This was a talk at the monthly tweetup: SMBNH (Social Media Breakfast New Hampshire) on April 18, 2013 at NHPR's (New Hampshire Public Radio) studio in Concord NH. The main focus was using automated tools to gather intel about customers, partners, competitors and markets to better prepare and engage them online.
2. Social Media
As a Listening Post
@donfperkins
donfperkins.com
Content Marketer, Juggler,
3.
4. Why a Listening Post?
Build Influence
Improve Reputation
Earn Trust
Everyone loves to be heard
Many good reasons:
5. Social Media: A Marketer's Dream
Endless Cache of Market Research Data
Targeted Customer Profiling
Build Personas of Your:
Prospects, Competitors, Partners, Markets
6. Dude. What's a "Persona?"
Likes, Dislikes
Favorites, Pet Peeves,
Challenges, Aspirations,
Priorities, Associations,
Concerns, Opportunities,
Events, Hangouts,
Language, Bias, Cultural Norms
Habits, Hobbies
ETC...
7. Why are Persona's Important?
1. Free Education - Learn how to best
influence and engage your target
audience
2. Learn the Do's and Dont's, taboos,
interests
Examples: Timberland, Street Food 360
8.
9. More Reasons to Develop
Personas
5. Impress Them - Show that you did your
homework; that you tried harder
6. Differentiate - You know more than "that
guy", You can help
7. Better Relate, Truly Engage
Influence
10. Influence is Not a Dirty Word!
You may want to get something
You may want to give something
You may want to develop relationships
You may want to change the world
You may want to keep it the same
You may want to make a difference
Example: Be the Change You Want to See
in the World
04/18/13 at NHPR studios, Pillsbury Rd, Concord NH
the other side of social media - using it as a listening post. Chris Brogan and Julien Smith talk about this in their book about influence in business.
Timberland does a great job of forming all their marketing materials, including their online presence around a few very well defined personas. As a result, they have tremendous engagement with customers in social media. People really identify with the brand. Streetfood 360 also does well with humorous quips on Facebook, on their printed menu and such.
Social media is great for understanding more about what's acceptable and what's not. Cool moves on. Get a handle on what will resonate with buyers by listening to them online.
A lot of people are reluctant to consider becoming a better influencer. They somehow associate it with a negative motive. Nonesense. One of the most passive individuals known to man (Mahatma Ghandi) said to be the change. He influenced a lot of people, still does today. Motives can be for good or bad. Influence is neither inherently good or bad, it's what you use it for.
Lots of money is spent each year by companies trying to find out what you think. Why not turn the tables and apply the same listening ear to your customers, partners, competitors? Then you will know what to say to them when you have their attention.
This is a list of free or low cost social media data mining tools. There is so much information available, you need to implement some sort of automation or you will go crazy.
Bottom line: If you are going to market with a product, a service, an idea - why not take advantage of the gads of info they have freely shared about themselves to get to know your customer, build a persona (or two) that will serve as a basis of what to say to them in your marketing campaigns?