New page, new possibilities

A few ways Facebook’s changes have improved the brand and user experience:

• Custom tabs with iframes allow brands to streamline content and pass data directly to a hosting or analytics service. This is a big one, I’ll explain later.
• Admins can set and receive alerts based on fan activity and engagement.
• Brand page layouts are now similar to personal pages—five photos on the top and tabs on the left.
• Both fans and administrators have new filters for the wall that help prioritize wall content.
• Admins can now represent their page when interacting with other pages.

Which Facebook changes will have the biggest impact on marketers?

1. iframes, additional analytics and opportunities to serve up highly interactive content make custom tabs even hotter. With iframes, marketers can deliver more target—based on the user’s location and referral source—and more engaging content than ever before. Add Google Analytics to any tab for a deeper understanding of how users are interacting with its content.
2. The ability to comment or like other pages as your brand page leads to a larger potential audience. As part of your Facebook strategy, consider creating a program of interaction, where you post with your page identity to related pages and groups as a member of the community. By contributing positively, you’re likely to draw potential fans back to your page.

Bonus Facebook Tips!

• Not all likes are created equal. Just because someone likes you doesn’t mean they’ll consistently see your updates and posts. Facebook uses a complex algorithm to display posts on news feeds. Ongoing engagement with followers is critical to get value from your likes.
• Facebook ads are easy to manage, and with careful messaging and targeting can be very effective at drawing people to your page or your website.
• Post questions, activities and cool content. Try to put some type of link in your wall posts. The more interaction the fan has with your posts, the better.
• Facebook likes are now crawled by Bing. Your search results are likely to be influenced by what people are saying about you on Facebook. Here’s a peek at CMD on Bing:

How are some of your favorite brands using the new Facebook page design? What innovative ways are you using it? Tell us in comments.

Today, of course, marketing is a different environment. Compared to a 1960s ad blitz, a modern campaign can incorporate elements such as traditional print advertising, search engine buys, ongoing two-way conversations on numerous social media channels, a contest, special website landing page, blog, trade show experience, video, and so on.

How does a client today manage all of these activities? The answer is to work with an agency that offers marketing synergy.

The benefit of partnering with a synergistic marketing agency, which offers more than one marketing discipline, is simple: it’s the ability to handle multiple marketing tasks, put strategic thinking behind each initiative, and blend the tactics together to increase the overall value of each component. This saves clients the time and energy of coordinating separate agencies and juggling various budgets with a number of firms.

Working with a one-stop shop is different than with a single-disciplined firm, so here are three tips to keep in mind when looking for a partner that can handle all your marketing needs:

Be open to concept extensions: Sometimes clients come to us with a singular request, such as a website, a video or a special event. Because we are a synergistic agency, we tend to look at how the other components in our toolkit of capabilities could support that singular idea and grow it into a complete campaign. We have found that in many cases, it’s that extension of a concept that the client is really after.

Define success: Before embarking on any campaign, understand what success means to your organization. If you don’t know, we won’t know. Success comes in many different forms. For an integrated campaign, each tactic should have a goal, such as total number of downloads, registrations, purchases, etc. That success definition should always be a point of reference when a tactic is being considered and developed.

Be honest and collaborate: Last year we worked with a new client who had a high-visibility product launch and a short time frame. Sound familiar? While a traditional approach may have worked fine in the past, this job required a constant flow of communication between us and the client in order to fulfill all the various campaign elements. This took the client’s honest feedback and commitment to daily engagement, and it got them what they wanted—a successful project.

At the end of the day, marketing synergy brings simplicity to today’s multifaceted marketing world. Simple. Done. Pass the Scotch.

1)      Take a picture

Pictures really are worth a thousand words. They’re a fast way to create content and a fast way for users to consume content. Be sure to add keywords to the photo to grab SEO juice as well.

2)      Hoard your posts

Most blogging platforms allow you to schedule your posts. Write a few when you have time and inspiration, and schedule them to post later.

3)      Read the news

Industry news, world news, or news from an admired blogger are all great places to find inspiration. Check out the top stories and write a paragraph about your opinion or thoughts on the topic and ask your community for their thoughts as well.

4)      Make a list

Just like a picture, a list is easy for a reader to consume quickly. Some great lists are your industry’s top five blogs, five blogs you like to read at home, or five inspiring Twitter users. Be sure to add links for added SEO benefits.

5)      Keep a notebook handy

I know we’re talking blogging, but we’re not always in front of the computer when ideas for blog posts appear. Keep a small notebook for those moments and return to that notebook when you need inspiration.

Do you have a quick tip on creating killer content? Leave it in the comments!

To get the inside scoop on some recent CMD video activity, I caught up with Associate Creative Director John O’Connell, who shared two recent projects with me that show the breadth of ideas that come out of the agency, and how clients are wanting their creative content to reach audiences in nontraditional locations.

Let me recap the spots briefly before jumping into some deeper insight:

1. For Microsoft’s Zune HD initiative, CMD produced a commercial that is shown on all United Airlines international flights on seatback and main cabin monitors. The campaign includes a print ad running in United’s Hemispheres magazine.

“The spot works well with or without sound and conveys the product message regardless of a viewer’s native language,” said O’Connell.  “The commercial was shot on a RED camera and the goal was to show the Zune’s main features in a vibrant, stylish format and demonstrate that the product is a premium portable entertainment experience.”

You can see the spot here: http://preview.cmdpdx.com/video/Other/Zune_HD_Footage/index.html

What really amazed me is that the time from concept to completion for the Zune HD commercial was only six weeks.

2. A recent spot for ASUS running in movie theatres visually tells a story about the product’s clean lines, and the music is pretty powerful, drawing the viewer in. Shot in Portland, the bamboo theme is simple, understated, and relevant with today’s environmental messages.

Bamboo was part of a larger campaign created through a joint marketing program and was leveraged through online banners, a microsite, YouTube channel and Facebook page.

Watch the ASUS video here: http://preview.cmdpdx.com/video/Other/ASUS_BAMBOO/index.html

So what makes a good commercial these days? Here’s what the video experts at CMD are seeing in the industry:

• High production quality: DIY video is so prevalent on the web, particularly on YouTube, that standing out from the crowd today requires top-level quality.
• Quick: Traditional 30-second spots still are the #1 format to capture the viewer’s attention, get the point across, and tout a call-to-action.
• Unique channels: Clients are exploring new ways to reach audiences using commercials that are nontraditional. Cinema and airline advertising are just two examples.
• Affordable: Everyone is watching budgets; commercials don’t have to be expensive to be good.
• Multipurpose: Quality commercials can do more than double-duty when their use is extended as fresh content on social media channels, websites, and at trade shows.

What do you think?

If case you haven’t heard, you won’t be able to count on Google Wave after year’s end. I’m sure there are a large number of variables that led to this decision, and Google has probably thought very carefully about each and every one of them. So how can I contribute something new to the conversation? Maybe I can’t. But I will share what I was thinking when I was asked that question.

From a UX perspective, none of the items that stand out to me that were probably big contributors to Wave’s demise are more important than what is defined at the beginning of a UX process: the business problem.

The business problem must be well defined, as everything that follows this step depends on it. Then business objectives and goals are defined to address the business problem, and clear success metrics (usually quantitative and qualitative) are established, which determine if the developed solution has addressed the business problem.

If I had to articulate the primary business problem that traditional email was trying to solve decades ago, I would probably state it this way: It takes too long to send documented communication (digital, or otherwise) from one physical location to another.  I’m sure there are secondary problems, such as expense and inconvenience, but the term “snail mail” was created for a reason.

Although traditional email is clunky and has a ton of perceived problems, which Google took the time to address in its videos, Wave’s biggest problem is that it attempts to solve the same primary business problem as email. And in order for it to uproot an entire worldwide system that’s already adopted, since it doesn’t solve any additional business problems, it must offer SIGNIFICANT (as in game-changing) improvement. But Wave is not a significant-enough improvement over email to motivate businesses, countries, (or grandparents) to learn and adopt a new system.

Unfortunately, you can’t just add loads and loads of cool functionality into a new system and expect immediate positive feedback and adoption from such an enormous audience. Google proved it. While Wave did have some great features which I’m sure will creep into other Google products, if the features don’t lead back to the business problem, they don’t do anything other than establish a cool factor. And as we can continue to learn from Google, you are going to need much more than a strong brand presence, overwhelming hype, and a big cool factor in order to get the user adoption needed to supplant a dominant worldwide system.

The best solution always begins with clearly defining the business problem and creating use cases that specifically address it. That’s what email has done. And when you’re not first to market, (especially by decades), you had better bring something to the table that your audience perceives they need over what they already have. Google didn’t do that with Wave.

On May 27, 2009, Lars Rasmussen made a very intriguing statement, “Wave is what email would look like if it were invented today.” And as thought-provoking as Rasmussen’s statement may have been, it didn’t have much impact, because email had been invented long before that day.

What do you think?

These brands feed me useful and timely communications, special pricing based on my pre-stated interests and consistently deliver a quality product. And I am fiercely loyal.

But brands can take communications too far, much as a smothering date who calls too much, can’t seem to remember your favorite color, and continually asks you to pick up the tab. If it’s unacceptable in personal relationships, is it acceptable for a brand’s relationship with its customers?

Shouldn’t notes be personal?

Shouldn’t offers of affection be based on customer needs, not brand mandates?

Shouldn’t relationships grow over time?

Even Molly Ringwald had to roll her eyes when Ducky left her eight messages in one evening when all she wanted was one message from Blaine (it’s a name, not a major appliance).

What to do? What to do? Look at the customer database like a personal relationship. Would your best friend enjoy four invites to watch your home movies, or a quick note about sharing a great bottle of wine she mentioned to you a few weeks back?

Consider the following:

1. Value each name: the act of providing contact information is no longer a given, so treat each name as a person and foster the relationship.
2. Be considerate: people are busy. Don’t hit the database with one communication after another. Have rules on usage so the brand doesn’t build a relationship based on customer voicemail and junk mail.
3. Be informative: when communicating, give customers what they want. Avoid the temptation to over-communicate.
4. Be there: be available to support customers. Provide options in case there are additional questions.
5. Get smart: each communication is an opportunity to learn about the customer. Take each click or download and apply it to the record. Use it to create custom communications.

Customer relationships, just like personal ones, require time, dedication and fidelity.  Share the love.

And given the volume of job seekers out there, it must feel like swimming upstream. Our recent job posting at CMD drew many candidates, but only two made the final cut for interviews at the agency. And of course, there can be only one who is hired.

These days, it seems like the planets have to align in order for both parties to find the right fit. Are you feeling that way, too?

This happens to be on my mind because Melissa Lion and I are going to speak to bloggers at Portland’s WordCamp in September about translating their skills into the workplace. It occurred to us that we shouldn’t work from our assumptions about job hunting in this environment. We need help from you—the bloggers and job hunters of Portland—so that we can directly address your very real concerns.

If you’re in job search mode, what’s weighing on your mind? We want your burning questions, especially the ones from bloggers.

• What did you really want to ask that hiring manager, but didn’t bring up for fear of objections?
• Have you been in a situation where you and the hiring manager had very different expectations?
• Have you had a good experience lately? What made it good?

Leave your question in the comments section here, or if you can fit it in 140 characters or less, we’ll take it on Twitter too. The really juicy questions we’ll take with us to the WordCamp discussion this fall. We’ll also let you know where to catch the live stream of our Wordcamp session if you’re not able to attend in person.

OK, let’s have it. We want to hear your top questions for hiring managers.

Melissa Lion: Will Condé Nast be able to pull up out of print media’s death spiral with a new revenue model? The New York Times article, Condé Nast Is Changing Its Blueprint, explores the possibility.

Sarah Biedak: Facebook has launched Facebook Questions, a Yahoo! Questions-esque service. This could be useful for seeking community feedback and research.

Darcie Meihoff: I have two favorites this week. Have you considered inviting a guest blogger to your blog? Get some helpful tips from HubsSpot’s recent post. I credit @DaveAtNorth for this one: a 14-page article from The New York Times, The Web Means The End of Forgetting, explores how your digital past is never forgotten and can haunt, or help you. Enlightening and a little frightening.

Erik Sebellin-Ross: New Forrester research shows that Foursquare doesn’t have a big enough user base to warrant its use in marketing efforts. Outside of major cities, sure . . .

Stefanie Week: Content is king, but only if it’s free. A new USC survey shows that zero percent of those polled would pay for Twitter. I think I’d have to agree.

Julie Yamamoto: Mashable reveals how to send an audio tweet.

Julie Ma: Having a case of writer’s block? Clarabela Media’s post, Nine Sites Every Freelance Writer Should Bookmark, will get anyone’s creative writing juices flowing.

When contemplating a job search, most people naturally take an inventory of their professional experience, acquired skills and natural talents. That’s the right place to start, but to really impress a hiring manager, you have to dig deeper.

Just saying that you’re a great writer doesn’t distinguish you from the other writers in the job market. Ask yourself: “What am I really good at?” Is it telling personal stories in a compelling way? What results have you experienced from doing this? Exercising a skill and demonstrating the outcomes is what will set you apart and provide the conceptual path for translating blogging skills into the business world.

Once a job candidate has passed muster and comes in for an interview, a key element that I’m looking for is if this person can play well with others. Although experiences vary, blogging can often be a solitary endeavor, and we need job candidates with the full package of experience and the ability to work well as part of a team of 10.

Highlight your collaborative projects, or seek some out during your job search. There are certainly tons of nonprofits and events that can benefit from having a blogger on board!

Finally, ask yourself: “Is this a grass is greener situation?” Income potential aside, it’s important for job candidates to determine if they will be happy in a new environment, especially if it’s a change from a flexible home office to a nine-to-five workday in a cubicle.

Are you a blogger who’s looking for a full-time job? Was this discussion helpful to you, or are you at a different place in your search?

This post is the first in a series leading up to the talk, “From Personal Blogger to Professional Marketer” by Melissa Lion and Julie Yamamoto at Wordcamp Portland.

Think again. There are more things you can do to optimize your content for the social web. One of the more interesting speakers at Web 2.0 in San Francisco this year was Paul Yiu of Bing. He talked about how to rethink SEO strategies to rise above the noise of social search.

Why is optimizing for social search different than the SEO strategies that have been drilled into us thus far? Well, as we all know from swimming in the social web, everything moves faster now. The popularity, and hence the ranking, of your content may depend not only on regular, old-school content updates, but also on how many people Tweet links to your content within the first *few hours* of posting.

Catch that? Hours. Indeed, Bing’s algorithms measure social references to your content as it takes its first feeble breaths on the Web.

Yiu says that in the past, we planned for useful content. That seems so simplistic in today’s environment. Now we need to plan and create share-friendly content. It’s important to seek out links from trustworthy sites, but add to that seeking links from trustworthy individuals who are influential voices in the social stream. Whereas regular updates were a popular SEO strategy in the past, today’s content managers need to be prepared to turn on a dime, especially to respond if a “mob” (positive or negative) arises.

Some food for thought the next time you’re prepping a piece of content. Before you hit the “upload” button, check out Paul Yiu’s Web 2.0 presentation on Slideshare (posted below).

Do you have a social SEO success to share?