5 Lessons For Email and Social Integration > Smart Insights Digital Marketing

We know that email subscribers, and now social media followers, are so valuable since they’ve given permission to receive communications. The problem is that vanilla flavoured, promotional messaging en masse will fail – the different audiences in those channels most likely have different information needs.

I read an interesting case study that’s similar to another project I have been working on. It’s a US business effectively combining email and social tactics creating 120% increases in traffic – and to the right web pages. I thought I’d share the summary here.

The good news – this case study is not a mega brand like Starbucks or Oreo, so it’s a bit more real, the company is a much smaller cookware and cake decorating business called Wilton, an established business of 80 years, one that has grown adept at push marketing via email . The business had two realisations (I hope more companies have these):

• Consumers are already interacting with each other around the subject matter, Wilton’s were not a part of that conversation but recognized they should and could be
• It was no longer sufficient to push out content and try to control the flow of communication

So what did they do?

1. They assumed nothing and sought to understand how email subscribers, Facebook fans and Twitter followers related to one another – what were their behaviours in each channel and the extent of cross-over. You can use tools like Flowtown to aid this to some extent, but Wilton’s chose direct survey’s that asked the questions to email subscribers and social media fans and followers. As an example, Wilton found that 50% of their combined Facebook fans and Twitter followers were also email subscribers, much lower than they expected.
2. Develop an intimate understanding of why those subscribers, fans and followers choose to connect. Why are people using those communication tools to connect with your brand? Through further questioning, Wilton released that email subscribers were more heavily engaged with the brand and were expecting “how to” content (I stress the words ‘expecting’ and ‘content’), in their case this is baking and party ideas for mums. The reason is that the email subscribers are typically existing consumers of the product already. The social media fans and followers are less committed and far less likely to have purchased, they’re interested in offers and announcements that are product focussed – they want reasons to buy.
3. Wilton’s sought to grow social and email tactics by cross promotion, this gave the brand more opportunities to communicate and ‘touch’ the consumer. Given that the overlap between the subscribers, fans and followers was deemed low, they simply promoted the other channels wherever possible and provided the reason ‘why’.
4. Co-ordinate for multi-channel promotions. Wilton’s have an annual centre-piece for marketing, a yearbook for ideas, recipe’s and tips. With a traditional, launch email campaign at the centre, Wilton’s now also promotes content previews via Twitter about the launch and product ideas, and uses Facebook as the means for interaction and Q&A, encouraging dialogue and ideas sharing.
5. Campaign development and timing. Wilton’s stagger the content publishing and promotion across both email and social as part of campaign execution, so for example Halloween relied on their blog, You Tube and Facebook for sharing useful “how to’” videos detailed in a section in the book, Twitter was used to illustrate product applications for Halloween recipes and tips, and email tied it all together.

120% increase in traffic, why did it work? Erwin, Wilton’s head of marketing, claims the reason it worked is simply because people have so much more content choice, they want relevant information when they need it – the opportunity is that you have thought about both those things and reference your product at the right moment, as part of the solution.

The case study, along with 5 others worth reading, are here on Marketing Sherpa’s web site.

Digital marketing tactic: Email marketing, social media
Digital marketing technique: Digital media integration
Advice type: Case study
Expertise level: Intermediate

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Smart Insights and a case study about using email with Social Integration.

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- Harvard Business Review - Six Social Media Trends for 2011 - David Armano - The Conversation

It was a banner year for social media growth and adoption. We witnessed Facebook overtake Google in most weekly site traffic, while some surveys reported nearly 95% of companies using LinkedIn to help in recruiting efforts. In my outlook for last year, I cited that mobile would become a lifeline to those looking for their social media fixes, and indeed the use of social media through mobile devices increased in the triple digits.

I also outlined how "social media would look less social" or more accurately exclusive, and indeed, we've seen the re-launch of Facebook groups, which focus on niche interactivity, and more recently, the emergence of Path, billed as "the social network for intimate friends" which limits your network to only 50 people. The past year also saw some brands go full throttle on Foursquare's game-like geo-location platform, attempting to reward mayors and creating custom badges for the network's power users.

In other areas, such as social media policy, I was less accurate. Conversations around the topic did begin to take place, But a global survey indicated that only 29 percent of companies even have a social media policy. That's not as high as I expected.

So what could we see happening in 2011? I'll take a stab at six trends again. In no particular order:

It's The Integration Economy, Stupid. From Ford, to Dell, to Starbucks (client), to Jet Blue, and a host of other companies who have pioneered early uses of social media for business, 2011 will be the year these companies take a serious look at integrating social media, not only regionally but globally. Don't be surprised if the same companies that piloted programs such as Ford's "Fiesta Movement" and Starbuck's Foursquare programs also become the first companies to take on the huge challenge of integrating social media into all facets of business from global marketing to crisis management and beyond.

Tablet & Mobile Wars Create Ubiquitous Social Computing. As competition heats up in the form of cheaper, smarter phones and an assortment of tablets that may hit the market (a $35 Tablet in India?), technology consumers will come one step closer to being connected 24/7, and in more powerful ways than previously possible. Social networking will be on the go, out of the house, and out of the office. More competition, variety, power, and affordability in devices will fuel the increase of ubiquitous social computing.

Facebook Interrupts Location-Based Networking. If 2010 belonged to Foursquare and its playful, competitive and sometimes addicting ecosystem of badges, mayorships and specials, it's likely that Facebook will rain on Foursquare's parade in 2011. With tons of data and the architecture behind Facebook's response to Foursquare about to be rolled out globally, Facebook is well positioned to actually make location based services useful to business.

Average Participants Experience Social Media Schizophrenia. While social media schizophrenia (the overload of multiple social profiles) is nothing new to tech mavens, it will become something that more and more "average" users experience as they tweet, Facebook, G-mail, chat, Skype, BBM, SMS, and Tumble their way across the social web. While many mavens have adopted ways to manage and cope, average users may find themselves at the beginning of the curve in need of a 12-step social identity program. This may lead to increased demand from typical participants to have a more integrated and simplified social graph and an opportunity for platforms and companies alike to meet this demand.

Google Doesn't Beat Them, They Join Them. In 2010, Wired told us that Facebook could beat Google to win the net. But even at the end of 2010 after failed attempts to create their own networks such as Buzz, Google could prove that the best way to beat Facebook, Twitter, and the rest is to do what Google does best: Index them to pieces. Indeed, I've already noticed Google's algorithm has become smarter about Twitter data. I only have to type in a few words to locate old tweets. It's possible that by sticking to what Google does best, they may be able to take advantage of the social web by indexing any and all social data they can get their hands on. Expect the Googleplex to "strike back" in 2011, and perhaps demonstrate that they may figure out their role and relevancy on the social Web.

Social Functionality Makes Websites Fashionable Again. After several years of being told to "fish where the fish are," businesses realize that users expect social integration to existing Websites. Sites such as AMEX Open forum serve as a model for how networks such as Twitter can integrate with the Web experience. Websites will increasingly serve as "digital hubs" that integrate social activity from many platforms. Fore example, Apple's music social network, named Ping, recently integrated Twitter. While the integration has kinks, it demonstrates that even the most iconic of brands realizes that they do not exist in their own walled garden. They must integrate to to be relevant in a socially connected world.

These are a few emerging trends that come to my mind. I'm interested to hear what you think as well, so please weigh in with your own thoughts. Where do you see social media going in 2011?

David Armano is a Senior Vice President at Edelman Digital, the interactive arm of global communications firm Edelman. He is an active practitioner and thinker in the worlds of digital marketing, experience design, and the social web. You can follow him on Twitter.

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HBR Article on trends to watch in 2011, worth a peek.

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Personal Branding How to Reinvent Your Personal Brand - Dorie Clark - The Conversation - Harvard Business Review

What are you known for? What do people say about you when you leave the room? (They are talking about you, aren't they?) How can you burnish your reputation to win that promotion or land that new client? You've diligently focused on your personal brand for years — but what if you now want to reinvent yourself?

It happens all the time. A financial services executive moves into retail. A techie wants to try marketing. A VC wants to jump ship and become a life coach. Your path may make perfect sense to you, but how can you convince others to embrace your new brand — and take you seriously? Here are five steps to reinventing yourself for the business marketplace.

1. What's Your Destination? First, you need to develop a detailed understanding of where you want to go, and the knowledge and skills necessary to get there. If you've been a techie for the past decade, you may understand every new marketing toy out there, from Facebook to Foursquare. But can you effectively convey that knowledge to a non-technical audience? Learning the skills you need will help you gain the confidence necessary to start identifying (and publicizing) yourself in your new identity.
2. Leverage Your Points of Difference. In marketing, we call it a USP — a "Unique Selling Proposition." What makes you different from anyone else? That's what people will remember, and you can use it to your advantage. Conservative pundit Ann Coulter, as the New York Times recently reported, has reinvented herself after losing popularity to newer, even more right-wing talking heads. Leveraging her unique blend of blonde vixen and conservative firebrand, Coulter is now courting gay Republicans who enjoy diva-style smack talk. You probably won't find Sarah Palin hitting that circuit anytime soon, so it looks like Coulter owns it.
3. Develop a Narrative. You used to write award-winning business columns — and now you want to review restaurants? It's human nature to have many interests, to seek new experiences, and to want to develop new skills over the course of your life. Unfortunately, there's a popular word to describe that profound quest: dilettante. It's unfair, but to protect your brand you need to develop a coherent narrative arc that explains to people — in a nice, simple way so they can't miss it — exactly how your past fits into the present. "I used to write about the business side of many industries, including food and wine," you could say. "I realized my big-picture knowledge about agricultural trends and business finance made me uniquely positioned to cover restaurants with a different perspective." It's like a job interview — you're turning what could be perceived as a weakness (he doesn't know anything about food, because he's been a business reporter for 20 years) into a compelling strength that people can remember (he's got a different take on the food industry because he has knowledge most other people don't).
4. Reintroduce Yourself. The vast majority of people, regrettably, aren't paying much attention to you. That means their perceptions are probably a few years out of date — and it's not their fault. With hundreds (or thousands) of Facebook friends and vague social connections, we can't expect everyone to remember all the details of our lives. So we have to strategically re-educate our friends and acquaintances — because, especially if we're launching a new business venture, they're going to be our buyers and recommenders. That means a concerted effort to phone or email everyone on your list — individually — to let them know about your new direction and, where appropriate, ask for their help, advice, or business. (Blast emails are a start, but too often go unread.)
5. Prove Your Worth. There's a difference between my knowing that you've launched a new graphic design business and trusting that you'll do a good job for clients. I may like you a lot, but unless I see proof of your skills, I may hesitate to put my own reputation on the line by sending you referrals. That's where blogs, podcasts, videocasts, and other forms of social media come in. It's critical to let potential customers see what you're about and test drive your approach before they make a large commitment. Checking out your image gallery and seeing a roster of attractive corporate logos you've designed may allay my fears enough to send you that major new account.

What are your best strategies for reinventing your personal brand?

Dorie Clark Read her blog here or follow her on Twitter.

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Social Networking COMMENTS Management Discover your community - DISQUS a core capability

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Discuss "DISQUS" Comments Community helps you build on and engage with those making comments on your website quite powerful core capability and relatively simple to install, if you are intrigued about you connections then it should be in your network and toollkit If you want to consider how to martial your networks you have got to listen respond to and engage with the comments received across disparate channels platforms and multiple threads.

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