Conversational Media Marketing

Before I delve into this post, I should mention that, in my previous post I used the term "social media advertising," when, in actuality, it is better stated "social network advertising." Thus, I refer to it here in that manner.

If you're a fan of advertising, raise your hand. Come on, raise em high. Anyone?

Bizzuka recently brought on a new agency partner, Daniels-Brown Communications. In an interview with the owner, Stephen Daniels-Brown, I asked how they came to find us given that they're located in northwest Washington state and we're in southern Louisiana. 

I had the opportunity to do a quick phone chat with , Network Solutions' "Swami of Social Media," earlier today to get his reactions to the GoDaddy Superbowl 2009 ad debaucle. 

My intent was not to sensationalize or stir up controversy, but to try and view this issue through Shashi's eyes as well as to see what lessons could be learned and best practices gleaned. 

I gave a talk today at the Sales and Marketing Executives meeting in Baton Rouge on the topic of using the web to maximize your marketing dollar and presented some cost-effective strategies to market through the recession.

I've created an online community on this blog called Friends of CMM (which I invite you to join btw), which includes a couple of widgets from Google , the new service that enables any Web site to have a social component.

I've also deployed SixApart's new social component, Typepad Connect, which is a mashup of threaded Gravatar-style comments, Typepad Profiles and their anti-spam application. Interestingly, the app is available for use on a number of blog platforms, including WordPress and Blogger.

The ability to incorporate these and other open-source applications further reinforces the point that blogs can serve as a social media base of operations from which users can foray into other socnets like Facebook and Twitter.

Like Google says, these apps mean "more people engaging more deeply with your website -- and with each other."

Lately, I've been giving more attention to the use of wikis for networking collaboratively, having started three, including the What's Working in Social Media one I mentioned yesterday. The other two are private, one related to something we're doing at Bizzuka, and one for a group I've been invited to be part of.

Part of the reason I'm doing this is for research on my upcoming book on social media marketing, but mostly its because I want to embrace the power of social networking in its most collaborative form to date, a wiki. A number of do-it-yourself wiki platforms are available, but I favor WetPaint for its ease of use.

I read an excerpt from Clay Shirky's new book Here Comes Everybody that said, "We are living in the middle of a remarkable increase in our ability to share, to cooperate with one another, and to take collective action. These changes will transform the world everywhere groups of people come together to accomplish something."

Thanks to tools like wikis, the technological barriers to co-creation, collaboration and change have largely been eliminated. The one barrier that remains is human being's willingness to actively engage. The 90-9-1 rule still seems to be in effect and our reluctance to participate has to be overcome. Otherwise, the influence remains in the hands of a relative few.

A great resource for better understanding the power of wikis to foster social change is a PDF entitled Working Wikily: How Networks are Changing Social Change, written by the Monitor Institute. They've also created a blog by the same name.

Once again, let me invite you to join in participating on the What's Working wiki. The only way that site will have any real value is by virtue of the contributions of its members.

Hat tip to Connectedness

MarketingVox reports Compete.com's November statistics Facebook is rapidly closing the gap with US social network leader MySpace. In a separate news item, MarketingVox also reports that Google's , now in beta, is hot on Facebook's tail. Looks like a real race to the finish to me!

Years ago I remember The Blog Studio's creative director doing a series on how people in different industries could use blogs. (I attempted to find the series but was unsuccessful in my attempt.)

I thought it was a good idea then, and, now, considering that Twitter is the next form of blogging, I'm starting a similar series called "If I were a _______________, I'd use Twitter to..."

However, instead of coming up with my own ideas, I'd rather crowdsource the whole thing.

My first attempt at this is, "If I were a restaurant, I'd use Twitter to..." If you'd like to answer that, please do so via Twitter. If you're not following me, I'm .

To answer the question of why I'm doing this, one word: Book.

Pretty much everything I'm doing these days social medially speaking has to do with my book on social media marketing that's coming out in the fall of 09. However, I may also print the replies to this series in an ebook along with a credit to each of the contributors (or screen shot of your tweet). So, please, do reply.

"If I were a restaurant, I'd use Twitter too..."

A trend I'm seeing develop on Twitter is the use of automation for such things as auto-follows, auto-responses (which often include a pitch...visit my blog at www...) and scheduled tweets.

I think this is a terrible trend that should be avoided at all costs.

To me, Twitter is the most personal and conversational of all social media applications, at least those with which I am familiar. To turn it into a "machine" flies in the face of that.

I realize that many are using automation apps like TweetLater with the best of intentions. It's a way to make sure you don't overlook any new followers and/or as a means of scheduling retweets of important or timely announcements.

It's time-saving and efficient. And perhaps that's the main things wrong with it...it de-personalizes the interactions.

I was recently introduced by my good friend to real estate and business coach, author and speaker Terri Murphy. This lady has literally taken me under her wing and I could not be more grateful or appreciative.

To cite a brief litany of her generosity, Terri has introduced me to a number of influential people, included me (via video) on a panel she moderated at the National Association of Realtors convention, featured me as a guest in her weekly radio show, made me a member of the Advisory Board at Women's Wisdom Network, introduced me to an editor at AMACOM and is helping me get into coaching. On top of that, she has asked for little, if anything, in return! 

Honestly, I don't know what to make of it except that God (yes, I believe in God) puts people in your life at the right time and at the right place when you least expect it, don't deserve it, and have not a clue as to why. But, I'm a believer in providence, so I know there is a reason and sooner or later I'll learn what it is. In the meantime, I learning to say "thank you" an awful lot.

Not that Terri is getting off that easily mind you. I'm helping her get acclimated to social media, going to help develop a strategy to drive membership to the Women's Wisdom Network, and serve as a social media resource as needed. (One of the things I'm helping her with is gaining an understanding of what Twitter is all about. If you don't mind, I'd greatly appreciate you there.)

Whatever resources or assistance I might provide pale in comparison to what she has already done for me. The only way I know how to thank her appropriately is by doing so here on my blog.  So, let me introduce you to a truly generous person, Terri Murphy. May you be half as fortunate as I to find such a friend and mentor as she.