Category: Social Media/Digital Marketing

One-size-fits-all Social Media Solutions… A false prophecy!

December 17, 2011February 20, 2012 ·

As could be expected, many within franchising entered the year determined to make things happen. As also could be expected, many turned to social media, believing it could be the answer to improving sales at the unit level, increasing interest in their franchise opportunity, and considered social media a low or no-cost alternative to what they’ve done in years past.

Unfortunately, many have failed in their social media efforts. The reasons? Well, many did not understand the ins and outs of social media marketing. Some didn’t even understand the basics of the most fundamental social media; Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. And others failed because they were just not 100% committed to the effort. But, are these the real reasons they failed?

Well, as you may have guessed, the answer is, “No!” Ultimately, failure in social media is a direct result of failing to plan. Referring to the old adage, “Failing to plan, is planning to fail” causes me to shake my head in bewilderment at the statements posted in many of the online discussion groups recommending what clearly points to one-size-fits-all social media solutions. How much planning goes into a one-size-fits-all solution? How much commitment actually goes into a one-size-fits-all solution from both the consultant making the recommendation and the client that signs on? How much does a one-size-fits-all solution address outside the realm of the basic social media platforms? I don’t believe it’s ironic or a coincidence that the same questions I pose here are similar to the reasons many fail in their attempt to utilize social media.

Success in social media takes hard work. It takes a well-defined strategy based upon a clear, concise understanding of objectives and desired results. It takes a firm commitment of dedicated resources in both time and money. It takes knowing who the target audience is, where they congregate and communicate online, what messages need to be delivered to create interest, and seperately, to create a call for action. It takes full comprehension of a contingency plan based upon what if…? In essence, it takes planning!

Brian Solis, author the best-selling book on social media, Engage!, and Fast Company expert blogger, recently wrote an article on this very subject, In Social Media, Failing to Plan, is Planning to Fail. He wrote, “I’ve received a series of inbound requests for comments based on a report from Gartner, an IT analyst firm, that estimates as many as 70-percent of social media campaigns will fail in 2011. There are a series of discussions hitting the blogosphere and the Twitterverse exploring this very topic, some elementary and others on the right path. I contacted Gartner earlier this week and the problem is, that this data isn’t new at all. In fact, these discussions are fueled by information originally published in 2008 and in early 2010. Yet another example of the importance of fact-checking in the era of real-time reporting, yes, but, when I paused for a moment, I appreciated the timelessness of this discussion.

Are many of the social media programs in play yielding tangible results?

No …

Are they designed to impact the bottom line or are they tied to meaningful business outcomes?

No …

The truth is that you can’t fail in anything if success is never defined.”

To franchisors, I suggest, before choosing what appears to be a one-size-fits-all social media solution, take the time and expend the effort to develop a social media strategy that not only reflects your current status, but one that can evolve as your system grows. And, be sure to involve your franchisees as it is essential that local objectives to drive sales are integrated in the overall plan that may also include franchise development objectives. Keep in mind, many plans will include multiple objectives that may require that different social media be utilized for optimum results. And don’t forget to integrate your social media plan with your overall marketing and development plans!

Solis concludes his article, “Success is not a prescription. There isn’t one way to excel. That’s the point. Success requires definition based on intentions, goals, and mutual value … across the organization from the top down, bottom up, inside out and outside in. Success is defined departmentally and also at the brand level. There’s much to do …”

Read the complete article HERE.

* This post was originally published on this site July 2011

“Social Media is not applicable to us!” – How would you respond?

December 6, 2011December 6, 2011 ·

Earlier this year, Brett Newman, from the Franchise Opportunities Network, responded to a Linkedin discussion with a question relating to social media acceptance that I hear all too often.

“After attending a few social media presentations and roundtables, I heard an important contact dismiss social media as “not applicable to us”. I understand this to mean that he didn’t think that social media could make an impact on franchise development or franchise lead generation.

While I don’t agree, I wasn’t in a good position to challenge this view from this contact.

If you heard this from someone, how would you respond?”

My response…

“Very interesting, but not all uncommon. I probably would have quoted Socialnomics author, Erik Qualman, who also happens to be the person behind the Social Media Revolution videos – “Social Media ROI is that you’ll still be in business five years from now!”

Once I stated that, I would probably state that utilizing social media is not a one-size-fits-all strategy, nor is it easy to use effectively. I would also indicate that social media, in order to be effective takes serious planning, and should be integrated with other aspects of the business for optimum results. Last, I would reiterate that social media is a communications tool, and as with any tool, it takes practice and hard work to utilize it correctly, and effectively.

If that still doesn’t at least get the person to pause and consider the options, then I would believe the person is afraid of social media just as many are afraid of the unknown. Or, I would tend to believe the individual isn’t willing to put in the effort which lends towards complacency or laziness.

I believe this is really no different than people continuing to use ledgers instead of an accounting software. Or, the many that were phobic about using computers and word processing programs and continued utilizing IBM Selectric typewriters. How many times did we see someone walk away from the large Xerox copier because they didn’t know how to load the paper? In all these cases, as with social media, is it fear, complacency or laziness… or really a combination of all three to varying degrees?”

Please share YOUR thoughts!

*This post was originally published on this site February 2011

AMEX Reassessing Policies for Small Business Saturday

November 29, 2011November 29, 2011 · 5 Comments ·

Looks like we’re making progress on the issue of American Express excluding franchising from its Small Business Saturday event which took place this past Saturday, the day after Black Friday. The following is an article that was posted on Entrepreneur.com earlier today.

Should Franchisees Participate in Small Business Saturday? BY DINAH WISENBERG BRIN

American Express’s second annual Small Business Saturday promotion, which the company declared a success, also spurred a one-man complaint storm over the exclusion of franchised business locations. Now the giant card issuer is reassessing its policy for the program, which is designed to entice holiday shoppers to independently owned enterprises.

Franchise marketing consultant Paul Segreto, who heads franchisEssentials, deserves much if not all of the credit for airing the issue. He recently took to social media and other Internet forums to complain that “franchising, supposedly the cornerstone of small business and as many claim, the driving force behind economic recovery in America, has been excluded from the event.”

Small Business Saturday offered $25 credits to shoppers who patronized qualifying mom-and-pop stores on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

Segreto noted that American Express solicits franchise brands and franchisees to accept its card and exhibits at franchise trade shows. On Saturday, Segreto tweeted: “I bet #AMEX wouldn’t be very happy if all of #franchising didn’t accept AMEX Cards … even for just one day.”

An American Express spokeswoman says the company is arranging a conference call for this or next week with both Segreto and the International Franchise Association.

Small Business Saturday focuses on small, independently owned and operated businesses that do not benefit from national marketing campaigns funded by a larger corporate entity, according to the spokeswoman. “It’s not our intent to exclude anybody,” she says. The company only recently learned that smaller franchises wanted to participate.

IFA President and CEO Steve Caldeira says it’s a common misperception that franchises are not small businesses, even though most meet the standard definition.

“I’m confident that the franchised business community will play a role in future AMEX initiatives,” he says.

Segreto says he became aware of the exclusion this year after recommending to several franchise clients that they participate in the event; he was astonished when one of them sent him the eligibility requirements.

“That is when I started posting about the situation,” Segreto says, “and when I saw I had support from others within the franchising community, I kept increasing my efforts.”

Improving Local Brand Awareness AND Driving Sales & Profitability for Franchisees!

October 31, 2011October 31, 2011 ·

Individuals on the buying side of a transaction in today’s business environment are more diligent and cautious than ever before. Not only are these individuals consumers, but they are also business owners, executives, and basically anyone making a purchase for personal or business use. Taking this a step further, although a decision to offer credit is not considered to be a buy / sell transaction, today’s credit providers are also exercising caution and diligence at higher levels than in the past. So, what does this mean for today’s franchisees?

Considering that people buy from people, and people do business with people, the personal aspect is paramount to establishing a relationship that evolves thru to the transaction, and many times, repeat transactions. But, who has the time to network and afford people the opportunity to learn about them and their experience? Well, the answer is, “not many”, as they also have businesses to operate and manage, and time is limited. The key, then, is to brand ones’ self in a way to create a personal platform whereby franchisees, the business owners, will be searchable by the diligent and cautious parties that want to learn more about the person behind the local business before deciding whether or not doing business with them makes sense, and is in line with their own objectives, and possibly, values.

Typically, franchisees are hesitant, reluctant and frightened to network. Even in their communities. Basically, they don’t know where to start or even know what to say beyond, “I’m a such and such franchisee, and we sell this and that.” Therefore, franchisees work hard in the business by working long hours behind the counter, serving customers and interacting with employees; both important to the business but not to the growth of the business. Or, they do the opposite and check-in at some point, pick up the deposits and then do something completely unrelated to the business. Again, things may be in order but the business remains status quo. Does this all sound familiar?

Personal Branding for Franchisees, developed specifically for retail and service B2C and B2B franchises, can change how franchisees are perceived by consumers and others desiring to do business with them. It will improve franchisees’ confidence in going main-stream into the local community. It will create a platform whereby franchisees would be perceived to be on a similar level as executives of larger businesses and corporations. It will provide franchisees with the motivation to expand his or her reach into the local business community. It will present franchisees as experts in their field and in business in general. It will open communications at various business levels potentially exposing franchisees to strategic alliances, future employees and key contracts. Ultimately, it will help improve local brand awareness and drive sales and profitability.

The Digital Holy Trinity – Possibility or Probability?

October 26, 2011October 26, 2011 ·

I was recently asked my opinion of Groupon and I immediately thought of its place within the whole realm of traditional and social media marketing, and how I see its sustainability in small business, including franchising, and if I recommend using group coupon deals at all.

Here’s my opinion, subsequent rant… and a bold prediction!

Groupon and others like it should only be utilized strategically and only for a specific purpose such as generating immediate interest and cash flow for a typically slow period, and to infiltrate a competitor’s customer base. Both of these objectives have been achieved by utilizing a Groupon-type coupon. Further effectiveness is evident as the coupon strategy is enhanced by social media.

Personally, there are so many Groupon copycats that the allure, even from a customer perspective, has diminished considerably from just six months ago. Case in point – I had purchased over 30 Groupons and similar coupons and was happy to use them all. That being said, over the past three or so months I have not purchased a single one. Why? Because before it was one deal per day and I was notified of the same and I could simply decide one way or the other. Now, I’ve got to look at deals, is it family based or not, entertainment or service… just too much of a hassle. Not to mention the bombardment of collateral emails like for Social Escapes by Living Social, etc.

Beyond that, coupons and promotions will be very geo-specific. Actually, social media is becoming very geo-specific which will drive the geo-specificity of coupons and promotions. Facebook has a distinct advantage over many others as they have both Facebook Places and Facebook Deals. Further, they have finalized or are close to finalizing a deal with Foursquare whereby it works hand-in-hand with Facebook Places. As it is, Foursquare populates into Facebook (and Twitter). And mobile phone usage will continue to drive check-ins and geo-specific marketing. Customer Review sites are jumping on the bandwagon and offer check-ins as well.

Where I believe Facebook will prevail as the leader, is the community feature. Basically, a captive audience where fans can realize all, including coupons and promotions, check-ins, customer reviews, sharing information, posting comments, etc. The push to a more mobile-friendly Facebook is already occurring. If you can think it, Facebook is probably working on it. If not, they’ll buy it. Long-term contracts? Facebook deems them as not being necessary. They really don’t need to as no one really competes with Facebook.

Now that Facebook has become more business-friendly, the sky is the limit. I project you’ll see Facebook go after LinkedIn or develop something similar. Twitter could be a possible acquisition. MySpace? That will be interesting especially as Zuckerburg feels the under 13 crowd should be on Facebook. With MySpace, he’d give them more reason to do so… or maybe justification. Foursquare? Some type of merger would be practical. How about the rumors that Apple is stockpiling their cash for a run at Facebook? Now THAT would be very interesting!

On the other front is Google. Certainly, they are a search powerhouse. And, with their acquisition of YouTube, they now have the top two search engines. Yes, YouTube is used for search even more than Yahoo and Bing. But, Google has not done well with social media. Think GoogleBuzz and GoogleWave. So, at what point does Google and Facebook realize they’ve each cornered their own parts of the market. Maybe even covering the whole market? Would that then create the possibility of a Google-Facebook merger? Just think of THOSE possibilities! And, now that Microsoft has purchased Skype, maybe the celestial landscape will include Skype… albeit with an improved mobile application.

So, the winning combination in one way, shape or form is… Search, Social, Mobile. I like to call it the Digital Holy Trinity!

*This post was originally posted on this site May 2011.

Author’s note – As for Google +, it remains to be seen what happens with Google’s latest attempt at social media. I, for one, believe it will also fall by the wayside as their other attempts within social media have in the past.

Ten Commandments of Social Media

August 31, 2011August 31, 2011 ·

Lon Scafko, author of The Social Media Bible, and keynote speaker for the upcoming Franchise Social Media Summit, wrote an article some time back for Fast Company magazine where he discussed the Ten Commandments of Social Media. These commandments are an excellent guideline to developing a social media marketing strategy, and for future reference.

Commandment 1. Thou Shalt Blog (like crazy)

Blog. Please. That’s the first priority. Set up a blog, a personal blog, a business blog. It’s easier than you think. Use an existing blogging site such as Blogger.com or GoingOn.com or install your own branded blogging site right on your own server by using WordPress. And, WordPress is free.

Commandment 2. Thou Shalt Create Profiles (everywhere)

Create your profiles; do it now before someone else takes them. Once they are gone, they are gone forever. That’s called cyber squatting. So get out there. Use Open Social to make filling in your profiles as easy as a click of a button.

Commandment 3. Thou Shalt Upload Photos (lots of them)

Upload photographs. You’ve got them. Don’t upload the one with you with a lampshade on your head…counterproductive; but other photographs? Absolutely. Customers want to see and participate. You want to give people a face to go with your company.

Commandment 4. Thou Shalt Upload Videos (all you can find)

Videos. You all have got videos. I don’t care whether it’s training videos or customer videos, grab your video camera and go interview some of your customers. What’s better than seeing your customer’s smiley face on your Web site? And it doesn’t cost anything.

Commandment 5. Thou Shalt Podcast (often)

Podcast. If you’re too cheap to get a camera, use the free audio software that’s in your computer. That’s what I did. I created 48 audio podcasts. If you take the podcasts I did for my book and played them back-to-back, they run 24 continuous hours of interviews. You can do that. It’s free. It just takes time.

Commandment 6. Thou Shalt Set Alerts (immediately)

Set alerts. People are talking about you. You probably need to know what they are saying and you want to participate.

Commandment 7. Thou Shalt Comment (on a multitude of blogs)

Comment. Commenting is like going to a cocktail party. You wouldn’t walk into a networking event, walk up to a group of people talking, and tell them your name and what you do in your business. That would be rude and unacceptable. Listen first. Read the blogs and add comments. You can be controversial, that’s okay. But participate. Get involved.

Commandment 8. Thou Shalt Get Connected (with everyone)

Get LinkedIn. Put it in your email that you have a LinkedIn account, you have a Facebook account, and that you have a Twitter account. Make it a part of your heading on your letterhead, because that’s how you propagate. That’s how you sell it.

Commandment 9. Thou Shalt Explore Social Media (30 minutes per week)

Explore social media. Give me thirty minutes a week, that’s all I’m asking. Friday morning grab your coffee, lock yourself in your office, and give me thirty minutes. Just Google something. I promise you within the first 30 days you will be excited. You’ll be as excited as I am. You will get excited because of the ROI.

Commandment 10. Thou Shalt Be Creative (go forth and create creatively)

And the most important commandment is creativity. That’s all. It’s just creativity and having fun. But you know what, that’s what your customers want. They want to see transparency. They want to see authenticity. They want to see you having fun. They want to be able to relate and communicate.

* Previously posted on franchisEssentials June 2010 and June 2011

Hello? Are We Communicating?

August 10, 2011August 11, 2011 · 3 Comments ·

The following is a guest post by David Muray. David is a marketing and a digital communications strategist. He carries extensive experience in social media, online community management, product development, and any project that requires creative out of the box solutions.

A member of iDetroit, David founded the Social Media Club chapter of Detroit, and is one of the co-chairs for FutureMidwest, the region’s largest technology and knowledge conference. He has also been featured in David Meerman Scott’s blog, Web Ink Now; and his book, The New Rules of Marketing and PR.

David’s passion is in helping others. He enjoys sharing how businesses can learn the true value of the digital landscape, which is relationships; and how job seekers can use social media to find employment.

Do You Really Communicate, or Do You Just Tweet?
Originally posted on The Way of the Murr blog, March 5, 2011

Do you try to connect, or do you just broadcast?

Are you creating content, or are you just blogging?

Do you tell or show someone what you like, or do you just hit the button?

Are you sharing, or are you yelling?

Are you helping, or are you telling someone what to do?

Do you share your passion, or do you simply share your products?

Are you really excited, or are you just bragging?

Did you write a resource, or did you just write a book?

Do you have think tanks, or do you just put on a conference?

Do you help educate, or do you just like to speak?

Are you a leader, or are you a rock star?

Are you bringing value, or are you just interested in the party?

Do you truly interact and engage, or are you simply showing up?

Are you showing up, or are you just checking in?

Do you share your accomplishments, or are you simply collecting badges?

Do you read, or do you just bookmark?

Do you feel, or do you think?

Do you have things to do, or are you just busy?

Are you here right now, or are you thinking about two hours from now?

Are you creating something others can participate with, or are you just building something?

Are you adding constructive criticism, or are you just complaining?

Are you critiquing, or are you jealous?

Are you in the business to innovate, or are you just making money?

Do you include creativity in your bottom line, or is it just revenue?

Do you create functionality, or do you just create apps?

Do you have an experience, or do you just have a brand?

Do you listen, or do you simply monitor?

Are you looking to create relationships, or are you simply looking for leads?

Do you lead, or do you manage?

Do you manage, or do you constrict?

Do you listen to people’s ideas, or do you just tell them what to do?

Are you excited, or are you scared?

Is it just about ROI, or is it also about communicating?

The ones who communicate the best, will win.

Does your business or organization truly communicate? Do you really strive to connect? Are you honestly trying to help solve a problem?

I hope so, because if you are only concerned with charts, graphs, numbers, and how well you are doing, you’ll be obsolete.

We won’t need you. We’ll create our own solutions, and we’ll do this by truly communicating with others.

Do you communicate, or… ?

*This post was originally published on this site March 2011

Social Media Policies & Procedures – What’s to Debate?

August 9, 2011August 9, 2011 · 2 Comments ·

I agree local opportunities within social media are huge and I project it will continue to expand and improve as more tools and technology are introduced. Just think, it wasn’t all that long ago we didn’t even know about Foursquare and now it’s growing like crazy!

And, yes, franchisors should not “manhandle” social media and content marketing as some have dictated, but it is vitally important to have very detailed social media policies and procedures so that everyone within an organization participating in social media is afforded the opportunity to be as active as they so desire. That being said, their activity must be in line with the guidelines that are determined to be in the best interests of the brand. After all, utilizing the brand within social media should be deemed no different than using the brand name on signage or in traditional marketing. Ultimately, it is the brand’s trademark and use of the same, in any manner, still must comply with the franchisor’s authorization to use the same.

Social media should not be considered one-size-fits-all. Instead, a strategy must be developed in line with the goals and objectives for utilizing social media and all that goes along with the strategy including resources available to execute the plan, identifying targets and where they congregate and communicate, the types of social media that may be best suited for sharing information and in some cases calls for action, and of course, how the results are to be analyzed and quantified.

For instance, from a very simplistic point of view, how would anyone propose a chain of 500 franchise locations each be active on Twitter considering there are limitations on characters in the profile name? It’s one thing for each location to have an individual presence on Facebook by using the brand name along with a geographic acronym of sorts (XYZ Finest Pizza – North Hollywood, CA). But, how could the same be accomplished within Twitter especially to maintain consistency in the brand name? In this case I would recommend a corporate Twitter account for the brand only. In other situations, each location having a Twitter account may be feasible. But even then, that doesn’t mean it’s appropriate. Only proper strategy development will make that determination.

Certainly, mapping out the strategy and overall web presence, then planning out the role social media will play is the correct course of action. and will make implementing a social media policy must easier. Not to mention providing defined reasons for specific parts of the policies and procedures that can be used to “convince” franchisees to abide by the policies and procedures as opposed to unsubstantiated reasons which may cause franchisees to feel they’re in a “demand” situation. Convince rather than demand always wins out!

*This post was originally published on this site March 2011