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Experiment with Social Media Fire (without getting burned)

by Jeff Molander

Back in March, I discussed how experiential marketing is changing the game for Web marketers of all colors. Now that we’ve spent time understanding how and why marketers can make the decision to experiment with social media/marketing campaigns I’m going further.

In the June edition of Target Marketing I uncover the low hanging fruit — what marketers can do TODAY to begin experimenting in social marketing. Interviewed were leading experts including Sam Decker of Bazaarvoice, Brian Clark of GMD Studios and “RSS for marketers” guru, Rok Hrastnik of Studio Moderna (Eastern Europe’s largest Direct TV retailer).

When I challenged him by suggesting that interruptive (traditional) advertising may be on its deathbed Mr. Hrastnik replied…

“I’m working in the most interruptive ad industry of them all. My idea of ‘cool’ marketing would be injecting the latest infomercial directly into the consumer’s vein.”

“Seriously … I can tell you that direct response TV advertising is not only alive but kicking, thriving more and more every month.”

I stand corrected!

Tags: Best content strategies, Better 'Social' Strategies

Using Experience to Capture ‘Social’ Web Shoppers

by Jeff Molander

Attention Web Marketers:
Intercepting customers during buying processes is no longer enough!

Fundamental elements of the customer/marketer relationship are changing. The Web is inherently interactive and, yes, increasingly social. How customers interact via the Web with your brand is proving to be experiential. Sounds trite but it’s not to be under-stated!

As customer behaviors emerge new marketing practices are needed. Multi-channel retail customer acquisition and retention cannot survive on strategies like affiliate and search marketing alone. What are these new strategies? Some call it “conversational” marketing. Whatever name you give it, this emerging practice area is all about joining in with customers – listening to them and interacting on a more intimate level.

How can marketers accomplish this and what social marketing strategy should be tried and tested first? Watch the above video for answers and stay tuned for Part 3 where we really get revved up with specific case studies and best practices from leading social marketers!

Tags: Best content strategies, Better 'Social' Strategies

Customer Acquisition on the Social Web

by Jeff Molander

Selling on the web is quickly becoming less about marketers’ supply meeting up with customers’ demand, and more about customers themselves actively bringing their demand toward supply. In fact, they’re creating supply in many cases. And successful marketers are creating experiences for customers — not merely selling to them.

People now have access to so much content — and have so many ways to gather news and information — that the likelihood of your corporate message penetrating the clutter is virtually nil.

Instead, if you engage the audience in a conversation and learn what the social community is looking for and concerned about, you might be able to persuade them to hear your message.

In the words of David Weinberger at the 2007 New Communications Forum Lecture:

“There is no market for your message”.

Given the web’s increasingly social nature, today’s customers are bypassing ‘interceptive’ strategies like search and, yes, affiliate marketing. Tune in to the above video and find out what to do about it!

Tags: Best content strategies, Better 'Social' Strategies

New Professional Education Resources for Web Marketers

by Jeff Molander

Vintage Tub & Bath, GoToWebinar and I are hosting the May 2008 Paying for Performance Webinar next week!

“Professional Education A Go-Go: New Resources, Certifications and Conferences You Should Know About”
Move over MarketingSherpa because here comes MarketMotive and HowCast. Come and discover (and critique!) new educational resources for Web marketers ranging from certification programs to Webinars and ‘dirt world’ conferences that offer top notch educational opportunities. Guest discussants will reveal their recent experiences (good and bad), candid viewpoints and “take-away learnings” from the best content producers out there.

YOU will also be asked to anoymously rank YOUR experiences at popular Web marketing conferences. How will our group rate them overall? Come and find out which are worth your time and which aren’t IN REAL TIME! Don’t fret over not being able to attend all the conferences or spend on educational materials — our group separates the wheat from the chaff so you don’t have to!

Joining in the discussion:
Rachel Honoway of AffiliateClassroom.com
John Marshall of MarketMotive.com
Lee Gientke of Leadpoint.com (a conference addict)
Danny Sullivan of SMX / Search Marketing Now — Third Door Media

Wednesday, May 28, 2008
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM EDT

PLEASE NOTE:
We’re going to mix it up by featuring a “Special SURPRISE Guest slot” during the last 15 minutes of the program. Each guest will be covering a topic of interest to our group in a way that gives you ACTIONABLE recommendations that can be applied to your business / bottom-line immediately.

The Paying for Performance Webinar is brought to you monthly by Vintage Tub and Bath’s Allan Dick, GoToWebinar and myself. Please note, this is a “retailer only” event with an open door policy to others. Please contact me or Allan (allan_at_vintagetub.com) to request participation in consideration of quality content you might present to our group.

Tags: Uncategorized