blogging

It seems to me that now a days blogging is the only way to go. Whether it's micro blogging, the normal blogging or status updates, we no longer reach for our phones to make a phone call but rather to update our social media profiles. Should we no longer ask for people’s phone number, but instead their Facebook and Twitter user names? With all these new platforms emerging, I often wonder how we will ever have enough time to keep up with them all. Heck, our company devotes an entire division to managing this for clients.
 
Although my bread and butter is made from telling clients they NEED to be in the social media realms, I strongly believe that face time is much more important than Facebook time. Yes, it's important to have a social media presence. And yes, you should keep your virtual "friends" and followers informed, but at the end of the day, how many of these people are really your friends? If you can't make the face time, at least make the phone call. Maybe Twitter is onto this idea also since they just launched the new (but when you're reading this, probably not the latest) application allowing you to make phone calls via Twalkin. Oh Twitter, you're always on top of the trends!

I know we’ll most likely be using this new application for our campaigns, so go ahead and give us a call. But, to be honest, it’s probably easier to get in touch online ☺ Someday I’ll practice what I preach.

Source: weblogcartoons.com

Of course Twitter was going to come up with a smart way to innovate AND satisfy customer demand, Twitblogs! Now, you don't have to limit yourself to 140 characters and you can add images, etc. Well, it's certainly a good thing for those of us who like using this social platform to extend our client's causes BUT I kind of liked the short, "must think concisely" older version. Nostalgia. It's getting so 5 minutes ago, isn't it?

Anyway, ok I haven't tweeted for a while, and I have my reasons (going to get back on the train today!) but my laziness aside I like the tightness of the medium BECAUSE it makes you THINK. How can I express something in a meaningful way with just a few words? Yes, we are children (or parents) of the sound bite era so we should be used to this type of short format. But I think most of us found it surprisingly fun, if not a challenge.

Our agency will certainly use this new opp for clients. I will try to get my act together and tweet more regularly. Gosh, there's always something to do, isn't there? LOL!
 

Source: nirmaltv.com

As the head of the WOM (Word of Mouth) department I get this question a lot—from colleagues, clients and friends. What exactly do my team and I do all day online? 

Well, first of all everyday is different—it is hard to miss the fact that the internet continues to be the final frontier, the wild west and a black hole all at the same time. We have bought our tickets for the roller coaster ride and every day get ready to take the plunge.

Technology and such aside (that will get its own entry), one thing that doesn’t change is the fact that as communications marketers—despite the evolution of tools—it is always our job to create authentic messages about products and services that resonate and create “action” by our target audience.

How we do this at BBC (Brand Building Communications) is by spending time finding and listening to our audience in places where they are already having conversations—online. This is everything from Facebook and Twitter to message boards and forums.  We then introduce ourselves as brand ambassadors and join the conversation! Sounds simple, but we have really made it a science. It is a combination of marketing know-how, trend analysis and good ol’ people skills. We talk to people about our clients the way we would talk to our friends in the “real world.”

And how is it working for our clients? Really well thank you very much! The visitors that we are driving to our client web sites based on our outreach are spending double the time on the sites, clicking through farther and “bouncing” at a much lower rate. We address the old “quality versus quantity” issue in all of our reporting, but when it comes to building brand relationships online, we are going for quality!

Source: www.searchenginepeople.com

At a recent staff meeting that included champagne (we were feting the 5-year anniversary of our SVP), we started talking about our blog and the idea of “green” came up in the conversation. Basically, the team wanted me to write about our “green” policy and I had to point out that it wasn’t very hefty. They in turn disagreed. So here we go, writing about green…

We recycle! In fact, I had a dream about it last night after our discussion. In the dream I was remembering to take the paper out of my office trash can and to transfer it to the recycling bin. This morning, I am setting up a new system to make sure I do this on a consistent basis (the former VP of the lux team who is on a sabbatical around the world used to check in on my waste can—recycling was her idea). So, we do recycle, and apparently many offices don’t. I’ve set up a fairly unwieldy group of bins in our kitchen for this purpose and we have a recycle office maven who scolds people if they put the plastic refuse in with the paper (she is the new VP of the lux team so maybe there is something about fancy clothes and diamonds that also translates into a heightened green conscience. Apparently, not a lot of offices do this, so good for us!

We also use green cleaning products, or at least we try to use them. Our cleaning crew likes to install their own version of products behind our backs, but we do our best to keep the products environmentally safe. We also use natural scents to keep our bathroom smelling fresh (which is a MAJOR feat since unfortunately it appears something may have died in there before we arrived—it’s an ongoing source of frustration for an office that looks super fab). Plus, we have a chocolate brown sea grass carpet throughout the office that doesn’t require cleaning with chemicals (and absorbs any stain, thank goodness!) AND WE ALWAYS TURN OFF THE LIGHTS and generally keep them off during the day (yeah for big windows and sunshine!).

So, I guess there is a greener element to our office than I thought. Not as green as it could be, maybe. But here’s what the BBC staff said to me: Every little bit counts… Ok, so we’re doing our little itty bitty part. It’s definitely motivation to do more.