Resources and support for solving challenges in public relations, marketing and social media
April 10th, 2010 — Web marketing
103 respondents took the West Hawaii Social Media Survey to report how they are (or are not) using social media to promote their business.
The winner of the $50 Costco cash card drawing is from Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. If I get permission, I will let you know more about them.
I will now be preparing the results for release on Hawaii247.org.
Stay tuned!
March 16th, 2010 — Web marketing
I often get asked about how to keep online communities “engaged.” So, today, I found this fascinating quote:
TripAdvisor needs to keep reviewers reviewing, and an email message they sent to me suggests one way to do so. They don’t merely ask for more reviews but instead appeal to some of the motivations that Mass Influencers have for their social media activities. The TripAdvisor message takes away doubt about readership of reviews and implies that those who post reviews have an audience eager for more content. Here is what I received: Augie Ray, How Do You Keep Mass Influencers Engaged? An Example from TripAdvisor, Mar 2010
This article explains what works best–and what doesn’t–in getting people to talk about and share information about your product or service. It also goes into the mentality of your Web users, and why certain tactics work better than others. It’s a must-read for anyone struggling to keep customers engaged … and how to turn those customers into referrals! Take a look, and let me what you think!
February 18th, 2010 — Web marketing
North Hawaii News - Feb. 18, 2010
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:
– 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.
–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.
— 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…
– 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.
–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:
@KTASuperstores
@buyinglocal
@MtAppleBrand
@KonaSeaSalt
@BJPenn
@BodyGloveHawaii
@KeauhouSheraton
@GoodwillHawaii
@ToyotaHawaii
@KonaBrewingCo
@HCFHawaii (Hawaii Community Foundation)
@KFCHawaii (Kentucky Fried Chicken Hawaii)
@HawaiiPaperProducts
@FarmersHawaii
@keck2laser
UPDATE 2/19/2010: This version better characterizes where quotes came from.
January 19th, 2010 — Web marketing
Example: I was asked to compile a list of West Hawaii social media resources. Afterwards, I thought it might be good to share with you. If you have an addition, or would like to see something changed, leave a comment.
HAFNER CREATIVE COMMUNICATIONS
Waikoloa, HI
http://www.hafnercreative.com
KINOSHITA COMMUNICATIONS
Kohala Coast, HI
www.kohalacoastmarketing.com
TARTLETON INK
Waikoloa, HI
http://tarletonink.blogspot.com/
WALA`AU MEDIA*
Kamuela, HI
http://www.walaaumedia.com/
WHAT TO DO MEDIA
Kamuela, HI
http://www.whattodomedia.com/services.php
WORDFUL
Kamuela, HI
http://wordful.com/about/
Recommended Big Island Blogs:
January 12th, 2010 — Marketing, Twitter, Web marketing
1. Ratios. These are wonderful ways to compare one aspect of a Twitter user to another. The most reliable ratio is “Followers” to “Following.” Divide the number of Followers by the number of people Followed. At a minimum, the number should be greater than “1″ and I prefer numbers closer to 2 or 3. Typically, the greater the number, the more influential the profile. Most news sites have higher scores. @abcnews follows 68 profiles (Jan 2010) yet has more than a million followers (14,700:1). TV news profiles get followers from widespread media exposure. Same with well-known authors, screen personalities and so on. Spammers will follow large numbers of profiles, knowing many of those profiles will follow back. Spammers almost always have low ratios of .985 or less because they are selling products and seminars. For them, the number of followers is all that counts — more followers = more sales. You can use ratios of 0.985 or less to gauge how likely you are to be “sold to.” Low numbers = more sales pitches; higher numbers, less sales. On average. Truly worthwhile “experts” will have ratios of 10 or more. That tells me they are getting lots of publicity through events, radio, seminars and are delivering outstanding value to their followers.
2. Quality of Followers. You’re about to pay $75 for Social Media traing when you decide to look at your speaker’s profile on Twitter. Do they have a large number of foreign followers? Particularly from India or Russia? This could be a sign they are paying sites to generate large numbers of “fake” followers — empty profiles used to pump up the numbers. Are a lot of the followers young, attractive women soliciting their companionship? Or are there lots of profiles selling vitamins and skin cream? Be wary of social media “experts” who excel at attracting spammers. Ask yourself, “how many of this profile’s followers are like me?” The more in common you have with the other followers, the more relevant the content will be for you.
3. Engagement. How often does a profile engage directly with their followers? I want to follow people who are reaching out to other people. I want to follow conversations. I want to see how people respond to content, and to each other. Some profiles have a policy of not following anyone, using their feed to strictly disseminate news. That might be fine for some, but it gives a profile an “old media” personality, the old-fashioned “one-to-many” model of so many newspapers. It’s like going to a cocktail party and having a guest just sit there and blather on and on about themselves. Isn’t the purpose of conversation to bounce ideas off of other real people?
How do you evaluate Twitter profiles? What tricks of the trade have you learned? Leave me a Comment to share what’s working for you.
