COMMENTS
Not sure how innovative my idea is, but here goes! We are trying to enter a larger market up here in Alaska. Yes, I know, it is a small market anyway, but we have mainly focused on Wasilla. We now would like to enter the Anchorage market. One idea is to declare February as "Look at your Website Month." Or something to that effect. Our intent is to write up some great blog articles, press releases, and social media notices with tips on what to look for on your website. We have a sneaky feeling most people have not looked at their websites in months! Would love other comments to grow this idea.
Somehow, I just can't let go of the personal touch. I might be old school and believe that we are really starting to lose touch (literally) with our customers/clients/guests. 2011.. A promise, to myself that I will send hand written notes, real voice phone calls and a visit to the office of my clients. That will be my Biggest Marketing Plan for 2011... A Human touch
Companies will focus on how to keep their Twitter followers and Facebook fans engaged and enthusiastic.
Keeping those social site fans and followers engaged once you get them is always difficult. Obviously, blasting them with advertisement and specials cause them to begin looking right past your company posts. Here is a new approach to engage them and build their enthusiasm for company posts.
We have developed a site to help companies interact with their Facebook and Twitter users in an exciting and enthusiastic way. It is a Social Contest site that allows a company to have giveaways targeting their FB and Twitter users with a clicking competition. This method encourages the fans or followers to pay attention to the Facebook posts and tweets put out by the company. The company then has the ability to show product advertisement or messages on the contest age as well.
We have just gone live with a beta version which targets our own First2Click Facebook and Twitter users. We post a contest schedule and prize(s) for the day each morning at 8:00 AM CST. There may be one or more contests each day. The user can pre-register for the contests once they are posted and they receive additional clicks for their effort. A user can also recommend other users to earn additional clicks.
At the scheduled time we post an active link to Facebook and Twitter announcing the opening of the contest. A user has a better chance at the first click if they are either following First2Click on Twitter, or like the First2Click fan page on Facebook. The first person to click the link and enter their email address in the corresponding box wins the “first click” prize.
We then have a “lucky number” prize which is the same item as the first click prize. After a user’s first click we show them what number they were and what the lucky number is. They then strategically use their remaining clicks to try to hit that lucky click. There is no charge of any kind even for the shipping of the prizes. We have a Winners page that lists the contest winners from each previous contest.
We are finding from the small user base that we currently have that it is addicting, exciting, and promotes enthusiastic conversation on the contest chat board. We are currently working with a few companies to pilot the Contest Sponsoring aspect of http://www.First2Click.net. The ability to stimulate current fans as well as to encourage those fans to recruit other fans is the selling point of this new contest site.
I'm going to be sure all my clients are represented well on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn... so many are still new to why social media is so important!
While I am looking for my next marketing position, I am taking this opportunity to become more social media marketing savvy.
Obviously, social media is here to stay and will become a normal part of all company marketing mixes soon.
I am reading books, blogs, posts and taking e-marketing courses.
There is so much information out there, it is like trying to take a drink from a firehose. But I am learning a lot.
I can use social media as a job-hunting tool for now and as a marketing tool, when I land my next position.
I am going to try to rally more company personnel outside of the marketing department to participate in creating content (white papers, short videos, blog posts, etc.).
Here's an idea: To delete adjectives like "innovative" from all marketing initiatives. Tell your product jocks that anything they feel requires being hailed as "innovative" probably is not.
Street marketing (for locally-based clients). In a college town, we have a pool of creative and lively drama & arts students who seem to be able to come up with crazy and fun actions that definitely catch the eye of the local shoppers. We're working out the municipal permit issues before launching, but this looks like a win-win situation for us (the agency), our clients, and the students.
I'm going to expand my social media beyond Twitter & Facebook, personalize my Facebook page and utilize some mobile apps, maybe a live chat.
I think we need to go beyond content creation. Do that, but focus also on curation of content in ways that drives more meaningful engagement and application. There's more content now than we possibly know what to do with. Those that can help us do with that which we know and have learned will be real innovators, thought-leaders and go-to brands.
I am the Director for Realize Bradenton a non-profit organization that builds community and develops our downtown Bradenton region as a unique cultural destination through strategic partnerships, creative collaborations, and interactive social media strategies. We believe that the arts, culture, and heritage assets in our riverfront community stimulate economic activity and that a vibrant downtown requires informed and engaged citizens to help shape it.
In 2011 we plan to engage our community through the eyes of middle and high school students who will connect history and the arts to look at the past to shape their city’s future. Working with historians and artists, the students’ words and images will become public art (mosaics) along our beautiful waterfront and their work (text, 2D art, and video) will be available on an Art Connects blog that invites the community into conversations and collaborative projects of public art, celebrations, and community improvement efforts.
We are creating both physical and virtual spaces for connection and civic dialogue.
The two event companies I own are going to embrace content creation to an even greater extent, while finding that unique balance of our live events and building digital communities. 2011 is going to be the year of building our communities around the stories of our participants. It's a model I've been trumpeting for the past two years, but I haven't fully succeeded in bridging the two.
Happy New Year, HubSpot!
Learning the differences between Inbound and Outbound Marketing stradegies was an eye opener to say the least in 2010. Now in 2011 as the Outside Sales manager for Business Resource Alliance of Yakima I can see where my tasks are in the comming year. Not only to reach out to a community that is use to an Outbound Marketing structure as to a way of advertizing. But to show the Greater advantages to an Inbound and Social Media based Marketing structure.
Providing the training is the key and I think we will be the best resource in our area to do so. I look forward to the Spark to the community that Social Media Applications and Inbound Marketing strdegies will provide for the communities future health.
Part of my promotions days involves wearing tees to promote the biz, event, charity etc. This year i plan to visit with clients and promote them on location (most of my clients are work-at-home mums).
As the CEO and founder of DVM Marketplace, I am honored and inspired to serve the veterinary profession. We are a marketing and management consulting agency, established in November of 2010.
With communication changing at the speed of light via the internet, social media, and blogging, we have opportunities for veterinarians as never before. We're here to eliminate the confusion and shine a light on the mysterious world of marketing. We believe that marketing is not an end unto itself. We propose a more holistic model; one which takes into consideration the management and training necessary to successfully deploy marketing efforts in a veterinary practice,
I think the focus has to be on Smartphones as advertising and marketing dollars continue their transition away from the desktop. This will drive innovative marketing communications campaigns.
Oh my god, did Rubin actually do a blog post? Way to go!
Getting people outside of the marketing team involved and invested in marketing is my biggest goal for this year. Just as Hubspotters switch desks every 3 months, I think it's really healthy for people to see the world from the other side every once in a while.
I also want to continue to work on our version of Hubspot TV, MoneyAisle TV...the personal approchable personal finance show. We're getting the formula down for what works for us after just 6 episodes. We're trying to improve the production value as well, but content is king, and we're producing some great blog posts way outside of our previous comfort zone as a result.
Lastly, I'd like to work on developing the next really innovative marketing idea. I have a really solid idea for leveraging social checkin networks like Foursquare, Gowalla, and Facebook Places that I can't wait to unleash. Given that we're a completely online service with no brick and mortar to claim, I had to get creative. Email me if you're interested in learning more.
Joe
Very true! The year 2011 will see businesses using social media much frequently compared to last year. The primary reason that can be attributed to this change is the new user-friendly features added by sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
I think using Social Media as a compliment to WOM is going to be strongest way for small businesses to use the power of Social Media. Meaning: Keeping people engaged with each other, using Social Media to spread ideas to their friends, and then being able to spot "like minded" people in public that share the same brand love. That being said, Facebook needs to bring back your "Likes" section on your profile. That, more then Facebook ads, is by far the most important thing to a brand in the Social Media field. Why it went away in the first place still isn't clear, but brands, especially big brands should be clamoring to get it back!
I think social networking like Facebook, Twitter, is the best marketing strategy, since it has lot of followers.
This is not really innovative but hopefully the new year will see more PLANNED social media marketing and an integration of Social and Online Marketing in formal Marketing Plans along with effective ways to measure their ROI.
I'd also hope for people/businesses to stop talking about themselves on Social Media and start listening to their customers and offering customised solutions to them based on their preferences. Simple but the way to go, I reckon.
I'm going to devote myself to developing a blue ocean mind-set. Right now most of the ideas discussed here are about improving one's competitive edge. But I want to concentrate on creating uncontested market spaces. To do this, I'm thinking of applying reverse thinking, reverse strategic positioning, etc. I'm yet to crystallize exactly how I will go about this; but soon my mind will unlock/unblock and open the doors to new possibilities; new ventures.