Independent Thinking » Communications Strategy

What’s Trending in the Digital Space?

Daria Steigman — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 06:01:24 +0000

Web 2.0 was so last year. Or last decade.

Either way, we’re moving on.

So what’s going to be trending in the digital space moving forward?

If you’re in the D.C. region, join me and my fellow panelists for an IABC/Washington breakfast meeting on January 12 as we discuss trends in digital communications.

I’ll be joined on the panel by Dan Horowitz of Fleishman-Hillard’s Digital Group; Steve Radick of Booz Allen Hamilton’s Digital Strategy and Social Media Practice; and Rick Dunham, Washington Bureau Chief of the Houston Chronicle and chief author of the Texas on the Potomac blog.

This should be fun. If you’re in the Washington area, please do join us.

Photo by Rosaura Ochoa (Flickr).

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The Secret to Mobilizing Everyone

Daria Steigman — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 18:45:56 +0000

I’ve always been fascinated by people-powered movements. (Heck, I even took on class on them in graduate school.) That point where people decide they’re done sitting by. They’ve had enough. They break through the fear barrier. Or the paralysis barrier. Or just the fed-up barrier.

Lately there’s been a groundswell of these, from India’s anti-corruption movement (terrific article here on what U.S. businesses can take from that) to the Arab Awakening to the Occupy Wall Street movement springing up across the United States. The last is driving the media crazy, because they can’t figure out how to condense it into a soundbite. As a communications strategist, I’m usually the first person to talk about “messaging.” Having a clear story to tell.

But messages can be messy–and maybe we need more often to allow context to seep in.

Journalist Chris Hedges, who’s covered his share of people-powered movements over the years, said the other day that:

The whole non-hierarchical structure [of Occupy Wall Street] is really brilliant… They can’t destroy [a] movement like that. The fact that you rotate people through positions of leadership. The fact that you’re completely transparent.”

Whatever your politics, there’s some good food for thought in here about both leadership and how we tell our stories.

Photo by Justin Cozart (Flickr).

Why I Don’t Have A Marketing Blog

Daria Steigman — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 10:05:14 +0000

My target audience isn’t marketers. It’s businesses.

There’s nothing wrong with marketing blogs. Or PR blogs. Or blogs about kittens.

But too many business bloggers are really just writing for themselves.

What challenges do your clients, customers, and/or prospects face? Are you helping them move forward today?

If you’re blogging about kittens, I hope you have a pet store, or sell pet supplies, or at least have a business model with some passing reference to furry little feline creatures. Otherwise you have a hobby blog and not a business blog.

Photo by Eran Finkle (Flickr).

The Fine Print

Daria Steigman — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 10:05:26 +0000

We talk a lot about “reading the fine print.”

The disclosures that scroll across the bottom of TV ads. Multi-page bank privacy statements. Multi-screen end-user agreements. All those documents you sign when you buy a house or refinance a mortgage–or start a new job.

The problem with “the fine print” is it’s not fine. It’s jargon. Legalese. References to more legalese.

Skype employees thought they knew what was in the fine print. The stock options that vest. Only they didn’t:

Normally options give employees the right to buy shares at the price on the grant date, once they have worked at the company for a time… [But] it turns out the investor group, led by private equity firm Silver Lake Partners that bought Skype from EBay in 2009, had secured a so-called repurchase right that gave them authority to buy back the shares at the grant price…

The only mention that the company had the right to buy if [an employee] left in less than five years came in a single sentence toward the end of the document that referred him to yet another document.

Make sure your business has clear terms, not fine print.

Photo by Kevin Spencer (Flickr).

Are Keynotes Necessary?

Daria Steigman — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 13:20:52 +0000

Jessica Hibbard, who’s organizing a February conference in Frederick, posed the following question on Twitter the other day:

At a conference, how important is the keynote address? Do we have keynotes because they’re essential, or because we’ve always had them?

My initial response:

A little of both. They’re only essential if they rock and/or have a rock star to draw participants. So many end up duds.

I added that I’d rather see more networking or additional content sessions. Beth Schillaci added that she’s “skipped many a keynote.” Others also chimed in, and most were lukewarm on keynotes. Which really begs the question of why so many conferences include them.

A case in point: At GrowSmartBiz in 2009, the keynoters were Chris Anderson and Mark Warner. They (okay, Anderson) attracted me to the conference. Both were terrific. In 2010, the GrowSmartBiz keynoter was SBA Deputy Administrator Marie Johns–in a city where government officials are a nickel a dozen. Johns’ remarks were relevant–but she was clearly giving her usual speech. And she wasn’t drawing a crowd.

Case in point 2: I’ll be blogging at What’s Next DC in a couple of weeks. The conference is set up as a series of presentations. Sure the first one is Hubspot founder Brian Halligan. But he’s “Act 1: Foundation,” and not a keynoter. There’s an Act 2 (and 3, and 4…). All the speakers are given equal weight, and the program is the draw.

What’s your take? Are keynotes necessary?

Photo by Beau Giles (Flickr).

Predicting the Future (of Marketing)

Daria Steigman — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 15:00:32 +0000

What is the future of marketing?

That was the topic at a recent Thoughtlead online mini-conference. The premise: Select 60 smart people, ask them one big question, and give them each 60 seconds to make their case. The responses were sometimes predictable. More often, however, the speakers challenged themselves and us to think about what’s next–and why.

Here’s a sampling of my favorites:

Michael Stelzner pointed out that people don’t trust brands, so it’s important to focus your marketing on helping other people. He also talked about recognizing people who help you. “If you lift people up, they’ll lift you up.”
Steve Rubel said the biggest challenge for marketers going forward is “time and space, and the relationship between the two… Let’s talk about space. Online it’s infinite. We have as much choice as we want in terms of content. Time on the other hand is finite, and attention spans are fragmenting.”
David Meerman Scott talked about the need to focus on real-time (versus campaigns) and to look for things you can do right now. “The bottom line: social media are tools; real-time is a mindset.”
Frank Gruber talked about always being curious, and about letting your curiosity lead you to find new ideas and innovations.
Mitch Joel suggested that the future of marketing ”should, and will be all about anonymity.”
Alex Bogusky said that collaboration is the new competition, and becoming transparent is not a choice.” The only choice is: do you do it, or do you have it done to you?”
Todd Defren talked about putting relationships at the center of everything.
Gary Vaynerchuk suggested that the future of marketing is one-on-one engagement. “The humanization of business is upon us.”

You can read the entire transcript here.

Photo by Krikit (Flickr).

Are You Sending Mixed Messages?

Daria Steigman — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 14:27:14 +0000

Is your business sending out mixed messages?

My condo building just completed a major redecorating project, in the process turning our lobby into a replica of a high-end, monochromatic coffee bar (sadly minus the barrista or the coffee). And that silly gas-powered fireplace.

Meanwhile, the current board of directors says they want to trim costs, and have honed in on energy expenses. They want owners to put in new light bulbs and turn down the heat when we leave our homes. They’re encouraging people to buy new Energy Star appliances with the lure of a city-offered rebate (spend $1,000, get back $50 — does that math add up?).

Even putting aside the un-eco-friendly, gas-powered fireplace, what’s in it for me? The fees go up every year no matter what I do. Plus I now have to pay for granite countertops in the new management office kitchen and other over-the-top renovations.

In other words, I’m getting mixed messages. Much as a high-end hotel promises luxury then dings you on Internet fees. Or a company freezes employee bonuses then announces record profits. (Yes, the latter once happened to a friend of mine.)

Make sure your business isn’t saying one thing and doing another.

What is True “Social Media Integration”?

Daria Steigman — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 15:28:54 +0000

According to Jeremiah Owyang, true social media integration doesn’t exist.

In a fascinating keynote speech at the MarketingProfs B2B Conference last week, Owyang walked through an 8-step roadmap for integrating social media and your (corporate) Web site. The aim is to identify where you are now, where you want to be, and to move slowly and strategically forward.

The framework starts from the point of no integration and moves toward an ideal:

Do nothing (while the conversation is happening around you in other platforms).
Link outward from your Web site (i.e., send traffic away with links such as “follow us on Twitter” or “follow us on Facebook“).
Link away, but encourage sharing (i.e., “I’m now following Company X on Twitter,” which offers some social endorsement).
Extend your brand in social channels (i.e., mirror your corporate brand experience elsewhere, a.k.a. “fishing where the fish are”).
Aggregate the conversation on your Web site. (Think Skittles, which centralized discussions on its site. The downside, of course, is loss of control.)
Use social log-ins (i.e., Facebook Connect or Twitter Connect. Think H&R Block. While this may increase sign-ups, you lose the opportunity to collect e-mail addresses and other key data.)
Social log-in triggers sharing (creating a social or interactive experience that enables users to stay on the site while interacting with both the company and their friends/peers, and to recruit other people into the social network. The challenge is that this requires planning, the right technology, a solid campaign strategy, and extensive resources.) Pepsi Refresh, for example, lets people vote for their favorite ideas and share them with friends on Twitter and Facebook. Dell IdeaStorm triggers consumers to recruit friends to vote for their ideas.
Seamless integration (the idea that you won’t be able to tell the difference between your Web site and a social site).

Owyang said that seamless integration requires a fundamental change that we’re not yet ready for. “The idea of sending traffic to a .com is an old way of doing things,” said Owyang. In the future, “you’ll send traffic to people and the networks.” He also suggested that the future Web will be sorted around people and contextual situations (not URLs).

Pretty heady stuff. I’m still somewhere between Step 2 and Step 4. Where are you, and where do you want to be?

Photo by ming1967 (Flickr).

3 Business Lessons From a Savvy Nonprofit

Daria Steigman — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 12:45:51 +0000

Many years ago, I was donating money to the same organization as my parents. They were always talking about how responsive the group was, sending them updates, an annual congressional directory, and the like. When I observed that I wasn’t getting any of that, my mom suggested I call them and ask.

The response: Oh, yes, that’s because they give more money. But you can buy our congressional directory (at a price that was higher than the more-comprehensive ones put out by commercial outfits). I never gave them another penny.

Clearly, not every customer, donor, or client is the same–but don’t you want every one of them to think they’re special?

Contrast that to the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), which has treated me like a rock star since my first donation. Their model offers three lessons for business:

Information–SPLC routinely sends me relevant information, including progress reports, Teaching Tolerance kits (a schools-based program), and examples of why they exist and my participation matters.
Personalization–It’s not hard these days to personalize a message, and yet many organizations forget to tie it to me. SPLC routinely thanks me, and they call me “Ms. Steigman” and don’t presume a familiarity that isn’t there.
Results–As the photos above show, SPLC tells me what they’ve done (and thanks me for my role in it). Sure, my donation barely registers in their operating budget, but it’s good to be recognized for my support.

There’s one more thing that I suspect that SPLC knows: regular, long-term small donors are often the best prospects for planned gifts (i.e., big bucks). This is akin to the way that your regular customers are often evangelists for your brand and a good source of referrals.

Are you putting information, personalization, and results to work in your business?

You’re Using Social Media, But is Your Audience Listening?

Daria Steigman — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 14:38:52 +0000

I wrote here about the secret to a great client relationship (hint: it’s about how you communicate). Now I want to talk about a related issue: understanding how your audience is listening.

For example:

Have you ever had someone say, “Well, I tweeted about that”?
Okay, but I didn’t see your random tweet at a random-to-me time in a sea of tweets from the 500+ people I’m following.

Have you ever had someone tell you they posted the event to their LinkedIn Group?
Great, except I get a weekly digest and your event was three days ago.
Have you ever had multiple people send you Facebook notifications for the same event, even though you’re on the organization’s distribution list and so have obviously received at least one event invitation (and possibly signed up already)?
Gee, now you’re spamming me.

Here’s the problem: When you do this, you’re making assumptions about my behavior and how I use various social media channels. Get it right, and we’re cool. Get it wrong, and your message is lost. You become irrelevant. Or worse, I unfollow, unlink, or unfriend you.

Whether you’re asking directly, monitoring online behavior, or accessing analytics, it’s important to understand how people consume information.

What strategies do you use to understand how your audience is listening?

Note: This post originally appeared on IABC’s Communication World blog.

Photo by cogdogblog (Flickr).