Beth Harte asks Jun 24, 2008 08:55PM Would you use traditional marketing to promote your social media efforts and vice versa? If so, why? If not, why?
frankmartin says Jun 25, 2008 12:56AM To me, social media is a new marketing medium that was derived from new technologies and platforms
AmberCadabra Jun 25, 2008 12:57AM i might, if i was trying to engage non social media people and try to get them to try something new
frankmartin says Jun 25, 2008 12:58AM But then, social media is not an end in itself - but a means to an end. For me, more marketing research business
frankmartin says Jun 25, 2008 12:59AM so I use it to demonstrate my prowess (or total uselessness) in connecting with audiences
Connie Jun 25, 2008 01:02AM Don't know if I'd use traditional media to push ppl to social media, but don't think social media should be divorced from overall mktg plan.
KDFrawg says Jun 25, 2008 01:03AM I love that the newspaper publisher I built a site for did multi-page spreads in all four papers for the web site.
Connie Jun 25, 2008 01:03AM The Mack pointed out a new McDonald's campaign & I finally saw the TV spots. The ad points viewers to a MySpace page created for campaign.
AmberCadabra Jun 25, 2008 01:05AM i think that in order for traditional media to thrive for the long term the lines are going to have to continue to blur
frankmartin says Jun 25, 2008 01:06AM we will keep seeing them used in tandem, with traditional media shrinking and new media increasing at least for awhile
KDFrawg says Jun 25, 2008 01:07AM It worked, too. The day we opened the site we got more visits that he prints newspapers.
Connie Jun 25, 2008 01:07AM AGREES (get me that verb, Plurk!) with frankmartin. Traditional media is having to shift to new media in order to survive.
AmberCadabra Jun 25, 2008 01:08AM kdfrawg i think that's super proof that people WILL pay attention if you give them something interesting to pay attention TO
frankmartin says Jun 25, 2008 01:08AM kdfrawg - cool story. Were tehy trying to build permanent traffic to the site?
Connie Jun 25, 2008 01:08AM Advertising dollars are shifting to online media. Don't have stats at my fingertips, but it's dramatic shift.
AmberCadabra Jun 25, 2008 01:10AM i think Forrester just put out a report that it's 15 to 30% in the last year alone
KDFrawg says Jun 25, 2008 01:10AM Yes, we are. Hits went down after that first couple of days, but they are climbing up very near that on a steady basis every week now.
KDFrawg says Jun 25, 2008 01:11AM Does anyone have a good study (that they trust) of local ad rates on newpaper Web sites?
frankmartin says Jun 25, 2008 01:12AM sounds like they get it. The Roanoke Times was congratulating itself the other day because it had a Twitter Account
Connie says Jun 25, 2008 01:12AM KDFrawg, you can check my del.icio.us bookmarks. I think I've got tags for both newspaper and advertising.
Connie was Jun 25, 2008 01:13AM researching that about a year ago so not sure how current the info will be.
Connie says Jun 25, 2008 01:14AM I just found out my local paper in Austin is on Twitter. Sending links to news story. I've clicked thru a couple of times.
frankmartin says Jun 25, 2008 01:15AM www.tns-mi.com/news/09112007.htm check this - they just call it "Internet"
Connie asks Jun 25, 2008 01:15AM Deb, did you see Steve Woodruff's hysterical blog post about mackcollier today? I'll have to dig out the link if not.
Connie loves Jun 25, 2008 01:18AM this post by swoodruff, is.gd/EEp - a must read for a great laugh and insight into mackcollier
DebInAustin says Jun 25, 2008 01:19AM Connie i will read the post. Also, what I have been trying to do is help people incorporate SM into their marketing plan, where appropo
KDFrawg says Jun 25, 2008 01:19AM This is a little weekly newspaper empire in southern Kansas, but I'll bet we're getting more hits down there of anybody except Cessna.
acnatta says Jun 25, 2008 01:19AM the folks here in Birmingham have been really getting into using SM to push their traditional media
acnatta says Jun 25, 2008 01:20AM all of our TV stations have Twitter accounts and the local paper has one too
AmberCadabra Jun 25, 2008 01:20AM connie Oh lord, but that made me laugh. I'm totally digging that and keeping.
DebInAustin says Jun 25, 2008 01:21AM wow, that's awesome about the local news adopting SM. Denver was really slow. They created their own stuff, but not very good.
acnatta says Jun 25, 2008 01:21AM it's been great to see them really get into it - my hyperlocal was the first one to use it and it helped us get more readers too
Connie says Jun 25, 2008 01:21AM Deb, no Mack doesn't plurk over dial-up. Steve's post is a good-natured spoof of social media "experts" like The Mack. We're all pals.
Beth Harte thinks Jun 25, 2008 01:21AM this is a great thread so far. My thought was to use direct mail to my target audience to invite them to engage on a blog or join a netowrk.
acnatta says Jun 25, 2008 01:21AM it is definitely more of a broadcast method - like what MackCollier said last night, but it's really helped us talk to each other more
Beth Harte thinks Jun 25, 2008 01:22AM *network* Would that be ineffective? Would it be better just let the word spread virally?
acnatta says Jun 25, 2008 01:22AM they're already on the web, you may as well focus your effort to hold them here
Connie says Jun 25, 2008 01:22AM It's interesting to see newspapers and TV stations adopting social media. They don't always know how to use it effectively, but trying.
frankmartin says Jun 25, 2008 01:22AM bethharte if you know your audience is connected that might not be a bad idea - say - the local AdFed Club
DebInAustin says Jun 25, 2008 01:23AM I wish more orgs would put their website and/or SM site link on their print stuff. I am amazed at how much collateral I see w/o link printed
Connie says Jun 25, 2008 01:23AM Bethharte, yes I think the use of direct mail to encourage people to participate in your blog/socnet is appropriate.
acnatta says Jun 25, 2008 01:23AM the word will spread organically depending on who's in your initial network
Connie thinks Jun 25, 2008 01:23AM some of them may never "convert" to social media, but others will.
acnatta says Jun 25, 2008 01:24AM it is, but I'm thinking only at the very beginning - eventually you want your existence on the web to draw more traffic
Connie says Jun 25, 2008 01:24AM I've used HTML email newsletters to drive traffic to web site using a service like Constant Contact.
acnatta says Jun 25, 2008 01:25AM about to use Facebook and MySpace to publicize a concert that the site's putting on, driving them to the blog to get additional information
Connie Jun 25, 2008 01:26AM AGREES w/ acnatta but there are some demographic groups (older, rural w/out high-speed connection) that will be much slower to adapt.
frankmartin says Jun 25, 2008 01:26AM bethharte - if you DO use direct mail, pay careful attention to your landing page. Develop a hook. Make them sign up
Connie says Jun 25, 2008 01:27AM I like Constant Contact. Haven't used Blue Sky. Tried iContact but don't like their templates. However, met their CM in NYC recently.
DebInAustin says Jun 25, 2008 01:27AM acnatta I used Facebook & myspace to promote a fashion show for the Library here and it was a blow out. The success was in getting kids to
frankmartin says Jun 25, 2008 01:27AM debindenver - more robust capabilities, faster and I really loved their platform
DebInAustin says Jun 25, 2008 01:27AM invite all their friends and reinforce the invite. It worked, we had to turn people away.
AmberCadabra Jun 25, 2008 01:27AM agrees with frankmartin about the landing page. better tracking that way too
Connie says Jun 25, 2008 01:27AM I think it's interesting that iContact is building a community around their service and has designated a community manager.
acnatta says Jun 25, 2008 01:28AM we used MySpace to launch the site and we're going back to doing regular messages to drive traffic to certain stories/pages
DebInAustin says Jun 25, 2008 01:29AM acnatta I liked that I could look at a kids page and see how many people they had invited, who was coming, who wasn't, etc.
acnatta says Jun 25, 2008 01:31AM the problem I'm running into here DebInDenver is the level of usage here in town of SM tools by most folks
DebInAustin says Jun 25, 2008 01:31AM acnatta is there a way to use this as an opportunity to teach them how to use it?
DebInAustin says Jun 25, 2008 01:32AM OK, success! I have the graphic from the post on "The Mack" as my wallpaper now!!! Do I have to pay royalties to anyone?
frankmartin says Jun 25, 2008 01:32AM acnatta - hear you, man. Roanoke makes Birmingham look positively cosmopolitan
DebInAustin says Jun 25, 2008 01:34AM acnatta what was interesting about the show was that while we used myspace & facebook to promote the audience was all ages.
Connie says Jun 25, 2008 01:34AM DebinDenver I doubt swoodruff would charge royalties but I'm sure he would get a kick out of knowing you did that.
acnatta says Jun 25, 2008 01:35AM that's something I've found here too - it's a lot wider of a demo than folks criticizing me expected
Beth Harte asks Jun 25, 2008 01:35AM you are all still finding success with e-marketing (e-mails in particular)? That's interesting to me.
Connie says Jun 25, 2008 01:35AM DebinDenver that is interesting that using MySpace & FB resulted in audience of all ages. How did you motivate them to invite others?
DebInAustin says Jun 25, 2008 01:36AM it helped that a few of the models in the show and the designers were already on there. I contacted them with reminders frequently and
Connie says Jun 25, 2008 01:36AM bethharte You have to remember that most people are not used to reading blogs or using socnets yet. Still a minority.
DebInAustin says Jun 25, 2008 01:36AM sent them press clips from local press. If it had just been me posting on the two sites, this never would have happened.
Connie says Jun 25, 2008 01:36AM But everybody uses email. So there is still a place for email newsletters.
acnatta Jun 25, 2008 01:37AM bethharte people will still spread information to others, even through good old fashioned talking on the phone too
DebInAustin says Jun 25, 2008 01:37AM Also, we partnered with The Fabric Lab a consortium of you local designers who are pretty connected.
acnatta Jun 25, 2008 01:37AM it's just making them aware of what's going on first so you can use everything in your arsenal to draw a crowd
Connie Jun 25, 2008 01:37AM AGREES w/ frankmarting (again). Email newsletters may not produce the results they once did but are still useful for moving ppl to online.
acnatta Jun 25, 2008 01:38AM Connie our clickthrough rate on emails is about 10% - great to help spread the word
Connie says Jun 25, 2008 01:40AM Great results acnatta. You must have built a list w/ strong connections to your brand.
acnatta Jun 25, 2008 01:40AM emails are a form of technology that everyone gets - sometimes just because it's flashy doesn't mean that we've got to use it *smirking*
DebInAustin says Jun 25, 2008 01:42AM the Denver Public Library never looked so cool! 1st floor was VIP seating. 2F was general admission. It was such a blowout!
DebInAustin says Jun 25, 2008 01:43AM that event got us some great press and led to large corporate sponsorships for this year's event.
Connie Jun 25, 2008 01:43AM AGREES w/ acnatta It's about people, not technology. Bells and whistles don't take the place of the right offer and good copywriting.
DebInAustin says Jun 25, 2008 01:43AM what blew me away though, was how news about the show traveled around the internet. Stories from the Denver Post got picked up by news
Connie asks Jun 25, 2008 01:44AM DebinDenver Have you written a case study on the fashion show? I'd love to read one and quote it in presentations.
DebInAustin says Jun 25, 2008 01:44AM outlets online and spread all over. One of the models was from Russia, so I found her blog which others in Russia linked to.
AmberCadabra Jun 25, 2008 01:44AM DebInDenver absolutely cool! And agree with Connie, we'd love to share your success story
DebInAustin says Jun 25, 2008 01:46AM hmmm...I did do an elaborate media track on it, so have that. I could write something up I suppose. It is a great story.
DebInAustin says Jun 25, 2008 01:46AM I like it that the Plurkshops are spontaneous. Great question bethharte!
frankmartin says Jun 25, 2008 01:47AM connie and acnatta are RIGHT on. SM is ALL about people. Not technology. Technology helps us connect with and build our communities
Connie says Jun 25, 2008 01:47AM DebinDenver You really should write up a case study. Businesses are desperate for examples that show it really works & how it's done.
DebInAustin says Jun 25, 2008 01:47AM OK. Give me some time to put it together. The best story about this is that the Library has ZERO mktg dollars. So this was totally free.
acnatta Jun 25, 2008 01:47AM it's all about identifying the right tools to reach your target audiences
AmberCadabra Jun 25, 2008 01:48AM we should schedule a plurkshop, but let the topic be spontaneous. or by community vote. i'd LOVE that
Connie says Jun 25, 2008 01:48AM frankmartin Every single time I speak I either start or end with the same line: "Technologies change. People don't."
Beth Harte says Jun 25, 2008 01:48AM frankmartin, make them sign up to participate in a blog? Isn't that counterintuitive to blogging? Is that like being closed off?
frankmartin says Jun 25, 2008 01:48AM and debindenver, I'll blog and tweet and trumpet and shout from rooftops if you do!
DebInAustin says Jun 25, 2008 01:48AM frankmartin this really did build community for the Library's Fresh City Life program. They had enjoyed some success, but this is a new lvl
DebInAustin says Jun 25, 2008 01:49AM does anyone have a sample of a case study they like that I can use as a template?
AmberCadabra Jun 25, 2008 01:50AM DebInDenver best ones outline problem, process and brainstorming, execution steps, results
frankmartin says Jun 25, 2008 01:50AM bethharte participate in what way? Receive? Write? No I think we have to be permission based, but I'm not sure you're asking that
Beth Harte says Jun 25, 2008 01:50AM acnatta....a 10% CTR, WOW! I am jealous! Who is your audience again?
Connie says Jun 25, 2008 01:51AM I just wrote a very short case study. You can find it on my blog, everydotconnects.com - I looked at more detailed samples too.
acnatta Jun 25, 2008 01:52AM it's was supposedly to be young professionals in Birmingham, AL - we were trying to do a Gapers Block type site here...
acnatta Jun 25, 2008 01:52AM it's become a much wider demo - more of a tech-savvy group of followers of what's happening in town
Connie says Jun 25, 2008 01:52AM But I'm not sure I bookmarked the samples I liked that I borrowed from. Should have done that.
acnatta Jun 25, 2008 01:53AM we've got most of our local Chamber leadership reading & some folks in the mayor's office
Connie thinks Jun 25, 2008 01:53AM perhaps acnatta needs to write up a case study as well. How about it?
DebInAustin says Jun 25, 2008 01:53AM Thanks for case study advice everyone. Ambercadabra same process I use for mktg study, so no prob. Will check connie's too.
acnatta Jun 25, 2008 01:53AM DebInDenver we've never done a formal traditional ad campaign for the site
acnatta Jun 25, 2008 01:55AM I got into blogging for fun and have learned a lot more than I thought I would
Beth Harte says Jun 25, 2008 01:56AM frankmartin, you mentioned having a landing page and sign-up, I think you might have meant e-mktg, not blogging.
DebInAustin says Jun 25, 2008 01:56AM that's the best way to get into something new. I wish I had started blogging sooner!
acnatta Jun 25, 2008 01:57AM bethharte you can still convert a blog reader to a subscriber - you're showing that you have a following that way
Connie says Jun 25, 2008 01:57AM bethharte Yes, I think Frank's comment about landing page was in reference to email marketing.
AmberCadabra Jun 25, 2008 01:58AM I think many of us do. but i'm fond of remembering that this space is HUGE yet and we all have nowhere to go but up!
frankmartin says Jun 25, 2008 01:58AM bethharte - yes, exactly. The important thing is you have to give them something to DO when they arrive at your page.
DebInAustin says Jun 25, 2008 01:59AM I made sure I put the e-mail subscription option at top of my page since many of my readers are new to RSS
sonnygill Jun 25, 2008 01:59AM late to the party but my initial thoughts are I'd rather go with a more targeted approach than broadcasting through traditional media.
Connie Jun 25, 2008 02:00AM AGREES w/ DebinDenver. Must offer email subscription. RSS is still intimidating for so many people online.
DebInAustin says Jun 25, 2008 02:01AM yes. I am surprised how many e-mail subscribers I have. Someone mentioned me at a PRSA travel conference and I immediately got 40 new e subs
Connie says Jun 25, 2008 02:01AM sonnygill, the main type of traditional media we've been discussing is using email marketing to drive traffic to web site.
Connie says Jun 25, 2008 02:01AM Or using MySpace and Facebook for same purposes. Both DebinDenver & acnatta have done this successfully.
DebInAustin says Jun 25, 2008 02:02AM hard to believe that e-mail is now "traditional" marketing. The senior citizen of the SM world!
AmberCadabra Jun 25, 2008 02:02AM bethharte are you building your template yourself? would love a peek at what you're doing and happy to share mine too
frankmartin thinks Jun 25, 2008 02:02AM it's funny that email marketing can now be called "traditional"
AmberCadabra Jun 25, 2008 02:02AM my blog is an infant, really, but I get more email subs than RSS for sure
Connie Jun 25, 2008 02:03AM DebinDenver I spoke at a PRSA conf. & they are still very heavy into email & I found out at workshop Fri just how hard it is to teach RSS.
sonnygill Jun 25, 2008 02:03AM ah ok - apologies then. Wanted to chime in before diving into the comments thus far
DebInAustin says Jun 25, 2008 02:03AM AmberCadabra what's your blog url? You should put it in your Plurk profile.
frankmartin says Jun 25, 2008 02:04AM Gotta run now folks - report to finish FABULOUS question bethharte
DebInAustin says Jun 25, 2008 02:04AM yeah. I decided not to join PRSA, still a little behind. One of my clients went to that conf and gave me a shoutout. She is awesome!
Te-ge says Jun 25, 2008 02:04AM I just wrote an article (not published yet) about e-mail not being dead. Mainly it depends on who your target audience is.
DebInAustin says Jun 25, 2008 02:05AM thanks Amber! Looks great. I am working on my web site now, will likely switch to WP after that.
DebInAustin says Jun 25, 2008 02:06AM Teeg I don't think it is dead, I just find it funny how it seems to becoming less "nimble" in the eyes of many.
Beth Harte shares Jun 25, 2008 02:06AM re: e-mail mrktg...I can do landing pages w/my CMS...but for some reason (gut maybe?!) I was thinking trad. DM...a series of postcards.
Connie says Jun 25, 2008 02:07AM Hi, Teeg. Agree that email is not dead and depends on target audience.
Te-ge thinks Jun 25, 2008 02:07AM sometimes we get focused on the on-line world because we live so much here...and forget most others don't.
Beth Harte says Jun 25, 2008 02:08AM night frankmartin! Thanks for being a part of tonight's Plurkshop!
Connie says Jun 25, 2008 02:08AM sonnygill No apologies necessary. Just trying to give you the short version of a loooong thread. Glad you joined us.
acnatta Jun 25, 2008 02:08AM bethharte that may work, but you really wouldn't be able to track the success rate - unless you asked them to visit a specific page.
DebInAustin says Jun 25, 2008 02:09AM Teeg I am very conscious of that so many communities I have worked in spend a lot of time talking to themselves and I think of that often
Connie says Jun 25, 2008 02:09AM Teeg is absolutely right. We're out on the edge, way ahead of most people, and we have to remember that.
Te-ge Jun 25, 2008 02:09AM agrees acnatta. In fact, there are some groups that you won't reach any other way.
acnatta Jun 25, 2008 02:09AM definitely a useful tool - like I hinted to earlier - we're looking at doing posters and handbills in the coming month.
Beth Harte says Jun 25, 2008 02:10AM teeg, excellent point. I think my target audience does not, except for Director level and above.
DebInAustin says Jun 25, 2008 02:10AM my MA is in cross-cultural communication and everything I learned there applies to this field. It's a new culture. Which is why I like
Te-ge was Jun 25, 2008 02:10AM reminded of that last week. Someone asked what I do and got a dazed look in their eyes when I tried to tell them.
Connie says Jun 25, 2008 02:10AM To get out of the echo chamber, SheilaS and I just did a workshop to teach noobs the basics of Web 2.0. Most confs are heavy on theory
DebInAustin says Jun 25, 2008 02:10AM the digital natives project. They need a digital immigrant project too!
Connie Jun 25, 2008 02:11AM with strategy thrown in, but few delve into hands-on instruction on how to actually get online and do this stuff.
Beth Harte says Jun 25, 2008 02:11AM ambercadabra, I'd be more than happy to share...I was going to post the template on my blog for comments when I am done. Consider it open.
Te-ge has Jun 25, 2008 02:11AM also noticed that a good way to share with non-tech savvy groups is to put quotable items in the e-mail. They'll share them for you.
acnatta Jun 25, 2008 02:12AM I'm going to start calling myself a common sense consultant I think it's the best thing to call us social media folks
AmberCadabra Jun 25, 2008 02:13AM and those are the kind I prefer to teach, too. more fun to see the lightbulb go on than cram people's heads full of stuff and leave
MackCollier says Jun 25, 2008 02:13AM CRAP!!!! You guys have done it again, I went to read my feeds and you've started another killer convo, gonna have to save for later
acnatta Jun 25, 2008 02:13AM we still know when traditional outreach can work better - just thinking out loud though
Te-ge Jun 25, 2008 02:14AM calls herself a SM explorer. Most can relate that to history so it doesn't sound quite so out there.
DebInAustin says Jun 25, 2008 02:14AM I can't take credit for the video. Just getting the people there. Chris, the event orgranizer has amazing taste in music!
Connie says Jun 25, 2008 02:15AM woo hoo. The Mack is here. Yeah, you've missed it buddy, we're having a great plurkshop tonight. Very good ideas here.
Te-ge says Jun 25, 2008 02:15AM acnatta I like common sense consultant...wonder how people would respond to it
DebInAustin says Jun 25, 2008 02:16AM MackCollier I have "The Mack" graphic as my wallpaper now. How is that for hero worship?
MackCollier says Jun 25, 2008 02:16AM believe it or not, I just today finished the convo you and Deb had from the other night, going to have to save this one too and come back
Connie says Jun 25, 2008 02:16AM AmberCadabra I **love** watching those light bulbs go off. Gets me energized. I'd much rather teach than "present."
AmberCadabra Jun 25, 2008 02:17AM connie i swear sometimes i'd do it for free if i didn't have a mortgage.
Connie says Jun 25, 2008 02:17AM I usually just call myself a communications consultant, even though most of my work is in social media. Still a new term for most ppl.
Beth Harte asks Jun 25, 2008 02:17AM because I target techie types, I think they know about blogs, forums, etc. They just don't know about mine. So my thought was DM or e-mail
Connie says Jun 25, 2008 02:18AM Amber, I've done it for free, to get established, but those days are gone. Got too many bills to pay. But I do enjoy teaching.
Beth Harte shares Jun 25, 2008 02:20AM I love to teach too, I want to have an SM Workshop here in Philly. I think it would be well received. How to do it? Through SMC, I s'pose
DebInAustin says Jun 25, 2008 02:21AM I was debating the teaching thing. That is an option for me right now, but I am worried about positioning myself as only a teacher.
Beth Harte shares Jun 25, 2008 02:22AM I am a marketing/PR adjunct at a local univ. I teach trad. and continuing ed. LOVE IT!
Connie says Jun 25, 2008 02:22AM bethharte, yes you can do it through SMC, or you can get a company to sponsor, or you can promote it yourself. That's what I just did.
Connie Jun 25, 2008 02:24AM DebinDenver I rarely refer to it as teaching. It's training & I do it on-site for clients or in workshops. A small part of consulting biz.
DebInAustin says Jun 25, 2008 02:26AM Connie I use that term too. I need to think about it. It has to help lead to other work. Denver is just kind of traditional and I want
AmberCadabra Jun 25, 2008 02:26AM mackcollier's all PO'd because he keeps getting kicked to the bottom of the convo when trying to catch up
Connie says Jun 25, 2008 02:27AM DebinDenver Presenting at seminars does give visibility; I consider it marketing. And SMC has been great for referrals.
Connie says Jun 25, 2008 02:28AM If I wasn't dead tired, I would summarize the key points from tonight's plurkshop and blog them w/ links to everybody's blogs.
DebInAustin says Jun 25, 2008 02:28AM I have done presenting at Ec Dev group meetings lately and that has been great for business. I enjoy that and the feedback.
Connie says Jun 25, 2008 02:29AM If somebody else does it, let me know and I'll tweet/plurk the link. These conversations have info worth saving & revisiting.
AmberCadabra Jun 25, 2008 02:31AM can i just use the url that's on screen now, or how do I get the perm address for the conversation?
Connie says Jun 25, 2008 02:34AM AmberCadabra I look forward to your post. Plurk the link to it as soon as published.
Beth Harte says Jun 25, 2008 02:42AM need to re-read this in the AM! Excellent pluckshop all! Have a good night.