Integrating Niche Social Media Platforms into your Campaign

Numerous brands, whether company or personal are very familiar and comfortable communicating with potential fans through some of the more established social media platforms; such as facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.  These established platforms should certainly receive plenty of attention when launching a social media marketing campaign, but user engagement can receive a boost through the incorporation of newer niche platforms like Instagram and Vine. 

             

How Vine & Instagram used to compare

          These platforms can be used by themselves to provide users with more avenues for reaching campaign content, or they can be integrated into more established platforms for even greater user engagement.  As a brief background, Instagram is owned by facebook, and until last week, it acted as a platform that only allowed users to post photos.  In a bid to curb Vine’s (growing) influence, Instagram has now added a video feature that allows users post 15 second videos. 

I know it's difficult, but remember to use Instagram, even though a video from Bieber was the first one on the platform to exceed one million views (SMH)

              

           Vine is a social media platform that allows users to post 6 second videos.  It was founded about two years after Instagram, and was subsequently purchases by Twitter.  While Instagram decided to one up Vine’s video feature, it is still an interactive platform worth integrating into your social media campaign. 

              

Marketing tips for Vine users

             Instagram and Vine can be utilized in myriad ways by companies and celebrities alike.  In the few days the Instagram video feature has been available, Jimmy Fallon issued a contest challenging users to tag him in 15 second long funny videos.  Contests, whether video and picture based ones on Instagram, or video based ones on Vine, are great ways to increase user engagement. 

Wiz Khalifa delivering some raps to fans on Instagram

Users enjoy the opportunity to win prizes using their creativity, and contests also make them cognizant of the brand issuing the challenge.   Contests are only one example of the possibilities these platforms offer, as brands can also reach out to users by posting videos and photos their target audience would enjoy, such as behind the scene looks, or even videos featuring various products.  Wiz Kahlifa recently showed that these platforms are not just for company brands when he released videos of himself rapping on Instagram.  Actor Simon Rex who has not been in many films lately has even found fame on Vine through the release of comedy clips that have led to him gaining nearly 650,000 fans. 

One of Simon Rex' more tame Vine Videos

In order to maximize the effectiveness of marketing efforts on these platforms, I recommend that companies and individuals post the content they create on these niche sites to their fan pages on more established platforms.  Platforms such as facebook actually allow brands to create application tabs that allow users to easily access campaign content they have on other sites, and I encourage brands to take advantage of this benefit. 

Jimmy Fallon issuing a contest challenge on Instagram

           Can any of you think of some additional niche platforms brands should incorporate into their social media marketing campaigns?

LinkedIn: There is More to it Than Meets the Eye

     Prior to enrolling in an MBA program, i'd placed a very small amount of effort into completing my LinkedIn profile.  Once my MBA program began however, I made a conscious effort to thoroughly complete my profile in hopes of growing my business connections.  After all, I kept hearing from career advisers that it was important to develop ones LinkedIn network while in business school.  Once my profile appeared to be complete, I began focusing my attention on searching for possible business connections.

     As time went by, my LinkedIn network began to grow.  This process seemed to be slow at first, but it began picking up little by little, and before I knew it, I had a sizable amount of connections.  I periodically checked in with various connections I had made, but I was still somewhat unsure as to how I could most effectively use the platform.

     This changed one day when I received an email from LinkedIn informing me that they had a list of jobs that would likely interest me.  I clicked on the email, and it took me to a list of jobs that strongly correlated with my interests, and it also had pictures of certain network connections that were also connected to hiring company in some capacity.  The format and layout of the page piqued my interest, so I later clicked on the job tab at the top of my LinkedIn page.  I was immediately taken to a screen that had numerous jobs already listed, and it also had a search bar that allowed me to search for jobs at specific companies. These job results again displayed my connections that were also connected to the hiring companies being searched.

This image depicts the jobs screen that can be accessed on LinkedIn

The moral of the story is that I was pleasantly surprised to learn of a new way to utilize and benefit from a social media site I had used for years.  Have any of you had the fortune to learn of new ways LinkedIn can benefit you?  Have you come across a situation in which you have been using a certain social media platform for quite some time,  only to learn of new ways in which it could benefit you?

Social Media: Say Hello to Hollywood

Many industries could benefit by using certain social media platforms in one way or another, and Hollywood has taken this heart.  The movie industry uses multiple mediums to advertise their up and coming films, but movie trailers have always stood out as their most effective marketing tool.  YouTube in particular is proving to be a very valuable asset to Hollywood at large.  YouTube essentially functions as a giant movie trailer repository that allows consumers to connect with movie studios in the virtual area they already inhabit.

For some light hearted laughs, consider "Grown Ups 2"  

I myself enjoy routinely checking out videos on YouTube, and during the course of my perusing, I often come across coming soon movie trailers.  This allows me and people like me to watch movie trailers on our own time, and in many cases, consumers come across trailers that they would have never seen otherwise.  Movie studios certainly pay to have trailers aired on television, but people routinely flip through commercials or skip them by recording shows (I do this...).  There are many times that I see what looks to be an interesting trailer on TV, but I end up catching it on the tail end and miss out on most of the content.

In the mood for a disturbing trailer, check out "Insidious 2"

Earlier today, I decided to briefly peruse YouTube and I came across a trailer for Insidious 2.  For those scary movie fans out there, you no doubt remember the first movie, and based on the trailer, you will want to see the sequel.  I’m kind of iffy on scary movies myself, but I decided to check out the trailer, and am actually considering seeing the movie now. 

This isn’t the first or the last time Hollywood has caught my interest on YouTube.  Just last week I was fooling around on YouTube and decided to check out a movie trailer I had been hearing about.  The movie is called “The Purge” and I was able to check out multiple trailers on YouTube.  Based on that viewing selection, more trailers were recommended and I seriously spent thirty minutes checking out trailers.  Hollywood has done what any good company should do, and that is reach consumers where they live and play. 

Like creepers in mask, watch "The Purge" trailer

What do all of you think about Hollywood’s focus on social media, and can you think of some other industries that have effectively harnessed it?

Tweens are fired up for "Hunger Games: Catching Fire"

Can Social Media Really Get You Noticed?

          Many have said in the past that social media is a fad that will begin to fad when something better appears.  At this point, it seems safe to say that social media will be with us for a while.  Its various forms will evolve over time, but it seems to have struck a chord with users across the world.  As people and businesses throng to a litany of social media platforms, they sometimes question whether their efforts are for naught. 

Some of my friends and business acquaintances have voiced this concern to me on multiple occasions, and this is a concern I can certainly understand.  No person or business wants to spend valuable time and resources investing in a project that has no returns, but there are examples of numerous social media success stories.  Any of you out there that enjoy checking out memes on the web have likely encountered the infamous grumpy cat.  This cat lives up to its namesake and frequently flashes grumpy looks of all sorts.  Big players in Hollywood circles have taken notice of the cat’s ballooning popularity, and this culminated in the grumpy cat getting a role in an upcoming movie.

The stern yet lovable “grumpy cat”

Many of you might be thinking that a cat getting a big break is interesting and all, but it really doesn’t increase your confidence that your business or personal brand will gain value through social media.  I’ll switch gears and give you an example of a group of humans that benefited from social media.  The musical duo known as Karmin was signed to a record label in 2011, and will soon be dropping their second album.  Karmin has enjoyed significant success over the past two years, but it wasn’t long ago that the band was unknown.  The band got its big break in 2011 when it began releasing cover songs with a twist on YouTube.  YouTube users began flocking to many of the videos, with its rendition of Chris Brown’s song “Look at Me Now” garnering 83 million views.  Karmin’s popularity with fan’s caught the attention of major record labels, and Epic Records ended up signing them in 2011.

One of Karmin’s most popular YouTube videos

You’ve now seen a few examples of social media success, and while not every company or personal brand will become achieve national acclaim and attention through social media, it can certainly provide benefits if utilized correctly.  If you look closely at the previous examples, you will be able to draw an important insight that will aid you when marketing your brand or company via social media.  People gravitated to the aforementioned social media entities because the content resonated with them on a personal level.  By remembering your audience and appealing to them on a more personal level, your brand and company is likely to find much more success in the social media marketing realm. 

I couldn’t resist, one more “grumpy cat” meme!

Social Media: The Double Edged Sword

     In this world, there are many things that can be both a blessing and a curse, and social media happens to be one of those things.  Prior to the advent and widespread acceptance of social media, marketing was conducted largely through more expensive and onerous means.  Social media marketing is certainly not void of cost however, as developing an effective social media marketing strategy and successfully executing it requires employees or consultants with a special skill set.  Once the creative talent has been secured, using the various social media platforms for marketing is very affordable compared to traditional marketing mediums.

    This affordability is advantageous to businesses as it can lead to lower marketing cost, and it is particularly valuable to small and mid-sized businesses that have trouble adequately funding their marketing efforts.  While social media marketing can be a godsend to many businesses and help them interact with consumers in a revolutionary way, it is important to remember that careless handling and management of your company's social media pages can adversely impact your company and possibly lead to a dilution of your brand value.

The family audience wasn't crazy about this tweet

    At this point you might be wondering exactly what I am talking about, but there are myriad examples in the news of social media blunders that have cost companies consumers, and resulted in brand damage.  One of the most recent examples would have to be the Los Angeles Kings decision to allow a local morning show host to take over its twitter feed during a playoff game.  This radio show host apparently has a love it or hate it brand of humor, which while amusing to some, has the potential to alienate many customers.  Lo and behold, this host made a twitter comment that compared the game play to sexual assault at one point.  Many fans were upset by that post, and the Kings ended up having to make a public apology for the comments made by the host.

     While the tweet from the LA Kings account offended some, the next social media crisis had many up in arms.  When one hears KitchenAid, images of various handy and helpful kitchen appliances normally comes to mind, but careless handling of the company's twitter page resulted in what I would call, very bad publicity. As has happened many times in the past, an employee with access to their company's twitter feed mistakenly sent a tweet thinking it was from their own account.  This same scenario played out for KitchenAid when an employee tweeted the tasteless comment below.  

Probably not the best way to win over consumers...

     Once a company decides to engage is social media marketing, it has to be understood that this model allows them to interact with consumers on a more personal level.  This makes social media a prized asset that companies must protect accordingly.

     In order for companies to avoid committing a serious social media blunder, it's wise to take a few precautions.  Account passwords should be given to as few individuals as possible.  With less people accessing your company's page, the less chance there is for a mistake to occur.  It is also crucial to remember that your company will accept money from people of all walks of life, so be sure to avoid any post or tweets that are political in nature.  Now no one is perfect, so if a company does commit a social media blunder, it is essential that it quickly apologize in an attempt to diffuse the situation.  Remember, social media can be a great asset to a company, as long as it is used responsibly.

I'm interested in hearing if any of you have ideas for mitigating the risk of committing a social media blunder!

KitchenAid quickly apologized for the previous remark made from its account

Can Crowd Sourcing Help Your Business?

     Social media provides businesses with an array of mediums they can use to communicate with consumers.  Many of these medium are largely used as conduits for business to convey information to consumers rather than the other way around. Now this one way conduit can provide consumers will valuable information and appealing deals, but it fails to truly engage consumers.  Businesses often time fail to remember or even acknowledge that engaging consumers can reveal new ideas and creative expressions that never would have been realized otherwise.  

     Crowd sourcing usually begins with companies directly reaching out to customers via their websites or social media sites.  Companies looking for ways to increase their customer satisfaction through service improvements, or product modifications and creations have found crowd sourcing to be especially useful. The extremely popular coffee chain Starbucks is a avid user of crowd.  They have a tab on their page that allows consumers to post various ideas.  Community users in turn are allowed to vote on these ideas, which in turn helps Starbucks sift through the suggestions.  

     In addition to receiving product and business operation suggestions, consumers can be engaged in an even more direct manner through which they design new products objects for specific companies.  As of last week, Mark Cuban, the billionaire owner of the Dallas Mavericks asked fans to design new uniforms for his team and upload them o his blog.  He will in turn review the submissions and possibly choice one of them to be the team's future uniform.  Known for being very sharp, Mark Cuban has posted on many sites, including his blog, that the Dallas Mavericks automatically receive rights to every design submitted.  So, when devising a crowd sourcing project, think about what legal implications the contest might have

Maverick's Owner Mark Cuban

    As you look at your company's social media presence, consider the ways in which crowd sourcing could help your company.

Social Media: To be Sexy or not to be, That is the Question

      It's no secret that sex can certainly sell when it comes to advertising.  While the sex appeal angle can often times be controversial when used in traditional marketing campaigns, it nonetheless creates quite a buzz.  Myriad sexually charged television advertisements have been pulled in the past after a public outcry, but these ads often times continue to live on in the real of social media, mostly thanks to YouTube.  In addition to television ads that have been relocated to YouTube, you can find numerous other provocative videos on YouTube that were made specifically for that platform.  Considering the fact that many people point out the fact that sex sells, you have to ask yourself if sex will create a buzz and favorably increase awareness for your own product or service.  Still not convinced, then take a look at the sexually provocative Radio Shack commercial below.  It has been available for only a few days, and has already generated over 857,000 YouTube views.

                       The beats pill commercial was released by Radio Shack on April 29, 2013; and already has over 857,000 views on YouTube.

     As you ask yourself if a sexually charged social media marketing scheme that relies on provocative YouTube video's is right for you, you must first look at your audience. Are you trying to sell a product or service to an audience that is easily offended?  If you're looking to market your family cleaning service for instance, sexy would probably not be the way to go.  Likewise, if you have opened a family restaurant and are trying to get customers in the door, it would be wise to avoid sexually charged social media videos and advertising.  In stark contrast, a restaurant such as hooters could very successfully advertise its business by making sexy videos available on social media sites.

Kate Upon made this new Hardee's burger look sexy on tv, but the ad was soon pulled after a public outcry.  Nonetheless, it lives on in social media.

     What you need to consider when contemplating the use of sexually charged advertising is the nature of your target audience.  If you offer a product primarily aimed at men, then sexually charged videos featuring females would probably generate a positive buzz amongst the target audience.  Be careful though because possible female customers might be turned off by such marketing gimmicks, so be sure that the gain outweighs the risk when contemplating this marketing plan.  While many sexually charged videos and commercials are aimed at men, it is likely that this same strategy could be used to appeal to female customers if used correctly.

This video of an attractive woman riding in a Ford Raptor has garnered almost 6.9 million views, begging the question, can sex help sell your product?

     I'm interested in hearing your thoughts on this matter, should companies ever use sexually charged videos when marketing their products or services on social media platforms?  When is such a strategy appropriate, and when is it not?