. What are you willing to do, to learn to say to be heard?

Why is social media marketing so eff ective?

1. Social media gives you access to a broader audience. If nurtured properly, your core fan base will spread the word about your product/service and grow your online audience of potential buyers. Un- til the Internet came along, you had to rely on local customers who knew your name and referred you through word-of-mouth. Today, if your online presence is suffi ciently pervasive and persuasive, you can use “word-of-mouse” to reach potential customers who have never heard of your brand name.

2. Social proof is a powerful selling tool. Th e fact is we believe what others have to say about your business more than what you say. Jeff Bullas, social media guru, articulates this perfectly in his article “Reasons Why Facebook Drives Consumer Buying”. He states, “Social proofi ng, which is the activity of showing friends activities on a website is a powerful motivator for buying. Th e study showed that 32 percent of visitors are more likely to stay and shop on a site that shows activities of shoppers who have purchased there, even

30 FACT #5—SOCIAL MEDIA IS A VITAL BUSINESS TOOL

when the shoppers are not their friends. When the shared activities include the shopping behavior of friends, that number nearly doubles to 62 percent.”14 Th ink about your own online shopping habits. When was the last time you read and were infl uenced by a product review before you purchased that product? It was probably very recently because it is common practice now to read reviews before making a buying decision. Social media sites give you the opportunity to showcase your positive reviews and infl uence the buying decisions of potential customers.

3. Social media connections drive buying behavior. A study by So- cialVibe found that “70 percent of consumers actively engaged in social media have made a purchase as a result of being connected to a brand online.”15 Th e study defi nes a connection as a “like” or “follow” of a brand online whether it’s on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube etc. Th e study also found that once a connection is established consumers check it regularly for updates and new information. Th e connection can be easily terminated by the consumer if the relationship isn’t nurtured and treated with respect by the brand.

Where is your business on the social media marketing spectrum? Are you actively engaging and hoping to improve by reading this book or are you a skeptic trying to determine if this type of marketing can benefi t your business? In either case, I hope the ideas and examples in the book help you. And if you are the latter, I strongly urge you to take a second look at social media marketing with an open mind. It isn’t going anywhere! Th e name of the sites may change—one day Facebook may give way to the next big thing like MySpace did. But the concept of consumer empower- ment, connection and access to vast resources of information and isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

FACT #6

Engaged Fans Are the Answer

o how do you overcome your customer’s popcorn brain and media Smultitasking? How do you compete with big companies with big budgets and make use of social media as a marketing tool?

Th e answer may surprise you. Don’t try to shout louder and more frequently than the competition to get attention. Don’t try to outspend them in a traditional advertising war. Do exactly the opposite. Turn down the volume on the overly “salesy” rhetoric, throw out the stuff y corporate brochures and delete those awful death-by-PowerPoint 50-slide presentations. Instead, whisper. Th at’s right, pull the customer or client to you with an authentic whisper designed to appeal to the needs, desires and goals of your target audience, the fans.

What would make your fans stop and listen? How can you get your customer’s attention and keep it long enough to make a sale or earn a referral?

33 PART I—THE PRE-GAME

Th e answer is what I call Th e Fan Factor: Engaged fans stop to hear your message no matter how busy they are.

Th e key word in that sentence is engaged. It’s not enough to have fans. If you deliver a great product/service at a reasonable value, you will have fans. What you really need are engaged fans.

+ Engaged fans are never too busy for your message. Th ey make time to listen to your message and purchase your products/services. + Engaged fans refer new fans. Word of mouth referrals are worth thousands of dollars of push advertising and cost far less. + Engaged fans are repeat customers. Th ey are loyal to your brand. As a universal business truth, it is easier and less expensive to sell more to your existing customer base than acquire new customers + Engaged fans care about your success. Th ey give valuable feedback on your products/services that will help you improve and/or invent new products/services.

Political campaigns off er excellent examples of how engaged fans produce results. Discussing politics is always a risky business, so fi rst let me say the following analysis is purely a marketing discussion. You should not be able to detect any political bias so hang with me. I may discuss a political fi gure you have strong negative feelings towards, but we can learn how to and how not to engage fans from the world of politics. Every four years our country goes through the biggest “brand” competition in the world where each person gets to decide which one they prefer and they only get one opportunity to weigh in (unless you live in Florida! Okay—cheap shot but it was worth it!)

In the political world, fans are referred to as the “base.” Th e 2004 Bush- Cheney campaign demonstrated just how powerful an engaged fan base

34 FACT #6—ENGAGED FANS ARE THE ANSWER can be on Election Day. Prior to the 2004 election, the predominant political strategy was to focus on swing voters, defi ned by Wikipedia as “a voter who may not be affi liated with a particular political party (Inde- pendent) or not vote across party lines.”16

In the PBS television special “Karl Rove—Th e Architect,” Chief Cam- paign Strategist for Bush-Cheney 2004 Matthew O’Dowd talks about the decision they made to focus on mobilizing the Republican “Compas- sionate Conservative” base of voters instead of focusing on the independent swing voters. O’Dowd looked at the voter turnout from the 2000 election and discovered: “…Independents or persuadable voters in the last 20 years had gone from 22 percent of the electorate to 7 percent of the electorate in 2000. And so [we concluded that]…93 or 94 percent in 2004…was already going to be already decided either for us or against us. You obviously [still] had to do fairly well among the 6 or 7 [percent], but you could lose the 6 or 7 percent and [still] win the election, which was fairly revolutionary, because everybody up until that time had said, ‘Swing voters, swing voters, swing voters, swing voters, swing voters.’”17

How did the 2004 Bush-Cheney campaign mobilize voters? O’Dowd says the campaign looked at the mistakes from the 2000 campaign and made adjustments. “[We focused on] much more person-on-person contact in individual communities. So much more building [a volunteer network] up, having an infrastructure where somebody could call into a neighborhood or precinct, to call up voters that they knew. In the past [direct] mail was not as emotional as it should have been, so the [direct] mail was more emotional. More actual, real phone calls, as opposed to what they call robo-phone calls, which are sort

35 PART I—THE PRE-GAME

of robotic phone calls where you say, ‘Go vote, go vote.’ Th ere were more people in a community that might know a list of 100 people that they could call—things like that.”

Th e 2004 Bush-Cheney campaign strategy was eff ective and produced the desired result. However, it missed the mark in one critical area: how to utilize the Internet to engage fans faster and cheaper than traditional marketing.

Th at mistake was not lost on the 2008 Obama-Biden campaign. Th e Obama-Biden ticket was the fi rst presidential campaign in history to truly harness the power of the Internet to engage the base. “Both candidates used the Internet to reach voters. But Team Obama mastered the medium early and exploited it to the hilt. Along the way, it changed politics—and government—perhaps forever.”18

Th e 2012 Romney-Ryan campaign was more eff ective on social media than previous Republican candidates particularly with conservative women voters. You may remember one of the main issues of the 2012 campaign was the “Republican War on Women.” Th e Romney-Ryan campaign quickly published a “Moms for Mitt Facebook Page” as a response. Th e page attracted more than 70,000 fans in four days. Th e Moms for Mitt page energized conservative women in four critical areas. How did they do it?

1. Asked for participation. Each post asked for a comment or a share. If you want your fans to engage with your content, ask them. Th e Moms for Mitt Facebook page asked fans to submit responses about why they supported Mitt. Th ousands of fans responded. Ask and you shall receive.

36 FACT #6—ENGAGED FANS ARE THE ANSWER

2. Featured the fans. Th is Facebook page also featured the fans of the page. Fans submitted pictures of their family and why they supported Ann Romney or other Moms for Mitt. Pictures are then posted on the page with their story for other fans to like, comment and share. Fans connect with each other and enjoy supporting the community and themselves. Let fans provide valuable testimonials in their own words to show their support.

3. Graphics told the story. Th e Moms for Mitt page posted many pictures, graphics and videos that supported their brand and cause. If a picture is worth 1,000 words, how many words is a compelling video worth? In an ever-changing visual world, pictures and videos are extremely important to help tell your brand story.

4. Content was key. If you want your fans to engage with you online, you have to provide compelling content. Hot topics like the election always elicit strong responses from fans on both sides. If you tackle, hot button topics like the election and the “war on women,” then remember to keep your content brand appropriate and civil.

In the end, the Romney-Ryan social media eff orts were not enough to win the election, but we can still learn from the positive aspects of their campaign.

In 2012, the Obama-Biden campaign continued and improved their social media engagement. “Barack Obama’s 2012 victory Facebook post was the most liked photo in Facebook history with over 4 million likes and victory tweet was the most retweeted tweet ever with over 800k retweets.”19

What did the Obama-Biden campaign do that was so eff ective? First, they built a social network of energized fans. In political terms, they built

37 PART I—THE PRE-GAME an “online base” of followers. Second, they regularly fed the fans with highly targeted, personalized online content, including:

+ Text messages for younger voters + Email campaigns for older voters + Online ads targeted to the viewer based on past browsing history + YouTube videos + Blog posts + Online contests for donors

What made the Obama-Biden ticket so much more eﬀ ective from an online marketing perspective than the McCain-Palin and Romney-Ryan tickets was the engaged base of followers. McCain-Palin, in an eff ort to keep up, started producing online videos, but lacked the grassroots network of supporters to take it viral. Th ink of it like a rock band performing to an empty stadium.

YouTube was one of the most eff ective tools for the Obama-Biden campaign because it allowed the candidates to communicate directly with the base in a very personal way without the fi lter of the national media. Since YouTube videos, unlike television commercials, are permission based (meaning the viewer chooses to watch it or not), fans felt embold- ened and empowered to spread the message. Th e groundswell of support was overwhelming and resulted in record campaign donations. Obama- Biden fans weren’t just passive “likely” voters; they were active advocates who contributed to President Obama’s historic win on election night.

Imagine your business as a political campaign. Would you be looking forward to a big turnout on Election Day or worried the weather might keep lukewarm supporters at home?

38 FACT #6—ENGAGED FANS ARE THE ANSWER

1. On a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being low, 10 being high) rate the engagement level of your fans. 2. Set a goal to raise that number within the next six months and to raise it again within a year.

39 PART I—THE PRE-GAME

FORMULATE YOUR GAME PLAN

Take time to answer the following:

1. How do the six facts presented in this section impact your business?

2. What did you learn from this section?

3. How will you change your business based on this new knowledge?

4. What ﬁ rst action step do you need to take to implement that change? When will you take that step?

40 PART II

The Game Plan

“Good teams become great ones when the members trust each other enough to surrender the ‘me’ for the ‘we.’”

Phil Jackson Former Los Angeles Lakers Head Coach Most Winning NBA Coach of All Time

The DNA of a Fan

f you want to engage your future and current customers, you need a Igame plan to stand out from the crowd. Th e fi rst step is to understand the very nature of fans and what makes them engage.

Ever asked an avid sports fan “What’s the big deal, it’s just a game, right?” Th en you know the response is generally a blank expression and a shrug of the shoulders indicating you just don’t get it. Th eir answer can’t be put into words. It’s a feeling embedded deep in the bedrock of their personality.

Psychologists and researchers have long studied the behavior of extreme sports fans and we can learn a lot about how to engage fans from their fi ndings (even if you aren’t a sports fan you are probably a fan of some other type of hobby, pasttime or entertainer and will relate to the research conclusions). A Bleacherreport.com article20 outlines the following fi ve reasons for extreme sports fan behavior:

43 PART II—THE GAME PLAN

Reason #1—Identity Fans identify with the team. It is part of who they are. “Our sports heroes are our warriors,” Robert Cialdini, a professor of psychology at Arizona State, said about sports fans. “Th is is not some light diversion to be en- joyed for its inherent grace and harmony. Th e self is centrally involved in the outcome of the event.” I know this is true from watching my dad and husband. Th ey feel the outcome very personally as if they are on the fi eld catching the game-winning touchdown. Ask a fan why he/she follows a particular team and, most of the time, the answer is “I don’t know—I just always have” or “My dad/uncle/brother watched this team and I’ve been following them my whole life.”

Th e sense of identity a fan feels is a result of a personal or shared connection. Th e connection is sometimes passed on through the generations. I didn’t attend the University of Florida (UF) because I was fortunate to receive a full scholarship to the University of Central Florida (UCF), but I have always been and will always be a Gator fan. It’s just who I am.

As consumers, we know when a brand “gets us” and when it misses the mark. Th e next time you fi nd yourself scratching your head at a commercial that doesn’t make sense to you, think about why not. Was it the graphics, use of or lack of humor, the actors, the message—regardless of what aspect missed the mark I guarantee the reason it didn’t appeal to you was it failed to make an emotional connection.

One of the most talked about television commercials of the 2013 Su- per Bowl was the Anheuser-Busch “Clydesdale” commercial featuring a horse trainer who works with a young foal until adulthood when the horse is sold to become one of the famous Anheuser-Busch Clydesdales. Th e horse trainer attends a parade a couple of years later to see his trainee

44 THE DNA OF A FAN in action. Th e horse spies the trainer and goes running up to him to be reunited. Th ere wasn’t a dry eye at Super Bowl parties across the country!

Why? Because we can all relate to having to let someone or something go and hope for the opportunity to be reunited someday. Whether it’s a child, student or a pet, we can all relate to that emotion. Th e commercial struck a common connection and that’s what made it so powerful.

How well do you know and “get” your fans? If your social posts show a lack of understanding of how they use your product/service, why they use it and what problems it solves you will not earn engagement. In fact, you might just earn a backlash and damage your brand permanently.

To fully process the concept of Identity, ask yourself these questions:

+ Are you or do you know an extreme sports fan? Ask yourself or him/ her, why do you support a specifi c team/ individual over other sports fi gures?

+ When did your interest start? Why are you interested?

45 PART II—THE GAME PLAN

Reason #2—Self-Esteem Because sports fans identify so strongly with the team, their own self-esteem can rise and fall with the success of the team. Psychologist Dr. Dan- iel Wann’s research on avid sports fans found “that an intense interest in a team can buff er people from depression and foster feelings of self-worth.” Conversely, researchers have also found that fans who experienced a team loss felt less optimistic about everything from “getting a date to winning at darts…”21 For sports fans, the players are heroes who demonstrate bravery, courage and discipline, attributes which inspire fans to perform better, resulting in higher self-esteem.

Fans love to see the underdog team/individual win against all odds. We feel like if they can do it, so can we. And vice versa: When our favorite sports hero falls from grace, we question our own humanity and frailty.

Your fans want to feel good about themselves and your brand is part of that equation. Do you remember the iconic L’Oreal Paris television commercial selling cosmetics with the tagline “Because I’m Worth It”? Th is famous tagline became the face of the L’Oreal brand through the generations. Written in 1973 by a woman, it still stands the test of time of demonstrating how a brand can make you feel good about yourself. According to the L’Oreal website, “80 percent of woman recognize and respond to this positive phrase and powerful sentiment.”22

A more contemporary example is the Nike “Just Do It” commercial featuring two average people running and running and running until one of them asks “Where are we?” Th e other one answers “I don’t know, we’ve never run this far before.” Th e Nike logo comes on the screen and silently the tagline “Just Do It” appears.

46 THE DNA OF A FAN

In today’s feel good society, brands that empower consumers win big. How does your product or service make your customers and potential customers feel? Tap into making them feel good about themselves and fi nd yourself #winning a-la-Charlie Sheen style all the way to the bank.

Th ink through the concept of Self-Esteem in fans by asking these questions:

+ How do you feel when your favorite team/individual wins? What does it do for your day?

+ How do you feel when they lose? How does that impact your day/ week?

Reason #3—Escapism Sports fans use sports as an escape from the daily grind. My husband told me on numerous occasions that he works hard all week so he can watch sports on the weekend. He says it transports him away from work and home demands. Just like old-fashioned soap operas, the world of sports is full of drama, controversy and surprise endings. Fans feed off of the emotion and confl ict, temporarily forgetting about their own problems.

But it’s not all about the drama. It’s also about the success. For those few moments, fans get to root for a cause bigger than themselves and hope for a positive outcome. Some male sports fans have taken the idea of escaping

47 PART II—THE GAME PLAN so seriously, they have a “man cave” or a room dedicated just for sports watching.

If you aren’t into sports for escapism, perhaps you can relate more to people who go to the movies for a break from the grind of daily life. Why else would a seemingly normal, sane person go and purposefully be scared to death by zombies, stalkers and homicidal talking dolls?

Th e movies who gross the most ticket sales know how to extend the sense of escapism beyond the fi lm viewing. In April 2012, Th e Hunger Games movie by Lionsgate Entertainment debuted selling $214 million dollars in ticket sales its opening weekend. Instead of building a website promoting the book trilogy, the marketing team built a website that brought the world of the Hunger Games to life. At the Capitol Network, fans can register for a District Identifi cation Pass. Registering at the website means you will be assigned a District, occupation and allowed access to all of the social media pages. While movie pages and Twitter pages are not member specifi c, to see the content on the District fan pages, fans must fi rst like the page or be a member of the Capitol Network. Now that fans can join their District’s social networks, they are asked to participate and engage with the available content.

Each of the 12 Districts from the movie and books has their own Face- book fan page. Fans of the pages receive updates about the movies, books, events, etc. and can also run for Mayor of their District. Th e Facebook pages also have tabs for “Th e Square” where fans can keep up with fashion from “Capitol Couture” and more. Th e pages also never break character, so fans feel like they are part of the world created in the Hunger Games.

Part of the campaign’s success was also the mystery the marketing created. Th roughout all of the social media posts, websites, and previews

48 THE DNA OF A FAN fans never actually saw what the Hunger Games looked like. Essentially, there were no spoilers. If you really wanted to see what everyone was talking about, you actually had to go see the movie. You want to give your fans just enough information so they want to know more. If you give all of your content, products or services away for free, then your fans have no reason to actually participate or engage with you.

Get inside the mind of sports fans who like to Escape with these questions:

+ Do you have a pre-game ritual or routine? A special place you watch sports events?

+ Do you look forward to and anticipate big events? What special plans do you make to ensure nothing interferes with you watching the event?

Reason #4—State Change Fans experience physiological changes during a game. Male fans can experience a surge in testosterone after a victory and just as sharp a decline after a defeat. Th e Bleacherreport.com article coined the term “eustress,” which is a combination of euphoria and stress. “Even among non-avid supporters, sports manages to bring about physiological changes, which induce various emotions like euphoria, dejection and stress.”

49 PART II—THE GAME PLAN

Motivational self-help guru Tony Robbins calls these types of physiological changes a “state change.”

Robbins contends that to really change our behavior, we need a state change to snap us out of an old way of thinking and open us up to a new idea. He is an expert of creating an environment conducive to state change. Th at’s why his seminars sell out all over the world and produce long lasting results.

We crave state change. Th at’s why some people like to go to sad movies and have a good cry. Other people prefer to listen to loud rock music and scream along while others like to attend religious services that trigger intense inner refl ection.

Whether it’s music, movies, religion or sports, we use these mediums to help us produce a state change. We want to feel something diff erently than we currently feel and sometimes we use outside stimuli, like sports, to make that happen.

+ If you are having a bad day, what activity produces a state change to help you feel better?

+ How do sports produce a state change? How does the “thrill of victory or agony of defeat” help us feel diff erently than we did before we experienced it?

50 THE DNA OF A FAN

Reason #5—Sense of belonging Th e most obvious reason sports fans endure savage heat, raging thunder- storms and blinding blizzards to watch their team is the sense of belonging to a larger group. Th e hottest I’ve been in my life was a late August, noon Gator football game in ”Th e Swamp” (the University of Florida’s football stadium), and I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. Th ere is no better feeling than sharing a game with 80,000+ like-minded screaming fans! At least we were all hot together!

Most sports teams have specifi c terminology for the collective group of fans further deepening the sense of belonging. Gator fans refer to themselves as the “Gator Nation” and, when we see a fellow fan wearing Ga- tor gear, we greet each other with an enthusiastic “Go Gators!” Duke Basketball fans refer to themselves as the “Cameron Crazies” and have a series of cheers they chant in sync at the games. Th e Oakland Raiders fans, known as some of the rowdiest fans in the NFL, have a special section in the stadium labeled the “Black Hole.” Th e fans in the Black Hole are known for dressing up in elaborate costumes and loudly voicing their opinion when a play is called in the opponent’s favor.

Why do fans expend so much energy on a game? Th e sense of belonging to a larger group fi lls a primal need for connection. Sports fans feel like other fans are kindred spirits who understand and appreciate the same things they do. Th at common ground feels comforting in a distracted, popcorn-brain, highly-fragmented world.

In the BleacherReport.com article, one fan put it this way: “My ex-husband ran away with the lady next door, and I didn’t seem to fi t into sub- urbia anymore. Th e Knicks gave me purpose, something to do, a place to go. As a fan, I guess there is a sense of belonging. Th at you are a part of something.” Well said!

51 PART II—THE GAME PLAN

+ What is the name for the collective group of fans for your favorite sports team/individual?

+ Why do you like being part of the group?

Th e more you become aware of your own fan behaviors, the better you will understand what your fans want. Start paying attention to your own fan related feelings, attitudes, beliefs and needs. Th is insight will pay huge dividends as you start to engage your fan base.

52 What Your Fans Want

o how do you engage your online audience? Tap into the DNA of a Ssports fan. If you know what appeals to an over-the-top sports fan, you know what will appeal to your customers.

Exact Target, a marketing software as a service company, recently released a research report titled “Th e Social Break-Up.” Th ey used extensive focus groups and online surveys to determine “why and how consumers engage with brands across the most popular interactive marketing channels, Facebook, email and Twitter.”

Th e research concluded that a relationship with a brand begins with a “spark”—an initial decision to become “a fan, friend or follower” of a brand, which either progresses into a long-term relationship or ends in a nasty break-up, depending on how well the brand nurtures the relationship.

53 PART II—THE GAME PLAN

Email Marketing Do’s & Don’ts:

+ Do email relevant information to your audience. Segment your email lists into niched customer profi les and send only pertinent information to each segment. + Don’t email too frequently. Ask your fans how often they want to hear from you and respect their wishes. + Do send out information only to people who ask for it. Build a permission based list of real fans. + Don’t build an email marketing list by buying names.

Facebook Do’s & Don’ts:

+ Do post valuable, informational posts on Facebook. + Don’t oversell with too many promotional messages. + Do respect your fans’ time. Over-posting on Facebook is a major turnoff . + Don’t forget to post consistently. Fans can forget about you if they don’t hear from you regularly.

Twitter Do’s & Don’ts:

+ Do keep your tweets interesting. Twitter followers are less likely to break up with you if you regularly pique their interest. + Don’t bore your followers the same tweet over and over. Th ey know it’s pre-scheduled and not spontaneous. + Do occasionally off er a special promotion to your followers as a thank-you for being a fan. + Don’t chit-chat about meaningless internal drama. Fans don’t care about your problems.

54 WHAT YOUR FANS WANT

Ultimately, your customers want to know you. Not the corporate identity, but the people and processes that make your company what it is. Fans want to peer behind the curtain and get a sense of what really goes on behind the scenes. When your clients feel like they know you, the real you, they can relate and identify with you. When a customer identifi es with you they are yours for life!

Your customers want to feel good about themselves. Everyday life is overwhelming and exhausting. Your customers are looking for relationships that are like a Red Bull beverage: stimulating, positive and validat- ing. Th ese types of interactions feed the soul, replenish energy and keep us going.

Your fans want to escape the doldrums of everyday life. Th ey look for relationships that add an element of fun, humor and lightheartedness to the mix. No one wants to do business with brands that add to their frus- tration and work load. Instead, clients want to escape through your products and services that transport them to a more relaxed, fun environment.

Your customers want to connect with you. Th ey pay attention to communication that delivers an emotional message, especially ones that el- evate their mood or trigger an insight and nostalgia. Engagement is all about the emotional connection.

Your clients want to belong. Th ey want to feel part of something bigger. We as human beings crave that sense of belonging. It validates our existence. We feel okay because others like what we like. Even though our society is more connected than ever through technology, our basic human desire to belong to a group is stronger than ever.

55 PART II—THE GAME PLAN

FORMULATE YOUR GAME PLAN

Take time to answer the following:

1. Which aspect(s) of the DNA of a sports fan do you see in your fans?

2. How can you use that insight to increase your sales?

3. What changes do you need to make to your marketing (if any) to connect more to your fans?

56 PART III

25 Slam Dunk Secrets Section 1—Identity

“Champions keep playing until they get it right.”

Billie Jean King Professional Tennis Player 12 Grand Slam Singles Titles, 16 Grand Slam Women’s Doubles Titles & 11 Grand Slam Mixed Doubles Titles

SECRET #1

Profile Your Customers

he fi rst secret to engaging your online audience is to truly know your Tcustomers. You need to know as much as possible about them if you want them to identify with your brand. You may think “knowing your audience” sounds repetitive or old school, but the real impact to your bottom line is in taking action on this knowledge.

Answer these questions honestly:

+ When was the last time you conducted a customer survey, focus group or one-on-one customer interviews? + How often do you stop to compile customer feedback and analyze the data for big picture trends? + Without your client list and project notes, could you give an accurate demographic and psychographic profi le of your average customer?

59 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 1—IDENTITY

We’ve all seen a television commercial and thought “that company doesn’t get it” and wondered why the company pitched their product in that particular way. You’ve probably attended a social or business networking event and met someone who dominated the conversation and never asked about you. When these types of interactions occur we feel like the other person is talking “at” us and not “to” us. We feel like the other person or company doesn’t care about us. No one wants to engage with someone or something that we can’t identify with.

Th ere are many helpful ways to learn about your customers including focus groups, surveys, salesperson feedback, website analytics, social media metrics and marketing research. Once you’ve pooled enough data for a reliable sample, use it to develop a customer profi le.

Your customer profi le should contain demographic details such as:

+ Age + Gender + Ethnicity + Household income + Household size + Occupation + Location

Demographic data helps you select the right marketing avenues and platforms for your target audience. Internet marketing allows you to select which sites/pages your ads appear on based on detailed demographic and geograph- ic data. It’s both a smart and eff ective way to market to your audience.

In addition to collecting the demographic data, you should also learn more about the psychographic (buying motivations) characteristics of your cus-

60 SECRET #1—PROFILE YOUR CUSTOMERS

tomers. If you aren’t familiar with psychographics, it is the study of psychological motivation as it relates to consumer buying behavior. Th e study of psychographics fi rst began in the 1960s by Arnold Mitchell. His work led to the original VALS™ (Values and Lifestyles Study) model. In 1989, SRI International, Stanford University and the University of California, Berke- ley, updated the model to refl ect changing consumer behaviors. Today, the former Business Intelligence division of SRI International, known as the Strategic Business Insights (SBI), is the preeminent authority on VALS.™

Th e study of psychographics is “based on the premise that the mindset and demographics are more powerful than demographics alone.” VALS uses psychology to describe the dynamics of underlying consumer preferences and choices. Th e VALS™ framework is comprised of three primary purchase motivations:

1. Ideals 2. Achievement 3. Self-expression

Th e VALS™ framework also measures a consumer’s degree of resources, whether they have low resources, medium resources or high resources. According to VALS™ study, “Motivations and resources determine how a person will express himself or herself in the marketplace. People buy products and services and seek experiences that fulfi ll their characteristic preferences and give shape, substance and satisfaction to their lives.”

Psychographics demonstrates individuals with a high degree of “ideals” motivation typically buy what is “best” according to their values and beliefs, whereas individuals who are motivated by “achievement” buy products and services for social positioning. In contrast, those driven

61 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 1—IDENTITY by “self-expression” buy products and services that allow them to truly express their personality and experience new adventures.

You can take a free quiz to determine your own purchase motivations at www.strategicbusinessinsights.com/VALS. You can also read more about the VALS™ on the Strategic Business Insights website and how to determine what types apply to your online clients.

Th e beneﬁ t of developing a customer proﬁ le is learning why your customers buy from you. If you can identify psychological purchase trig- gers it is much easier to produce engaging content that your clients will identify with.

One company that really taps into the buying motivation of their customers is TJ Maxx. Th is brand understands their customer isn’t the average bargain shopper who wants the lowest price; the TJ Maxx customer is a bargain shopper who wants to look fashion-forward on a budget. Th is subtle, yet important distinction in the buying motivation of their customers is very important. Shoppers who simply want clothing for the lowest price will shop solely on price at stores like Wal-Mart or K-mart. Shoppers who want a good price but also want trendy items will shop at stores like TJ Maxx or Target.

TJ Maxx’s marketing tagline, “I’m a Maxxinista,” is a play on the words “maximizing” and “fashionista,” which speaks directly to the motivations of a TJ Maxx shopper. A good tagline like this one succinctly encapsu- lates the purchase motivations and helps current and potential customer identify with the brand.

62 SECRET #1—PROFILE YOUR CUSTOMERS

To create engagement that rises above the clutter and noise of traditional advertising, TJ Maxx took their marketing a step further with a weekly Facebook contest called “Maxx Find Monday.” TJ Maxx Facebook fans submit a photo and a description of their latest bargain fi nd from any TJ Maxx. Th e company narrows the weekly submissions down to the top three and then fans vote on the week’s winner, who is featured on their Facebook Page. Th is contest is pure marketing genius!

TJ Maxx understands what motivates their shoppers: Th e thrill of the hunt for a good bargain. Th ey also understand their shoppers love nothing more than showing off their latest fi nds. Contest entrants recruit their friends to vote for them, which also exposes TJ Maxx to a new

63 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 1—IDENTITY group of potential customers. Meanwhile, TJ Maxx posts new merchandise on their Facebook Page to naturally continue the online conversation. “Maxx Find Monday” is a brilliant viral marketing campaign that proves TJ Maxx really knows their fans.

FORMULATE YOUR GAME PLAN

Take time to answer the following:

1. Create a customer proﬁ le: Age range Gender Ethnicity Household size Income Range Occupation Location

2. Complete this sentence, “My customers buy our products/ services because…”

3. How does your product/service speak to each of the three buying motivations? Ideals Achievement Self-Expression

64 SECRET #2

Show the Real You

ow many glasses of wine are poured each year at the Epcot Interna- Htional Food & Wine Festival? 338,000!

Epcot is one of four theme parks on the Orlando Walt Disney World Resort campus. It features a World Showcase collection of pavilions that displays the culture of 11 countries. Every year from October through November, Epcot hosts a food and wine festival where visitors can sample the cuisine of each country. More than 160 renowned chefs serve more than 900,000 dishes and more than 100,000 miniature desserts. Paired with the delicious sample dishes are more than 338,000 glasses of wine and 750,000 cups of beer.

How do I know all of this? Th e Walt Disney Blog, of course. Th e blog has a great post on the Food & Wine Festival off ering a look behind the

65 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 1—IDENTITY scenes of this year’s festival. I’ve attended this event many times (yum, yum!) and always wondered how Epcot pulls it off . Now I know!

Th e Disney Blog is an excellent example of how to help your customers identify with you. Show the real you!

Your customers easily tire from hearing the same corporate rhetoric and sales pitches. It’s repetitive and boring. It’s also what everyone else is doing. If this is what you off er, your message will blend into the background noise.

Instead, give your customers what they crave—the inside scoop! Remem- ber the marketing phrase for the National Enquirer tabloid, “Enquiring

66 SECRET #2—SHOW THE REAL YOU

minds want to know.” Th at phrase summarizes this secret perfectly. If you want to stand out in the marketplace, let your customers get to know you.

Th e blog post on the Food & Wine Festival stands out because it has a video featuring a cast member (Disney’s term for employees) and her daughter as they tour the event. Th e video is very professionally done (of course, we expect nothing less from Disney), but also walks the fi ne line of being professional yet real and authentic. Th e script is conversational and feels like the narrators are talking right to you. Th ey explain how the festival is planned and give tips just for viewers who plan to visit the event.

Nothing makes a customer want to listen to you and engage with you more than when they feel they know you. Disney does this better than any company because they consistently tell “Th e Disney Story” through marketing, merchandising and actions of their cast members. It is a full frontal brand assault every time you interact at any level with their brand.

Th e Delta Airlines video, “Behind-Th e-Scenes: Your Bag’s Journey on Delta,” off ers another view on taking fans on a journey behind the scenes. Th ey installed six cameras inside a checked luggage bag and fi lmed the bag’s journey to promote the new luggage tracking feature of their Fly Delta mobile app. Th e video and mobile app promotion is a great example of how a behind the scenes video can appeal to your fans and help promote your brand.

67 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 1—IDENTITY

1. Fans love insider information. Any time you can give your fans an insider’s look at your company or brand, you will capture their attention. Fans want to feel like they know you and your company. A behind the scenes video like Delta’s luggage journey helps educate, inform and show your fans what life is really like at your company. If fans feel like they know and trust you, they become a champion of your business.

2. Fans are busy people too. You are not the only one always on the go. Creating a mobile app for your fans like, Fly Delta, is a perfect way to connect with fans in a hurry. If your fans can search your mobile site and connect with you remotely from a mobile app, they will be back later to browse your full website. Creating a quick,

68 SECRET #2—SHOW THE REAL YOU

easy to use mobile site will increase your fan base and ultimately your sales goals.

3. Th e fastest way to increase your fan base is to appease their number one fear. Delta knows the fi rst thought in everyone’s mind when they board a plane is, “Did my bag make it on the plane?” By unleashing the luggage tracking feature of their mobile app, they can reassure their fans and make travelling a more pleasant experience. How can you make life easier for your own fans?

4. Demonstrate how much you value your fans’ feedback by listening to their comments. Delta received numerous comments and feedback about how to improve their mobile app. Th ey listened and rolled out a feature their fans requested. If you listen to your fans and make practical improvements, they will continue to invest in your brand.

5. Make connecting with your other products or services seamless. Delta’s mobile app requires an Internet connection, so Delta provides GoGo Infl ight Internet services. Passengers can also access all of Delta’s other upgrades and perks if they join the Delta Sky Club. If you provide one great product or service, make it simple for fans to connect with your other products and services. Happy fans will connect with your brand at a higher rate than fans frustrated by cumbersome technology.

You don’t need to be as big as Disney or Delta to let your customers get to know the real you. And, this doesn’t mean you have to give out personal details of your private life on Facebook.

69 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 1—IDENTITY

“Real” content posting ideas:

+ Show behind the scenes of your operation. How do you create your product/service? Who are the staff members behind your brand? What does it take to deliver your product/service on a daily basis?

+ Interview staﬀ members on why they love your product/service. Why do they work for you? What is their background? What are the challenges and surprises of their job?

+ Post about a special company events or community events that you participate in. If you participate in any local charity events, talk about your participation and what it took to raise the funds or collect the goods you donated. Talk about causes or charities you care about and why they are important to your company.

Remember, when you show the “real” you, keep the message positive. You want to be authentic but don’t drag your clients down with your daily frustrations. Th ink about it this way: Have you ever seen a piece of trash lying on the ground at Disney? No! Does trash exist at Walt Disney World? Of course. But the “real” Disney only goes so far. Th ey share what is “real” as long as it stays congruent with the brand message.

In the world of corporate marketing, staying both true to your brand and positive is the correct approach. If you go too far with the “real” message, you may alienate segments of your customer base. As I make this point a TV commercial for Tempur-Pedic immediately comes to mind. In the commercial, the “mom” hasn’t gotten enough sleep and is interacting with her children as a bear (as in full on grizzly bear). I resent this commercial because as a mom I frequently fi nd myself without enough sleep and work hard to maintain my calm composure. I don’t need and/or

70 SECRET #2—SHOW THE REAL YOU

appreciate a commercial positioning me as the bear of the family! Maybe there is a kernel of truth in the commercial, but it doesn’t empower me, excite me or engage me to have my “inner bear” pointed out for the world to see. I think there are probably a lot of mom’s out there who feel like me. Clearly, a mom didn’t come up with the concept for that one!

Consider your brand message and your audience—and use the appropriate level of discretion. Of course, if your goal is to fi nd a super-niched audience of people who appreciate an extreme perspective, then push the envelope in your degree of authenticity. As long as you know your customer, you will know how far to go.

71 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 1—IDENTITY

FORMULATE YOUR GAME PLAN

Take time to answer the following:

1. What insights about your product/service or company would your customers ﬁ nd interesting?

2. How do you plan to communicate that message?

3. What action do you want a customer to take after learning more about the real you?

72 SECRET #3

Write Like You Talk

hank you for your interest in our website. A representative will con- Ttact you within 24 hours. BLAH-BLAH-BLAH!

If you speak in corporate jargon, acronyms or fl owery marketing language, your customers are going to tune you out.

Email programs aren’t the only things with a spam fi lter. Today’s consumer has a spam fi lter built right in and we know when we hear something belonging in the spam folder!

Whether you write copy for your website, post on Facebook or tweet on Twitter, you must write with a conversational tone that feels natural and sincere.

73 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 1—IDENTITY

Which one of these posts is more conversational?

“Join us today for the Grand Opening of our new location on Main Street. Free food, music and games for the kids.” OR “Will we see you today? Super excited for big Grand Opening event today on Main Street. Don’t worry about your kids being bored, we have tons of games, food and music! See you there!”

All of your online copy should be as conversational as possible including:

+ Website + Blog + Email + Social media + Videos + Online ads

Th e secret to writing like you talk is to talk out loud as you type. Yes, your co-workers will think you are crazy (of course, they probably think that already), but it’s worth it. As you compose copy, say it out loud. If what you’ve written doesn’t fl ow naturally like you are having a conversation with another human being, then the copy is too stiff .

Even though it is important to write conversationally, keep in mind that for your corporate website, email campaigns and blog posts, you may need to use correct grammar and punctuation depending on the audience. Again this is where it’s really important to know how your audience converses and what is acceptable. Keep it clean (some of you have a potty mouth out there) and politically correct. Check spelling. Emoticons or text abbreviations like “LOL” may or may not be appropriate.

74 SECRET #3—WRITE LIKE YOU TALK

Try to strike the fi ne balance of conversing naturally while maintain- ing a professional tone in line with your brand. If you are a salesperson posting on behalf of a company, you need to be extremely conservative. My basic rule of thumb is to use language and a tone that you would with a person you meet at a business networking event for the fi rst time. If you wouldn’t immediately share your love of nudist camps at a business networking event with people you’ve just met (and you should not), PLEASE keep it off your personal and the company Facebook pages!

For a great example on how to write conversationally, check out the Star- bucks Frappuccino Page on Facebook. Instead of posting stale, overly salesy posts about buying their tasty beverage, Starbucks posts about how to bake Frappuccino cupcakes and (extra points) the post was written by one of their fans! Awesome!

Another post features a picture of a Frappuccino clearly taken with a mobile phone (because it’s not a perfect photo) captioned, “Drinking Mint Mocha while playing Mint Mocha Challenge…things are getting pretty crazy around here.”

Th at post is very conversational, real and engaging. Customers wonder what the Mint Mocha Challenge is and how to get in the game.

Another Starbucks post summarizes exactly how their customers feel most days: “It’s Wednesday and needing a Frappuccino. Th at is all.” Th ey could have written, “Stop by today and order a Frappuccino at your local Starbucks.” Which one would you engage and identify with? Which one makes you want a Frappuccino more?

75 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 1—IDENTITY

For your website copy and blogging, you may need to hire a professional writer to perfect your tone. I’ll talk more about that later.

For your social media posts, it sounds more authentic and current if you do the posting for your company instead of outsourcing. A third party can learn your voice and post conversationally, but will take time and expertise. Hire carefully.

If you want to improve writing like you talk, ask a teenager. Tell them what you want to post and then ask them to “translate” for you. Th ey can help you perfect your social media vernacular.

Start typing out loud as you type. It can transform your brand and engage your customers in a way you never thought possible.

76 SECRET #3—WRITE LIKE YOU TALK

FORMULATE YOUR GAME PLAN

Take time to answer the following:

1. On a scale of 1—10 (1 being low, 10 being high), how conversational is your online copy?

2. Which online site needs improvement ﬁ rst? Website, blog, email, Facebook or Twitter?

3. Do you need to hire a professional writer?

4. What is your ﬁ rst step to make your copy more conversational? When will you take that step?

SECRET #4

Brand Your Sites

id you know someone buys a Burt’s Bees Lip Balm every two seconds? DDid you know that Burt’s Bees donates 10 percent of online sales to Th e Greater Good Foundation? Did you know that for the past 25 years Burt’s Bees has refrained from testing its products on animals?

If you don’t know a lot about Burt’s Bees personal care products for men and women, you can learn anything you want to know from their online presence. Th ey tell the story of their all-natural, environmentally focused brand better than most companies. You may not purchase Burt’s Bees products, but browsing their online marketing can help you improve yours.

79 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 1—IDENTITY

One remarkable aspect of Burt’s Bees online presence is how well they tell the brand story visually. In the last secret, we talked about writing conversationally and Burt’s Bees does that exceptionally well. But they don’t stop there. Th ey also tell the story with visually compelling graphics consistent across all of their online sites.

+ Th e online yellow, red, white and brown color scheme is consistent with the product merchandising and consistent across all sites, including the corporate website, product microsites, blog, email, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook Page.

+ Burt’s Bees uses the logo repeatedly in the graphics as a main graphic element, only changing it slightly depending on the use for each website. Th e result is a consistent look across all platforms.

80 SECRET #4—BRAND YOUR SITES

+ Burt’s Bees Facebook Page has a customized profi le image that matches the current graphic on the homepage of their corporate website. Th e Facebook Page also has a custom designed Welcome, Promotions and Coupon pages which complement the current creative on the corporate website.

+ Burt’s Bees Twitter and YouTube page profi les are customized to match the creative used on Facebook and the corporate website.

+ Burt’s Bees email campaigns continue the visual theme with complimentary colors and graphics.

81 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 1—IDENTITY

82 SECRET #4—BRAND YOUR SITES

Th e good news for small and medium size businesses is that it’s easier for them to achieve a consistent brand image than it is for larger companies. Imagine trying to coordinate all the aspects of an International brand involving multiple agencies, staff members, languages and cultures.

Because consumers are so distracted, you need consistent visuals to help them quickly identify your company. Companies like Nike and Target have perfected this approach with instantly recognizable logos. When you see a “swoosh” or a “bull’s eye” graphic you instantly know it’s a Nike or Target product. Target.com reports that “96 percent of people recognize the bull’s eye, even edging out Nike and Apple.” I want to know who the other 4 percent are and why the number isn’t a 100 percent.

Consistent graphics provide a shortcut to busy customers who scan website pages quickly for information that interests them. Our eye is drawn to graphics, and specifi cally graphics that don’t look like a promotion.

Useit.com has a great case study in web design featuring the U.S. Cen- sus Bureau. Th ey conducted a homepage usability test on www.census. gov. Th e test asked users to fi nd the country’s current population number. Th e answer was in the right hand side column in big red numbers. Unfortunately, 86 percent of users failed to identify the correct number. Th e researchers tracked the test subjects’ eye movement on the page and found that while their eye saw the Population Clock the subjects didn’t actually use it because it looked like an advertisement.23

Th e importance of compelling and consistent graphics cannot be over- stated. You dramatically increase the chance of a fan engaging with your brand with a killer graphic presence consistent across all of your websites.

83 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 1—IDENTITY

FORMULATE YOUR GAME PLAN

Take time to answer the following:

1. On a scale from 1—10 (1 being low, 10 being high), how consistent are your graphics across all of your online sites?

2. Do you have a customized Facebook Page, Twitter proﬁ le and YouTube Channel? If not, which one will you work on ﬁ rst?

3. Do you need to invest in creating meaningful graphics and images?

84 SECRET #5

Feature Your Fans

Microsoft fan, named Brandon Foy, landed the design job of his A dreams with Microsoft. He did it by posting two homemade commercials on YouTube for the Windows phone. Both commercials received hundreds of thousands of views. Microsoft leveraged the viral buzz by hiring Foy as a graphic designer. It’s a win-win. Foy gets a job with a company he loves and Microsoft gets a passionate employee that is already recruiting new fans.

If you want your customers to identify with your brand, then feature real fans in your marketing. You don’t have to go as far as Microsoft and hire them to work for you (although customers make great employees) but you can feature your fans and let them do the talking, which means you don’t have to talk about yourself.

85 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 1—IDENTITY

We naturally connect and respond to others that like what we like. It’s high school all over again. We want to feel good about our purchase decisions and seeing others use a product/service gives us the validation we want and need. In fact, today’s consumer cares more about what others say about your brand than what you have to say. In the age of websites like Angie’s List and Amazon.com, user reviews can make or break a purchase decision. In a study performed by OTX Research, two-thirds of consumers use the information they fi nd on social media to infl uence a buying decision. At least 67 percent are likely to pass this information on to others and 60 percent trust the information on social media more than they trust traditional advertising.

While you can’t control user generated content like reviews and recommendations, you can proactively tell your story through the eyes of satis- fi ed fans.

A good example of a campaign featuring fans is the “I’m Drinkin’ Dunkin” campaign run by Dunkin Donuts in 2011. Th e campaign featured everyday Dunkin Donuts customers selected from an open casting call. Th e campaign spanned a number of marketing channels including television, radio, online marketing, social media, public relations and in- store promotional activities.

“We had more than 1,000 Dunkin’ Donuts fans show up at the casting call, many were cast in the current commercials, including two fi remen from Georgia,” said Chris D’Amico, group creative director at Boston- based Hill Holliday, which created the campaign. “Th is campaign cel- ebrates Dunkin’ Donuts consumers and their love aff air with Dunkin’ coff ee. It is also an invitation to try Dunkin’ Donuts coff ee.”24

86 SECRET #5—FEATURE YOUR FANS

You can also feature your fans in your online marketing:

+ Use a diﬀ erent testimonial on each page of your website. Don’t relegate your testimonials to one page and hope your online visitors fi nd it. Sprinkle them throughout the copy.

+ Capture testimonials in the moment on video with a point and share video camcorder or your smartphone. Candid, real videos will receive more views on YouTube than overly produced, staged videos.

+ Conduct a fan centered contest on Facebook. Allow fans to submit an entry such as a photo, video or poem incorporating your brand into the entry.

+ Invite fans to comment about your brand. Take the time to thank them when you see a positive email, post or tweet.

+ Set aside a day for a photo shoot of fans using your product/service. Make it fun and off er food and entertainment. Authentic photos of real fans are far better than stock photos.

+ Gather testimonials from all the departments in the company. Post testimonials regularly on social media.

+ Hold a fan appreciation event. Take lots of pictures and fi lm it.

Fan marketing is not only eff ective, it’s highly rewarding. It helps you remember why you work so hard in the fi rst place. Keep in mind, without fans you don’t have a business to market.

87 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 1—IDENTITY

FORMULATE YOUR GAME PLAN

Take time to answer the following:

1. How well do you consistently gather testimonials about your company? How can you go about collecting more?

2. What do your fans consistently say about your business? What about it do they love?

3. How can you repurpose fan testimonials across multiple sites?

4. If you are not currently receiving spontaneous testimonials from fans, what can you do to encourage fans to do so?

88 SECRET #6

Keep It Real

n this reality television, celebrity driven and national anthem lip synch- Iing world, consumers today crave authenticity. We want to know your product/service is for real people with real problems. Th is is the key to establishing “identity” with your fans. Show us that you “get us” by using real people in your marketing.

Th e “Dove Natural Beauty Campaign” was one of the fi rst worldwide marketing campaigns to tap into women’s craving for authenticity in marketing. It debuted in 2004 and the goal of the campaign was to celebrate the beauty of real women of all shapes, sizes, colors and back- grounds. Th e campaign sparked a national conversation about the power of advertising and the views of women and beauty.

Do you keep it real with your fans? Another good example was the 2012 Nike campaign called “Find Your Greatness,” inspired by the 2012

89 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 1—IDENTITY

Olympics. Part of the #GameOnWorld campaign features a video of an overweight boy running up a hill. Th is video of Nathan Sorrell from London, Ohio running at dawn on a rural road has captured the heart of many Nike fans. What makes the ad so compelling? It feels real. Nike’s products are not just for serious athletes, but also for those who need to exercise to stay healthy. Obesity is a real problem that many Americans face every day. Using a person that does not look like the typical actor that many fans can relate too gives the ad an air of authenticity that touches the heart-strings of the observer. Th e most inspiring ads are the ones we can relate to personally.

Are you ready to keep it real with your own fans? Here are four tips to help you create more authentic online marketing for your own fans.

1. Use real people. With the permission of your fans, use them in your marketing. You can tape them using your product or ask them to endorse your brand in a testimonial. Your fans like to know that real people, like them, use your product and how it improves their lives. Using your fans in your marketing will also encourage them to share the content with their own friends, family and followers, which will increase your fan base.

2. Address real problems. Demonstrate how your product or service will solve problems for your fans. Nike’s athletic gear will help make exercise and fi tness easier to combat obesity. What problems do your own fans face each day? How can your brand improve, solve or address those problems positively? Use your answers to create authentic online marketing.

3. Answer real questions. Do you receive questions about your products, services or brand? Use your online marketing to answer those

90 SECRET #6—KEEP IT REAL

common questions. Make it easy for your fans to understand you and your brand. Fans like to know that you are listening.

4. Show your real products. Use real footage of your products or services. Snap photos or record video of your products and use them in your online marketing. Stock photos are nice, but nothing can replace actual footage of your products. Your fans like to know what they are buying before they purchase.

91 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 1—IDENTITY

FORMULATE YOUR GAME PLAN

Take time to answer the following:

1. Think broader about your product/service. Is there a bigger societal issue that most of your fans face?

2. How could you bring that issue to light in your marketing without seeming condescending or pandering to your fans?

92 PART III

25 Slam Dunk Secrets Section 2—Self-Esteem

“A good coach will make his players see what they can be rather than what they are.”

Ara Parashegian Former Notre Dame Head Football Coach 1980 Inductee College Football Hall of Fame

SECRET #7

Be a Fan of Your Fans

was working on a client project at my desk and stopped for a moment Ito check my Twitter stream on Hootsuite (a social media management dashboard tool). I was shocked and surprised to see @CrystalLight (the offi cial Twitter handle for Crystal Light beverages) had retweeted my post about how much I love their decaf lemon ice tea and had publicly thanked me for the tweet. I felt like a million bucks. A national brand had actually seen my tweet and personally responded. Wondering if it was a fl uke, I started paying attention to Crystal Light on Twitter and have seen numerous similar tweets since. Genius!

Being a fan of your fans is a low-cost, easy way to build the self-esteem of your fans. Remember, your fans will engage with you more if your brand makes them feel good about themselves. Publicly acknowledging your fans is a great way to do just that.

95 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 2—SELF-ESTEEM

You might wonder how Crystal Light knew I tweeted about them? Do you have to live at a computer 24/7/365 glued to Twitter in hopes of catching a positive mention? No!

Many social reputation management tools are available to monitor your social media mentions and will also alert you about whether those mentions are positive or negative. Th e sophistication of the tool needed depends on the size of your company and the amount of online marketing you use daily.

For small to medium size businesses, many free tools like Google Alerts and Social Mention will monitor a list of keywords and email you a noti- fi cation any time they are used on the web or social media. I have Google Alerts set up for my name and my company name. I never tire of seeing what the other Meredith Olivers in the world are up to—sometimes it’s bull riding in Spain or bungee jumping in Vegas! One thing’s for sure, those Meredith Olivers are a lot more adventurous than I am!

Addict-O-Matic is another interesting online reputation management tool that monitors a particular keyword phrase and presents the latest buzz about the phrase across 18 sites from Twitter to YouTube in real time.

You should routinely type your brand name, product/service name and industry keywords into the search tool on Twitter to see what tweets come up referencing you. Th is practice gives you the opportunity to retweet and reply to fans who mention your brand. Social media dashboard tools like Hootsuite and Tweetdeck will automate the search process for you and present all of your mentions in a streaming column on their dashboard.

96 SECRET #7—BE A FAN OF YOUR FANS

If you are a larger company, you may want a more robust monitoring tool like Shoutlet, Sprout Social or Alterian. Th ese tools track your mentions and produce sophisticated reports about your social engagement levels.

Monitoring your positive mentions is important, and it’s even more important if someone says something negative about your brand. We’ll cover responding to negative comments in a later chapter. For now, let’s focus on being fans of your fans by simply taking the time to personally respond when they mention how much they love your brand.

Another opportunity to become a fan of your fans is to reciprocate a follow or fan and become their fan in return. Th is is particularly eff ective with strategic business partners. In the world of fan marketing, it’s important to give in order to receive.

+ Proactively become a fan of your strategic partners’ Facebook Pages. + Sign up for a subscription to their blog and email newsletter. + Freely write recommendations for them on LinkedIn. + Find ways to publicly thank your strategic alliances for new business on your social sites. + Proactively retweet their posts and thank them publicly when they do so for you. + Welcome new followers on Twitter with a public welcome message and mention their twitter handle. + Give a #FF (Friday Follow) shout-out on Twitter to fans that you follow and enjoy their posts. Th e Friday Follow tradition is a great way to acknowledge other Twitter users. Simply compose a post with the #FF hashtag and then list the Twitter handles of the fans you want to acknowledge.

97 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 2—SELF-ESTEEM

One day I just know Jon Bon Jovi himself will personally write on my Facebook wall. When that day happens, I’m bronzing my computer monitor for all eternity!

FORMULATE YOUR GAME PLAN

Take time to answer the following:

1. Are you tracking mentions about your brand on the Web and social media?

2. Do you respond to positive mentions in real time with a thank you?

3. Do you need to set up social monitoring tools to help automate the process?

4. Who is the designated person on your team who responds to social media mentions and what is the response time goal?

98 SECRET #8

Build a Relationship

f you aren’t sure how to maintain a positive relationship in the online Iworld, think about what makes a good relationship in the offl ine world.

+ Complete trust + Open communication + Mutual respect + Quality time + Th oughtful consideration + Consistent commitment + True loyalty

Positive relationships bring value to our lives and increase our self-esteem. You should maintain a relationship with your fans. I’m not talking about fans stalking you like the paparazzi everywhere you go, but a respectful, fun, social relationship that drives more sales.

99 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 2—SELF-ESTEEM

In the B2B (Business to Business) sales arena, selling is all about relationships. Th e application of this time-tested secret is most easily seen in the B2B sales environment.But why don’t we apply it to the B2C (Business to Consumer) sales arena? Many of you that sell directly to consumers are rolling your eyes right now and thinking, “I have to have a relationship on Facebook with these people? I don’t even want to talk to my own family on Facebook, much less my customers!”

I get that kind of reaction all the time when I train sales people who sell to consumers. I frequently hear objections like, “I don’t have time for social networking” or “I don’t know how.” It’s interesting that we don’t generally dispute the concept in the B2B world. B2B salespeople are expected to go above and beyond to build a relationship fi rst and sell products/services second; for them, lack of time and desire is not an acceptable excuse.

Th e truth is, even in the B2C sales arena, lack of time can’t be an acceptable excuse any longer either. Remember, old ways of marketing and selling no longer work. If they aren’t working, you can’t use them to grow your business. You have little choice but to “man up” and learn how to use social networking to build relationships with your fans. Who knows, in time you might enjoy it.

I confess I was one of the skeptics. I vividly remember a conversation with a fellow colleague where I told her salespeople would never use social networking and it should be relegated to the marketing department at the corporate level. She was very patient with me and has never come back to say “I told you so!” even though she has every right to do so.

If you are feeling overwhelmed, that’s okay. I’ve felt that way too. All sales and marketing professionals have. Th ere are so many tasks, not enough

100 SECRET #8—BUILD A RELATIONSHIP hands to do them and deadlines looming all around us. But, in our heart of hearts, that is why we are in the fi eld—we thrive and enjoy the adren- alin rush of a lot of things happening at once. If this seems like too much with your current responsibilities, slow down for a moment. Take a deep breath and focus on one secret at a time. Keep your action steps simple and attainable. Set a goal to improve and then pick the book back up to work on the next secret.

Actions to help you build a solid relationship:

+ Post consistently. Fans want to hear from you. Spend quality time “together” online.

+ Communicate openly. If a fan posts something negative, don’t delete the post and act like it never happened. Respond immediately with a next action step to investigate the complaint and work toward a resolution.

+ Follow through. If you say you will post new pictures soon, stick to your word. If you promise a coupon is coming soon, make it happen. If you promise a resolution to a complaint, make sure the issue is resolved.

+ Observe netiquette. Respect your fans privacy. Never, ever share their information with a third party, no matter how much money you are off ered.

+ Be authentic. If your company doesn’t really have a bounce house in the conference room, don’t post that you do just to look more hip and trendy. Don’t post fake testimonials and pose as customers.

101 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 2—SELF-ESTEEM

+ Reciprocate kindness. Do small things to thank your fans. Imagine how shocked a fan would be to receive a personal, hand-written thank you note from your CEO or a phone call from the chairman of the board. Don’t forget about low-tech, high-touch acts that would mean a lot to someone.

+ Connect with fans. If your fans have similar business interests, introduce them to each other (with permission, of course).

+ Oﬀ er value. Don’t make it all about you all the time. Post links and tips to help your fans save money and time or to improve the quality of their lives. We’ll talk more about this in a later chapter.

Out of all of the online marketing options, a blog oﬀ ers the best opportunity to develop a deeper relationship with your customers. It’s hard to truly deliver valuable information in 140 characters or less. It’s also hard to keep your corporate website up-to-date frequently enough to give out timely information. A blog allows you to share more in-depth information in the form of written, audio and video posts. You can categorize and tag posts to easily organize all of your content and keep it simple for customers to browse and interact with on your website. Invite blog readers to subscribe and comment on your posts.

My recommendation is to treat your blog as the hub of your online marketing strategy. I go into depth on this concept in Click Power: Th e Proven System to Increase Sales.

Post your core content on your blog and use other online sites to drive visitors to the blog. Th ink of your online marketing strategy like an old- fashioned wagon wheel with the blog at the hub of the wheel. Th e spokes of the wheel represent other sites that link to the hub like banner adver-

102 SECRET #8—BUILD A RELATIONSHIP tising, search engine optimization (SEO), paid search marketing, social media, email marketing and offl ine marketing like direct mail, signage, ads and brochures.

Good relationships evolve and change over time. Th e same is true with your fans. Some fans stay highly engaged for a while and then fade away. Others will begin to engage just as others fade. As long as you constantly nurture your fans, a pipeline of relationships will feed your sales goals for a long time to come.

103 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 2—SELF-ESTEEM

FORMULATE YOUR GAME PLAN

Take time to answer the following:

1. How would you rate the strength of the relationships with your customers?

2. What is your social media policy? Do you have a written standard of what and who posts in your company?

3. How do you handle negative comments? What is you planned response time and follow-up process?

4. What three things could you start doing today to improve your online relationship with your customers?

104 SECRET #9

Reward Loyalty

othing makes fans feel more loved than when you recognize and re- Nward their patronage. A good reward program will provide value to members, give the business valuable feedback and increase repeat business, but if, and only if, the reward program is a good one.

If you currently run a reward program, does it really provide value to members? What is the quality of information you gain in return?

Th ere are two basic types of reward programs:

1. Free—Your customer opts in with minimum information and the program is free to join. Th is can be eff ective, but doesn’t really in- centivize future purchases. 2. Paid—Your customer pays a fee to join the program. Even though customers are very cost conscious, many appreciate the exclusivity of

105 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 2—SELF-ESTEEM

a paid program as long as the value of the program is worth the fee. Th e value of a paid program can include future discounts, exclusive off ers and upgraded service. A paid program will make your customers feel special and boost the link between self-esteem and your brand.

Online coupon giant Groupon launched a reward program for both its merchants and subscribers with a virtual punch card. Subscribers who purchase a Groupon off er receive additional discounts when they spend more than a dollar threshold with the merchant. Th e concept behind the program is to reward subscribers’ loyalty to both Groupon and merchants by off ering future discounts. Th e program also quiets Groupon critics who claim that Groupon doesn’t deliver high quality customers.

If you already have a loyalty program, how well are you leveraging it in your online marketing?

+ Information about the program should be easy to fi nd on your corporate website. + Your program should provide participants with the ability to refer others. + Keep the sign-up form as short as possible while still gathering valuable data that you can use to refi ne your marketing strategy. + Integrate the program into your Facebook Page and embed a sign- up form on the page so members can sign up immediately. + Regularly communicate with your members via email (but don’t overdo it) and off er value for the membership. + Create a Twitter profi le or use a specifi c #hashtag just for your reward members. Tweet exclusive information just for them. + Promote the program on your blog. Regularly post about the benefi ts of the program and invite members to comment about how they’ve used their rewards.

106 SECRET #9—REWARD LOYALTY

Another option to reward fans’ loyalty is by giving away free content just for fans. Create a special section on your website or blog just for current customers. If you want to make a stronger impression, create a separate fan website just for them. Provide them with login information or ask them to create a user profi le. To learn more about this type of reward program, look at the entertainment industry. Radio stations, television programs and performing artists are very good at engaging fans with exclusive content. Sign up for your favorite band or artist’s fan club and see fi rst-hand how they engage their fan base.

Create incentives for your fans that make sense when paired with your product or service. What sets your products or service apart from others with similar reward programs? One great paid loyalty program example is shoe clubs like Just Fabulous and Shoe Dazzle aimed at women. Fans of the club take a style quiz and then are sent a selection of shoes, purses and jewelry each month that match the personality from the quiz. If you decide to buy an item from your selection each month, the cost is less than $40 per item and shipping is free. Shoe clubs reward loyalty with free shipping, competitive prices for fashionand even free fashion advice for pairing your new shoes, jewelry and handbags.

Loyal fans already love your brand, product or service. Reward them with more than a coupon or one-time discount. Try fan-only merchandise, fan-based contests or exclusive content. Spotify, a music streaming website, is free to download and listen to your favorite musicians and artists. If you upgrade to Spotify Premium, their loyalty program, for a small fee, you can access music before it is released, listen to music on any mobile device, skip all advertising and much more. Spotify rewards fans through a paid reward program. By upgrading, fans can enjoy all the music they could ever want at a better quality and with the chance to listen before anybody else. In the same vein, fans can also win tickets to see their fa-

107 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 2—SELF-ESTEEM vorite artists live. With incentives like tickets and mobility, Spotify motivates fans to continue paying the monthly fee for their reward program.

Exclusive content posting ideas:

+ Behind the scenes sneak peeks + Early bird event and sale opportunities + Exclusive photos and videos + Interviews with company team members + Fan-only contests and promotions + Badges and widgets + Fan-only merchandise

Ask your fans what they would like to see as incentives, prizes, etc. in the future. If possible, make it happen. Fans love validation and are important for repeat business.

Twitter is an excellent “listening” tool; simply search for your brand name or category on Twitter and start reading the unvarnished commentary on your business. Th is can be brutal so prepare yourself and your team. Some of the opinions will be irrational and invalid because social media tends to bring out the worst in some users because of the anonymity factor. Eliminate the irrational comments and review the rest. How does your using or interacting with your company feel to your fans? And, how well are you responding to those comments? Based on fan chatter, what type of loyalty program would your fans respond to?

Listen and pay attention to the comments. Who better to determine the direction of a loyalty program than the fans themselves?

108 SECRET #9—REWARD LOYALTY

FORMULATE YOUR GAME PLAN

Take time to answer the following:

1. Do you currently have a customer appreciation/loyalty program?

2. If no, what has stopped you? How can you overcome that obstacle moving forward?

3. Is your fan program easy to access and will it help users learn more about on all of your online sites?

4. How can you increase membership in your current program?

109

PART III

25 Slam Dunk Secrets Section 3—Escapism

“I want to thank the Good Lord for making me a Yankee.”

Joe DiMaggio New York Yankee Professional Baseball Player Three-time MVP, 13 Time All Star, 56 Game Hitting Streak

SECRET #10

Stop Selling

our fans are already sold. Th at’s why they chose to follow your blog Yand/or sign up for email updates. Maybe they haven’t purchased yet, but they are at least sold on learning more about you. How long they remain sold is directly determined by what you do next.

Ever visit a company Facebook Page only to see post after post promoting a new product or service? How long did you stay a fan of the page? Probably not long.

My husband remarked recently, “Th e problem with social media is that companies only use it to try and sell you something. When you have a legitimate problem and need help, they are strikingly unresponsive.” Well said!

113 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 3—ESCAPISM

Fans want to ﬁ nd solutions to their problems and escape the challenges of everyday life. Does your online marketing off er a safe haven where fans can receive authentic answers about the problems they dealing with?

Th e fi rst step to developing a sound online strategy is determining what value you will provide your fans. Th is applies not only to your social media profi les, but also to your website and email content. What valuable insights will your fans care about?

Many of the business owners and sales people I consult with are very concerned that they don’t have anything of value to say. Th is is a natural and common feeling. You probably don’t think of yourself as an expert in your fi eld, but the truth is, after you’ve worked in a particular position or industry for a reasonable length of time, you develop a specialized skill set that others will fi nd valuable.

Tap into your knowledge base and turn the information into tips that your customers and strategic business partners can use. Zillow.com is a free real estate resource for home buyers, sellers, agents, mortgage professionals, insurance representative, home builders, and pretty much anyone interested in the buying or selling of residential real estate. Zillow’s real estate database has more than 100 million U.S. real estate listings, including one-bedroom condos in Manhattan and celebrity mansions in Beverly Hills. Zillow could assume the extensive database of listings off ers enough value to their website visitors, but they don’t. Th e Zillow Blog acts as a comprehensive resource on all things real estate. Th e blog off ers helpful how-to tips on topics for consumers like “Four Real Estate Deal Killers” and topics for agents like “Agents Finding New Success with New Incen- tives.” Zillow also off ers light-hearted posts such as “What Do Celebrities Do in Th ose Glitzy Kitchens” and serious posts about the economy such as “30-Year Fixed Rate Rises Slightly, Remains at Historic Lows.”

114 SECRET #10—STOP SELLING

Zillow promotes its blog through posts on Facebook, Twitter, email campaigns and online advertising on other websites. Th e Zillow blog is an excellent example of how to take expertise and turn it into tangible value. Visitors repeatedly visit the blog to learn more, seek answers to questions and be entertained.

Th e blog also has a long online shelf life because industry professionals (non-Zillow employees) blog, tweet and post links to the Zillow blog posts. Th e high quality of the content keeps the posts evergreen and current to both new and old customers.

115 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 3—ESCAPISM

What does it take to create a blog with valuable content?

+ Brainstorm a list of frequently asked questions. Write about what your customers and strategic business alliances frequently ask about. Content that answers frequently asked questions will be of interest to the audience and less self-promotional.

+ Plan an editorial schedule. How often will you post? I recommend posting a new blog at least once a week. In some industries, where the audience is more tech savvy, you may need to post more often. How often you post comes back to knowing your fan profi le.

+ Use a blogging platform that is intuitive to you. I prefer the Word- press platform but if you prefer Blogger or Typepad, that’s okay, too. Pick whatever program is easiest for you.

+ Integrate your blog into your main website. Gone are the days where the blog was a separate entity from your website. In some cases, the blog may actually become your main website. It all depends on your audience.

+ Brand your blog with complimentary graphics to your other sites. We covered this in Secret #4. Go back and review that chapter if you have questions.

+ Categorize and tag your posts to easily ﬁ nd topics of interest. Be selective when you categorize and don’t create too many categories. You will dilute the eff ect.

116 SECRET #10—STOP SELLING

+ Use graphics in blog posts to bring the copy to life. A great photo or image can translate to as much value as a 760-word post. Blog readers generally look at pictures and headlines fi rst and your copy second.

+ Link to other resources. Embed links in your posts to other sites that off er valuable information and include a “blog roll” (list of recommended links) in the sidebar of your blog.

Delivering value as a selling tool is as much attitude and state of mind as it is a marketing technique. You can train your mind to become more aware of possible post topics. Content is everywhere around you from everyday interactions with others to lessons learned on the job. When you have a brainstorm for a new post topic, make sure you write it down or better yet, record a memo on your smartphone and email it to yourself. You can even use a free app called Dragon to record a memo and have it automatically converted into a text document. Whether you go low-tech or high-tech, get in the habit of recording your ideas before you forget them.

117 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 3—ESCAPISM

FORMULATE YOUR GAME PLAN

Take time to answer the following:

1. Make a list of the top 10 most frequently asked questions by your customers and strategic business partners.

2. Could you write approximately 300—350 words (approximately 10—12 sentences) on each question? Congrats, you are a blogger!

3. If you answered no to #2, or don’t have the time, how are you going to make a blog happen?

4. From a technical perspective, what are your next steps to starting a blog?

118 SECRET #11

When Your Fans Play, They Pay

ne of my favorite Facebook promotions of all time is the Bush Beans O“Make Me An Off er” promotion. You may be familiar with Bush’s Beans from their clever television commercials with the talking dog who claims to know the secret Bush family bean recipe.

Th e “Make Me An Off er” promotion on Facebook invited fans to make Duke (the company mascot) an off er in exchange for the secret family recipe. Th ousands of fans wrote in with clever quips and Duke quickly responded to every one of them. Th e banter between the page and the fans was hilarious and absolutely engaging—so much so I personally found it distracting to stay focused on my computer work. I wanted to stay on the page to see what Duke was going to stay next. And, the next time I went to the grocery store, I picked up a couple of cans of Bush’s Baked Beans. Th e brand was on the top of my mind as I strolled down the canned vegetable aisle (and they are really tasty!).

119 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 3—ESCAPISM

Many factors made this a great campaign. Bush’s Baked Beans integrated their television commercials into their social media presences. Th e campaign was fun and certainly provided an escape to fans. Th e campaign was also interactive and asked fans to get involved.

Best Buy and Brookstone outsell their competitors for many reasons, one of those reasons is that when consumers play, they pay. How many times have you picked up an item in Brookstone at the mall intending just to kill time while you wait on someone else to fi nish up their shopping and ended up buying it? You had no intention of purchasing the item, but after you played with it, you couldn’t imagine leaving it at the store. I happen to own a very expensive iJoy massage chair for this very reason! In the online world, customers do not physically pick up your product, so we need to fi nd other ways to increase interactions.

120 SECRET #11—WHEN YOUR FANS PLAY, THEY PAY

Another great Facebook Page that encourages fan interaction with the brand is the Oreo Cookie Page. To celebrate Oreo cookies new avail- ability in Germany, Oreo launched an interactive Facebook contest where fans could submit a video to “Help Helmut” (a fi ctional German character) understand how to enjoy an Oreo cookie. An app guides fans through the video creation. Th e three top videos (decided by Helmut) are awarded the coveted look-alike Gartzenburg (which appears to be a Travelocity-like gnome statue). Th e video submissions are absolutely hilarious and certainly provide an escape to the fans.

If you conduct any contest on Facebook specifi cally, make sure you adhere to the Facebook Fan Page Promotion Guidelines. You can learn more about those guidelines by clicking on the Terms link at the bottom of your Facebook Page. If you don’t adhere to the rules, you risk having your page shut down by Facebook and wasting all of your hard work building a relationship with your fans.

It’s easy to spot good interactive content, but more diffi cult to develop your own since you are so close to your brand. Th e more you solicit feedback from your fans and the more you know your customer profi les, the easier it is to brainstorm fun content they will enjoy and engage with regularly.

If you are trying to come up with a contest idea, ask the following questions:

+ What action words describe how customers use our product/service? + Is the product/service delivered in an interesting way? + When and where is our product/service used? + How often do your customers use it? + Is there anything funny or quirky (keep it clean and politically correct) about your product/service?

121 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 3—ESCAPISM

+ Are there any minor challenges (nothing so serious that would prevent someone from using the product/service) that are humorous? + What are the universal challenges your target audience faces every day that you can turn into an interactive experience?

If you imagine yourself as the customer, you can probably come up with a clever premise for an interactive campaign theme. If not, leave the creative ideas to the professionals and hire a marketing company to come up with the concept and design the creative. If you do outsource, make sure the marketing company’s ideas are congruent with your brand and will feel authentic to your fans.

122 SECRET #11—WHEN YOUR FANS PLAY, THEY PAY

FORMULATE YOUR GAME PLAN

Take time to answer the following:

1. What type of user generated content would your fans be likely to enjoy submitting? Photos, videos, poems, songs, drawings?

2. If you run an interactive campaign, what is its purpose ? What do you hope to gain from it?

3. How will you measure the success of the campaign?

4. Are in your compliance with the Facebook Fan Page Pro- motion Guidelines?

123

SECRET #12

Angry Birds Anyone?

recently saw a vintage Atari “Flashback 3, Classic Game Console” for Isale at Rite Aid. It was $39.99 and came with three games, including the uber-popular Asteroid. I guess if you wait around long enough, anything can come back into style. I can’t imagine paying $39.99 for an Atari that uses decades old technology, but then I’ve never been much of a video gamer (even when I had the original Atari back in the day!). Even so, I’m sure there are enough nostalgia buff s to make this a profi table product.

If you aren’t a gamer, it’s easy to dismiss the validity of using online games as part of your fan engagement strategy. A look at the numbers should make you reconsider. According to Gartner, Inc., a leading information technology and research fi rm:

+ By 2015, more than 50 percent of organizations that manage in- novation processes will gamify those processes.

125 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 3—ESCAPISM

+ By 2014, a gamifi ed service for consumer goods marketing and customer retention will become as important as Facebook, eBay or Amazon. + More than 70 percent of Global 2000 organizations will use one gamifi ed application.

Research aggregator eMarketer reports “more than half of all US mobile phone users—about 125.9 million people or 39.8% of the total US population—will play games on their phones this year, as the ongoing explosion in usage pushes mobile gaming revenues to $1.78 billion in the US.”25

What does it mean to “gamify” something? “Gamifying” is the process of using game techniques and applying them to non-game scenarios. Es- sentially it means to make something fun! When you gamify your business, you give your fans the opportunity to collect, win or earn virtual goods like:

+ Badges + Points + Levels + Leaderboards + Challenges

Many software platforms can administer and manage your online game, such as Badegeville, BigDoor and Bunchball.

Games are particularly eff ective with Generation Y consumers. Th ey expect to have fun and compete with each other for prizes.

126 SECRET #12—ANGRY BIRDS ANYONE?

An example of successful gamifi cation is Foursquare. Th ey successfully engage consumers by awarding badges to users. Every time you check in to a physical location on Foursquare you receive points. Points add up to unlock badges and titles. First time users receive “Newbie” badges and repeat visitors to a location can claim the title of “Mayor.” Th e more you check in at a location, the more points and badges you earn. Friends compete against each other to oust the current mayor and become the new mayor. What a powerful third party endorsement of the brand!

If this seems foreign to you, remember it’s really all about having fun. Th at’s it. Your fans want an escape from the stress of life and you provide that in an interactive way while promoting your brand at the same time. It’s a win-win.

127 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 3—ESCAPISM

FORMULATE YOUR GAME PLAN

Take time to answer the following:

1. How could gamiﬁ cation be part of your online marketing strategy?

2. Do you have an oﬄ ine rewards or points system that you could easily gamify in the online world?

3. What steps do you need to take to implement a game into your marketing? When would you take the ﬁ rst step?

128 SECRET #13

The Easy Button

love the Staples Easy Button. It is one of my favorite advertising cam- Ipaigns of all time. Th e television commercials are so eff ective that Sta- ples actually made an Easy Button for their fans. I bought one for my desk. I use it as a reminder to keep things easy for my clients.

Making engagement easy is critical to engaging fans and attracting new fans. No matter how much your fans love and support your business, they are busy with their own day-to-day lives. Th e easier you make it for people to interact with you and your content, the more engagement you will receive from your fans.

Add links to your social media profi les on your website, blog and email signature. Position the links prominently and be consistent with the placement from page to page. Cross-promoting your social sites is the best way to synergize your eff orts and increase your fan base.

129 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 3—ESCAPISM

If you post consistently on social sites, add a live feed of your posts to your website or blog. Th is extra step gives website visitors the opportunity to easily see the quality of your posts and become a fan. Facebook provides several social plugin options for your website or blog. You can learn more about them at http://developers.facebook.com/docs/plugins/. Options include:

+ Like Button. Visitors can share content from your site on their Facebook profi le with one click. + Send Button. Visitors can send your content to their friends. + Subscribe Button. Visitors can subscribe to other Facebook users from your site. + Comments. Visitors can comment on your content. + Activity Feed. Visitors can see other fans’ likes and comments. + Recommendations. Visitors receive personalized recommendations about parts of your site they might like. + Like Box. Visitors can like your Facebook page from your website. + Login Button. Visitors can log in to Facebook from your website. + Registration. Visitors can register on your website using their Face- book log-in information. + Facepile. Displays the Facebook profi le pictures of other fans and their activity on your site. + Live Stream. Allows visitors to share activity and comments in real time during a live event.

Facebook social plug-ins off er many ways to customize your website. Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn also off er social plug-in options. An important caveat, however: Limit the number of social plug-ins you add to your website to two or three or it will become overwhelming and distracting to your visitors. Select the plug-in that most accomplishes your online marketing and sales goals.

130 SECRET #13—THE EASY BUTTON

Another easy and aff ordable way to encourage fan participation is through social sharing buttons. Sites like ShareTh is.com and AddTh is.com off er social sharing button plug-ins for free. Th ese free sharing buttons allow website visitors to share your content with others. Prior to the plug-ins, visitors had to be savvy enough to copy your website’s URL and paste it into an email or social media post. With the plug-in, it has become one click easy to share your content right from your site.

Most of the social sharing plug-ins off er a non-registered version and a registered version. I recommend the registered version so you can track your social sharing activity. Most sharing plug-ins also integrate with Google Analytics reporting.

You can custom confi gure the sharing toolbar with the social sites of your choice. I recommend at least including Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and email. You might also want to include the print button in your toolbar.

Remember, if you add any of the plug-ins that allow for comments, you need to be monitor and respond to those comments. Don’t leave your fans hanging. Acknowledge all comments, good or bad.

If you add a feed to your website or blog, you may also want to add a Twitter feed to your Facebook Business Page. Several apps are available to customize your Facebook Page and will feed in your LinkedIn, YouTube and Twitter activity to Facebook. Th e likelihood of someone seeing your content from other social sites increases dramatically if they see it on the site they are currently visiting. If this seems redundant, it is. One-click easy is the key. You want to make accessing your entire online marketing one-click easy from whatever page your fans are currently visiting.

131 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 3—ESCAPISM

FORMULATE YOUR GAME PLAN

Take time to answer the following:

1. On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being lowest, 5 being the highest) how easy is it for website visitors to access your blog and social media proﬁ les?

2. What tools are you currently using to encourage social sharing of your content?

3. What could you do to encourage your fans to share your content more often?

132 SECRET #14

Pin In to Win It

ave you jumped on the Pinterest bandwagon yet? If you are a woman Hinterested in cooking, fashion, parenting or décor, chances are you know all about the power of Pinterest. If you aren’t familiar, Pinterest. com is a social media site that allows users to “pin” images to virtual cork boards. Th is process allows users to collect and store online ideas and inspiration in an organized manner. If you’ve ever tried to retrace your online steps to fi nd a recipe or remember where you saw the perfect blouse, you know how frustrating it can be to remember what/where you’ve seen something online.

133 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 3—ESCAPISM

Pins are linked to the original online source so users can click on the pin and visit the website that hosts the image. Once an item is “pinned” by a user, other users can “repin” that item which allows the pin to go viral. Repinning is the most popular activity on Pinterest; 80 percent of all pins are repins. Users can also “like” and comment on pins.

Pinterest was launched in March 2010 and has grown to 70 million users of which 80 percent are women. Th e average user stays on the site about 14 minutes. According to ExpandedRamblings.com, a social media blog, Nordstrom has the largest number of Pinterest followers and the most repined Pinterest pin of all times is “Garlic Cheesy Bread.”26

Users love Pinterest because it is an escape into a world of beautiful things and fun activities. Some pins are of high-end, expensive items but other pins stress how to create customized, personalized items on a DIY budget. In just one session on Pinterest, I learned how to create a fabric swag ceiling, use shower hooks and a towel rod to organize necklaces and fi x scratches on wood furniture with olive oil and vinegar. From collecting art to planning a child’s birthday party, there isn’t anything you can’t learn how to do on Pinterest.

134 SECRET #14—PIN IN TO WIN IT

Should you pursue Pinterest as a fan engagement tool? If your fan base is largely women, Pinterest is defi nitely a good fi t for you. If you are tar- geting both men and women, it can still be a good fi t but maybe not as strong a possibility as Facebook. If your target audience is largely male, skip Pinterest and focus on more appropriate sites like Facebook and YouTube.

Another question to consider is how visual is your product/service? Pin- terest is a visual tool. You have to be able to pin images and not just post text based posts. If you have a library of images associated with your brand it is perfect for Pinterest.

Finally, determine if your product/service has a lifestyle component to it. Is your business part of a bigger category, hobby or cause that you can tap into? Let’s say for example you own a pool installation, repair and maintenance company. You could create a Pinterest page for the pool company and pin pictures of pools you’ve built. Th at would be a good start, but it would be much more eff ective and likely to go viral if you wrote a blog on your pool website about exotic pools around the world and then pinned the images from the blog on Pinterest. As users “repin” your images they will be able to click through to your blog and become aware of your product/services. Th is strategy could expand to pins on how to host a fun pool party, how to select durable and stylish pool furniture, how to maintain a pool and the list goes on and on. All of those topics are examples of the “lifestyle” that goes with owning a pool. It’s the lifestyle aspect you want to tap into on Pinterest.

Give your fans a chance to dream about a better, more fulfi lling lifestyle and you can pin it to win it!

135 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 3—ESCAPISM

FORMULATE YOUR GAME PLAN

Take time to answer the following:

1. What lifestyle does your product/service represent?

2. What do your fans dream of doing/seeing/experiencing to improve or enhance that lifestyle?

3. What images/photos do you currently have or need to create to represent that lifestyle dream?

136 SECRET #15

Tell a Visual Story

othing is more boring than a data dump of facts and fi gures. Yet, Nquantitative facts can be a powerful selling tool if your fan base takes the time to understand and comprehend their meaning.

Th e challenge for online marketers is that most users don’t read the web; we scan it for headlines and images that jump out and get our attention. Because of this, infographic marketing has become very popular as a way to visually illustrate a data set, concept or complex message.

NeoMam Studios created an infographic about infographics titled “13 Reasons Why Your Brain Craves Infographics.”27 It’s an interactive infographic that does a great job of explaining the infographic phenomenon. You can fi nd it at http://neomam.com/interactive/13reasons/.

137 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 3—ESCAPISM

138 SECRET #15—TELL A VISUAL STORY

I won’t go into all thirteen reasons but here are a few of the more compelling arguments.

1. Our brains are visually wired. 50 percent of our brain is involved in visual processing. 70 percent of all of our sensory receptors are in our eyes. 2. We interpret symbols faster than words. It only takes us 15ms to process a symbol and 100ms to attach a meaning to it. 3. We suﬀ er from information overload. I think I’ve already proven that point! 4. Color visuals are more engaging. Researchers found that color visuals increase the willingness to read by 80 percent. 5. Easier to remember. Once we establish a visual pattern and attach a meaning it is much easier to recall that information. 6. More likely to be shared. If we fi nd something online that is visually appealing and contains great information we are much more likely to share it.

How would you get started integrating infographics into your social media marketing? First, research the facts and statistics you want to share. Narrow down the list to fi ve to seven most compelling pieces of data. Next, develop a story or theme for the data set. Do you want to draw a comparison, play off something in pop culture or pull a storyline from your brand history? Outline the story as you would a blog post or power point presentation. Cut out all the superfl uous information and keep the content concise and to the point. Finally, either hire a professional infographic designer or use a DIY tool. Sites like Visual.ly and Piktochart allow non-designers to create basic infographics for free or at a reasonable cost.

139 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 3—ESCAPISM

Tips on creating an eﬀ ective infographic:

+ Keep it simple and clean. Don’t try to share too much information in one graphic. Limit the copy and allow for plenty of white space around each point so the graphics really pop out.

+ Have fun. Again, don’t take yourself too seriously. Humorous infographics tend to be shared much more readily.

+ Include your logo, website address and twitter handle to increase brand awareness.

+ Embrace bright colors. Infographics tend to have a slightly cartoon and/or comic book look about them and that’s okay. Th e more col- orful and bright the more they will grab someone’s eye.

If you are accustomed to producing power point presentations, then think of an infographic as several PowerPoint slides combined into one vertical slide. Remember the most powerful communication “shows” instead of “tells.” When you do that, your fans can escape their black and white world and engage with you in living color.

140 SECRET #15—TELL A VISUAL STORY

FORMULATE YOUR GAME PLAN

Take time to answer the following:

1. Does your business have a data related story to tell fans they could beneﬁ t from the development of an infographic?

2. If so, do you have an in-house resource or do you want to hire a designer? Do you have anyone skilled enough with basic design principals to customize a free infographic template?

3. Once the infographic is completed, how do you plan to market it? What other social sites, blogs and websites can you share it on?

141

PART III

25 Slam Dunk Secrets Section 4—State Change

“You can’t put a limit on anything. The more you dream the further you get.”

Michael Phelps 18 Olympic Gold Medals 22 Total Olympic Medals Most Winning Olympian of All Times

SECRET #16

Time Your Messages

f you are going to post online content, make sure you post at optimal Itimes so your target audience will see the post. Posting an obligatory message every morning at 8:15 so you can check it off the list isn’t necessarily going to maximize engagement with your fans. Nor will it surprise and delight your fans enough to cause a state change.

“Twitter is reporting more than 200 million tweets per day and, according to its calculations, a day’s worth of tweets would be enough to write a 10-million-page book or 8,163 copies of War and Peace. Every second, 2,400 tweets are sent through Twitter’s servers, enough for 1.4 billion tweets per week,” according to Mashable.28

WOW! Don’t be discouraged by this statistic, just know for maximum impact you want to time the release of your posts to coincide with most users surfi ng habits. When should you post for the best results? Dan Za-

145 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 4—STATE CHANGE rella, social media scientist at Hubspot, has studied the best times to tweet on Twitter and post on Facebook. Here are some of his recommendations:

+ If you want your content shared on Twitter in the form of retweets, post at 5 p.m. + Th e best days to tweet are generally midweek and on the weekends. + Th e best time of day to encourage clicks on links included in your tweets is noon (lunch time) and 6 p.m. (after people arrive home from work). + Th e best day for sharing on Facebook is Saturday at noon and a little after 7 p.m.

However, Saturday is not necessarily the best day for posting for every industry. BuddyMedia did its own study and found that engagement on Facebook posts peaks on Th ursday and Friday. Th at coincides with Facebook’s own study that its “Happiness Index”—which measures the positivity of users’ posts—rises by 10 percent on Friday. Th e company also found that shorter posts, or those with 80 characters or less, have a 27 percent higher engagement rate. BuddyMedia’s study also found that brands posting outside of business hours (early in the morning, at the end of the work day and late at night) had a 20 percent higher engagement rate.

How do you know what works for your audience? Ask them. Also vary your posting times and pay attention to times of day and days of the week when you receive the highest amount of engagement.

Reviewing your online metric reports can provide valuable feedback. Google Analytics is a free, easy-to-use reporting tool for websites and blogs. Use it to learn about website visitor behavior trends. Information about Top Content Visited and Goal Conversions Percentages help you

146 SECRET #16—TIME YOUR MESSAGES tweak your website navigation to place the most popular content in your primary navigation. Google Analytics can guide you through posting the types of content your audience values and engages with.

Facebook’s Insights Report also off ers helpful feedback on engagement trends. You can embed Google Analytics on your social media sites as well to track further engagements. Social media dashboard software tools, like Hootsuite, also off er reports that will show you when your fans tend to engage with your content, what type of content they click on most often and what sites the clicks originate from. If you are willing to pay for custom reports, Hootsuite off ers advanced reporting options too.

147 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 4—STATE CHANGE

FORMULATE YOUR GAME PLAN

Take time to answer the following:

1. Do you vary the timing of your social media posts?

2. Are you consistently reviewing your analytics reports for trends?

3. If you aren’t receiving a lot of “likes,” comments or retweets, how can varying the timing of your posts help improve engagement?

148 SECRET #17

Lighten Up

ost of us take our work way too seriously. Unless you really are a Mneurosurgeon, most jobs are not brain surgery and people don’t live or die based on the quality of our work. For those whose work is life or death, such as health care workers, military service members and law enforcement agents, you are our heroes!

When appropriate, lighten up about your work and life in general. Fans respond when your content causes a state change and humor usually engenders loyalty. Even if you are not the offi ce comedian, you can still use pictures, puns and witticisms to engage your brand’s fans. Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you craft your next humorous social media update.

1. Know your demographic and your audience. Humor is diffi cult to master, especially if you do not know your audience. Diff erent de-

149 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 4—STATE CHANGE

mographics fi nd humor in diff erent things. Be cautious that your humor doesn’t alienate or make fun of your fan base in a negative way. Keep your humor clean and politically correct (unless your brand is purposefully not politically correct).

2. Stick with safe humor. One of the safest forms of humor for business is what I call “Jerry Seinfeld” humor— observations about the quirks of everyday life. Th is type of humor is easy for most people to relate to and produces many comments among your fans.

Do you remember the classic Seinfeld episode where the rental car company lost Jerry’s reservation? He stood at the car rental counter and said, “…Th e key to a reservation is to hold the reservation…” It is an easy laugh because everyone relates to a frustrating travel situation where our reservation wasn’t handled as expected.

Observational humor requires an awareness of what’s happening around you. It doesn’t hurt to have a smartphone or tablet to capture the moment in the form of a photo or video. Th en, you can post a graphic image, which is more impactful than a plain text post.

If something in everyday life causes you to stop, scratch your head and then chuckle, chances are your fans will fi nd it funny too.

3. Clever puns never go out of style. Most puns are clever without becoming off ensive. Word play is generally something almost everyone can relate to in most situations. If you are struggling with humorous brand updates, gather some employees together and bounce a few ideas around until you fi nd something with a little punch.

150 SECRET #17—LIGHTEN UP

4. Play oﬀ of pop culture. As soon as the #royalbaby was born, Oreo, Kohl’s and Coke hit social media with humorous graphics and copy tying their brand to the big event. Pay attention to big events and anticipate how you can turn that into a viral marketing opportunity.

You may remember when a venomous adolescent Egyptian cobra went missing from its enclosure at the Bronx Zoo. Within hours of the news media reporting the escape, someone created a Twitter par- ody profi le @BronxZoosCobra and began narrating the escapades of the missing animal. It was absolutely hilarious and went viral on Twitter in a matter of hours. Bottom line, it was fun and defi nitely caused a state change in the middle of a hectic, stressful day.

TMG’s blog, Engage, summarized perfectly what we can learn from the Bronx Zoo Cobra: “People identify with themselves as a consumer fi rst, regardless of their occupation. Acknowledging that can only help your social media eff orts. Even if the subject matter of your industry is somewhat dry, you can use social media to spice things up a bit and relate to your audience as the movie-watching, iPod-listening, sit-com-laughing people they are.”29

151 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 4—STATE CHANGE

5. Know your memes. A “meme” (rhymes with team) is a photo or graphic that spreads virally and generally has a humorous message. No doubt you have seen these “postcard” looking images on Face- book but you may not know the correct terminology for them.

Internet meme’s are a great way to keep a pulse on the social world. If you are struggling to come up with a clever pun or humorous post, create your own version of a popular internet meme. Visit the Know Your Meme website to learn about the origins of the meme, why it’s funny and create your own version. Th ere are also apps such as “Make a Meme” that will allow you to custom make a meme or use a pre-made meme.

6. Sometimes you need to give your fans pure fun. No hidden agen- da, no bigger picture, just light-hearted, non-business related fun.

Humor is contagious. If you hear a funny joke or a clever line, you want to share it with your friends. If someone has the giggles, it’s not long before the whole room is laughing. Stand-up comics love a packed room of energetic people because humor is contagious. If you want to connect with your fans and encourage them to share information about your brand, give them something funny to share.

152 SECRET #17—LIGHTEN UP

FORMULATE YOUR GAME PLAN

Take time to answer the following:

1. How often do you use humor in your marketing? Do you need to use it more or less?

2. Is your humor appropriate to your target audience? How do you know?

3. How can you take advantage of humorous situations in everyday life and convert them into marketing opportunities?

153

SECRET #18

Keep It Fresh

ou won’t truly impact your fans and produce a state change with stale Ycontent. You need a content development and posting strategy.

+ How often do you plan to post new content? + Who will develop the new content? + How will you ensure the content is integrated with your other marketing eff orts? + What is the purpose of the content? How does it fi t into your brand story? + How will you ensure your content is properly optimized for search engines and fi ts within your overall search engine marketing strategy?

Th ese are important questions. Don’t be concerned if you don’t know the answers right now. Let’s take one at the time and work our way through them.

155 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 4—STATE CHANGE

How often should you post new content? Th e answer depends on your audience and the platform. Audiences of entertainment brands tolerate more frequent posts than corporate-type brands. As a general rule, here are a few posting guidelines per platform:

Corporate website Refresh content monthly for non-ecommerce sites and weekly for ecommerce sites. Focus on adding new product/service photography/images, refreshing product descriptions and adding new testimonials.

Blog Post a new blog at least once a week. Th e more frequently you post on a blog, the faster your audience will grow. If you can post several times a week your blog audience will grow faster. Don’t be discouraged if no one comments or subscribes to the blog at fi rst. Keep at it. If you produce high quality content frequently enough and promote the content on multiple sites, your readership will build.

Facebook Post several times a week, but no more than a couple times a day. Again, you have to know your target audience. Th e more conservative the audience, the more likely you will annoy them with over posting. However, if you under post, you will lose your audience as well. Th e best way to strike a balance is to review your Facebook Insights reports. If you steadily gain new “Likes” for your page, then you’ve hit the right balance. If and when your page sees an increase in “Unlikes,” then you are over posting.

Twitter Post a few times per day. Th is is where I typically get the most resistance in terms of time management. Again, using a social media dashboard service and your smartphone can really make this easy to do. You can

156 SECRET #18—KEEP IT FRESH pre-schedule your posts, which helps manage your daily posts. However, don’t overuse these tools because they take the spontaneity out of Twitter.

YouTube Post new videos as needed. If you receive a great fan testimonial, post it. Have a new product? Create a video for it. Want to give out tips on how to use one of your products/services or a related product/service? Record a video. Remember that Generation Y, also known as the Millennials, are more likely to watch a video about your brand than read any text.

Email Marketing Send an eNewsletter email campaign once a month, or at most, twice a month. Send promotional emails (eBlast or eFlyer) no more than twice a month. Add up all the types of emails you send (minus the transactional email regarding account balance, activity, rewards, etc.) and don’t send more than one per week. In fact, I believe that weekly emails are still too frequent and wear out your email list. I would try to keep your email to- tals to around three per month. Certainly send no more than one email per week to your audience.

What content are you going to post? You want to post a blend of valuable information, purely fun content meant to entertain, social information that connects fans together, news items to inform and community/local area information to connect your brand to a bigger purpose. Th e key is to think like a journalist. Much of this content exists everywhere around you. You have to learn how to capture it in the moment and repurpose it for your brand. Having the right smartphone is essential. I prefer the iPhone because of the number of apps available and its user friendliness. Regardless of the type of smartphone you choose, invest time in learning how to use it. Always take full advantage of your phone’s functionality.

157 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 4—STATE CHANGE

Th inking like a journalist means actively looking for content ideas in your daily work and seizing the moment to snap a quick picture, record a video, send a tweet or update the company status.

Th is type of content creation works great for social networking sites. Blog, corporate website and email content creation will take more planning. Coordinate content so it all works together to subtly promote your brand. Map out an editorial schedule of your blog posts so you can plan a content theme and create a series of posts on a particular topic. Make use of guest contributors to your blog. Invite your strategic business alliances to post on your blog. Guest posts fi ll in content when you are busy, on vacation or have writer’s block. Just make sure whatever your guests contribute is educational and not an overt sales pitch.

You can also repost other blog posts on your blog if you obtain permission from the author, give full credit and link to the original blog. Don’t post content found on paid membership only sites. Keep in mind that re- posting content from other sources is not always the best way to connect to your audience. Most of your blog content should be original to show your readers who you are and what your company is all about. Th e best practice, if you want to repost another blog, is to paraphrase the other blog and link to it. Consult your intellectual property attorney for details on what is and is not allowed in this area. Never plagiarize blog content.

Andy Beal, CEO of Trackur, posted a terrifi c article on the American Express Open Forum, titled “Th e 4-Hour Social Media Workweek”30 and talks about the challenges of fi tting social networking into an already over-scheduled work week. He recommends the following formula:

+ 10 minutes a day for listening. Spend 10 minutes a day monitoring what others say about your brand.

158 SECRET #18—KEEP IT FRESH

+ 15 minutes a day for responding. Spend 15 minutes a day replying to tweets, blog comments and email responses. + 10 minutes a day for sharing. Beal advocates picking one thing per day to share with your fans. + 10 minutes a day for creating. Write a few sentences per day and by the end of the week, you will have a new blog post.

Th at’s 45 minutes per day divided into small segments. I guarantee there are 10-minute time-wasters throughout your day that could be eliminated. What marketing activities are you doing right now that could be automated, delegated or eliminated (because they no longer work)? Th ose extra minutes would give you the time needed to engage your fans. Find the time. Your future sales depend on it!

If this still seems overwhelming to you, then outsource content creation. You can eff ectively outsource website updates, blogging and email marketing. You can outsource social media posts too, but they are generally more eff ectively done in-house. Creating your own social media posts that are done in real time means you’ll come across as more authentic than if you use an outsider whose work you’ll have to approve before posting.

159 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 4—STATE CHANGE

FORMULATE YOUR GAME PLAN

Take time to answer the following:

1. List the sites you will post content on.

2. Write down the frequency per site you plan to post.

3. Is there an overall content theme that will help you select topics and brainstorm posting ideas?

160 SECRET #19

I Did It My Way

know my husband’s Starbucks order by heart. Venti, vanilla iced latte, Ino whip, Splenda®. At fi rst remembering the order was as confusing as memorizing the secret codes to the “red button” at the White House, but in time I memorized it and most of the time get it right.

Companies like Starbucks and Burger King (which was a pioneer with its “Have it your way” campaign years ago) have trained consumers to expect customization even on the most inexpensive items. Today successful brands off er customers an array of packages to choose from and the ability to create their own package of products/services.

Th e Millennials are particularly keen on customization. In “American Millennials: Th e Choice Generation,” Gigi Carroll, vice president and creative strategist at Draftfcb, observes: “Millennials crave customization, whether it’s a t-shirt, a ringtone, a Facebook page, YouTube, or American

161 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 4—STATE CHANGE

Idol.”31 Th e Millennial generation has grown up in a world where everything from mobile phone cases to M & Ms are totally customizable.

In addition to customization, consumers increasingly want DIY (do-it- yourself) products/services. Alexander Chernev, an associate professor of marketing at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, calls it “Th e Ikea Eff ect,” which is not only the desire to customize products but also to participate in the creation process. Chernev notes, “Customers derive additional value in doing something themselves.” Customers who purchase furniture at Ikea not only get to select from a variety of compo- nents to furnish a space, they get to assemble the furniture themselves. It’s a win-win! Aff ordable, stylish and unique, every Ikea room is a one- of-a-kind. Th at speaks directly to the heart of a Millennial consumer.

You can capitalize on the customization expectation and the DIY desire by oﬀ ering your fans a custom experience on your website. Consider adding a fan only section to your website where fans can login, create a profi le, customize the profi le, download badges and wallpaper to their computer. Google does a terrifi c job of off ering custom choices to its account holders. Users can customize their Gmail interface not only in terms of functionality but design and style as well.

Another option is to allow fans to create a customized, digital version of your product/service on your website. For example, at Ford.com, Mus- tang fans can custom build their very own digital Mustang right down to the door handles. Th e digital creations are entered into a contest where creators battle it out for votes on Facebook and the Mustang website. Customers interested in purchasing their creation can see a local Ford dealership about pricing and details. Th is type of fan engagement capi- talizes perfectly on the trend of customization and DIY personalization.

162 SECRET #19—I DID IT MY WAY

Creating an app for your business is another great way to customize your fans experience. In its article, “Th e Web is Dead. Long Live the Internet,” Wired Magazine predicted the Web will eventually become obsolete because we will use apps exclusively to conduct online activities.32 Why? Because apps are specifi c and have limited functionality so they are quicker and more effi cient than a blanket Google search that may take several tries to get to the right information.

For example, want to know something as specifi c as where in a movie is the right place to go to the bathroom? Th ere’s an app for that! It’s called RunPee. No kidding! Th e app tells you the slowest part of the movie and will give you the transcript of the dialogue while you are in the restroom so you don’t miss anything. Th ere are hundreds of thousands of apps available that can solve any problem, fi nd any piece of information or simply provide entertainment during down-time.

Creating an app for your business allows your repeat customers the ability to utilize core online functionality in a much simpler, user-friendly way than your website does. Your fans will appreciate the ability to customize their fan experience.

Remember, anything that is clickable is trackable. You can monitor all of this fan activity and use it for research and development of new products and services. And, who knows, maybe a fan will create a custom version of your product better than what you currently off er and be the million dollar idea you’ve been searching for.

As they say on American Idol, “Yo dawg, you really made that song your own.”

163 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 4—STATE CHANGE

FORMULATE YOUR GAME PLAN

Take time to answer the following:

1. If you are a smartphone or tablet user, think about your favorite apps. What problem does the app solve?

2. What common problem do your fans share? How does your product or service solve that problem?

3. How could you use technology like an app or customized fan page on your website to help fans solve their problems?

164 PART III

25 Slam Dunk Secrets Section 5—Sense of Belonging

“Ask not what your teammates can do for you. Ask what you can do for your teammates.”

Magic Johnson Retired NBA Professional Basketball Player 3 NBA MVP Awards, 9 NBA Final Appearances, 12 All Star Games & 4 NBA Championships

SECRET #20

Get Involved

great way to engage your current fan base and reach new fans is to A promote and contribute to social causes. Not only will your business benefi t, but you can give back and help those who are less fortunate. For a good example of how a powerful social media presence can raise awareness and interest in a cause, look no further than international pop icon Lady Gaga. She is the fi rst female artist in history to claim fi ve #1 hits from a debut album and the only artist in the digital era to top the 5 million sales mark with her fi rst two hits.33

Love her or hate her, Lady Gaga is a social media maven. According to CelebGuru.com, Lady Gaga is the second most popular celebrity on Facebook (Eminem is number one) with 32,000,000+ fans, and the most popular celebrity on Twitter, with 16,000,000+ followers. She posts frequently and uses the tools to give back to her fans she has nicknamed

167 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 5—SENSE OF BELONGING

“little monsters.” Her fans are rabid supporters who feel a deep connection to the singer through her devotion to them.

In an interview on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, Lady Gaga told Ellen that her newest photo book was created solely for the fans as a way to thank them for their loyalty. She is quoted many times saying she does everything for her fans, including naming her tour, “Th e Monster Ball,” in their honor. Most artists take a year or two between tours to rest and recuperate, but she tours constantly because she loves to be with and perform for her fans.

In February 2011, Lady Gaga signed on as the spokesperson for the MAC AIDS fund, the philanthropic arm of MAC Cosmetics. MAC’s cosmetic line, VIVA GLAM, donates all proceeds to the fund. Her involvement raised $34 million in one year—more than VIVA GLAM raised in total in the fi rst 10 years of its inception.34

How did Lade Gaga do it? It wasn’t an overnight process. During the past several years she built an incredibly engaged fan base. Her fans feel she is authentic and really cares about their daily lives. When she asks them to support a cause, they do it. It’s that simple and complex at the same time. One morning she tweeted, “I am VIVA GLAM today. I’ll be on GOOD MORNING AMERICA at 8:05 to talk about safe sex, glamour, and being Born Th is Way!”

MAC was thrilled with the results and made a strong social media presence a requirement for the next VIVA GLAM spokesperson.

168 SECRET #20—GET INVOLVED

What can you learn from Lady Gaga?

+ True fan engagement doesn’t happen overnight. You have to prove to your fans that you really care about them. Th at takes time. It’s like any relationship. You must cultivate and invest in it. Th e best relationships are two-way equal partnerships where both parties feel like they are benefi ting.

+ Once you have a loyal fan base, you can ask them to support causes you believe in. Fans respect organizations that have a bigger mission and purpose beyond bottom line profi ts.

Th e social cause you support should align with your brand and further your brand story. Th e VIVA GLAM cosmetic line is a good example of how MAC married its core competency of high-end studio quality cosmetics with a pop icon likely to wear and appreciate their products.

After you’ve selected a cause to support, plan how you will engage your fan base. It could be as simple as donating a dollar for every new Face- book Page “Like” to the cause of your choice or a social media contest so- liciting fan generated content such as photos and videos about the cause.

Th is strategy isn’t limited to social causes. It also applies to trade associations and partner organizations you belong to. Promoting trade associations strengthens your reputation in the industry and increases employee loyalty as well as strengthening new talent recruiting eff orts.

Your fans just don’t want to hear about you all the time. To watch your engagement soar, tap into social causes and industry groups that your fans care about.

169 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 5—SENSE OF BELONGING

FORMULATE YOUR GAME PLAN

Take time to answer the following:

1. Does your organization support a social or local cause?

2. If yes, how can you incorporate online tools to help support and promote your eﬀ orts?

3. What are the beneﬁ ts of supporting a social cause to your organization?

170 SECRET #21

Celebrate Together

vid sports fans feel the victory of their team or sports hero as if it is Atheir own. Th ey feel the defeats perhaps even more strongly.

Your fans feel the same way. Th ey want to celebrate your victories with you. Including your fans in your celebrations leads to a greater level of fan engagement and adds to their sense of belonging to the collective group.

Bon Jovi rewarded their Facebook fans with an exclusive video and song when they reached 1 million fans.

Luxury sports car manufacturer Aston Martin took advantage of a big milestone to engage their fan base. To celebrate gaining 1 million fans on Facebook, they crowdsourced the build of an Aston Martin car.35

171 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 5—SENSE OF BELONGING

Th e Aston Martin Facebook Page uses a custom landing page as the de- fault tab to explain the celebration and invite fan participation.

“TO CELEBRATE REACHING ONE MILLION FANS, WE WOULD LIKE TO REWARD OUR COMMUNITY BY BUILD- ING AN ASTON MARTIN DESIGNED BY YOU.”

Fans will vote on:

+ Model + Design + Specifi cations

172 SECRET #21—CELEBRATE TOGETHER

Aston Martin will tally the votes and begin building the model, design and specifi cations with the most votes. To ensure they don’t end up building a school bus yellow minivan with lightning bolts down the side, vot- ing options are limited to models, designs and specifi cations consistent with the Aston Martin luxury brand.

Celebrating together isn’t limited to just your achievements. Invite fans to share victories in their life, especially as it relates to the use of your product/ service. Encouraging the submission of user generated content like photos, videos, songs or poems is one of the best ways to ignite your fan base.

Celebrate special occasions, seasonal changes and recognized holidays together. Burt’s Bees ran an interactive “Tacky Sweater Party” winter holiday promotion. Fans were invited to post a tacky sweater as their profi le picture on Facebook. Burt’s Bees donated $1 for each picture posted to One Warm Coat, a national organization providing warm coats to those in need.

One example of how to celebrate with your fans is to celebrate what your fans are celebrating. During March Madness, the annual NCAA college basketball tournament, many businesses piggy back on its popularity by encouraging their online fans to share their favorite players, team and brackets.

Why not engage with your own fans during the tournament? Use March Madness as a bonding opportunity to get to know your fans better.

Before you take this approach, make sure the event you want to piggy back on is popular in social media. March Madness is very hot in the social media world; in March 2012, more than half a million people engaged with some games nationwide, according to Trendrr TV. Almost 600,000 bas-

173 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 5—SENSE OF BELONGING ketball fans engaged with their social media while watching the Mountain Hawks edge a win over the Duke Blue Devils, an ACC favorite. Social Media networks were frenzied with mentions, likes, and check-ins about the unbelievable game. NCAA tournaments are full of stories like Lehigh, ranked #30, upsetting a top seed like Duke, ranked #2. If your fans are watching the game and talking about it, why aren’t you?

During the March Madness NCAA tournament, the basketball games took half of the top 10 slots for television shows with the most social media engagement. As the stakes rise during the tournament, more and more people are watching and engaging with social media during the games. If you want to grow your fan base, you should engage with them regularly. Popular topics like the NCAA Tournament are a great way to engage with fans.

Here are a few ways to engage with your fans during popular sports events like March Madness:

+ Update your status about your favorite team and their progress throughout the tournament. Ask others to post about their favorite team too. + Host a Bracket contest. See who has the most wins at the end of the tournament. + Stay engaged with social media during the game. Comment or like posts of your fans about the tournament games too. + Keep “trash talk” professional from both you and your fans. + Th ink about how you can relate to your fans and how you can celebrate your company, product/service, brand, etc. together.

174 SECRET #21—CELEBRATE TOGETHER

FORMULATE YOUR GAME PLAN

Take time to answer the following:

1. What type of celebration would your fans enjoy?

2. How can you involve fans in your company’s achievements?

3. How will fans beneﬁ t from their participation?

4. How will your company celebrate with your fans?

175

SECRET #22

Invite Participation

nline contests and games naturally encourage participation, but how Odo you invite your fans to comment, like and share other types of content?

Th e importance of a like, share or comment on Facebook can’t be over- stated. A “Like” on Facebook means a fan clicks the “Like” link located directly under a post as if to agree with or endorse the post. A share happens when a fan clicks on the share link and reposts your content on their personal wall. When a fan “comments” on your post, he/she enters the conversation and leaves a specifi c note about one of your posts.

According to research conducted by Edgerank Checker, a Facebook maxi- mization software company, a comment is four times more valuable than a like or share. Edgerank analyzed more than 80,000 posts of a random sample of 5,500+ Facebook Pages during the month of October 2011.

177 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 5—SENSE OF BELONGING

From the data collected, they constructed a formula for the impact of likes, shares and comments on Facebook News Feed placement. Accord- ing to Edgerank Checker, if you want to maximize the exposure of your posts on Facebook, post items that will solicit comments from your fans.

Whether you want your fans to comment on your Facebook Page, Twit- ter or blog, initiating the conversation is often diffi cult. Many online visitors only want to look at content instead of engaging with you and speaking up to voice an opinion or share an idea. I call those types of visitors “lurkers” and it can be a challenge to get them to participate.

How can you increase fan participation?

+ Call-to-action language. Use active verbs in your copy like “Click Here,” “Sign Up Today,” and “Act Now.” Th is kind of language is especially important on your corporate website. Ask visitors to buy or request more information. Don’t be shy about it. Use a combination of call-to-action language, graphics and tools like Live Chat or Click-to-Call to keep your fans engaged. Include call-to-action language in any graphics designed for your corporate or social site profi les. Fans are more likely to engage when you specifi cally ask them to do so.

+ Give beneﬁ ts. Tell your fans the benefi t of becoming a fan, sharing content or commenting on your post. In the Burt’s Bees “Tacky Sweater Party” campaign, engagement is tied to a charitable dona- tion so there is a tangible benefi t to participation. Make sure the benefi t is strategic and aligned with your business goals. Occasion- ally, off er a non-self-serving benefi t that either directly benefi ts the fans or a non-profi t organization of your choice.

178 SECRET #22—INVITE PARTICIPATION

+ Treat comments with respect. Fans are more likely to comment on your content when they have “social proof” that it’s safe to participate. Treat all opinions with respect, unless a comment crosses the line to obscene, profane or vulgar. You should remove any lewd content or comment immediately.

+ Ask a question. Audience polls are a great way to start your online conversation. Try a combination of multiple choice polls and open ended questions to discover which type engages your audience the most. Don’t ask questions about your product/service unless it has a humorous twist. Ask questions that your fans will care about. Try something local to your area like a favorite sports team or an interesting national headline. Stay away from politics and religion unless you want to start a heated debate and/or that type of conversation is congruent with your brand.

+ Attention grabbing headlines. With so much written content on the Internet, a snappy blog title, email subject line, tweet or Face- book post can make all the diff erence. If you want to improve your headline writing skills, pick up a national newspaper (or use their free app and access it on your iPad) and scan down the page. Which headlines stand out to you? What are the characteristics that make one title grab your eye instead of another? Good headlines use action or power words. Th ey are concise and clearly indicate what the content is about. Good headlines often ask a thought provoking question of interest to the target audience. For corporate websites and blogs, good headlines integrate search marketing keywords to improve your rankings in Google search results. Another trick to writing a good headline is using a number to quantify the information. People want to know what they will learn if they read your content. a number reassures readers of the value in your content.

179 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 5—SENSE OF BELONGING

For an example of killer call-to-action online marketing, look no further than Go Daddy, a domain registrar and website/email hosting provider. From its corporate website, which averages 10 calls-to-action per page, to its Facebook Fan Page, with customized tabs, contests and a $1 domain off er, Go Daddy has mastered the art of calls-to-action. Even their television commercials have a strong call-to-action component; you can’t see the end of the commercial (which is teased heavily as something scandal- ous and naughty) unless you log onto GoDaddy.com.

180 SECRET #22—INVITE PARTICIPATION

A recent post on the Go Daddy Facebook Page demonstrates how to include call-to-action in a simple text post.

71 Races, 2 Poles, and 30 Top 10 Finishes! Two years of racing with NASCAR legends Mark Martin and Hen- drick Motorsports have been a pleasure! Like to help us say Th ank You and post your comments below for both! —Colby

Th e post received more than 30 likes and comments, which leads to higher visibility for the page in the News Feed, according to Edgerank Checker.

Ask you customers to engage and they will, if it benefi ts them and they value your content.

181 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 5—SENSE OF BELONGING

FORMULATE YOUR GAME PLAN

Take time to answer the following:

1. What action words could you start including in your web copy?

2. Which of your websites need more call-to-action? Which one will you start working on ﬁ rst?

3. How well is your page ranking in the Facebook News Feed? What do you need to do to improve your Edgerank?

182 SECRET #23

Meet Up and Tweet Up

ost of the tips we’ve discussed so far focus on engaging your fans in Ma virtual environment. It’s time to talk about the power of in-person events as part of your engagement mix. Open houses, holiday celebrations, customer appreciation gatherings and employee recognition events are great ways to unite fans and solidify loyalty.

Many organizations have started providing value-added education to their fan base as a way to gain new fans and thank existing fans for repeat business. Go Realty in Cary, NC hosted a complimentary “iPad Summit” for any real estate agent in the area who wanted to attend. Th e event was marketed online with a blog and through social media. Go Realty also recruited local speakers for the rapid-fi re two-hour seminar before the cocktail party. Th e event was the perfect combination of education and fun and the end result was spectacular. Th ere was standing room only at

183 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 5—SENSE OF BELONGING the event and attendees received a ton of practical, useful information on how to use their iPad more productively to increase sales.

Go Realty’s unique event was open to agents from all real estate companies. Many companies provide education to their own sales staff members, but Go Realty decided to take it a step further. Th ey believe that by raising the level of professionalism industry wide, Go Realty agents will benefi t in the long run. If a home buyer or seller has a positive experience with a real estate agent in the past, they are much more likely to work with an agent again. Th e next time might be with a Go Realty agent.

If you are already using in-person events as a way to connect with fans, the next step is to market the event using Internet marketing tools and provide real time updates as the event happens on social media. Market- ing your event online is so much more than putting a website address on your brochure. It is important to integrate your event into all of your Internet marketing tools such as your website, email marketing, blog, social media sites and online public relations.

Before you ﬁ nalize the event marketing, consider the following:

+ Is the online event hub website or webpage easy to fi nd from your main website? + Are you marketing to a specifi c domain name for the event or marketing your main website address? + What other online avenues do you plan to use to drive traffi c to the event webpage? + How often do you plan to post messages or send emails prior to the event?

184 SECRET #23—MEET UP AND TWEET UP

+ Do you have a strong call-to-action message on the event webpage that will motivate visitors to sign up for the event or request more information about the event? + Is there a separate webpage for potential sponsors or exhibitors to learn more about participating in the event? + Do you have easy online registration for the event?

If this is a small event and you’re working with a limited budget, I recommend marketing your main website domain name either with a short permalink to the event webpage (i.e. abccompany.com/event) and adding a highly visible graphic to the homepage so the event information is easy to fi nd. For email and social media posts, link directly to the event page instead of your main homepage.

Another low cost option is to create a free blog about the site using blogger.com or wordpress.com. Th ese sites have fantastic free templates to choose from to customize with your logo and graphics. You can also use sites like EventBrite.com, MeetUp.com and Facebook Event Pages to create a free online presence for the event where attendees can RSVP and post about the event. Simply Google “event rsvp sites” for more online options.

If your event warrants a more professional appearance and is something you plan to host more than once, consider an event website with a custom domain name. Th is is the best option and will attract more serious attendees with the professional look and feel of the site.

Th e fi nal step is to engage your fan base with events. Post real time updates from your event on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.

185 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 5—SENSE OF BELONGING

Here are several tips to encourage your attendees to tweet before, during and after the event:

+ Before the event, establish a Twitter handle and #hashtag specifi c to the event. + Prior to the event, tweet event updates and announcements. + Proactively market the event webpage, Twitter handle and hashtag on all event marketing. + Link to the Twitter profi le for the event webpage and feed the event tweets to the event webpage. + Encourage attendees to tweet from the event and provide a hashtag for everyone to use. + Provide the twitter handle and hashtag on the event program or guidebook. + If using PowerPoint slides, make the Twitter handle and event hashtag part of the background graphic so they’re on every slide. + Include speakers’ Twitter handles in their introductions. + Include attendees’ Twitter handles on their nametags. + Designate a staff member to monitor Twitter during the event to respond to attendees’ tweets and retweet in real time.

Th e benefi t to bringing your in-person event to life on social networks is that it will engage fans who couldn’t attend and will encourage them to attend next time. If your event receives a negative comment, respond quickly and professionally and move on. You can’t please everyone and most fans understand that. It only hurts the event if the comment goes unaddressed.

186 SECRET #23—MEET UP AND TWEET UP

FORMULATE YOUR GAME PLAN

Take time to answer the following:

1. How can you combine the power of in-person events with Internet marketing before, during and after an event?

2. How can Twitter help you market your next event?

3. Is there a social media-savvy person attending your event who can be the designated tweeter?

187

SECRET #24

Spend Quality Time Together

ne certain way to increase the sense of belonging with your fans is to Ospend time together. Until virtual networking came along, the only way to do that was with in-person events. While in-person events are still very eff ective, in reality you can only host so many of those per year. Ser- vices like Skype and Google Hangouts give you the opportunity to host online events and increase engagement.

Do you have a Google+ page? Have you joined Google’s social network to increase your SEO rankings? Now you can do more than just browse what’s trending on Google by connecting with your fans through Google Hangouts. All you need is a webcam, microphone and a Google+ page or account to participate.

189 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 5—SENSE OF BELONGING

Here are several ideas on how you could use a virtual hangout with your fans.

1. Customer Service. Use Google Hangouts as a new resource for customer service. Make yourself available to talk to customers and fans through this video chat. Answer questions and help your fans work through their customer service related problems with a real person. A little face time goes a long way to improving your product, service, brand and customer service. Th e more accessible you are to your fans, the more your fan base will grow.

2. Webinars. Use Google Hangouts to host small webinars. You can host several hangouts at diff erent times for your diff erent circles. Keep them short and allow your fans to ask questions and interact with you at the end. Short, specifi c webinars are a great way to help you stand out in your fi eld and build your fan base.

190 SECRET #24—SPEND QUALITY TIME TOGETHER

3. Events. Use Google Hangouts to host small events from time to time. If you are a home builder, you can use Google Hangouts as a small, informal Meet the Builder series. Events like Meet the Builder will help your fans get to know the face behind the brand and connect on a more personal level.

4. Press Conference. Use Google Hangouts as a mini press conference. Introduce new products or services. Explain new events or happen- ings at your company. Get the word out about what your brand is doing in your community with a face to face video conference.

5. Hangouts on Air. Google’s new Hangouts on Air for pages will allow you to record your video sessions and then publish the video to YouTube. Th is is an easy way to connect to fans that could not be there for the actual hangout. Fans can watch the video and engage with you on their own time. Th e Hangouts on Air program is also a great way for your brand or company to host video show or vlog (video blog) each week to connect with fans on a regular basis.

191 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 5—SENSE OF BELONGING

FORMULATE YOUR GAME PLAN

Take time to answer the following:

1. Do you need more face time with your fans? Why or why not?

2. How could more face time help you strengthen relationships and encourage referrals?

3. What would be the goal and purpose of a Google+ Hang- out for your fans? What’s in it for them?

192 SECRET #25

Build Online Communities

ot only does Google+ off er the opportunity to “hang out” face-to-face Nwith your fans, you can also build an online community. Th ese Face- book-like groups present a golden opportunity for businesses to build brand awareness and a sense of belonging among their fans.

193 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 5—SENSE OF BELONGING

Unlike Facebook and LinkedIn groups, which can only be created by individual users, Google+ communities can be created and run by business pages, in addition to individuals. Once you build a community, invite your current followers and let them know they can interact with you (and others) about how they use your product, why they buy your product and any other related industry issue or cause. Here are a few ways you can use Google+ communities to help build a strong community of fans.

1. Post your own and curated content to your Community. Share relevant content from your company, such as your own blog posts. If you’re afraid of overwhelming your Community with your own content, post articles from other sources. Th e goal is to show your company is an authority in your product/service category. Encour- age members to ask questions that you can answer directly, or by pointing them back to content on your website and blog. Include hashtags (# symbol) in your posts attached to keywords, so your content can be accessed during a Google search.

2. Build a strong moderator team. Th e key to a successful Commu- nity lies in proper moderation. A lot of people are reluctant to join communities because they see lots of spam in the stream when they go to look at it. Moderators can remove off -topic posts and inappropriate posts, and if needed can remove or ban the poster from the Community.

3. Participate in other communities. Search in Google+ for other active, relevant public communities and join them. Participate as your brand by adding useful information to the conversation. When appropriate, invite members to check out your Community, as long as it isn’t in direct competition with that community.

194 SECRET #25—BUILD ONLINE COMMUNITIES

4. Promote your Community outside Google+. Since anyone with a Google account can join a public Community, make the eff ort to promote your Community on your website, in your blog posts and to your email list subscribers. Let your followers know that the Community is a place where they can get questions answered and interact with others who are interested in your topic.

5. Start a community for customer service. Communities can be used as a forum for your employees to handle customer questions and issues. Experienced customers might even pitch in to help answer questions, saving you time and money.

195 PART III—25 SLAM DUNK SECRETS SECTION 5—SENSE OF BELONGING

FORMULATE YOUR GAME PLAN

Take time to answer the following:

1. How could your business beneﬁ t from an online community?

2. What would be your ﬁ rst step towards establishing one?

3. Identify other online communities that would be a good ﬁ t to cross promote and engage.

196 PART IV

The Equipment

“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.”

John Wooden Former Head Coach UCLA Men’s Basketball Won 10 NCAA National Championships PART IV—THE EQUIPMENT

ny task is infi nitely easier if you have the right tools for the job. Th e Aworld of online marketing is no diff erent. Online marketing can be incredibly tedious and time-consuming if you attempt to do it manually.

Look for tools that off er shortcuts and automate manual processes. You also want tools that are multifunctional and combine multiple processes into one tool.

Th e following is a list of my favorite online tools that help me be the most productive and eff ective online marketer I can be:

Social Media Dashboard I’ve mentioned this tool several times because I fi nd it indispensable. If you are tired of logging into multiple social media sites each day, a social media dashboard application is the perfect answer. Social media dashboards allow you to monitor and post to multiple social networks, including Facebook and Twitter. Many dashboard options are available, including Hootsuite, Sprout Social, Tweetdeck, Argyle Social and Social Guides. I tried both Tweetdeck and Hootsuite and prefer Hootsuite to Tweetdeck. Hootsuite runs as an online program instead of downloaded software. Th e Hootsuite dashboard is also much more visually appealing and the ability to pre-schedule posts is a life-saver. Hootsuite has a free version and a pro version available from $8.99/month. I use the pro version because I want all the bells and whistles at a price that’s very aff ordable.

After you set up your dashboard account, enter the log-in and password for each of your social network profi les in the account. Hootsuite automatically pulls the feed from each site and allows you to monitor and update each site from one central dashboard.

198 PART IV—THE EQUIPMENT

Some marketers have expressed concern about using a third party application to post on Facebook because of the Edgerank algorithm (Face- book’s formula that ranks objects in the Facebook News Feed). It was reported that posting from a third party app, like Hootsuite, will lower your Edgerank score and your posts will appear in a lesser prominent position in the News Feed. But according to a tweet by Matt Trainer, developer consultant to Facebook, “Th is should be fi xed. Th anks for your patience. We are always making changes to our News Feed algorithm. We recently made a fi x that added more signals to detect good quality posting behavior. Th is should improve the situation with the distribution of posts coming from third-party apps in the News Feed.”36

Th e free Hootsuite app also allows you to “hoot” on-the-go from your smartphone or tablet, making it even easier to keep up with your social networking profi les. What a hoot!

Twitter You may fi nd this suggestion surprising since Twitter is mainly used as a marketing and communication tool, but it is also a fantastic research tool. I routinely monitor Twitter for mentions of my brand so I can appropriately respond. I also monitor Twitter for industry news, trends and content research. Twitter is the most effi cient social networking tool of all of the tools available because posts must be 140 characters or less. Twitter’s concise nature forces communication to be more to the point. You can also create lists by topic, industry or keyword to easily monitor specifi c conversations. If you use a social media dashboard product, you can conveniently keep up with your Twitter feed.

199 PART IV—THE EQUIPMENT

Email Marketing System Even the smallest business needs email marketing software. Don’t send your bulk email campaigns from an email client like Outlook or Gmail. Th ese programs are most likely sent straight to your recipients’ junk/ spam folder. Instead, send all group or bulk email correspondence from an email service provider like Constant Contact, iContact, Emma, Verti- cal Response and MailChimp. We prefer MailChimp over all of the other options. It has a good selection of templates and is also easy to embed a custom template. You can integrate a custom email sign-up form from MailChimp right onto your website, social media pages and/or blog. Th e WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor is very intuitive and responsive. And last but not least, MailChimp uses a lot of humor with their product and makes the mundane task of updating email marketing fun. Th ere is even a setting to “turn off the humor if you are a stick in the mud.” Funny!

Most email marketing programs also off er campaign tracking tools to help you determine how many people opened the campaign, clicked on links in the email, shared the email on social sites, unsubscribed and reported the email as spam. Check your tracking reports frequently to quantify your degree of fan engagement.

Depending on the size of your email subscriber list and the amount of email marketing you plan to do, you may need a more robust tool like Exact Target, Bronto Mail or Silver Pop. Th ese platforms generally have a start-up fee of a couple thousand dollars and a nominal per email fee for every email you send. If that seems expensive, keep in mind the robust nature of these tools will be worth every penny because you can automate manual tasks and report in-depth data on more complex campaigns.

200 PART IV—THE EQUIPMENT

App Store I love the app store almost as much as I love Bon Jovi (if Bon Jovi had an app, it would be the perfect combination!). Take a moment the next time you are stuck in the airport or watching mindless reality television to browse through the app store on your smartphone or tablet. I like to browse the “Featured” apps to see what’s new in the app world. I also like to search by categories, specifi cally the Business, Finance, Lifestyle, News, and Social categories. Additionally, I frequently type a task I wish to simplify into the search feature of the app store and browse available apps to automate a manual task. I love free apps, but I am willing to pay if the app appears to truly help me become more productive or eff ective.

Some of my favorite and most helpful apps include (in alphabetical order):

• 360Panorama • GoDaddy • KeyRing • Scanner • ArtKive • Google Maps • Kindle • Shutterfl y • Call a Taxi • Gorillacam • LinkedIn • Square • Cardstore • Google+ • Make a • Swipe • Dragon • Groupon Meme • TripAdvisor • Dropbox • Hootsuite • My Celeb • TripIt Pro • Facebook • Houzz • Pic Stitch • UF Football • Fandango • i-Clickr • Pinterest • USA Today • Find iPhone • iHeartRadio • Point Inside • Where To Eat • FlightTracker • Ink • Postagram • White Noise • Flipboard • Instagram • QR Reader • World Card Mobile • GateGuru • justWink • Quicklytics • Red Stamp

Th e Apple television commercial that says “Th ere’s an app for that” is telling the truth; there really is! Th ere are more than half a million apps for the iPhone alone. Tap into the power of apps and you can make your personal and professional world so much more productive and pleasant.

201 PART IV—THE EQUIPMENT

Professional Writer You may not think of using a professional writer as a tool per se, but I can assure you that a reliable professional copywriter who understands your brand and can write with an authentic tone for you is a lifesaver. We’ve already talked about the need for outsourcing and I can’t stress enough how much hiring a profi cient writer as an employee or an independent contractor can mean to your business. Words are the currency of the new millennium. You must either hire staff members who are competent writers or hire someone to professionally write your communications.

Screen Capture/Image Editor I absolutely could not make it through a single day without my screen capture/image editor software. I use it to grab images from websites we are developing to show the designer or developer the error I am seeing, to grab screenshot images for PowerPoint presentations and to resize images I plan to use on a website or social media site. Th ere are many of these tools available; simply Google “Screen Capture” or “Image Editor” and you will fi nd a wide variety of free and paid software options. Th e program I prefer is called SnagIt by TechSmith. I’ve used this tool for years and prefer its ease of navigation and robust nature. At the time of print- ing, Techsmith off ered a 30 day free trial, after which time Snagit cost $49.95 USD to purchase. SnagIt is a downloadable software for your computer, so if anything happens to your computer or you upgrade to a new computer, you have to purchase the program again.

Whatever tool you purchase, make sure it has the ability to crop, resize and grab screenshots. In most cases, if your images look pixelated or load slowly on the web, your graphics aren’t sized properly. Ask your webmaster what the standard image sizes for your website are so you can size all images consistently. Your website will look much more professional and load much faster. Image sizes are defi ned by pixels. For a

202 PART IV—THE EQUIPMENT

horizontal (landscape) image, the important measurement is the width. For vertical (portrait) images, the important measurement is the height. If you are resizing a horizontal image, adjust the size for the width and allow the height to automatically adjust proportionately to the new width dimension.

A screen capture/image editing tool is also very helpful with your email campaigns. You can screenshot email drafts so your designer can see how the campaign will appear in your email client’s inbox. You can also mark up an image with notes and show exactly what changes you want the designer to make. Screen capture programs make the editing process much faster. Some programs will also capture video images of your screen with audio and recordings. Th is is especially helpful if you work on a projects with someone not located in your offi ce.

Stock Photos Don’t run the risk of grabbing images from Google Image search and using them in your marketing. In most cases, the images are protected by a copyright, so you may be committing copyright infringement by using them. For specifi c legal do’s and don’ts of using images from the web, consult your attorney. Th e best way to avoid any copyright issues is to purchase royalty-free stock photos. My favorite stock photo sites are Fotolia, Shutterstock and iStockPhoto. Web-friendly images on these sites generally run $10—$15 each. You can also buy a collection of photos on a CD if you like a particular photographer, model or topic. Search by keyword on the sites to fi nd photos appropriate for your project. Th e more specifi c your search, the better the results. If searching for photos with people, you can specify age, ethnicity, gender and sexual orienta- tion. When I need more artistic photos, I visit Getty Images. Th ey are more expensive, typically starting at $50+ (depending on the size of the image). Before you purchase an image, determine where and how you

203 PART IV—THE EQUIPMENT plan to use it. You want to make sure you purchase the right size. Ask your graphic designer if you’re unsure about a specifi c size. If you are still unsure, purchase one size larger than you think you will need. You can always size an image down and maintain the image quality. You can’t make an image larger without aff ecting the quality.

Social Media Consultant/Company Sometimes you don’t have time to run your business, spend time with your family and follow-up with your social media fans. If you fi nd that social media takes up too much of your day or is a bit overwhelming at fi rst, then hire an expert or a team of experts to help build your social following. As you search for the perfect social media expert, guru or talent to increase your brand’s social awareness, keep these characteristics in mind:

1. Experts should know and be a part of your industry. Instead of trying to train someone new about all the ins and outs of your industry, hire an expert who already works in your area of expertise. Th is will save you time trying to explain confusing jargon and help you gain the respect of your expert’s current social media followers or fans. Work to build a stronger social media presence for your brand, products or services.

2. Experts should be social savvy. Make sure your hired expert knows more than you do about Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Google+ and any other social media networks your brand currently uses. Browse your expert’s social networks to make sure you have similar social standards and ideals for your company or brand.

3. Experts should be personable, fun and represent a professional voice for your brand. Your social expert will now be the voice of

204 PART IV—THE EQUIPMENT

your company on all of your social networks. You want your brand to sound personable, likeable and professional at all times. Make sure your expert understands the voice you want to represent your brand. How willing is the consultant to learn the ins and outs of your business? Are they willing to spend time immersing themselves in the brand to ensure congruency?

4. Technology is an integral part of their everyday life. Your expert should eat, sleep and breathe new technology. Are they current on technology news? Do they own the latest tech toys? You don’t want your company to seem dated with old technology or tech etiquette.

5. Experts should be very responsive. As you are interviewing candidates, how quickly does the consultant respond to your corre- spondences? Remember when you fi rst meet someone they are on their best behavior.; over time who they really are will be revealed. If someone is not initially highly responsive and organized, it is doubtful they are going to meet or exceed your expectations in a long term relationship.

205 PART IV—THE EQUIPMENT

FORMULATE YOUR GAME PLAN

Take time to answer the following:

1. Take an inventory of your technology and software tools. Which one(s) are working for you? Which one(s) are hard to use and not working eﬀ ectively?

2. What tools do you need to acquire during the next year to work more productively?

3. What is your plan to learn more about eﬀ ectively using technology tools and resources?

4. What resources are available to help you stay up to speed on emerging tools and trends?

206 PART V

The Score

“To succeed…You need to ﬁ nd something to hold on to, something to motivate you and something to inspire you.”

Tony Dorsett Retired NFL Running Back Pro & College Football Hall of Fame Inductee PART V—THE SCORE

ust like referees keep track of the score during a football, basketball or Jsoccer game, you must keep score of your online sales and marketing eff orts. Marketing can be a very subjective topic if you focus only on aesthetic issues like color or design style preferences. Another common mistake is assuming your web surfi ng and social networking preferences apply to everyone else. Everyone “clicks” a little diff erently and it’s important not to assume your tastes apply to your customers.

Have you ever wondered:

+ How do I know if my online sales and marketing eff orts are working? + How do I judge the eff ectiveness of a Facebook contest, email campaign or blog post? + How much should I budget and what is the return on my investment?

All of these questions are answered with analytics. Monitoring your website and social sites with analytics is a must for the serious marketer. Without objective feedback on the results of your eff orts, you are essentially driving blind though the fog while throwing money out the window of the car.

I recommend the following monitoring tools:

+ Google Analytics (for your website or blog) + Facebook Insights + Email Marketing Reports + Twitter Reports

If you use a dashboard program like Hootsuite, you can access all of your reporting in one account, including the items mentioned above (except

208 PART V—THE SCORE the email marketing reports). Th is is very handy and makes monitoring activity quick and easy.

If you prefer to access Google Analytics directly, you can schedule an email report delivered automatically, which is a simple way to remember to review the numbers. Google Analytics allows you to custom design your report dashboard and will show only the information of interest to you. Don’t jump to any conclusions about your numbers until you’ve gathered at least six months of data and established a baseline for your site.

Th e following reports in Google Analytics oﬀ er a good deal of insight:

+ Visitors Overview. Th is report gives you an idea of the health of your website. It measures the number of visits, unique visitors, page views, number of pages viewed per visit, average time spent on site, bounce rate and percentage of new visits.

+ Demographics/Location. Th is report shows you where your web visitors are coming from by country, city, continent and sub-continent. If you plan any local marketing, this tool is incredibly helpful in helping you identify where you should be marketing.

+ Behavior. Th ere are three reports in this series: New vs. Returning, Frequency & Recency, and Engagement. Th ese reports measure how engaged visitors are with your site and how often they return.

+ Social Engagement. Th is report measures the level of social engagement on your site.

+ Mobile. Th is report measures the percentage of visitors accessing your site from a mobile device and what mobile devices were used.

209 PART V—THE SCORE

+ Traﬃ c Sources. Th is report analyzes where your website traffi c came from. Being able to see which sources are actually producing traffi c is critical if you spend money on advertising.

+ Content. Th is report analyzes which pages are popular on your website as well as how visitors click through your website.

+ Conversions. Tracks visitor actions on your site, such as video downloads, email sign-ups or ecommerce sales.

+ Real Time. Th e Real Time report allows you to see how many visitors are on your website at that moment, including which pages are being viewed and where the traffi c came from. Amazing! Real Time reporting allows you to monitor the immediate impact of a social media posts or email campaigns. Post your message and then login into your Google Analytics account to watch the traffi c pour in.

Google Analytics reporting is all web-based so you can log in 24/7/365 to review your reports. If you outsource your website maintenance, make sure the webmaster gives you the Google Analytic username and password for your records. Th e glossary and help center are very detailed and easy to understand. You can also post a question and ask for help. Other users may know the answer and post a response to your question. Review Google Analytics with a professional online marketing consultant or your webmaster on a monthly basis. After six months of data you can begin to draw meaningful conclusions about the performance of your website or blog.

210 PART V—THE SCORE

Facebook Insights What is the value of a “Like?” Social media strategists frequently argue and speculate on the answer to this question. Some even place a dollar fi gure on it. Th e truth is the value of a “like” is vastly diﬀ erent from business to business. Th e value of a new “like” on a celebrity’s Facebook Page is completely diff erent than a new “like” on a small business’ page. Not only is the value of a “like” diff erent, but what the fans want in terms of content is also very diff erent. How often to post and what to post is contingent upon the type of page you have and the audience it reaches.

Monitoring your Facebook Insights report is an excellent way to measure the eff ectiveness of your page and receive valuable feedback on what your audience wants. Th e Insights Report is accessed by page administrators by clicking on the Insights link located in the left column navigation under your profi le image.

If you are new to reviewing Facebook Insights, there is a helpful user guide that explains how to interpret the reports. You can access the user guide by clicking on the button next to the Export Data button on the main dashboard report. Th e Export Data feature allows you to pick any date range and export the data to an excel fi le (.xls) or comma separated value fi le (.csv).

Four reports are available: Likes, Reach, Talking About Th is and Check-Ins.

+ Likes. Th is report shows you the total number of likes or fans of your Page. It also tells you the number of “Friends of Fans,” which is the number of unique people who are friends of your fans. Th e Friends of Fans report displays your potential reach if all your fans recruited their network to be your fan. “People Talking About

211 PART V—THE SCORE

Th is” reports the number of people who created a story about your page in the last seven days and the “Weekly Total Reach” reports the number of unique people who saw any content associated with your Page in the last seven days. Th is report also tracks your number of “unlikes” in a given time period, which is also very important to watch. If you see a spike of “unlikes,” look back at what you posted and how often you post to determine how you can improve your post behaviors to engage more fans.

+ Reach. Th is report shows you the demographic information of your fans, such as age range, gender and location. You can learn how you reached fans either through organic, viral or paid marketing on Facebook and which part of your page was viewed, such as the wall, photos or information links.

+ Talking About Th is. You can fi nd this number in the left column of your page underneath your total number of fans. It refl ects the number of people who created a story about your page within the given date range. A story is created when someone “likes” your page, posts to your page wall or comments on a post. For the complete list of what counts as a story, see the user guide. Th e Insight report goes into more detail on the number of people talking about your page and adds demographic and location information if you have more than 30 people talking about your page.

+ Check-ins. If your business has a physical location customers can visit, this insight records the number of people who checked in on Facebook while attending your location. Again, if you have more than 30 people checked in, you can also track demographic and location information on the people who checked in.

212 PART V—THE SCORE

How do you interpret the Facebook data? Like your website analytics, gather at least six months of data before you draw any positive or negative conclusions. Th en look for patterns to emerge.

+ What type of post(s) garners the most likes, comments or shares from your audience? + Is there a frequency threshold that keeps your audience engaged, but doesn’t result in unlikes? + Are demographic or location trends useful to your traditional marketing strategy?

You may have more questions than answers the fi rst few times you review the Facebook Insights report. Th e answers will become evident in time if you consistently review the reports and apply common sense. If you still feel unsure of what your fans want, ask them! Use focus groups, surveys and polls to receive feedback from your fans. To elicit the most feedback possible, off er a benefi t or incentive to participate. It’s good to check in with your fans regularly to see if you are meeting their needs. However, don’t ask too often. Your fans don’t mind giving you feedback, but they also feel you should know what motivates them to engage. Since fans strongly identify with you and your brand, they expect you to do the same for them. Asking too many redundant or obvious questions about what they want to see on your Facebook Page will turn them off .

Email Reports If you send email campaigns on a frequent basis, be sure to review the email campaign reports so you can tweak subsequent campaigns for maximum impact. Before drawing any conclusions on the performance of your campaign, fi rst research reasonable email marketing benchmarks for your industry. MailChimp.com has an excellent library of resources, including benchmark studies by industry and business size. Th ese reports

213 PART V—THE SCORE give you an indication if you are average, above average or below average and need improvement within your industry or business size.

+ Open Rate. Th is is the number of recipients who opened the email. Some email marketing programs also report on the Unique Open Rate, which is the number of unique individuals who opened the campaign. Th is number eliminates duplicates and gives you a more realistic picture of how many people actually opened the campaign.

+ Bounce Rate. Th is is the number of recipients who did not receive the email. Sometimes mail servers send the email back with a message that it could not be delivered. Th ere are two types of bounces: soft and hard. Soft bounces occur when a mail server temporarily cannot deliver an email because the recipient’s email inbox is full or the server is down. A hard bounce occurs when the mail server permanently cannot deliver the email because the email address no longer exists or the email address is not valid.

+ Click Rate. Th is is the ratio of clicks to the number of recipients. Clicks are generated when a recipient clicks on a link in the email and visits your website, blog or social media site.

+ Complaints. Th is is the number of recipients who reported your email as spam to their email service provider.

+ Unsubscribe. Th is is the number of recipients who asked to be removed from your email list.

Generally speaking, you want a larger open rate and a smaller bounce rate. An email list with a low open rate indicates your content is either

214 PART V—THE SCORE not relevant to the target audience, the email subject line sounds like spam and/or you are sending email too frequently.

A high bounce rate is usually a sign of an old, stale email list. Email service providers tend to mark campaigns with high bounce rates as spam and cause the email to go into the recipients spam or junk folder. Moni- tor your bounce rate and clean hard bounces out of your system on a regular basis. Mail Chimp recommends you keep soft bounces in your account, but after 5 soft bounces remove them from your list as well.

You should also strive for a large click-through rate. A high click-through rate means the content is interesting and the recipient wants to know more about the topic or your organization. Th e more links in your email, the higher the click-through rate becomes since you off er more opportunities to click. Be sure to include links to all of your online marketing, including your blog and social media profi les. Email is the most eff ective way to drive traffi c and cross promote your website, blog and social media profi les.

Th e complaints number and unsubscribe number should be very low. Most email marketing programs do not allow more than one or two abuse complaints per campaign. If you have a large number, they will shut down your account until you prove that the list is permission-based and that you have taken steps to clean up your list. Spam complaints typically come from free email accounts such as Hotmail, Yahoo Mail and Gmail since they have a prominent spam complaint button on the inbox dashboard. Microsoft Outlook users have to take more steps to report an email as spam. If your list is permission-based, it is possible that any abuse complaints are an error. Perhaps the recipient forgot they opted in to receive the email or didn’t recognize your name. To prevent false

215 PART V—THE SCORE reports, make sure your email subject line clearly states what the email is about and the “from” name on the email clearly states the sender’s name.

A high unsubscribe rate indicates you are sending email too frequently; the content is not interesting and/or not relevant to your audience.

Don’t worry if you have an occasional poor response to an email campaign. As long as the trend doesn’t continue, it won’t have a long-term eff ect. However, if you don’t monitor your results and several campaigns perform poorly, you could be blacklisted by email service providers, dam- aging your ability to deliver email to your customers and clients.

Twitter Reports Twitter.com off ers three helpful reports you can use to manage your Twitter account. Th e “@Username” (insert your username after the “@” sign) report displays all of the mentions you receive on Twitter. Review this report at least once a day if you’re actively tweeting. It’s the best way to fi nd out if someone mentions your brand name in the Twitterverse so you can take appropriate action. If you are larger company, you may also want to solicit the services of a reputation management program that will automatically notify you by email of any mentions. Refer back to Secret #6 for more information on this topic.

Th e Activity report shows the actions of people you follow, such as new connections, retweets and favorites, and helps you fi nd others with similar interests to follow. Similarly, the “Who to Follow” report off ers sug- gestions of Twitter profi les that might interest you based on who you currently follow and who follows you.

In addition to the reports off ered for free on Twitter.com and Facebook. com, you can also generate reports from your social media dashboard

216 PART V—THE SCORE

software. One report I particularly like is Hootsuite’s “Ow.ly Summary Stats” report, which shows you how many clicks you receive on links embedded in your tweets. Th is report also shows you where the clicks come from, such as Twitter.com, third party apps on smartphones, Facebookor Hootsuite.com users. If you monitor the number of clicks your tweets receive, you can identify what language, tone and topics resonate with your audience.

Information Overload WOW! Th at’s a lot of reporting. If you feel a bit overwhelmed right now, don’t worry. You aren’t alone. It’s a lot to digest, even for online marketing professionals who monitor website activity and social media metrics as part of their day-to-day work. Running the reports, reviewing the data and drawing cohesive conclusions requires experience and broad-based knowledge. Th is is where an Internet marketing consultant or webmaster can assist you. Professional Internet marketers can explain the reports in laymen’s terms and make sense of the numbers. If you don’t feel your webmaster or marketing manager does that eff ectively, hire additional help. Your fans won’t be fans for long if you don’t feed them the content they crave. And, you can’t know what they crave if you don’t have accurate, informative feedback.

If you hire a professional marketer to assist you, make sure routine reporting and review sessions are part of the marketing package. Th e marketing company should proactively provide the reporting each month and make it easy for you to access the information directly. It is your information! Document all the username and passwords to your reporting accounts and maintain the master account in-house. If you part ways with the marketing company, you don’t want them taking your account history with them.

217 PART V—THE SCORE

Lastly, be aware that the format and data covered in online reports change frequently. Just about the time you become comfortable with what a report is measuring and how to interpret it, the report changes. Some changes are just minor tweaks and others are total overhauls. Th e reporting website’s glossary and user guide can help you become familiar with the changes. I recommend you check the reporting site’s blog regularly and sign up for email updates to stay on top of changes to the reports.

FORMULATE YOUR GAME PLAN

Take time to answer the following:

1. What Internet sales and marketing reports are you currently reviewing? How often?

2. Out of the reports mentioned in this report, which one do you not currently review that would be helpful to your business?

3. What steps do you need to take to implement additional reporting and review sessions?

218 Conclusion

saved the best secret to increase fan engagement for last. It’s passion. If I you have an unbridled passion for your product, service, industry or customers you will create an unbreakable bond between you and your fans.

Business owners, marketers and salespeople with passion can break a few of the rules and still maintain a great relationship with their fans. Passion overrides textbook tactics. Conversely, without passion you can implement the other 20 secrets and fall short of engaging your fans. Ulti- mately, fans need to know you love and care about them as much as they care about you. Your passion for the fans will demonstrate that emotion far better than the perfect tweet, the most creative Facebook contest or killer email campaign.

I deﬁ ne passion as energy. People who are passionate about their career, product or service ooze energy out of every pore. It feels good to be around them. Th ey inspire you to think bigger and leave you feeling in- vigorated. Passion is an intangible quality that you knowt when you see.

219 THE FAN FACTOR

Th ink about the people you’ve met over the years. Does anyone stand out as a bundle of passionate energy? How does that person make you feel? Do you look forward to seeing or talking to that person on a regular basis? Do you follow them on social networks hoping to pick up nuggets of inspiration?

Here’s the thing about passion—you may feel it but it takes a conscious decision to share it with others.

+ It means on the days that you don’t feel especially passionate, you still attend a networking event and when you get there you don’t stand in the corner complaining about your woes to people you know while ignoring potential new contacts.

+ It means that even when you are incredibly busy with your own challenges and struggles you still make time to post an educational article on your blog.

+ It means when you are absolutely too busy to even sleep, you still make time to wish fans Happy Birthday on Facebook or email a colleague through LinkedIn.

+ It means in your most challenging hour when you would love to vent and post an angry rant about someone or something online, you hold back and keep it to yourself.

If you have been working a long time you may feel burned out by the daily grind. If time off or a change in diet and exercise doesn’t resolve that feeling, then it’s time to move on. If you’ve “lost that loving feeling” for your product or service, there’s no way you can build and maintain a rabid fan base.

220 CONCLUSION

It’s possible to maintain passion over a long career and stressful circum- stances. Th ink about the legendary rock stars like Bono of U2 who have been performing for stadiums packed full of screaming fans for over 30 years. How does he do that? Doesn’t he get tired? Of course! But in the end his love of the fans, the music and thrill of performing outweighs the sore throats, audio-visual headaches and the travel nightmares that come with a world tour.

No one’s job is easy. Some jobs may look more glamorous than others, but work is called work because, well frankly, it’s work.

Fun is called fun because it’s fun. Sometimes work is fun but sometimes it’s just work.

Why do we do it? Because of what my dad calls “the glory in the daily grind.” If you love what you do and you know that it makes a diff erence to your fans, you can tackle any task, obstacle or challenge with grace and passion.

221

Have Meredith Oliver Speak at Your Next Event!

eredith Oliver is a professional speaker and over the past thirteen Myears, she has given hundreds of presentations to a variety of audiences—always to rave reviews!

Meredith delivers: + Keynote speeches + In-person sales training seminars + Sales training webinars + Convention/conference break-out sessions + Banquet hosting & event emcee + Association programs + Continuing education programs

“AWESOME JOB! Meredith you were awesome on Friday. Th e program went smoothly and we had standing room only. I appreciate all you do and look forward to many years of knowing you and hearing feature seminars.” —Cindy Nugent Huber, StructSure Home Warranty

“What a pleasure meeting you, and what an awesome presentation! Th anks so much for making our WOAMTEC Confi dent Women’s Conference such a huge success. I certainly look forward to seeing you again. You are truly an inspiration to all women!”—Sherry Shaw, My Shopping Genie

223 Connect With Meredith! CreatingWOW.com Th eDigitalDivaBlog.com @CreatingWOW Facebook.com/CreatingWOW YouTube.com/MeredithOliverTV Linkedin.com/in/MeredithOliver Click Power: The Proven System to Increase Sales

website with no Web marketing is like a bill- A board in the Everglades. It doesn’t exist.

Just because you developed a website doesn’t mean Web shoppers can fi nd it—or when they do fi nd it, that they’ll take action. Building a website is only the fi rst step of an eff ective Internet marketing strategy.

Th e Click Power System™ is a roadmap to increase sales with an eff ective online sales and marketing program. Th e system outlines fi ve building blocks:

1. Your Website Design—Th e Foundation 2. Website Marketing—Drive Traffi c 3. eLead Follow-Up—Build the Relationship 4. Online Onsite Marriage—Close the Sale 5. Measure Results—Track, Review & Revise

If you want to stop wasting time and money on marketing tactics that do not produce results, order your copy of Click Power today and watch your business soar!

www.CreatingWOW.com

225

Endnotes

1 Pring, Cara. “100 Social Media Statistics for 2012.” Th e Social Skinny. 11 Jan 2102. http://thesocialskinny.com/100-social-media-statistics-for-2012/

2 McGee, Matt. “By the Numbers: Twitter vs. Facebook vs. Google Buzz.” Search engine land. 23 Feb. 2010. http://searchengineland.com/by-the-numbers-twitter-vs-facebook-vs-google- buzz-36709.

3 De Kunder, Maurice. “Th e Size of the World Wide Web.” Daily Estimated Size of the World Wide Web. http://www.worldwidewebsize.com/. (3 Aug 2013.)

4 “Exabyte.” Wikipedia 19 December 11. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exabyte

5 “Exabyte.” Search Storage 19 December 11. http://searchstorage.techtarget.com/deﬁ nition/exabyte.

6 Phillips, Lisa E. “Trends in Consumers’ Time Spent With Media.” eMarketer. 28 Dec. 2010. http://www.emarketer.com/(X(1)S(nl3svt45ztjlmimixmtajp55))/Article.aspx?R=10 08138&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1.

7 Fox, Zoe. “Study: U.S. Consumes More Digital Digital Media Th an TV for the First Time.” 2 August 2013. http://mashable.com/2013/08/02/digital-media-beats-tv/

8 Smith, Aaron. “Pew Internet: Smartphone Ownership 2013” 5 June 2013. http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2013/Smartphone-Ownership-2013.aspx.

9 Zickhur, Kasthryn. “Pew Internet” Tablet Ownership 2013.” 10 June 2013. http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2013/Tablet-Ownership-2013.aspx

10 Cohen, Elizabeth. “Does Life Online Give You ‘Popcorn Brain’?”. CNN Health. 23 Jun. 2011. http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/06/23/tech.popcorn.brain.ep/index. html?hpt=hp_c1.

227 THE FAN FACTOR

11 “Media multitasking.” Wikipedia. 26 Oct. 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_multitasking.

12 “Media Multitasking is Really Multi-Distracting.” Science Daily. 2 May 2011. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110502084444.htm.

13 Experian. “Th e 2012 Digital Marketer: Benchmark and Trend Report.” http://www.experian.com/simmons-research/register-2012-digital-marketer.html

14 Bullas, Jeff . “Reasons Why Facebook Drives Consumer Buying Infographic.” 4 May 2012. http://www.jeﬀ bullas.com/2012/04/02/5-reasons-why-facebook-drives-consumer- buying-infographic/

15 Business Wire. “70 Percent of Consumers Have Made a Purchase as a Result of Being Con- nected to a Brand Online.” 27 November 2012. http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20121127006610/en/ Seventy-Percent-Consumers-Purchase-Result-Connected-Brand

16 “Swing vote.” Wikipedia. 11 Nov. 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swing_vote.

17 Dowd, Matthew. “Karl Rove—Th e Architect.” UNC TV Frontline. 12 Apr. 2005. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/architect/interviews/dowd. html#ixzz1SPUnoIKT.

18 Dannen, Chris. “How Obama Won It With Th e Web.” Fast Company. 4 Nov. 2008. http://www.fastcompany.com/articles/2008/11/how-obama-won-it-with-the-web.html.

19 Honigman, Brian. “100 Fascinating Social Media Statistics and Figures from 2012.” 29 November 2012. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brian-honigman/100-fascinating-social- me_b_2185281.html

20 Ashish, Dev. “Sports Fan Psychology: It’s More Th an Just A Game.” Bleacher Report. 26 Sept. 2008. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/61709-sports-fan-psychology-its-more-than-just-a-game.

21 McKinley, Jr., James C. “Sports Psychology; It Isn’t Just A Game: Clues to Avid Rooting.” Th e New York Times. 11 Aug. 2000. http://www.nytimes.com/2000/08/11/sports/sports-psychology-it-isn-t-just-a- game-clues-to-avid-rooting.html.

228 ENDNOTES

22 “Because You Are Worth It.” L’Oreal Paris. http://www.lorealparisusa.com/en/about-loreal-paris/because-youre-worth-it.aspx.

23 Nielsen, Jakob. “Fancy Words, Fancy Formatting = Looks Like a Promotion = Ignored.” Use It Alertbox. 4 Sept. 2007. http://www.useit.com/alertbox/fancy-formatting.html.

24 Dunkin’ Donuts Launches New Advertising Campaign to Celebrate the Passion of Real Fans: ‘I’m Drinkin’ Dunkin’!’.” Dunkin’ Donuts. 3 Jan. 2011. http://news.dunkindonuts.com/dunkin+donuts/dunkin+donuts+news/ dunkin+donuts+new+ad+campaign.htm.

25 eMarketer.com. “Half of US Mobile Users to Play Games in 2013.” 30 May 2013. http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Half-of-US-Mobile-Users-Play-Games-2013/1009928

26 Smith, Criag. “By the Numbers: 14 Amazing Pinterest Stats.” 14 July 2013. http://expandedramblings.com/index.php/pinterest-stats/

27 Neo Mam. “13 Reasons Your Brain Craves Infographics.” http://neomam.com/interactive/13reasons/

28 Parr, Ben. “Twitter Surpasses 200 Million Tweets Per Day.” Mashable Social Media. 30 Jun. 2011. http://mashable.com/2011/06/30/twitter-200-million/.

29 Hanelly, Andrew. “3 Simple Social Media Lessons from the Bronx Zoo Cobra.” Engage Th e Blog. 15 Apr. 2011. http://engage.tmgcustommedia.com/2011/04/3-simple-social-media-lessons-from- the-bronx-zoo-cobra/.

30 Beal, Andy. “Th e 4-Hour Social Media Workweek.” American Express Open Forum. 15 Sept. 2011. http://www.openforum.com/articles/the-4-hour-social-media-workweek?intlink=us- openf-nav-gallery.

31 Carroll, Gigi. “American Millennials: Th e Choice Generation.” December 2008. http://www.draftfcb.com/content/engage/pdf/Engage_Carroll_Dec08.pdf

32 Anderson, Chris and Wolff , Michael. “Th e Web is Dead. Long Live the Internet.” Wired Magazine. 17 August 2010. http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/08/ﬀ _webrip/all/1

33 “Viva Glam.” M.A.C. http://www.maccosmetics.com/cms/giving_back/vivaglam.tmpl.

229 THE FAN FACTOR

34 Schwartz, Ariel. “Th e Lady Gaga Eff ect: Pop Star’s Social Media Savvy Helps the MAC AIDS Fund Raise Millions of Bucks.” Fast Company. 18 Feb. 2011. http://www.fastcompany.com/1728820/lady-gagas-social-media-savvy-helps-the- mac-aids-fund-raise-millions.

35 Ernst, Kurt. “To Celebrate 1 Million Facebook Fans, Aston Martin Crowdsources A Car.” Motor Authority. 14 Nov. 2011. http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1068605_to-celebrate-1-million-facebook- fans-aston-martin-crowdsources-a-car.

36 Fennell, Tammy Kahn. “Facebook Stops Penalizing 3rd Party Apps In Newsfeed, ‘Quality Most Important’.” Social Media Today. 10 Nov. 2011. http://socialmediatoday.com/marketmesuite/385231/facebook-stops-penalizing- 3rd-party-apps-newsfeed-quality-most-important.

230