Brian E. Boyd Sr.'s Blog, page 17

Optimize Your Reach with Geographic Targeting

Most companies know how important it is to have an active presence in social media but not all know how to effectively reach that audience. One very effective way to increase that reach is through geographic or geo targeting. Geo targeting can be conducted on various social media platforms. Through this marketing tool a company can target specific customer groups based on their geographic location. Geo targeting can be used by any business regardless of their size: it can be used by a large corporation who wants to target customers in a specific area or by a small business who would like to ensure all of their marketing efforts are being seen by the correct audience. It is also particularly effective for promoting events or promotions.

Provide customer experience

By geo targeting, a company can provide a personalized experience to different audiences based on their geographic location. The area can be a city or suburb or an individual country, depending on the needs of the business. Marketing efforts that are specific to the audience’s needs will stand out among those that are generic and not tailored. They remain more memorable and leave a lasting impression compared to marketing that is not tailored to its audience. Personalized ads or promoted posts show that a business understands their audience. Everyone enjoys being treated like an individual & customers are no different.

Avoid being too specific

For geo targeting, you must try to avoid having too narrow of a target. Keep the geographic area slightly broader than the target. Some customers may be willing to drive in order to take advantage of a promotion or event. Also, the expectations should match the size of the target area. It is probably unrealistic to expect 26,000 independent interactions when the geo targeting area only contains 28,000 individuals. Depending on various factors, the interaction may appear small but the impact can be very positive. It is more important that those interactions lead to an increase the company’s bottom line.

Try different techniques

It’s important for a company to really understand their customers before beginning a geo targeting effort. One marketing technique may not appeal to all target areas. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different techniques while discovering the one that works best for the specific market.

As with all marketing efforts, the goal is to build relationships. Geo targeting is another tool to utilize in order to better reach and understand an audience. Strengthened relationships along with effective marketing will in turn translate into an increase in a company’s bottom line.

– Corniche Jones

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Newsfeeds Everywhere!

When I kill time, I do what many of you do: reach in my pocket and grab my iPhone. Recently, as I was browsing from app to app, I had a realization: There are newsfeeds everywhere! And not only on my social media apps, but in my text-messaging folder, calendar, and email.

I know – the newsfeed concept is not very interesting on the surface, but when you look past the expected update from your parents or friends, you’ll get my point. Look! There’s an update from the new restaurant in your neighborhood telling you about their new dinner special, and your favorite band from college adding impulsive tour dates in your city, or an author releasing news about a book signing. Are you seeing where I’m going with this? Newsfeeds get interesting when the updates are unexpected.

So, why do newsfeeds matter to your business? As I pointed out earlier, they’re everywhere. If you use the right bait, you will increase sales, audience members, or whatever kind of conversion you need.

Here are 3 tips to help increase your company’s visibility in your customer’s newsfeed:

1. Use images.

Newsfeed updates with images get 120% more engagement with fans than a typical text post. Give your next post flare. Adapting will get “butts in seats” and stock flying off of shelves.

2. Post frequently.

If I hear from your company as often as I hear from my dentist, then we’ve got a problem. Tell your customers what’s going on more than twice a year.

3. Be entertaining.

Just because your industry might not invite comparisons to the most exciting of jobs, doesn’t mean you have to be boring online. Take some chances and create a unique voice for your products.

- Jordan Moran

Social Media for the Executive Proves Social Media is Here to Stay

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Proven expert makes social media easy and profitable for executives in new book Social Media for the Executive

Social media CEO Brian Boyd shows how to “maximize your brand and monetize your business” in an easy to read and understand way.

New York, NY – July 22, 2013 – Social Media for the Executive is an important resource that shows leaders of organizations the dollars-and-cents value of social platforms. Social Media for the Executive is not for techno-geeks. It’s not about how to navigate Facebook or send a Tweet. It gives executives a grasp on where social media is and where it is going, and lays it all out in an easy-to-understand read.

Social media is here to stay.  It is not a passing fad or novelty. It continues to have a profound impact on the way business is done around the world and in your own universe no matter how large or small.  Whether you like it or not, feel comfortable with it or not, you cannot afford to ignore it because many of your competitors are using it effectively.

“The landscape is changing rapidly.  Brands and businesses that hope to thrive are those that harness change as an opportunity to build an advantage,” said author Brian Boyd. “You don’t have to be a Silicon Valley whiz kid to get it.  This book gives you the tools to understand social media, why it’s vital to the success of your business and how you can put it to work to grow your bottom line.”

Through real-world examples, Social Media for the Executive will show you how to:

Leverage the three C’s of social media success
Create a winning social media strategy
Measure social media ROI (return on investment) and ROR (return on relationship) and use both to boost your bottom line
Maintain your social media edge as innovations and social preferences evolve

“I recommend this book to all who value the art of triumph and victory, both financial and relational, in this new era of communication,” said Ossie Mills, Executive Vice-President of Oral Roberts University.

Timothy Smith, Chief Development Officer at Food for the Hungry said, “When Brian speaks… we listen.  He is the leader in social media execution for charities and executives. This is a must read!”

Social Media for the Executive: Maximize Your Brand and Monetize Your Business is available now at Amazon.com and all eBook distributors.

About  Brian E. Boyd, Sr.

Brian Boyd is the founder and CEO of Media Connect Partners, LLC, a social media firm specializing in delivering real world social media strategies and execution plans that deliver ROI. Boyd combines his 20+ years’ experience in the business and IT worlds to keep his select clients on the cutting edge: Hobby Lobby, Hachette Book Group, Joel Osteen Ministries, Bank of NY Mellon, and more.

Boyd holds a B.S. in Telecommunications from Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, OK, and is a speaker at numerous conferences and workshops. You can follow @BrianBoyd on Twitter

Why Wikipedia Works For Your Brand

When people think of social media, some obvious networks that come to mind are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest. Using these platforms is the correct direction to go with your strategy, but many brands are not exploring the other areas that their audience dwells.

When you think “social media,” have you thought about Wikipedia?

Wikipedia is a web based, free-content encyclopedia project. Because of the very strict entry guidelines, Wikipedia articles are trusted to be notable and true. This makes Wikipedia the perfect platform for CEO’s, non-profits, venues, churches, and more.

Here are 3 reasons why Wikipedia will work for your brand:

Notability

The only way your article is on the Wikipedia database is if you’ve established your brand as an industry leader. While proving that is difficult, it is not impossible. Wikipedia allows you to use references to cite your article, and verify its importance by using reliable sources.

SEO Opportunities

Wikipedia automatically ranks higher in a Google search, so when someone Google’s your brand, key people within your brand, your industry, or several other subcategories, your article will likely be one of the top 10 websites that appear. Thus, exposing your brand directly to its target audience.

Established Audience

Since its creation in 2001, Wikipedia has grown rapidly into one of the largest reference websites, attracting 470 million unique visitors monthly. Let’s face it: if you want to verify something or do research, Wikipedia is the first place you go, and always trust.

“Wikipedia is one of the most important websites on the internet today…There has never been anything like Wikipedia before, and it’s future horizon is very, very long.” – Jimmy Wales, Founder and CEO of Wikipedia

Don’t miss your opportunity to involve your brand in one of the most inclusive online communities.

- Jordan Moran

ORU University Relations Wins PRSA Awards

The Oral Roberts University Office of University Relations and Communications won three Awards of Merit at the annual Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Silver Link Awards. The recognized campaigns included: media relations program, ORU presidential announcement for Dr. William M. Wilson; audiovisual, ORU “Make No Little Plans Here” video; and social media campaign, ORU virtual flash mob.

The objective of the Silver Link Awards is to recognize the most outstanding public relations and strategic communication efforts in the Tulsa area, and to provide a constructive critique by a distinguished panel of judges for each entry.

“We are honored to receive this recognition from our colleagues in the public relations industry,” said Senior Director for University Relations and Communications Jeremy Burton. “These awards are a testament to the quality of our team and the high standard of excellence at ORU. We are excited about the future as we begin working to actualize the global vision of the university.”

The ORU Board of Trustees announced Dr. William M. Wilson as the fourth president of ORU and the successor to Dr. Mark Rutland in January 2013. ORU garnered more than 12 million earned media impressions through their media relations efforts.

The ORU “Make No Little Plans Here” video was a joint effort between the university and Cooke Pictures. The video received rave reviews from student focus groups and currently has more than 6600 views on YouTube and Vimeo. The video can be seen at www.whatsyourplan.org.

The ORU virtual flash mob releasing the “Make No Little Plans Here” video occurred on Chancellor Oral Roberts’ birthday. The social media effort reached more than 59,900 people on twitter and Facebook. After the first 24 hours the flash mob resulted in 2,439 total views and 900 new visitors to ORU’s website.

The ORU Office of University Relations and Communications is comprised of marketing, public relations and university media productions. The team includes: Burton, senior director of University Relations and Communications; Roy Baker, executive producer at University Media Productions; Janet Benton, graphics coordinator; Carissa Bratschun, public relations specialist; Shirley Brown, University Media Production assistant; Rebekah Duncan, marketing specialist; Jimmy Hart, marketing director; Amanda King, graphic designer; Chris Milligan, web programmer; Mark Moore, photographer; Claudia Oniwa, University Relations assistant; and Dakson Simmons, producer/editor. ORU worked with Media Connect Partners, LLC on the presidential announcement and virtual flash mob campaigns.

Top 4 Reasons Your Brand Should Be on Pinterest

By now, everyone has heard of Pinterest and chances are you have found a recipe (probably something wrapped in bacon) on the site or pinned a few 100 DIY projects (that you will never get around to starting). But how can brands benefit from this visually stimulating and completely addictive social platform? With the rollout of Pinterest Business Pages and new web analytics, things are starting to get more exciting. If you are debating whether your brand should be on Pinterest, the answer is yes, and here’s why:

Make your information more shareable. Visually appealing photos produce more engagement than text alone. To be successful on Pinterest you will need to have great images and graphics to share with your pinners. Once you produce amazing images for your Pinterest board, be sure to choose one of the 33 categories to help pinners find your pin. This is important now that hashtags are gone.

Double your sale. One out of every five Pinterest users will purchase something they’ve pinned on Pinterest, and when they do, they will spend around $80 per purchase. That is twice the amount per purchase of Facebook buyers. (stat via @copyblogger)

Drive referral traffic to your website. Pinterest is still driving more traffic to websites than Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, or YouTube. For example, Pinterest’s share of referrals in home and furnishings, account for 60% of all social traffic and 25% of total retail referral traffic. (statistics via RichRelevance) Promote your brand and improve your website’s SEO with inbound links on your pins.

Put followers first by pinning what they are interested in. How will you know what your followers are interested in? Unlike Facebook, the web analytics tab in Pinterest will show you what people following your brand are most interested in. The Pinterest web analytics will allow you to find out which pins get the most repins and who pins them which will allow you to tailor your Pinterest boards for your current followers. For example, Whole Foods knows to heavily pin to boards about gardening, DIY projects and volunteer work since that is what their followers are most interested it based on the web analytics.

Happy pinning!

- Kelly Burnett

Social Media in Higher Education

Social media is more than just a diversion and college students know it. They use it to create study groups, manage group projects, share textbooks, and more.

This presents some great opportunities for colleges and universities. Not only can important information be distributed effectively, but also communication with students and alumni can be cultivated as never before. Here are some ideas to improve your school’s social media.

1. Make leaders accessible

There’s a perception in higher education that school leaders are inaccessible to students and alumni. Social media can help address that. Hosting live chats through Google Hangouts, Twitter, or other online formats will give people the impression that school leaders listen to their students and alumni. A live chat can be about almost anything. Vision casting, campus updates, quarterly announcements, or other events can be great catalysts for interaction. The important thing is to make school leaders available online, even if only for a short time. The payoff in perception will be well worth it.

2. Add value through sharing

University leaders who have accounts on Facebook or Twitter can add value to the college or university by posting about events, achievements, and more on their personal pages. Simply sharing these posts will show that leaders are proud of the school and its work. This in turn will increases the brand’s value to students, alumni, and other connected members. After all, who doesn’t want to be proud of their school?

3. Be photogenic

Everybody loves photos. They are some of the most-liked and commented content in social media. Take advantage of this by creating galleries on Facebook or posting fun photos on Instagram. Make galleries about special events, tag photos to make them searchable, and encourage students to tag themselves and their friends. Not only will you get the interactions, but also you will have the opportunity to talk with the audience.

4. Have fun with videos

YouTube videos can be a great asset to any college or university. The key is to post content that people will want to watch again and again. This doesn’t mean that every video has to be an enormous production. Instead, video content should focus on the flavor and branding of the school. Is there a strong science department? Film some chemistry experiments. Does the school host a Battle of the Bands every year? Film the event, and post the winners. Even faculty can bring interest to a video channel with a special talent or tip for students (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1A3oxwUlFq0).

The most important thing to remember is that social media is not just another channel to distribute school news. It is a fun and powerful way to increase communication with your student body.

- Meagan Ewton

How Evernote Saved My Life

This June I visited India to work with OneHope – a global non-profit.  We were teaching social media strategies to leaders in Kolkata and Chennai.

One morning in Chennai we awoke to an urgent message – one of our cars back in the USA had been stolen.

Now, having your car stolen is not a good thing. It’s upsetting.  You feel violated.  Why? …. we asked.

Being thousands of miles away from home is also upsetting – what can you do remotely?

#1 – Call Geico.  We had a great experience with Geico – using Skype we were able to call from India and open the claim.

#2 – Provide documentation.  Here’s where it gets tricky.  Do you know your VIN? Do you know your tag number?  Chances are you don’t have that memorized.  Evernote to the rescue.  We had taken pictures of our cars and created notes in Evernote – A picture of the license plate, a picture of the VIN number from the driver’s side door frame, a picture of the bill of sale, and so on.

Boom.

I simply forwarded the images to Geico and they had the claim processed pronto.

I also forwarded the pictures to the police- and this helped them in recovering our stolen car.

I’ve mentioned this to several people who have said “Oh, that’s a great idea!” – seriously, having that info handy made our lives so much easier.

 

Thank you Evernote.

Turning Social Media Data into a Story

Writing your data story

No doubt you’ve found yourself working on a monthly report that required you to interpret scores of raw data. Dutifully, you find the trends and work the percentages. A few graphs and pie charts later, your data is visualized, ready for the world to see.

But your data does more than reflect a month of results. Your data tells a story, complete with characters, plot, and setting. Understanding this story will not only change how you interpret your data, it will also help focus your social media strategy.

Finding the story

Every set of data tells a story. Just like main characters, your target audience shapes the direction of the story, which is expressed in data trends. However, your story is incomplete if you don’t consider the influence of the setting, or media platform.

Character - The most important element of a story is its characters. Each demographic of your audience can be thought of as a character, distinct from all others in essence and personality. “Women ages 18-25” is a great description of a marketing demographic. But as a character, what kind of person would this young woman be? Would she lounge under a blanket on weekends, reading Jane Austen and sipping chamomile tea? Or would she only come alive under the bright lights of the city? Would she bury her head in LSAT references, or browse the internet for unique recipes? Would she think bow ties are cool? These and questions like them can increase your understanding of your audience’s overall character, providing you with a firm foundation of your data story.

Plot - Data trends outline the plot of your data story. The trends reflect the attitudes and behaviors of your audience. Changes in interactions, follower growth, and other data points set the pace of the narrative. Changes may indicate a fast-paced adventure or a mournful dirge, but in each case the changes reveal the audience’s impact on the story. Once this plot is known, you can use it to outline the next chapter of your social media strategy.

Setting - Social media platforms are like the settings of a story. Just as a character reacts to its setting, your audience communicates distinctively on each platform. Understanding each communication style will allow you to shape your content accordingly. It will also help you navigate the interpretation of your data. For example, an increase of followers and retweets with a decrease in mentions on Twitter may indicate a strong desire for shareable content, while the same pattern on Facebook may simply reflect a response to a contest. Keeping the platform in mind will help you make informed decisions when creating your content.

Making the story matter

Understanding the characters, plot, and setting of your data can improve your interpretation for monthly reports. It can also help improve your overall social media strategy in three ways: a proactive strategy, increased adaptability, and stronger relationships.

Create a proactive strategy – Awareness of your data’s story can help you hone your content. Knowing communication styles allows you to proactively create content that connects with your audience. Maintaining a steady communication style on each platform will create a stable and familiar brand voice for future interactions.

Adapt to media platforms - Because your audience communicates distinctly on each media platform, you need to adapt your content accordingly. A major announcement on Twitter can be shared with a compelling headline and a link, while a Facebook status can express major points and create room for dialogue. An Instagram post and a pin on Pinterest may share the same image, but you can customize each description to reflect the style of the platform. By adapting to the platform, you can ensure your story will reach the audience effectively.

Focus on relationships - Understanding your data story will help you understand and relate to your audience. Social media is not intended to be a megaphone for public announcements; it is meant to promote lasting relationships. So engage with your audience. In doing so, you will help shape your story.

- Meagan Ewton