by Miriam Hara | Dec 21, 2015 | Content, Interactive, Social Media
My mom taught me so much, at a time when there was limited technology, no cell phones, no internet and of course no social media. The social lessons she taught me apply today and I have interpreted them as so that have become my social media takeaways. My mom passed on earlier this year and I think about her every day, and if truth be told, many times a day. As we approach the end of the year I wanted to re-run a previous blog post with slight updates in honour of my mom.
We are all part of a global community comprising of a mishmash of cultures and societal differences. It has become increasingly important for each one of us to implement a code of conduct for our social media interactions. What are the key social media takeaways that would make up a social media engagement code of conduct?
I am reminded of the social rules my mom taught me growing up – with a slightly digital twist!
Here are a few of my Mom’s ‘social media takeaways’ that I live by:
Be helpful. The social media channel has allowed all of us to be part of a larger community – a global community. There are no borders or boundaries. As such, we have opened ourselves to different people’s perspectives and experiences. If someone needs help from LinkedIn, a Group Post or Facebook and you can offer expertise, an opinion or an alternate point of view, do it – not to sell, but to assist. Pay it forward. Like everything else in life, it’ll come back to you!
If you don’t have anything nice say… The last part of this rule of social engagement is ‘don’t say anything at all’. But in the digital space, if you’re not saying something nice, at least be positive and constructive in how you say it. Or go back to Mom’s rule and don’t say anything at all – just click away!
The only thing you can control is your own behaviour. Not everyone is going to like you, want to be your friend or even have the same values as you. That’s true no matter what space you engage in. Understand this and respond to negativity with kindness. If you can’t do that, then disengage. There’s no need to add undue stress to your life. You are not going to change anyone. You have choices, exercise them.
Be mindful. Think about the subjects you discuss and how you discuss them. The immediacy of social media makes it easy to jump right in and text/post/comment the first thing that pops into your head. Although, it’s not conducive or good conduct to just blurt out whatever you have on your mind.
The Social media takeaway that my mom nurtured in me was respect in all ways and modes of interaction. Governing how we interact on the digital space, both on a personal or business level is no exception. Mom’s rules of social conduct for face-to-face interactions really makes senses for social media engagement conduct as well.
Thanks Mom.
by Miriam Hara | Nov 10, 2015 | Agency, Business Success, Creative, Latest
Clients who are involved in the client agency relationship do not realize that they have a direct impact on the creative their agency produces. We hear so much about agencies and their creative prowess and how ‘the creative’ talent establishes its reputation. But there’s hardly any mention of the trust factor and how that directly impacts the creative output. The creative process, whether it’s for personal endeavours or professional ones is always based on the ability of the creative mind to be at ease. To feel comfortable in the exploration of the obvious and not so obvious.
There are so many articles and blogs written on brainstorming practices… in group settings or solo ones, but very few tap into the premise of the brainstorming. In order to brainstorm you need a mandate – again, it could be a personal mandate or a professional one, brought forth from a client. If the client fosters the creative team with not only information, but with a sense of team and with a sense of knowledge that the outcome will be nothing short of awesome, then that is a setting for success, for all parties. I have the pleasure of working with clients whom have fostered that environment within our creative team. After the creative process, it’s a delight when we present and the client gets excited and says, “Wow, I wasn’t expecting that”.
Developing creative is an exciting and passionate business to be in. Fostering trust in a business relationship, is the cornerstone of creating creative that wins.
As with any relationship, creating and building on trust is a two-way street. Here’s a few points from both perspectives for the professional relationships:
The Creative Agency Built on Trust:
Know the brief. Ask questions. In order to evolve a brief into a sparkling, unique, rare but concise creative, you need to get involved… and that means that you need to admit that you don’t know. Clients will respect that and this will showcase the intelligence driving the creative outcome.
Empower your client. Never assume that the client doesn’t have a creative bone in their body. Clients know their business better than anyone else, including you. Within their brief, they will articulate gems of creative ideas… and they don’t even realize it. Take those gems and work them into creative that expresses their ideas. They will recognize them as such, and realize that, yes, you really do listen.
Always deliver and more. If a client has asked you to be at the table and provided you with a brief, it’s not only to fulfill the order, it’s to add value to the creative process in order to provide a creative outcome that sings. The damage of over promising and under delivering will break all trust and will start eroding the credibility that has been established. Just because you’re in the business of creating doesn’t mean it’s acceptable to be flighty and irresponsible.
The Client Built on Trust:
Share the knowledge. The more the creative agency knows, the better they are at creating and developing creative that is thought provoking and on target. Understanding the market and the intricate details of the industry is key to creating creative that will push the envelope.
Advocacy is key. Give credit where credit is due… and not to the creative agency, but to the management team. It’s important for the upper layer of management to know that the partner at the table is an instrumental element to the team.
Garner stability. There’s nothing more hurtful to a relationship based on trust than asking the creative agency to continuously fight for the business, especially if they have met 100% of your expectations. Asking a creative agency to continuously have to prove their right to be at the table, is a short term vision of what should be a long term relationship.
by Miriam Hara | Oct 30, 2015 | Content, Interactive, Latest, Social Media
Have brands achieved brand trust through their social media communities? Is the race over?
It seems that we only blinked, but most of us in marketing can now say social media as a platform has been around for a considerable time. Over the last decade if not longer, brands have actively participated in the race to gain social media brand trust with their communities and ultimately their customers. The ever-changing demands to “get it right” have not only propelled the creation of new specialist areas within marketing departments, they’ve created a ‘pioneer ship’ for business in general.
This begs the question whether brands have achieved brand trust through their social media communities. Is the race over? Are brands there yet?
There is no quick and easy answer and the jury is still out. Brands are now more familiar with how to use social media, although not all have acquired the fine distinction of leveraging it. We’ve gone from digital ad campaigns to blogging, to content creation, and visual communications like vlogging — all in the realm of social media. But have we achieved brand trust?
In many boardrooms the underlying concern with any campaign or communication initiative is how to leverage the social media platform. I question whether this is the right question. Isn’t the basis of social media, in its pure context, a platform to develop relationships? Aren’t all relationships built on the aspect of trust? It seems that the term “leverage” implies quite the opposite. Are we looking for leverage or are we building brand trust?
Brand trust through social media is not easy to attain.
In the 90s, marketing departments were touting that consumers were savvier than the 60s, and 70s, and 80s. Now, consumers are not only savvier, but also more demanding of brand personality traits that were at best an image-association in the past.
The delight and wonderment of instant gratification and knowledge has now turned into entitlement. Consumers expect knowledge and information instantly. There are millions of domain sites ready to fulfill that expectation. The Internet has made it so.
What the Internet has also enabled, more so through the social media platform, is niche marketing. Just as consumers have virtually millions of sites at their physical fingertips, marketers and businesses have masses of niche marketing channels to choose from.
As with any great opportunity comes some risk. Developing brand trust through digital niche initiatives takes skill. In order for brands to develop social media trust, marketers must acknowledge that there are real and present pitfalls and realities in developing brand trust:
Be True
If you can’t be honest and true, even at times at the expense of your brand (and how risky is that?), you can’t build social media trust for your brand. Social media trust is only built by the perception of its community. In order to achieve greatness in the eyes of the community you must be perceived as impartial — providing value and knowledge without any ulterior motive and without expectation of return.
Brand Karma (You’re so vain)
Some people just walk into a room and people naturally gravitate toward them. Some people try to be vivacious and exciting and fail. The same thing applies for brands. Some brands have it, some brands don’t. That’s what I call brand karma, something a brand naturally has and exploits. The reality is that no one wants to be with a wannabe. They want to be in with the “it” crowd, the ones that define what the “it” is all about.
Mediocrity Sucks
Average means you’re the best of the worst and the worst of the best. Who wants to be associated with that? In today’s fast-paced environment people want the best, the greatest, the most fabulous information on what to do, what not to do, and how to get it. Offer that and your brand will be well on its way to building the brand trust it deserves and wants so badly.
Make a Stand
What is your brand about? What isn’t it about? Place a stake in the sandbox that is on the virtual beach and preach it — day in and day out. You don’t need to be Sally Field (does any one remember Sally Field’s infamous acceptance speech?). It really doesn’t matter if not everyone likes your brand. It matters that the community you seek loves your brand. That’s an important distinction.
You want it when?
Throw out the 3-year plan, or even the 5-year plan for that matter. There is no time agenda for achieving the brand trust factor. It’s ironic that in such a fast-paced environment achieving social media trust for brands is a painstakingly slow process. Building brand trust has always been about consistent messaging. The situational aspects may change, but the context and the ‘how to build’ it and alas, lose it, are very similar.
So, marketers and social media gurus, are some brands already ‘there’? Has anyone achieved brand trust through their social media What do you think?
#SharedWisdom
by Miriam Hara | Oct 29, 2015 | Advertising, Content, Latest, Social Media
If you think social media is about selling, think again.
If you think social media is about selling, think again. Advertising is about selling. Social media is about sharing: sharing your expertise by positioning yourself or your business as the expert. After all, you are the expert, right? As the expert, your role is to share your expertise. A little social media 101 for those still trying to sell instead of share.
Substitute your own product or service in the following example and the thoughts still hold water.
You’re on social media to make people happy. Your ongoing presence on social media should be designed to keep them happy.
Just for a moment, imagine your business as one that sells kitchen knives. You’re not on social media to sell those knives. You do that through your advertising. You’re there to speak to the importance of having the right knife for the job. You’re there to teach people about knives and respond to their questions or comments about your company and its knives. You’re making connections and carving out conversations through your knives.
Kitchen knives come in a variety of styles and each is designed to perform different tasks in the kitchen. So, talk. Talk about knife blades, handles, edges and blade materials that work best for various jobs. Talk about the importance of keeping a knife sharp. Talk about the history of knives. Develop interesting associations with other subjects through your knives. The list is virtually endless and there are endless ways to talk about it all. Think creatively. But keep in mind that social media is a forum for conversation, for imparting information that will teach people something or help them in some way. Give people something to think about. Get them talking. You’re on social media to make people happy. Your ongoing (consistent) presence on social media should be designed to keep them happy. Make sure that they want to keep coming back to hear what else you have to say.
Be creative. Be original. Be funny, if you wish. Don’t take yourself too seriously.
Allow your social media content to spread its wings. Dream up unique ways to present and share information about your company and its products or services. You’re the expert — you own the valuable ‘insider’ information. You know things about your product or service that nobody outside of your company knows. So, share. Use video. Stream video. Show and tell. Show people having fun with your products — make your content a social event. And don’t forget to have fun while you’re doing this (you probably raised your eyebrows at that comment). But if you enjoyed creating the content, then it’s almost certain that your enjoyment will be reflected in your post. Don’t shy away from ‘funny’. Social media has an incredible sense of humour. Be creative. Be original. Be funny, if you wish. Don’t take yourself too seriously.
You might be saying, “Miriam, not all businesses are fun. Mine’s quite a serious business.” I understand. Some of you are in businesses or organizations that require a great deal of tact and diplomacy. But all businesses have a human connection. To be successful that’s what you must reveal on social media — the heart of your business. Share your heart. That’s what social media is about.
Bottom line: If you believe in your business or organization then you’ll have lots to share.
This post underscores the difference between sharing and selling. Bottom line: If you believe in your business or organization then you’ll have lots to share. The beautiful thing about this very social forum is that it’s accessible to all of us and it’s affordable.
So you’re a small company that lacks the budget to compete with the big guns. In social media that doesn’t matter. You don’t have to compete. You’ve (hopefully) identified your niche; now expand it, solidify it, and secure it. Create a following. Extend your reach. Build brand loyalty. Social media is not governed by borders. Want to stretch your content’s wings internationally? Social media is the passport that allows you to travel anywhere, even on a small budget.
… you’re delivering value. And people everywhere love value.
Through well-written content that is varied, interesting and engaging, you’re delivering value. And people everywhere love value.
What else adds value? Sharing different content, on different platforms, via different formats, while staying true to your brand’s culture across platforms — that’s valuable.
Do it right. Position yourself or your business as the expert. Share. Give. Respond. Reveal the heart of your business and people will seek you out.
We learned it in kindergarten: People don’t like people who don’t share.
If you’re not feeling particularly creative or confident about your social media efforts then reach out to someone who can help you develop a strategy; one that leaves room for your efforts to evolve over time. As the world’s most successful brands will tell you, the long-term payback of sharing over selling is worth the effort. If you’re going to be successful, a presence on social media is no longer a choice and sharing is a necessity. We learned it in kindergarten: People don’t like people who don’t share.
Want a few tips on creating content for social media? Download our content creation ebook, ‘Content Creation Understood.’
‘Stop Selling. Start Sharing. It’s what social media is all about.‘ was first edited and published by Social Media Today, on October 15, 2015.
by Miriam Hara | Oct 27, 2015 | Business Success, Communications, Latest, Management
A company without a social media presence is almost unheard of today. Consumers expect brands to be on social media. New Social Media Research Shows What People Expect from Brands. Are you prepared for the commitment? Are you making the time or do you begrudge the time spent on creating and maintaining a social media presence? Think your social media commitment is killing your company’s overall productivity?
Control your productivity: It’s about managing the day instead of the day managing you.
I run an advertising agency. Every day has priorities but within those priorities there are continuous moving parts that must be addressed in a timely manner. A social media presence is one of those moving parts. Business is not always about multitasking, it’s also about fluidity, responding smoothly and appropriately to situations and not being bottle necked by the myriad of details. It’s about making split-second decisions on whether to expedite, deal with, or delete. It’s about managing the day, instead of the day managing you. Within that framework comes managing your social media commitment.
You have to make time for social. You have to assign the people. If you begrudge the time it takes to create and maintain your social media presence then you have to change your thinking. If you can’t be joyous, then at least be jovial about this social investment. Approach it in the spirit of good fellowship. Social media is not a tangible asset; it’s intangible, but just as important as all of the other intangible assets that make up your business’s identity — your brand, your logo, your reputation. In today’s business climate social media is about social good will. It’s the warm and fuzzy aspect of business. A business without good will? We all know what happens to businesses that don’t nurture good will.
It helps to think of social media as a customer.
It helps to think of social media as a customer. Would you allow a relationship with one customer to suffer because you were spending all your time on another customer? What would happen? Would you ignore your Accounts Receivable because you didn’t have the time to follow up? Would you forget about Accounts Payable? Would you put pitching for new business on the back burner because you’re too busy servicing the customers you already have? This last is a common problem with small businesses — finding the time to get out there and land new accounts! Same with social media, for many of you it’s a question of time and how to manage your social media commitment.
Social is a demanding customer. It vies for your attention. It sucks up your time. It expects creativity. It costs you money … so plan for productivity!
Yes, social is a demanding customer. It vies for your attention. It sucks up your time. It expects creativity. It costs you money — you’re paying someone on staff (maybe more than one person) to deal with it and often those people have other responsibilities, too. Their productivity suffers. Maybe you’re dealing with social media activity yourself and as the business owner your own productivity is suffering. So how do you deal with demanding customers? Every so often in business you get one. A customer has hired you as the expert, to help them, but they’re just not listening to you. You’re putting extensive time and effort into the relationship, but the payback currently isn’t there. You see no promise or value in the long-term proposition. No business wants to lose a customer, but sometimes you have to let one go. But not social media. That’s one customer you can’t afford to let go … so plan for productivity!
Like many things in life, changing your thinking can change the outcome.
Like many things in life, changing your thinking can change the outcome. Try thinking about social as a customer. Accept that it’s a time-gobbling client, but worth the effort because the rewards are there. Accept that the return on your investment won’t be felt immediately, but when done right, it will be felt. Be patient. Remember, the currency you’re dealing in is good will. Do what you do with all other aspects of your business — plan for it. A good social media presence doesn’t require an enormous budget and if you plan for it, the time spent on it becomes purposeful.
While good will can’t be quantifiably measured, it won’t be difficult to measure your productivity, and ultimately the success of your business, without it.
While good will can’t be quantifiably measured it won’t be difficult to measure your productivity, and ultimately the success of your business, without it. Social media is about creating good will. Without good will, productivity issues will be the least of your worries. Repeat customers, new customers, brand loyalty and affection for your brand. Good will plays a role in all of it.
For more about productivity, read our previous blog, ‘Productivity: Write this Down’.
Get tips on building your social media presence and great content with two of our free downloadable e-books, ‘Social Media Understood’ and ‘Content Creation Understood’.
Keep in touch! #SharedWisdom
