Intro
For nearly three years, MassMedia has worked with Glacier Outdoor to improve their inbound and social media marketing efforts. We knew that a strong online presence and interaction would be vital to transform the reputation of Glacier Outdoor as a brand not only found in stores, but all over the web.

Challenge
Glacier Outdoor looked to us to help increase traffic to their website with the ultimate goal of increasing direct online sales. While Glacier Glove was already established as a high quality brand available in many different outlets, the company wanted to generate more sales from the website rather than from third party vendors.

The Solution
MassMedia derived a comprehensive social media plan to extend the reach of the Glacier Outdoor brand, attracting more customers to their website.

The Glacier Glove audience is one that is experienced and passionate about outdoor activities. Online, they learn how to make the most of their outdoor experience by following bloggers and tweeters who are just as if not more knowledgeable as they are.

The Glacier Outdoor twitter strategy provided followers with relevant information of value. From tips and tricks about outdoor activities to promoting contests, the site served as a “micro-blog” for Glacier Outdoor sending quick bursts of information and receiving instant feedback from followers.

Accordingly we launched strategic blogger relations as part of the campaign to target blogs that would have the highest return and be the most appropriate for our audience. Some of these blogs included:

• Gearjunkie.com
• Bassfan.com
• KayakFishingBlog.com

While it may not seem directly correlated, Mom Bloggers proved to be an incredible resource. As research has shown, Moms are most responsible for family purchases especially during the holiday season. Glacier Outdoor experienced an overwhelming success in traffic to the website as a result of pitching to mom bloggers.

The very visually oriented target is constantly searching for the next action packed video and cool photo.

YouTube was a great social media tool demonstrating Glacier Outdoor’s credibility and “cool factor” world champion kayaker, Jay Kincaid was featured using Glacier Outdoor products in a series of kayak tutorials and as a correspondent for the 2009 Reno River Festival. We also produced videos showing other facets of outdoor sports like fly fishing and hunting tips and how glacier outdoor products can benefit thee “real” hunters and fly fisherman that look to Reno as a premiere outdoor destination.

The Result
The key of the social media strategy for glacier outdoor was to use practical social media outlets that bounce off each other to cross promote and drive our audience to the core of the campaign, the website. Each outlet collectively and independently reached this goal.

As result of our social media efforts, Glacier Outdoor has increased web traffic by 200% in the last three months alone. With over 800 fans on Facebook, more than 50 blogger reviews, 4,500 video views on YouTube and over 1,400 followers on twitter, Glacier Outdoor is firmly implanting themselves within the social media realm and in the minds of outdoorsmen across the world.

Four years ago when I started talking to clients about Social Media and the need for it in their marketing efforts, I mainly got blank stares. Three years ago when I approached them again on the topic, most were of the opinion it was a passing fad. Two years ago, all but a few of our B2B clients had adopted some level of social media marketing and are glad they did. Again this year, I will tell my clients where social media is going and why I recommend they go with it. So after thorough research and review of what other industry experts predict I share with you my top six predictions for 2010 (out of more than 100 legitimate trends) and how your business can utilize them to set a few resolutions for greater success in this New Year. Who doesn’t want that?

1. Social Media Will No Longer be a Shiny New Toy Today, I doubt there is one person reading this article that still believes Social Media a trend but rather the new way we communicate and as business owners and managers we must adapt. This year, most companies will give social media budgets. It will be integrated into overall marketing strategies. Social media ROI will become more important and more sales will come from social media contacts. Most companies will start using listening platforms to get feedback. Customer service will become more social. By this time next year, social media will no longer be “social media” — it will be an integrated, unquestionable component of online and offline marketing plans.
2. Employers Will See the Need for Social Media Corporate Policies Even if you have chosen not to listen to it, most company owners realize people are talking about them online. And, they know that their employees are engaged in social networking often on company time. If you’re still deciding whether to have a social media presence, one thing is for sure, you should consider having a social media policy. Just like figuring out how to deal with email years ago, now companies are now addressing how to deal with Facebook and Youtube. Unfortunately you need to concern yourself with less-than-smart decisions an employee may make (and post a bad comment or video about you or your company). But also, The Federal Trade Commission recognized the popularity of social media marketing and recently released widely anticipated guidelines that govern how bloggers and social marketers disclose affiliations with companies when they discuss and products they endorse. Adopting a social media policy outlines for employees the corporate guidelines or principles of communicating in the online world, sets clear limits, and serves as a liability and risk control device. Companies from HP, IBM and Intel have already adopted social media policies. This year thousands of more companies will follow suit.
3. Videos Become a Marketing Mainstay Online video viewing has skyrocketed and will safely remain at the top as the most popular online activity. As it continues to rise, companies will increasingly incorporate viral videos into their campaigns to engage audiences. Viral video analytics are becoming sophisticated which will better enable company owners to gauge their success. Facebook has video-sharing applications. This will lead to an even more strategic approach to video use. It will no longer be a matter of uploading a video to YouTube and ’seeing what happens’. It will be utilizing online influencers, applications and paid placements to enhance and broaden the success of videos.
4. Social Media Becomes Local As a local business owner you’ve probably thought, why do I care if I have great visibility online in Chicago? Thanks to new innovations, you no longer have to worry about that. Relatively new networks such as Foursquare are touted for the focus on making networked activity local and mobile. Foursquare is a mobile gaming app that uses geo-tagging technology to help users find and share new bars, restaurants and other venues with friends. Available for several dozen cities worldwide so far, it will expand its reach in 2010, and gain new users and venues in existing locales. While Foursquare is a leading player in the emerging category of applications that leverage the convergence of smartphones, GPS and the social Web watch to see giants like Facebook and Twitter to add location based features. The business advantage here is pretty obvious, the ability to connect with potential customers that are within a few feet of your business.
5. Marketing Goes Mobile Think about how much you are on your phone. Unfortunately for my stress levels, I’m on mine constantly, texting, emailing, social networking, surfing the net etc. Facebook has more than 65 million active mobile users, Twitter sees 20 percent of tweets stream in from mobile devices, and mobile video watching on sites like YouTube is up 52 percent in 2009, according to a study published in May by Nielsen. It’s a wide-open space to connect with your clients or customers where they are when they want your information. People will shop and buy things on their phones. Business will complete transactions on their phones. Technology, innovation and new features will make cell phones central to social media and an growingly important platform for businesses. Luckily for smaller businesses, apps no longer cost thousands of dollars to develop with do-it-yourself solutions like SwebApps.
6. Integration

2010 will by about a single, cohesive experience across various platforms as well as products. Web, video, mobile and even TV will be blended into one experience. We’re already seeing an initial push towards this with the growth of third-party applications that integrate a company’s SM. Developers like Involver offer free Facebook apps that enable your audience to view your YouTube, Twitter, blog, etc without having to leave your Facebook page. The increase in the use of smartphones and apps will also drive this trend.

So what do you do with this information? Make 10 New Year’s resolutions.

1. Jump in. Quit putting off launching or expanding your social media strategy because you don’t understand it. Invest some time in educating yourself and some money into a campaign. Even if it means pulling dollars from other marketing efforts.
2. Start Listening
3. Set Goals. Don’t just put up a Facebook page because you think you need to or Tweet because you’ve read about it. Figure out what you want to accomplish with social media and put a strategy together.
4. Go local. Make sure you are listed online locally on sites such as Yelp and Google Maps and get involved in local social networks. Form local groups on Facebook.
5. Try something new. While the big three still rule- Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, there are hundreds of social sites, blogs and forums and new applications coming out everyday that might be applicable to your business. Do some research.
6. Make a Video. Whether you use a professional service for a nice video on your website or the camera on your smartphone to shoot a viral video put some thought into how videos can attract and engage your current and potential customers.
7. Provide incentive. You have to give people a reason to follow you or become a fan. Talking about your business all the time is not a reason. Social media is just that- social. Offer exclusives to your fans and followers- discounts, coupons, special offers, new launches- something beneficial for their loyalty. Or offer something fun and personal- a deal or a game they can’t get elsewhere.
8. Create a corporate social media policy. Look up other company’s policies and make sure yours is inline with your company’s other policies. Set standards, expectations and limits for communication and behavior and make sure everyone is aware of them.
9. Think mobile. Is there an application that you think would provide benefit to your customers that might be worth spending a few hundred dollars to develop?
10. Revisit your website. It’s the anchor to all your social media and marketing efforts. How long has it been since you’ve updated it? Is it functional? Is it optimized for search engines? Does it incorporate modern social media tools?

Questions or comments about this article? Email me, text me, send me a Facebook message, a Youtube comment, a Tweet or dig it.

Social media is a global phenomenon. As a result, the way we market and communicate is evolving faster today than ever. In what has become an arms race of fans or followers, companies across the board are racing to establish their presence in the fastest growing media outlet of all time.

Think about this. It took 38 years for radio to reach 50 million users. TV reached that mark in 13 years, and the Internet blew both of then away by doing it in four years. That all seems pretty impressive, until you look at social media. In the last nine months, Facebook has added 100 million users, boosting its total to roughly 300 million users. To put that into perspective, if Facebook was a country, it’d be the world’s 4th largest.

But people aren’t just joining social media networks for the sake of joining; they’re extremely involved and actively participating in a variety of ways. Whether it’s commenting on an article posted by a friend on Facebook or writing a detailed product review on their blog, people enjoy sharing their opinions and trust those of others. Roughly 68 million bloggers post opinions about products and brands, which generates one of the most valuable and simple marketing strategies and word of mouth.

Sources:

• United Nations Cyberschoolbus
• Mashable
• Universal Mccann International Social Media Research Wave 3

I often tell clients that joining a board is much like seeking a new relationship ­ you really must know what you’re getting into before you take the plunge. The first thing I suggest to someone seeking a board opportunity is to really think about what it is you want to gain from the experience. There are many reasons to join a board such as networking, professional and personal growth, self-fulfillment and the opportunity to give back to your community, to name a few.

Think about organizations that you believe inŠ is there a charitable organization you have a personal passion for or a personal stake in? Or, is there an industry that could be beneficial to your company and expand new business potential? Joining groups within your own industry and networking with your peers can assist with sharing of best practices, leads for future jobs and continuing education ­ but it is important to understand who you will be networking with and why.

Before actually joining a board, it’s typically a good idea to first become a member of the organization itself. Volunteer at some events, get to know the group and explore if you think it will be a good fit. This is also a great way to determine if this is a group you could truly commit toŠthere’s nothing worse than committing and then becoming a constant “no-show.” That achieves the opposite result of establishing yourself as a community leader.

It’s also important not to be the person who simply joins to list the involvement on a resume. This approach does not serve you well. There are always varying degrees of involvement both as a member and a board member, but in either case you should be engaged and present or really why bother? Once you do find the right group for you, joining the board really puts you in a greater position to make an impact for the better of the group ­ and for yourself.

When considering a board position, make it absolutely clear up front what you bring to the table and what you can contribute. It is equally as important that you are clear on their expectations of you. Talk to other board members and ask them questions related to what you would like to get from this experience. If it’s to meet potential new business contacts ask if they have ever secured new business as a result of their affiliation. If you want to contribute a particular service, ask if there are others who already contribute these services or if you would bring something new to the table. Get to know the players and ensure that this relationship would be a win-win.

If you do commit, you need to stick! Boards can be tremendously rewarding, and a way to make a name for yourself in your community. That being said ­ it is up to you to determine what your reputation becomes as a result. So choose wisely and most importantly do not over-commit! Spreading yourself too thin is a common pitfall. Only take on what you can handle, but when ready jump in with both feet, make your mark and have a great time doing it.

As marketers, we strive to fully understand our clients’ audiences, know what connects with them, and how to best communicate desired messages. For our healthcare clients, it’s important to not only understand why patients choose one physician or practice over another, but it is equally important to understand why they don’t. Recognizing barriers in marketing is key when developing outreach campaigns that reach specific audiences.

Reno Vein Clinic, and its surgeons Dr. Robert Merchant and Dr. John Daake, has a highly respected reputation within its field. The practice has been in Northern Nevada for more than 10 years, and its name recognition and brand awareness is deeply imbedded within the community. After conducting various focus groups and marketing research, we found that one key barrier keeping potential patients from visiting the practice was simply a lack of education with regard to vein health issues. Focus group participants were well aware that Reno Vein Clinic’s surgeons and medical staff could remove unsightly veins that were not wanted purely for cosmetic reasons. But, surprisingly they were unaware of the numerous health issues that come along with poor vascular health and function. As a result, MassMedia worked with Reno Vein Clinic to create and execute a community outreach campaign, with the goal of increasing education and public awareness of acute and chronic venous diseases through education, identification, and empowerment.

Last November, and in honor of “National Vein Health Awareness Week,” Reno Vein Clinic hosted a free one-day community vein health screening. The screening process consisted of four simple steps: completion of a brief demographic questionnaire; assessment of venous thromboembolism risk and venous-specific quality of life; abbreviated venous ultrasound exam; lower extremity inspection for signs of chronic venous insufficiency.

Participants received a report card as well as disease-specific educational materials during the exit interview. Every local newsprint daily and TV station either covered the screening in advance to promote attendance, or during the actual event.

The screening day was nearly filled to capacity, and new patients were not only personally introduced to the physicians and practice, but left knowing that the pain or other vein health issue they were experiencing could be resolved. It was a tremendous success, and was a very cost-effective marketing solution to help achieve one of the practice’s primary goals. Reno Vein Clinic now hosts quarterly community screening events, which have continued to attract new potential patients to the practice, and have increased public awareness around venous diseases.

Think about the last time you needed information from a vendor, wanted to research a new surgical instrument or needed to choose a restaurant for dinner. If you are like most Americans, you found this information one of two ways: word-of-mouth referrals, or by searching online. This basic principal is leading the way for the burgeoning world of social media, a platform to get in front of your audience online using a type of word-of-mouth marketing.

Social media is a way to connect with people using Internet-based applications such as networking sites, forums or blogs. Today’s most recognizable example of social media is Facebook. According to the site’s recent statistics, more than 100 million users log on to Facebook each day, spending a total of 3 billion minutes using the program.

Companies are using Facebook for reaching and communicating with their target audiences. Now, tools like geotargeted advertisements can reach exact demographics as Internet users just in Las Vegas. And since companies have the ability to start conversations within fan pages and groups, smart marketers are using the site to get their messages across more cheaply and directly than ever before.

Health care, like many American industries, is taking tentative steps toward the use of social media to grow practice and engage current customers. In Nevada, a recent article by Las Vegas Sun blogger Steve Green details the use of social media by the Gastric Band Institute of Las Vegas. The practice is using YouTube (another of the most popular social media sites) to create videos to highlight patient success stories, and writing blogs on important weight loss topics.

“It’s been a very friendly way to communicate with patients,” Dr. Soong said of the various social media tools.

According to Green, even the University Health System is moving towards the use of social media, with a prominent blog featured on its site. The blog features “Ask the Doctor,” where patient questions are answered by various specialists from the group’s practice.

If your practice is looking for ways to connect with current and potential customers to increase retention, word-of-mouth referrals and gain new patients, social media is an inexpensive, direct way to do so.

However, the world of social media is new, vast and can be easily overwhelming, so it is crucial to first develop a plan before embarking on social media outreach. Identifying your target audience, finding out what social media platforms they are using, and strategically entering into their conversations through applications and advertising is the best way to do so. And be sure to allot time to the endeavor. Assign an office manager or hire an outside marketing agency to assist in the planning and implementation of social media strategy.

Ask the next 25 patients you see about social media ­ if they are online, and what channels they use. Chances are, the number will surprise you, and hopefully move you into a social media plan-of-action for reaching those patients, and the millions more potential patients already online.

A disgraced California Legislator resigns amid allegations of bragging about extra marital affairs - The U.S. Coast Guard causes our nation to go on alert during a training exercise on 9/11. Both of these incidents rank high on the crisis meter and have occurred over the past 30-days. When was the last time you evaluated your company’s crisis plan?

In most crisis situations, a government agency will assume some degree of control. These agencies may include police, fire, the local health district, the environmental protection agency and other federal agencies. Government agencies operate under an incident command protocol during declared emergencies. In the majority of emergency situations, the first media response will be handled by an emergency response agency.

Emergency response agencies will provide initial reports to the news media and public. Unless there is a declared state of emergency, i.e., a threat to public health life and safety, the responsibility for communications will revert to the company or organization involved after the emergency has been contained.

Before the Internet, companies had the relative luxury of managing crises in 24-hour news cycles since that is how the media operated. Today, business issues and corporate crises escalate every half second because hundreds of thousands posts on blogs, within forums, social networks, newsgroups and wikis. Today, the internet and digital media have dramatically compressed the time companies have to respond. And, because of the diversity of communications channels, crisis teams must confront increased complexities. The general communications policy should be in effect during any crisis situation. It is important to communicate as clearly as possible with every one who has a need for information in the event of a crisis. To facilitate the release of information and to minimize confusion or misunderstanding in crisis situations, only one designated spokesperson should speak on the company’s behalf.

Everyone on your management team should know the procedures for crisis communications. The written procedures should be reviewed and updated annually. The procedures will be available when they are needed, followed during any crisis and evaluated after the crisis is past. All executives of your company and your contractors should be familiar with your Crisis Communications policy. It is also the responsibility of all employees to report to management any occurrence they feel might result in a crisis situation.

Preparing for tomorrow just might be the best action item you complete today.

In today’s economic climate it is rare to go to virtually any business meeting without hearing a reference to budget cuts. This is especially true in relation to marketing. Lower budgets are a reality of the current market. But this doesn’t mean companies need to or should limit marketing communications. What it means is that companies must be more strategic than ever before.

Marketing is never more important than in a down economy. Competition is more intense, and it takes more work to make the same amount or less money. Now more than ever, companies need to take the time to understand their competitors, customers or clients, and marketplace.

Performing a competitive analysis is one of the most important tasks a company can undertake. Unfocused efforts lead to brand inconsistency, unmet expectations, and nine times out of 10, exceeded budgets. Before beginning any campaign, a company should be able to thoroughly answer the following questions:

Where are your competitors marketing and why?
Knowing what your competitors are doing with their marketing is valuable information and it isn’t hard to come by. Pay attention to where and when you are seeing paid placement, news articles, direct mail, social media participation and event involvement. Once you know this information, it will help you make critical placement decisions.

Are there places your competitors are not gaining exposure?
Knowing where your competitors are focusing also tells you where they are not. There may be a good reason for that or, they may be missing an opportunity, giving you the chance to engage your target audience without being side by side with your competition.

What is their strength? What is yours?
In the vast majority of cases, there are several companies in your market offering the same product or service that you are. And if there isn’t now, there will be. The key is understanding their strengths and yours ‹ which are not the same. Being realistic about your true strengths and weaknesses will tell you what your brand should be built around. If your competitor offers faster turnaround but with less emphasis on customer service than your company for example, you should not be focusing on turnaround because you cannot compete. But what you can talk about and build your brand around is a higher level of customer service. Choose something you can stand behind and that you know your competitors can’t.

Since the strengths of you and your competitors are different, are your target audiences truly the same?
Generically, if you are offering the same product or service as your competitor, your targets probably share basic demographic profiles. But taking the time to understand your differences will give you the insight to dissect your target audience further and choose the portion of that audience that will value your strengths over those of your competitors. That is who you should be spending your time and money targeting. Continuing with customer service as our example, look at people who have less available time. Depending on what you are offering, this may lead to more consistent marketing that targets working professionals who are willing to pay to work with a company who will offer in-depth customer service.

Is your pricing in line with your market goals?
The ability to look at a situation through the eyes of your customers or clients is a valuable skill and one that does not always come easily. It is easy to see value in something you are personally vested in. But you have to remember that your target audience is not. They are looking for the most they can get for the least. Now that you understand your strengths and those of your competitors, it is vital to take an honest look at where that places you with pricing. If you offer customer service that saves your clients time and frustration, that may be worth paying more to your clients. But, it may not. Assessing your clients’ understanding and experience with the product or service you are offering is an important indicator. If the service you offer is something most people use rarely ‹ building a custom home, for instance ‹ they may not understand the value that comes along with having an involved contractor. If you are offering a service people are more used to using such as car repair, your clients are most likely to understand the difference between having superior customer service and not. In that case, your target has most likely had frustrating experiences and is willing to pay to not have them again. Also take into account market conditions. As a rule, paying more for some features such as customer service are more effective in better markets. People are more willing to put time rather than money into an effort when times are tough.

These are all questions that should be answered to best understand where your brand stands in the market and what your company is up against. The more you know about your target audience, their perspective, what they value, and how you are different from your competitors, the more effective your marketing will be. And you will spend less time and money targeting people that your brand will not appeal to, which ultimately will not result in increased revenue.

For someone who actually pays extra on my cable service to be able to fast forward, rewind, record and pause, you’d think I would take advantage of it more than I do. The reality of it is, I actually get caught up in advertisements. “Why would they have her in a commercial for Carl’s Junior?” “Oh, I like the medieval one better than this one,” “Haha, tiny hands…get’s me every time.” Sometimes I am amazed at the level of creativity in people and other times I get this surge of confidence in myself in creating something brilliant. For me looking at others’ creative works is fascinating even when I am not specifically being pressured to come up with an idea. Take a break from articles, proposals, schedules and emails and just enjoy other creative minds, inspiration or not.

Mutual Community: After 70 years we’ve seen it all.

CareerBuilder.com says “Don’t Jump.”

Cingular: “Hate Dropped Calls?”

Slim Fast

Pepsi Recycling Ad in Puerto Rico

Duracell Bus Advertisement

Reversed for Drunk Drivers Advertisement

Noir Coffee: “Keeps you awake.”

For blowers, Hubba Bubba Gum

“ESPN. All day. Everyday.”

I recently read an article in Rolling Stone about Microsoft’s attempt to challenge Google with the launch of their new search engine Bing. In the search market, Google has a superior share of the volume, but recent articles and studies are now suggesting that Microsoft has sophisticated technology that caters to internet user needs.

A couple of months ago, Microsoft conducted a research study where they found search engine branding had an impact on the quality of results. Months after the study was issued, Bing was launched enabling people to rank the quality of search results.

So what is the real difference between both search engines? Several have suggested that Bing outshines Google on aesthetics. The Google home page is clean and sparse with the familiar Google Search button and links at the top for images, video, news, maps and more.

Bing’s home page adds a creative twist to a search engine home page by posting a daily travel-oriented photo along with clickable images, videos, shopping, news, maps and fun facts. What is also different about Bing, is the central focus on travel, health, finding local businesses and shopping and according to USA Today, there is even a cash-back program on certain items you buy through Bing. Bing is also experimenting with real-time search. For example, if you search for an influential person and add Twitter to the search, you’ll get a list of their recent tweets about that person.

It is very interesting to see how this race to create the best search engine will all map out. Bing has several unique features, but really the Bing result is very close to the Google result. It calls the top listing the “best match” and has the search box similar to Google’s.

If the quality and the actual links in Bing and Google end up being the same, then popularity and branding will be the big influences on market share.