Saturday, July 30, 2016

The Psychology of Successfully Marketing to Millennials [Infographic]

Want to know more about Millennials and how to market to them? Here's a look at vital stats about this demographic--and info about how best to reach it. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

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Friday, July 29, 2016

How Dell Manages Influencer Programs: An Interview with Konstanze Alex-Brown

In the last few years, brands have realized that earning the trust of consumers isn’t something they’ll be able to accomplish alone. The reality is that people trust people, which explains the emergence of influencer marketing. Instead of going straight to their target market, brands are now looking to a chosen few individuals to augment their message and promote their product. Influencer marketing programs have stepped boldly onto the scene and have set up shop in B2C and B2B environments. In my book The CMO’s Periodic Table, I interviewed former IBM VP of Marketing and the architect of their B2B influencer marketing program, Tami Cannizzaro. In Tami’s words, the point of such programs is to connect with notable people in the target industry and “make these people part of your overall strategy, treat them like VIPs and give them insider access to your strategy or brand.” Influencers get a seat at your company’s table, and become the voice of your brand for the thousands of people who consume their content.

How Dell Manages Influencer Programs, An Interview with Konstanze Alex-Brown

During the Incite Group’s Corporate Social Media Summit, I had the pleasure of continuing this conversation with Konnie Alex Brown who specifically oversees Dell’s influencer relations. I talked to Konnie about the skills and strategies she utilizes to make sure Dell’s influencer campaigns are mutually beneficial for the company and the influencer. Speaking with her not only gave me an in-depth look at the inner workings of a brand/ influencer partnership, it further proved the value that such a relationship brings to both the brand and the influencer.

Drew: You’ve been at Dell for +9 years. Talk to me a bit about how your various jobs at Dell set you up for our current one and the skills you need to succeed at running social influencer relations?

Konnie: My experience leading corporate and executive sales and technology communications at Dell have had a foundational role in preparing me to design corporate social influencer programs that reflect Dell’s customer focus, business priorities and long-term strategic vision. Understanding a company’s history and being plugged in to the right news streams and networks within a company of Dell’s size is fundamental in building a social influencer program that creates value for the business, as well as for the social influencer. Understanding the dynamic and nuances of shared value creation is indispensable to be successful in a business-to-business environment.

Drew: Can you give a specific example of an influencer you are working with? How did decide on this individual and what did the program look like?

Konnie: Sure, Drew. I have recently developed a blue print for working with a social influencer focused on Dell’s IoT solutions. This particular B2B example is exciting as it describes the path and evolution of the relationship leading to tangible ROI for Dell and for the influencer and, very important, it is repeatable. This case study also clearly shows the need for company internal collaboration across teams to achieve maximum value. It is important to note that this process will take time and dedication just like any initiative that involves building trust-based, human relationships. Think of it as ‘dating’ where the brand (but really a human representative of the brand) and the social influencer get to know each other.

Take a look at the blueprint for building a relationship based on increasingly more information sharing and trust building via carefully chosen and designed touch points (INSERT VISUAL).

Let’s start at the beginning. Following the identification and pre “first date” vetting of the social influencer, we begin with building the relationship by inviting him or her to a first meeting, ideally an event where both parties can find out about goals, capabilities and business priorities. Over the course of additional touch points, designed to uncover the value for the brand and the influencer, the evaluation to deepen and nurture the relationship (think months, not days) can be made. Once a mutual level of trust has been established, the depth of information sharing and authentic, mutual endorsement can take place without compromising the influencer’s independence of voice. It is also important to note that there will be ongoing assessment of the relationship’s value – from both sides.

Drew: What does Dell hope to get out of the relationship? How do you measure success? (feel free to share how long it can take)

Konnie: Great question, Drew. Let’s talk about the mutual value that a long-term, trust-based relationship creates for the Dell brand and the influencer. Dell seeks to help the influencer understand our purpose, customer commitment and value proposition by sharing our strategy, technology POVs and details about current and future plans to meet and anticipate customer business needs. The value for Dell clearly lies in expanding our audience each to raise awareness and educate the social influencer’s audience about the Dell value proposition in an authentic way for future consideration and action. We constantly monitor the value of the content in terms of frequency, authenticity, subject matter expertise, preserved independence of opinion, social engagement and reach as well as dynamics, such as leadership and interactivity, at in-person events.

Drew: Let’s talk about the value exchange here. What’s in it for the influencer and how do make sure that persons is getting what they want out of the relationship?

Konnie: The value of the relationship for the influencer resides in several areas and may vary dependent on the influencer’s particular goals. In general, however, the value resides in gaining insights into Dell’s technology strategy, particular POVs, future plans as well as access to customers and partners of Dell. This information access allows the influencer to deliver insightful, trust-worthy content to his or her audience and, with that, increase his audience, trusted status among them and his or her relevance in the industry.

Drew: How important is it that you personally have relationships with the influencers? Is this something you can outsource and if not, why not?

Konnie: Dell’s social influencer programs are built on the premise that relationships are owned, maintained and nurtured by Dell via frequent virtual touch points and white glove experiences via in-person meetings or events throughout the year. To answer your question, Dell’s point of view is that these relationships, due to their long-term, trust and value-based nature, cannot be outsourced. Aspects of social influencer identification, logistics and measuring processes, however, can well be handled by an agency.

The post How Dell Manages Influencer Programs: An Interview with Konstanze Alex-Brown appeared first on Social Media Explorer.



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Daily Search Forum Recap: July 29, 2016

Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today, through the eyes of the Search Engine Roundtable and other search forums on the web...



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#SproutChat Recap: How to Analyze, Interpret & Present Data From Social Media

As marketers we have access to a plethora of data. The landscape of tools that offer in-depth reporting is robust and the complimentary metrics that come directly from each social network are informative. This week at #SproutChat, we discussed which analytics are worth paying attention to and what to do with your social media data
.

Prioritize Your Time

The first step in analyzing your data is prioritizing your time by understanding which metrics are worth looking at. Make sure you determine your objectives and figure out what type of data will help you reach your goals-then dive into the numbers. Depending on your goals, you won’t need to dissect every single measurement available, so be sure to highlight the key 3-5 that will prove to senior management that you’re reaching your goals. If you’re unable to objectively measure what you need set benchmarks to track progress.

Correlate Metrics With Achieved Goals

Frequently and consistently monitor metrics in comparison to your goals. Pay attention to alternate factors lending to success and pivot and adjust if necessary. Don’t be afraid to tap colleagues for additional measurements in order to paint a more holistic picture of your social data,. Take credit for the results from your efforts and collaborate to work towards 10x-ing those achievements.

Use Tools to Scale Your Efforts

Don’t go at it alone! Use social media reporting tools to easily collect and organize metrics. A software is worth the invest, as it will be able to find data much quicker than you or your team can. A software or tool may also help you figure out which metrics to watch in the first place. When your whole team has access to social data, it streamlines progress and allows all of you to achieve more.

Present Your Data in a Way That Your Boss or Client Will Understand

Create an easily interpretable format and visualization of your data so that all stakeholders involved can quickly see the progress or opportunities for improvement. Feel free to get creative and distill the insight into its simplest format.

Join our #SproutChat Facebook community where we post the weekly topic and discussion questions. See you at the next chat on Wednesday, August 3 at 2 p.m. CDT.

This post #SproutChat Recap: How to Analyze, Interpret & Present Data From Social Media originally appeared on Sprout Social.



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#SproutChat Recap: How to Analyze, Interpret & Present Data From Social Media

As marketers we have access to a plethora of data. The landscape of tools that offer in-depth reporting is robust and the complimentary metrics that come directly from each social network are informative. This week at #SproutChat, we discussed which analytics are worth paying attention to and what to do with your social media data
.

Prioritize Your Time

The first step in analyzing your data is prioritizing your time by understanding which metrics are worth looking at. Make sure you determine your objectives and figure out what type of data will help you reach your goals-then dive into the numbers. Depending on your goals, you won’t need to dissect every single measurement available, so be sure to highlight the key 3-5 that will prove to senior management that you’re reaching your goals. If you’re unable to objectively measure what you need set benchmarks to track progress.

Correlate Metrics With Achieved Goals

Frequently and consistently monitor metrics in comparison to your goals. Pay attention to alternate factors lending to success and pivot and adjust if necessary. Don’t be afraid to tap colleagues for additional measurements in order to paint a more holistic picture of your social data,. Take credit for the results from your efforts and collaborate to work towards 10x-ing those achievements.

Use Tools to Scale Your Efforts

Don’t go at it alone! Use social media reporting tools to easily collect and organize metrics. A software is worth the invest, as it will be able to find data much quicker than you or your team can. A software or tool may also help you figure out which metrics to watch in the first place. When your whole team has access to social data, it streamlines progress and allows all of you to achieve more.

Present Your Data in a Way That Your Boss or Client Will Understand

Create an easily interpretable format and visualization of your data so that all stakeholders involved can quickly see the progress or opportunities for improvement. Feel free to get creative and distill the insight into its simplest format.

Join our #SproutChat Facebook community where we post the weekly topic and discussion questions. See you at the next chat on Wednesday, August 3 at 2 p.m. CDT.

This post #SproutChat Recap: How to Analyze, Interpret & Present Data From Social Media originally appeared on Sprout Social.



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#SproutChat Recap: How to Analyze, Interpret & Present Data From Social Media

As marketers we have access to a plethora of data. The landscape of tools that offer in-depth reporting is robust and the complimentary metrics that come directly from each social network are informative. This week at #SproutChat, we discussed which analytics are worth paying attention to and what to do with your social media data
.

Prioritize Your Time

The first step in analyzing your data is prioritizing your time by understanding which metrics are worth looking at. Make sure you determine your objectives and figure out what type of data will help you reach your goals-then dive into the numbers. Depending on your goals, you won’t need to dissect every single measurement available, so be sure to highlight the key 3-5 that will prove to senior management that you’re reaching your goals. If you’re unable to objectively measure what you need set benchmarks to track progress.

Correlate Metrics With Achieved Goals

Frequently and consistently monitor metrics in comparison to your goals. Pay attention to alternate factors lending to success and pivot and adjust if necessary. Don’t be afraid to tap colleagues for additional measurements in order to paint a more holistic picture of your social data,. Take credit for the results from your efforts and collaborate to work towards 10x-ing those achievements.

Use Tools to Scale Your Efforts

Don’t go at it alone! Use social media reporting tools to easily collect and organize metrics. A software is worth the invest, as it will be able to find data much quicker than you or your team can. A software or tool may also help you figure out which metrics to watch in the first place. When your whole team has access to social data, it streamlines progress and allows all of you to achieve more.

Present Your Data in a Way That Your Boss or Client Will Understand

Create an easily interpretable format and visualization of your data so that all stakeholders involved can quickly see the progress or opportunities for improvement. Feel free to get creative and distill the insight into its simplest format.

Join our #SproutChat Facebook community where we post the weekly topic and discussion questions. See you at the next chat on Wednesday, August 3 at 2 p.m. CDT.

This post #SproutChat Recap: How to Analyze, Interpret & Present Data From Social Media originally appeared on Sprout Social.



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How I increased my blog’s Search Traffic by 44% in under a month

I’ve been blogging for over 2 years now, but I didn’t really optimize my blog for search extensively – which is kind of odd, since I work as an SEO.

So when year 2013 started, I decided to re-optimize my blog (some parts of it), a week before I published my recent post about Advanced SEO tips for blogs.

The post How I increased my blog’s Search Traffic by 44% in under a month appeared first on Kaiserthesage.



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Links and Usability, Verizon Buys Yahoo, And More: Weekly Forum Update

seochat-wmw-cre8asite-threadwatch-roundup-768x576Yahoo is sort of alive and sort of dead as of this week – the end of an era, and the end of the road for Yahoo’s last minute, brazen, experimental approach to recovery.

Our communities have been discussing the story, along with a few stories about links, AdSense, HTTPS, and more this week.

One of our stories about links is actually quite different from the usual “how do I get them” discussion – on WebmasterWorld, users are wondering about the UI/UX aspect of links.

The standard practice is to make them blue and underline them, but if you’ve been surfing the web lately you might have noticed that not everyone does that anymore. Here’s the rest of our new and exciting discussions for the week:

Color Us Surprised: Links Are Still Incredibly Important!

As Google grew and became more sophisticated, there were some webmasters who wondered if links would fall by the wayside. Would new ways of identifying a website’s importance and relevance to a search query develop? If they have, they haven’t impacted links very much.

Eric Ward recently reported for Search Engine Land that links are actually more important than most people think. Some of us are less surprised to learn this than others – you can get some great links for reading over on Threadwatch!

Making Links Usable Again

Blue, underlined text (or magenta/red underlined text if you’ve clicked it already) has been the hallmark of a link since the dawn of the ‘Net. But, as ergophobe of WebmasterWorld writes,

“…for many years now, the vogue has been to make links practically impossible to find. I actually run some sites that I did not design where I basically cannot see the links…”

This thread is all about the UI/UX concerns of links. Web users have been trained how to recognize links for years. When we change how our links look, are we making it more difficult for users to parse our websites?

Keyplyr writes that compromise is possible:

“Usability vs aesthetics has always been a conflict, but IMO I found the compromise best suited for my design and my users.”

Graeme_p emphatically disagrees:

“The internet diversifying is a bad thing. Different approaches for different audiences is a bad thing. Usability depends on convention.”

What do you think?

What is the Value of Attending an Industry Conference or Trade Show?

Attending regular industry conferences and trade shows involves some sacrifices – money and time, specifically. And are they worth those sacrifices? Kim on Cre8asite writes that,

“For me, taking risks and working hard to get to a conference where I would be educated and network was how I was able to teach myself.”

EGOL agrees that they have value:

“…especially if you are in the early to middle stages of your learning…A lot of people balk at spending [the kind of money it takes], but this type of education can be self-funding if you are serious about getting educated and applying what you learn.”

For other members, the value of conferences diminishes as your own experience decreases. But at that point, isn’t it worth giving back to the community with what you’ve learned? Smaller niche-specific conferences are almost always valuable for the networking, Cre8asiteforums users agree. What’s your stance?

AdSense – What’s Good Traffic Mean?

Plenty of people who run AdSense are obsessed with getting as much traffic as possible. But there’s good traffic and there’s bad traffic, and your goal should be to maximize the former. So what makes traffic good?

Threadwatch has some highlights from a recent WebmasterWorld thread all about it. You probably want

“…traffic that purposefully visits your site, sticks around for more than two pages without bouncing, visits multiple times, comes from an authoritative or relevant link, and is relevant to your niche and location.”

Beyond that, there may be certain age groups that work best for you, too. The definition of good traffic is a little different for everyone – get some ideas from this thread!

HTTPS – One More Reason to Change

Chedders on SEO Chat pointed this out –

“…Chrome as of version 50…no longer supports any requests for user location unless it’s via HTTPS.”

So if you’ve got a website that takes a user’s location to display relevant ads or content, that function could be totally broken for Chrome browsers as of April, 2016!

How Do I Get Someone’s AdSense Suspended

A user from WebmasterWorld has fallen victim to a very stubborn and malicious content scraper. A significant amount of their content has been stolen and re-purposed to make a quick buck with AdSense.

Now Mr_Jefe wonders how to get the scraper’s AdSense account suspended. Or, failing that, how to end the scraper’s attacks. Everyone deals with content scrapers eventually – but this one is so prolific that it makes for a very interesting read.

Vahoo – Verizon Buys Yahoo

Did you know that Verizon also owns AOL? For many of us who have been around to watch the old search engines come and go, putting AOL and Yahoo in the same bucket says a lot about Yahoo’s potential future.

The sale to Verizon doesn’t include Yahoo’s most valuable components, though – Yahoo Japan, the company’s cash, or its lucrative stocks in Alibaba. Users on Cre8asiteforums wonder what Verizon’s plans are – and what about Yahoo’s current deals with Bing and Google?

The post Links and Usability, Verizon Buys Yahoo, And More: Weekly Forum Update appeared first on Internet Marketing Ninjas Blog.



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What Customer Loyalty Means in a Fear-of-Missing-Out World

Traditional customer loyalty programs aren't a good fit for today's fickle consumers. Check out these essentials for a modern customer loyalty program. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

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#SocialSkim: Why Social Media Satisfaction Is Falling, Plus 11 More Stories This Week

This week, falling user satisfaction on social platforms, Reddit's new plan to lure advertisers, Twitter's big live-streaming news, nine new and mostly secret Facebook targeting options, and more! Read the full article at MarketingProfs

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Marketing Influencers: Four Ways to Elevate Your Content Strategy and Amplify Your Outreach

Marketers can learn a lot from established voices who are driving decisions in marketing, and this analysis of 21 influencers' content sharing offers ways you can improve your own content strategy. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

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Customer Data: The Solution to Lead Generation

More leads, please.

In most companies, it’s an ongoing process to generate interested buyers to your product and services.

We want qualified leads that move effortlessly throughout the sales cycle.

But the problem lies in our preparation. Some of us just don’t have enough information about our prospects.

The CSO Insight study reported that “42 percent of sales reps feel that they don’t have the right information before making a call.”

Use accurate customer data to prepare your team. Knowing key insights can make or break the deal.

Power up your data profile. Leverage it to produce more qualified leads.

Gathering Reliable Data

Based on a Ascend2 study, “35 percent of those surveyed said the biggest barrier to lead generation success is the lack of quality data.” Your data should tell a vivid story of your customer.

To gather reliable data, track anonymous users who visit your website. Watch leads interact with your content via session replays.

Ask for feedback from current customers. Monitor the trends of loyal consumers.

B2B marketers must also “embrace more third party and real-time data sets to really understand buyer’s across the entire customer journey.” For example, that may include using social logins to access a prospect’s profile information.

Data is widely available. Your team must decide which acquisition channels work for your company.

What’s the best way to collect email addresses? Or how can you quickly accumulate customer preferences?

customer-demographics-chart

“Understanding who your customers are and, in turn, what they like, will undoubtedly enable you to increase conversions and sales. Make it easy for your customers to share their data with you, and use that data to keep them engaged with your business,” says Josh George, a senior applications engineer at Lyons Consulting Group.

Know who you’re serving. Collect valid data for better results.

Enhancing Buyer Personas

Get inside your prospects’ minds. Map out your ideal customer to understand their reasons for buying.

But, what’s the point?

Buyer personas are roadmaps to navigating through your prospects’ interests, dislikes, and habits. If you’re aware of their behaviors, your team can create targeted solutions.

“By developing research-based buyer personas, you can create effective, highly targeted marketing campaigns. Each piece of communication ties back to your buyer personas so that every message addresses relevant pain points and positions your software as a viable solution,” states Brie Rangel, Account Strategist at IMPACT.

Knowing the basic demographics of your buyer is a given. Your team’s goal is to dive deeper. Learn your customers’ goals, challenges, and personal story.

Below is an example of a buyer persona for a specific startup founder. The story section offers a complete picture of the prospect, everything from the stage of his product to what he does for fun.

buyer-persona-startup-founder

The role of customer data is to provide accurate information for your buyer personas. You don’t want to waste time selling enterprise-level B2B SaaS software to a B2C startup.

Moreover, inaccurate buyer preferences and habits will leave both the prospect and sales rep frustrated. So, double-check your personas.
Because in the end, your mission is to match your product with a qualified lead. That’s how you bring in sales.

“Use personas to spend more time with qualified leads, because they’re the ones who are most likely to turn into those long-term customers you’re looking for,” says Nicole Dieker, freelance writer and copywriter.

Enhance your buyer personas. Use data to add a face to the customer.

Segmenting Your Audience

After learning your customers distinct behaviors, it’s time to serve those individual needs.
It makes no sense to group everyone together.

If Sally specifically likes apples, why send her emails about oranges and grapefruits? Instead, educate her about the difference between gala apples and pink lady apples.

That’s a mental hurdle for most SaaS teams. We assume if our customers like X; they will definitely love Y. It isn’t always that simple.

Segmentation comes in many shapes and sizes. From geographical to behavioral differences, your customers vary. And it’s up to your team discover how to connect with them.

market-segmentation-approaches

You might consider a city in a particular state or the buyer’s readiness to purchase. Work with your team to develop a goal.

Define your reason for segmentation. Experienced marketing and product leader Doug Goldstein offers the following common segmentation objectives:

  • Create segmented ads & marketing communications
  • Develop differentiated customer servicing & retention strategies
  • Target prospects with the greatest profit potential
  • Optimize your sales-channel mix

Segmentation is impossible without customer data. Add insights derived from analytics to guide how you group prospects.

And don’t be afraid to experiment. Testing is how you’ll discover the right messaging for your sales reps. Plus, it can help you market product information on your site.

“When practicing website optimization, leveraging customer segmentation provides a framework for running intentional, well-hypothesized experiments on your website that drive value,” writes Junan Pang, a solutions architect at Optimizely.

Segment your audience to deliver more personalized and timely experiences. With a segmented list, you’ll be able to target the right services to interested buyers.

Building The Relationship

You can collect the data, create the buyer personas, and segment your audience. But all that data can’t substitute customer relationships.

And that’s where most businesses miss their opportunity.

“[C]ompanies often manage relationships haphazardly and unprofitably, committing blunders that undermine their connections with customers,” states Jill Avery, a senior lecturer at Harvard Business School.

Customer data is intended to facilitate the relationship between the sales rep and the buyer. However, research shows that companies without sophisticated data management tools “derive erroneous results that annoy customers, resulting in a 25 percent reduction in potential revenue gains.”

bad-impressions

Don’t attempt to foster a customer relationship with poor-quality data. If you do, prospects will seek out your competitors.

TechTarget executive editor Lauren Horwitz and SearchCRM site editor Tim Ehrens agree:

“Customer data management often falls to the bottom of the priority list. Organizations get bogged down with more pressing issues, such as cutting costs or keeping daily operations running. But relying on poor-quality customer data almost always frustrates customers — and many of them take their business elsewhere.”

Relationships are built on human-to-human contact. That means being genuinely interested in your buyer’s concerns.

How can you make their lives better? Where can you offer convenience?

And sometimes your product won’t be the solution. Yes, your SaaS service may not be the best option for that particular person.

Sales teams must recognize that it’s okay to remove unqualified prospects from the pipeline. This action should be commended, not frowned upon.

Use customer data as a tool to score leads. Then, gain insight on how to target prospects that matter to your company.

Data shouldn’t supplant the customer relationship. Make the human connection.

Go for the Data

Your team needs qualified leads. Focus on customer data as a solution.

Gather data from reliable sources. Use buyer personas to target your audience. Segment their behavior to create a personalized approach. And focus on building relationships throughout the sales cycle.

Want more leads? Go for the data.

About the Author: Shayla Price lives at the intersection of digital marketing, technology and social responsibility. Connect with her on Twitter @shaylaprice.



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