Different Drummers

BlogHer 2010 - A brand's perspective

Gettington.com made its first BlogHer appearance this year.  It was a fast-paced weekend that went by too quickly.  In the spirit of blogging, we wanted to share our experience as a brand at BlogHer 2010.

From what I’ve read through blogs and tweets as well as the conversations at the show, the attendees had a variety of reasons for going to the BlogHer conference.  Among the reasons I’ve heard was to meet new bloggers, learn more about writing, catch up with old friends and learn how to monetize their blog. 

Obviously brands had agendas for the conference as well.  At Gettington, our agenda was to build awareness of our brand and connect with a powerful community.  We are just shy of our first year birthday – so yes, we are still a baby.  We sponsored the BlogHer 10 conference bag because it was a great brand fit to bring the BlogHer community a cause that we support and believe in – providing women choices.  (visit my earlier post on the BlogHer conference bag).

We also manned a booth in the exhibition hall.  We were surprised by all the BlogHer conference attendees who came by to either say Thank You for the bag and/or learn more about Gettington.  We marveled at the level of engagement by all the attendees.  Our experience was less about people coming through looking for swag and more about real conversations about who we were. 

We were so encouraged by the positive feedback about our business.  This was important to us as we are not your typical online shopping site.  We help consumers manage their budget by providing payment options.  Our shopping assistant shops along with you showing your payment options for each item that you add to your shopping bag.  We believe informed decisions are the best and don’t hide interest fees by clearly display the total price you will pay including interest.   And our payment options are a better choice than most store credit options (see for yourself – JC Penney is 23.99% APR and Target is at 25.24%) 

Our brand tenets center on choice, transparency and a healthy dose of fun.  Yes, we gave away some fun prizes – an iPod, Dyson DC-14 vacuum, Wii Sports Resort bundle,  Kitchen Aid stand mixer, Rachael Ray cookware, Paula Deen cookware, Wolfgang Puck knife set.  Goodie BagTM is our weekly fun.  It’s a great deal or even a freebie such as the Freeset bag.  All you have to do is register on the site to get your virtual Goodie Bag.

We are also thankful to everyone who took the time to write a note for the women of Freeset.  It means a lot to be able to provide them with the encouragement to make bold choices in life.  We’ll post a link to the digital scrapbook once it is completed.  Lara David (@laradavid) is pictured with her note to the women of Freeset.  Visit her blog as well.

I am very happy for the new connections too.  But I also realize that our view of the world from our booth may be distorted.  I’ve also heard about a few faux pas that brands can easily make (i.e. not every female who blogs is a mommy, not every blogger is interested in writing product reviews)  What is the best way to engage you at BlogHer?  Any suggestions on how to make an impact that works for you and for us?  I would love all your feedback (positive and opportunities) so that we can digest what we’ve learned and connect with you in the way that is optimum. 

Warmest regards from Gettington.com

10 Tips for Social Media Marketers

There have been many chapters in the book of my life, some sad but most really happy.  I’m now at the end of another chapter and it is bittersweet.  I’m leaving H&R Block to become the General Manager of a new online shopping site that will be launching this fall.  I’m excited to start this new chapter as it is fulfilling one of my dreams, but, sad to leave behind a great brand and wonderful colleagues.

Over the last three years, the H&R Block brand has embraced the opportunity to communicate with consumers differently.  We have been on the forefront of social media and been honored by positive mentions from thought leaders such as Shel Israel, Francois Gossieaux, Jeremiah Owyang, Jake McKee, Andy Sernovitz, and Chris Heuer.  Traditional media has also taken note of the “tax company that could” with mentions in the Wall Street Journal, PC World, Advertising Age, ClickZ, and Marketing Sherpa among others.  But most importantly, consumers have engaged with us in new and different ways through YouTube, Twitter, Second Life, FaceBook, Myspace and our own community site at hrblock.com. 

This has been an incredible journey for me personally.  The accomplishments we have achieved are the result of a team effort.  I’m happy to know that I’ve had a positive influence on that team and overjoyed knowing that the team will be carrying the torch and continue to make a difference with our customers.    There are some key learnings about social media that every corporate social media marketer should know:

• Every brand can be and should be “social” -   Conversations about your brand and products are happening everywhere.  You need to be part of the conversation and if H&R Block can make taxes social, your product can be social too.

• Just get started – It doesn’t take a big budget to get started in social media marketing.  In fact, much of social media marketing is human capital.  Start by listening.  Set up Google alerts to look for conversations about your brand or product.  Use TweetDeck and set up a brand search to monitor what is going on about your brand or product in the Twitterverse.  Then participate in the conversation, just remember to be authentic, honest and transparent and you will be fine.   If you take the first steps to engage in the conversation you will learn more about how your brand or product fits into the social media space and it will help guide any future programs. 

• Integrated marketing vs. social media - There is a difference between an integrated marketing campaign that includes viral components or online/offline coordination and a social media program.  A marketing campaign has a short life; it is singular in desired action and is usually focused on demand generation.  A social media program is a commitment to engage and communicate with consumers where the consumer wants to communicate.  If you are going to start a marketing campaign with social elements versus a social media program, you must start with the end in mind.  The worse thing a marketer could do is build a group of fans, friends or followers without a clear exit strategy after the campaign is completed. 

• Find your brand’s own path – What works for one brand in social media does not mean it is right for another.  For example, the path of engagement with a movie franchise is very different than engaging consumers about taxes.  Remaining true to your brand promise is the best way to approach social media.  Utilize your brand promise as a guiding principle across all your social media efforts.  Reflect it in the content that you create, the tone that you use, and the programs that you develop. 

• Media $ versus human capital – I mentioned human capital earlier.  Companies can spend a lot of money trying to launch a social media program.  For the most part, I would really classify those efforts as an integrated marketing campaign.  Your approach and funding of an integrated marketing campaign needs to be in line with the size and scope of your overall marketing budget.  Social media programs can be a lot more cost efficient from a media budget standpoint, but, you still need human capital to run them.  In many cases you may be trading media $ for the human capital needed to run a program.  For example if you are taking the first step of listening and engaging in the conversation, there is no media buy necessary.  However, you do need to have some person dedicated to scanning and responding.  Ideally, that person is an employee of the company.  Why this should be an employee leads to the next tip.

• Agencies play a great role, but the voice needs to be the company’s -There have been many company backlashes by having your agency respond in the social media space.  Remember that the consumer wants to connect with you, not your agency.  Your agencies can monitor and identify opportunities, but it is the company that needs to respond – authenticity is key.

 

• Your agency needs to walk the walk – I hate paying an agency to learn on my dime.  When we started three years ago, social media was so new and changing so rapidly that we were all learning together.  Today there are many different agencies that are building expertise in social media including public relations firms, interactive agencies and newly formed agencies focusing on social media.  As you select an agency partner make sure that they don’t just talk the talk but also walk the walk.  Are they active in social media?  Does the agency blog or twitter?  Judge the agency not solely on their pitch, but also on their actions.

• Get legal involved early – Your legal department can be an ally or a roadblock.  What you need to understand is that in the area of social media there is not a lot of legal precedence to draw on.  This makes your legal department nervous because it is more difficult to know the best way to protect the company.  Involve your legal department early and help them understand your goals so you can build a partnership and not hit as many roadblocks.  Ask your legal department to help you solve for the risks versus just state that you cannot proceed with a program. There are always solutions to mitigate risk.  You and your legal department can find solutions together.

•  Have a crisis management plan – The recent Dominoes episode clearly identifies the need of a crisis management plan.  In a world of 24x7 communications, the brands that can respond quickly to a crisis will be the brands that weather the storm.  A good crisis management plan must begin with active monitoring.  Judgment will need to be exercised to distinguish a customer service issue from a true crisis management situation.  Once a crisis has been detected, the brand will need to respond in a matter of hours not days.  Early action will help nip a crisis in the bud before it explodes into something larger.  No action or ignoring it will only exacerbate the issue.  A brand that is already active in social media will also carry more credibility and rally more supporters to come to the brand’s defense.

 

• Selling the C-Suite or ROI – One of the most popular questions that I get asked is how to build support at the C-level.  Having a clearly defined objective is critically important to gain support of any initiative.  However, everyone is always focused on the ROI or return on the investment.  I have defined ROI a little differently in this new and emerging space as Risk Of Ignoring.  There is an absolute change occurring in how we communicate and seek information as a society.  The millennial generation is the first digital native generation with very different expectations of companies and marketing.  In the not so distant future the millennials will be a larger purchasing demographic than the boomers.  Not understanding this segment will be detrimental for future marketers.  Watch Shift Happens and share it with your senior leadership team.  It is a great example of how we are living in exponential times.

The last topic is not really a tip but a reality of the brave new world we operate in – personal brands.  The lines between all the roles we play as an individual are becoming blurred.  Books like Me 2.0 are promoting self-branding.  In the social media space there are divided camps and murkiness all around.  Scott Monty has been accused of using his profession at Ford to drive his personal brand, when the reality is that Scott Monty has been using his personal brand in the social media space to promote Ford.  On the flip side, individuals who participate in social media are experiencing the impacts of their personal communications being equated to corporate communications even when there are clear disclosures that the views expressed are their own.  And we hear a news report every few weeks about how content that is shared publicly via FaceBook or Myspace is being used in employment screening.    

There is not a guidebook on how to best proceed in the new age of communication.  I play many roles.  I’m a wife, mother, friend and employee.  My communications take on elements of all the roles that I play.  I know I’m not perfect and I’m making mistakes as I learn.  The best advice I have in this area is for you to realize that the sum of all your activity through social networks does become your personal brand.  Understand your goals for your personal brand.  Are you going to use it specifically as a friendship connection, to maintain professional connections, or are you trying to build a personal brand to promote yourself?  These are three distinct paths that will drive different types of communications.  Understanding your end goal is the first step to navigating a space filled with landmines. 

I know that H&R Block will continue to be a leader in the social media space because they truly care about engaging in customer dialog.  I leave behind a great team of talented professionals who are as passionate about social media as I am.  A bright future lies ahead for H&R Block and I will be cheering them on from the sidelines. 

As sad as I am to leave H&R Block, I’m excited to start my new chapter.  I’m also thrilled to start actively engaging and sharing in the conversation.  Due to competitive considerations I have been limited in my ability blog openly, as I start my new adventure expect to hear from me more frequently.  Stay tuned for more…

Why I love Twitter

I am sure that this post is not unlike the thousands of other posts of the same vein.  But, I have to say it...I LOVE TWITTER!!!!

I don't have the time (or creativity) to write an ode to Twitter so I will just lay it out in simple terms.  It's about connectedness.  Twitter is described as micro-blogging, but, I think of it more as group instant messaging.  I can be part of other people's lives by having them in my twitter stream.  I learn about them and about the world.  I learn from them by sharing in their experiences.

It's also about discovery.  Most of the people I follow, I've never met.  Their opinions are as diverse as the places they live.  They are smarter, funnier and infinitely more interesting than I am.  I just followed back around 40 new persons.  I can't wait to see what my twitter stream begins to bring.

I love Twitter because I feel honored to be a part of something that is larger than myself.  (and no I did not take the Google Goggles test - but I have not been drinking, it's just late at night)

Thoughts on The Blog Council

It's the time again that I have to go dark and not share a lot of thoughts because of competitive reasons.  During our planning period I literally feel like I'm in a cave, but, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to respond to the recent announcement from The Blog Council on best practices on disclosure.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I have recently added my company to the ranks of Fortune 500 (well almost 500) that participate on The Blog Council.  As a recent join, we did not have an active shaping of the disclosure best practices, but do whole-heartedly support the initiative. 

As with any initiative, there have been supporters and dissenters.  I thought a lot last night about the skeptics' point of view.  The skeptics do not seem to be taking issue with the best practice document.  After all, this is an open source document versus a proposed standard.  The commentary seems to be circling around the value of The Blog Council or Andy Sernovitz. 

Personally, I find the dialog around the value of The Blog Council interesting.  As a participating member, I think that Andy has done a great job in uncovering an unmet need (challenges facing large companies as they use social media and blogging) and providing a solution (a peer group to share insights and alternative solutions).  As a participant, I can attest to the challenges in championing initiatives that change the way large corporations interact with consumers.  Sharing experiences and having dialog with others who are also trying to move some pretty big mountains has been advantageous.  Like every community, it is not driven by one individual - it is the sum of the collective.  While I do agree that there are many public communities that provide valuable information and we should all continue to listen, learn and participate - I value the private forum that The Blog Council has created simply because it is a like peer set and I'm constantly faced with competitive intelligence issues.

Dave Taylor raised the question "Is the Blog Council going to a milestone in the adoption of blogging and new media by major corporations, or is it a sleeper organization that's going to come and go, leaving behind a few press releases and a Web site that gradually fades away?"   Personally, I believe it is up to the members of The Blog Council to answer that question.  My hope is that all the members find value in the organization and that they continue to push for customer engagement through their companies.  If and when there is no longer any value in the council, then I believe the organization should fade away.  However, for this moment in time, The Blog Council is providing a valuable forum for its members.

Real Branding Digital Leadership Summit

I want to thank Mark Silva and the gang at Real Branding for inviting me to their Digital Leadership Summit.  I met a lot of great people and exchanged some wonderful ideas about the social media space.  As I sit at the airport, I continue to reflect on three questions that came up during the day.

1. How to give your brand internal permission to be social - I stress internal permission because your brand is already a social brand whether you embrace it or not.
2. How to measure social media - or more specifically why anything online must live to a higher standard of measurement
3. How to start/create corporate blogs (i.e. deal with legal hurdles and understand the organization pitfalls)

Each one of these topics are interesting to explore.  You can view the day's sessions at FaceReviews.  Thanks Rodney Rumford! Or you can check out the tweets from the day by searching on #RBDLS.  I will be thinking about these topics as I fly from Frisco to The Big Apple.  One thing for certain, there are a lot of smart people and big brands all engaging in social media.

Just Do It

As I'm speaking to people about our social media campaigns, a recurring question that I'm getting asked is...

How do you get buy-in to use social media for a large corporation (or any company)?

One of the easiest answers is to "Just Do It".  Instead of waiting around trying to figure out the best approach to venture into the realm of Web 2.0 or build consensus around the value of social media to get some of that elusive media budget coming your way - jump right in (the water really is warm). 

Where is the jumping off point?  How do you just dive into social media not giving marketing budgets another thought?  Start exposing the value of social media by using some of the free (but powerful) avenues of social media.  It all starts with listening to your customers.  Here are a few quick ways to get started.

Blog Monitoring
What are people saying about your company online?  Is it positive or are customers exposing areas where your product or service is failing them? By listening and responding you can reward an advocate with affirmation that you’ve heard them (or maybe even provide an extra goody like a special discount or company swag). If it’s negative, you can try to save the customer by repairing their bad experience. The moment of truth for a company is often how they treat their customers when something does go wrong. Beware: often a customer who is public about an issue has already been failed by the normal customer service channels – you need to be able to help the customer by resolving their issue or getting them to an escalation group. 

There are many companies who are putting together tools to help monitor your brand online.  But, if you are working without a budget scour the web by using Technorati, Google Blog Search or set up an alert on Google Alerts. Be sure to read what people write about your products on sites like Amazon or search some customer complaint sites such as My Three Cents or the Complaints Board.

Twitter
Although Twitter has had some technology challenges this past weekend, it is still a great listening tool.  Twitter is a micro-blogging system, but I like to think of it as a group instant messaging.  However, don’t go into Twitter thinking that you are going to broadcast your brand message far and wide.  That would be spammy. Create a brand profile on Twitter and join in the conversation. Think about how your brand is relevant for the community. For example, at H&R Block (@HRBlock) we provided some tax tips and advice throughout the tax season. We also started listening and helped Twitizens from resolving a customer service issue to how to find employment with H&R Block. The CEO of Zappos (@zappos) is constantly tweeting about his personal life and giving away things like tickets to the Van Halen show in Vegas or Zappos merchandise.  Even Comcast is using Twitter to monitor and resolve customer service issues (I guess they need to be very proactive after that video with the sleeping technician).

There are many different Twitter tools that you can use too.  Tweetscan is great.  Just enter your brand name and you can see who is talking about your company or product.  David Berkowitz has a wonderful blog on how to search for Tweets.

Yahoo! Answers
And the final mention of the day is Yahoo! Answers. Like the Blog Monitoring, you can perform a search and see what people are saying about your brand.  If the question is still open, you can offer some advice publicly. If the question is closed, you may be able to respond directly via IM or email. In addition to monitoring what people are saying about your brand, you can offer advice. Again, set up a brand profile in Yahoo! Answers. This will allow you to build credibility and recognition of your brand as a trusted adviser when answering questions and let people know that your brand cares when trying to resolve a customer issue.

The value of “Just Doing It” is many-fold.  First, you will get hands-on experience in the social media world that you can use to better evangelize the benefits internally.  Second, you begin to understand where and how your brand can play in social media and begin to establish your brand persona. And most importantly, you will begin to build a case-study to support your internal sales effort for social media.