In Summer 2009 Facebook was #5 or #6, then they moved up to number #4 just before Christmas. Now they are #2. Can you guess who’s first?
Of Facebook’s 400 million active users, 50% log on to Facebook on any given day, and then spend about 55 minutes on the site daily. Of those, about 35 million people post a status update, and more than 3 billion photos are uploaded each month–making Facebook the largest photo-sharing site on the Web.
Why is this important to you? Because when Google ranks Web sites, it takes into account the PageRank and value of other sites linking to yours. With Facebook as the #2 site in the world, no other site besides Google has the power to lift your search ranking as much as Facebook. That means every link from Facebook to your home page or blog lifts the value of your blog. Are you beginning to see the possibilities?
Facebook is a popular marketing tool not just because it has large numbers of users and niche marketing possibilities, but also because its indexed and ranked into Google’s proprietary search algorithms.
For these reasons, small businesses are increasingly making Facebook Fan pages their primary hubs on the Internet. I don’t recommend this, because I still think Facebook users prefer entertainment to business. But, for those without a lot of marketing resources, Facebook can be an attractive choice. It’s easy to set up, it has a captive and loyal audience, and it’s relatively easy to manage. But if you go with Facebook as your hub:
Tie your page to one or more promotional campaigns and get your first few hundred fans quickly.
Stay focused on the goal of converting visitors to fans.
Offer incentives and rewards for becoming a fan.
Engage with people on a regular and consistent basis.
Are you leveraging the full power of Facebook in your online marketing strategy? Let me know if you’d like a worksheet to help move your pages from “static” to FANtastic.
George del Barrio has been working with music brands on O‘ahu for more than 20 years.
Here, he talks about a course hes providing on O‘ahu that shares his methodology for social media optimization. I want to share this as an example of how videos can be an important part of your marketing toolbox. Videos are powerful branding tools, help increase search rankings and boost overall social media effectiveness. They can also reduce your administrative overhead costs and free up time within your organization, especially if your team spends a lot of time responding to the same 10 or 15 questions.
George also talks about using Facebook as a social media hub. That’s not a bad strategy considering Facebook is the #2 ranking site on the Web. However, I recommend companies focus on their Web site as their core hub instead. I say this because Facebook users prefer entertainment to business, and small business sites are struggling to get fans. Stand-alone Web sites tend to do better overall, especially if they are home to a successful blog.
Like George explains, you need video to let your audience “meet you,” gain familiarity with you as a problem-solver, and understand more about your background and where you’re coming from. Emotionally, videos connect to people. The outdoor setting George uses in this example carries unspoken messages about “success,” “values,” “lifestyle,” and “kama‘āina.”
What are your videos saying about you? Are your videos consistent with your brand? Do your videos support your key messages, or undercut them? For a consultation, Contact Me, or share your link in the Comments area below.
Twitter is a fast-growing tool for listening and responding to the thoughts of consumers.
Been trying to get in with the VP of Marketing at a large, national company? Try following her on Twitter.
Want to know what your customers think of your new menu? Try doing a Twitter search for your restaurant and see what they say.
Nobody saying anything? Well, that says something, doesn’t it?
North Hawaii News asked attendees of a January “Tweet-Up” at Anna’s Ranch in Waimea why they think social media is good for the Big Island. Here’s what they said:
1. “You can reach a broad spectrum of all ages with different interests”
– Annie Howes, Waimea
Not everybody is on Twitter. But those who are tend to have more influence over public opinion. 80% of active Twitter users publish a blog, according to one eMarketer survey. And, while teenagers still make up the biggest share of Twitter users overall, the number of users between 35 and 55 is growing–fast. But remember, an estimated 14% of households “opt out” of technology on Hawaii Island by choice. And their opinions are equally valid. So when you turn to Twitter to reach a broad spectrum of interests, remember also the interests of people who are not there.
2. “We are starting to ‘brand’ or identify the Big Island.”
–Cynthia Hoskins, Hilo
As people living and working in Hawaii we offer a perspective not found in the marketing materials of the tourism industry. Hawaiian Tweets offer an honest and unfiltered view of life in the Pacific. For those who depend on the taxes and revenue from beyond our shores, remember that every Tweet helps shape the image of our islands. Tweets are now archived and indexed by Google in real time.
3. “We are bringing people together to create 1950′s communities with 21st Century technology.”
— Larry Czerwonka, Hilo
In the traditional “one-to-many” model of Old Media, travel guides and magazines would point readers to various visitor attractions and restaurants. But often, facts change and guides go out of date–sometimes before they’re even off the press! Travel writers seldom have the time to visit every attraction or restaurant in an area, so reviews can quickly become stale, and newer places fail to get the visibility they deserve. On Twitter, you can ask in real time where the best place is to eat in Kawaihae, and within minutes get a suggestion to try the grass-raised beef hamburgers at Kohala Diner. The back-and-forth conversation is easy and casual. And strangely, the people you regularly follow become as familiar as your next door neighbor. Sometimes, even more so…
4.”It lets us share all the good things that make us different from Oahu.”
– Laura Kinoshita, South Kohala
Let’s face it. The Big Island is not Waikiki, it’s not the North Shore, it’s not Maui, and it’s not Kauai. So what is it? Adventure. Open Spaces. Higher Learning. An active volcano. World-class astronomy. Marine Biology. Sport Fishing. Rodeos! The freedom to drive 100 miles in any direction … The island for quiet family getaways and romantic walks on the beach. The powder-white beaches of Hapuna, Mauna Kea and Makaiwa to the black sand beaches of Pololu Valley and South Point.
5. “It helps connect people who would normally not be connected.”
–Susan Chouinard, Waimea.
Whether you’re looking for entertainment or new skills for your job, chances are … Twitter will point you to it. Humor and inspirational messages are the most popular forms of Tweets, but you can also find new ideas, look for jobs and offer services, products or promotions people might not otherwise know about.
Consider following these West Hawaii brands to see how they are using Twitter to engage with (and learn from) their customers:
Twitter is like radio … extremely public …. a stream of information you can casually step in to and out of when it suits you. I don’t always have the radio on, but I like to listen (Tweet) over lunch and breakfast. Similarly, as “broadcasters” we need to be sensitive to our “followers” and only produce content our listeners will be interested in. Otherwise, they’ll switch us off (unfollow).
I use hashtags as a quick way to find groups of people talking about the same thing — #hawaii #marketing #taxes and so forth. I really like to use them when watching an exciting tennis match #federer or #wimbledon or for some people #lost to get live reactions from people as things occur. It can really add a lot of interest to a baseball game, too! (#Angels)
You can also use hashtags to get your profile in front of groups that might not know about you. Or to promote events among select groups of people, such as #editors and #business people. For stock investors, use the $ sign, as in $AAPL or $MSFT. Remember, everything you Tweet is indexed and archived by Google, so many companies use hashtags to add extra publicity to thier events and trainings. In fact, links to your Web site increase your Google search ranking, so your Tweets could even help you get found on the Web.
Hashtags are just simple ways to find other people talking about the same thing. They are often used when you don’t know who or where those people are, and vice versa. Sure, you can use Twitter Search for what interests you, but hashtags offer a highly focused way to find people who want to talk about that specific topic.
Remember: Use hashtags when you want to engage in a conversation topic. Use Search when you want to find instances of people using a particular word in conversation.
Came across this video and I really like it. It talks about many of the same things I’ve been talking about. Plus, it gives a nice synopsis of the strategy behind social media.
The Q & A format works. And it’s a good discussion about the strategy and process of social media. Nice tie-ins between his answers and content you’ll find in the book. Mitch Joel really gets going 3-4 minutes in. Good stuff.
I agree with the idea that relationships in the digital world need to follow the same theoreis as relationships in real life, and the process of building community will be a SLOW process.
Favorite quotes:
“If you only have a couple hundred people reading your blog, and three of those people become your clients, then that’s a really good day at the office.”
“I offer value and insights to the community.”
“Hopefully we’ll be top of mind and they’ll call us.”
That’s what it’s all about, right?
We know this guy is hip because he’s dressed all in black. And we know he’s successful because he’s sitting in a really nicely decorated living room. We want to be like him, right? Just kidding.
Somehow Mitch Joel seems very similar to Gary Vaynerchuk, but less loud and less New York. Perhaps the West Coast version of G.V.? Is that intentional?
I found this connection in the book’s Publisher’s Weekly review:
“A digital marketing maven who parlayed a podcast into a thriving career, Joel extends the notion of human interconnectedness by six degrees to the virtual world. With abundant Internet social networking sites and mobile texting, we are all intrinsically connected, he argues in this accessible primer to capitalizing on connections to increase brand awareness. New breeds of entrepreneurs are being created daily, he asserts, using free publishing tools available on the Internet to create brands and develop audiences on a scale that rivals the biggest firms in the world. Joel cites such success stories as Gary Vaynerchuk of Wine Library, who transformed his parents’ New Jersey liquor store from a $4 million business to a $45 million one in five years by connecting to Facebook and Twitter and creating a video podcast to lure customers. More than a mere collection of inspirational case studies, the book offers practical advice, from choosing a catchy blog name to tips on Web presentation. Joel has created an eminently readable guide to harnessing the various tools available across the virtual landscape.
In truth, this is a well done promo video. I like the length. It’s a bit long, but good for the subject matter. The only bad thing is the slamming door in the middle of the piece. Slightly amatuerish on an otherwise good production.
The book? Yeah, I intend to buy it. The 41 reviews on Amazon are highly positive and seem to really inspire action. Plus, I love to read about this stuff.
You? If you’ve already bought the book, let me know what you think!
