ION Digital

If social media is really like a dinner party, it seems like we’re missing something … humor.

Humor is one of the most effective-and under-appreciated tactics in communications. This applies to every day business discussions, professional presentations, and yes, social media. Look at Pinterest. Some of the most popular pins are funny or offbeat. Twitter and Facebook is even better. Who can’t resist a clever or funny tweet, or conversation starter?

Good humor works because it connects with people at an emotional level. We live in a very serious world. Humor provides us a mental break. For companies, it’s a great way to come across more engaging and naturally-more human.

But humor has to be handled right. Just being funny online is not enough, and there are risks. Here are five tips to keep in mind as you engage with humor.

1. Use humor creatively,particularly when it comes to explaining complex subjects. And don’t be afraid to be a little edgy. Look at thisinfographic which is focused on helping users improve their Facebook Edgerank score. Rather than just a dry listing of tips, “Conquer the Facebook” uses clever humor with news stream posts by “legendary Facebook conquerors” like Julius Caesar (Ex: #5 Ask for Likes- Genghis Kahn states: “Ask for likes if you’re a Mongol with a funny decapitation story.”  Clever and funny. (more…)
   

Facebook managers must have mentioned “content” a dozen times at its marketing conference Feb. 29 in New York City. While everyone else was focused on the new bells and whistles, I was tuning my ears to their focus on content.

The message was clear: marketers must now become real “storytellers” and ignite their fans with engaging content. Facebook promotions (“sponsored stories”) will revolve around strong, compelling content. Your Facebook Page will increasingly be measured by how much fans engage with and share your content.  Content, content, content.

We’ve heard this mantra for so long it’s easy to write it off as just another turn of the marketing screw. But this time I think Facebook is on to something.  Indeed I believe we’re witnessing a wide-sweeping, fundamental shift in the way we communicate to customers-and ultimately, do business. And it starts and ends with content.

First, think of content  as  how we engage with our customers, like real people. (more…)

Why Can’t Brands Connect?

So brands are chomping at the bit to jump into Google+ ?

Understandable with all the hype, but we may be getting the cart before the horse. The truth is most brands-and most companies–are still struggling with the other platforms. Social media is still foreign to them, and most flail around like fish out of water (to use another animal analogy).

Marketers know this problem. The issue was raised again in a nicely written piece recently in Advertising Age. The author concludes with, “In a nutshell, they need to act less like brands and more like people.”

The problem

The problem is “brands” are not people, though they are made up of people. And in many ways a brand is the antithesis of a social-oriented business, mostly driven by processes and an insatiable need for “results” and ultimately profits.

Rather than reinvent, we’ve shoehorned social media into our corporate framework. We’re still doing everything the same, just in new channels, disguised as social media.

“Schedule 10 tweets this week” (and make them sound real).

“Focus on driving our XYZ corporate message in next week’s blog.”

Companies should know better, given their experiences with content. (more…)

Like everyone else, I was shocked at Google+’s exploding on the scene-and the incredible buzz that ensued. Google could give Charlie Sheen a run for the money if the breathless hype continues, which I expect it will. Still, marketers and companies should take notice because, after all, it is Google. The 500-pound-gorillo’s jumping into the market puts a spotlight on some key issues-ignore them at your own peril.

Trying my best to cut through all the smoke, here’s what I see short term:

· More fragmentation and disruption: The new shiny toy immediately drew in the Geeks, and has since been spreading like wildfire–10 million new users in only two weeks. Some of the social media crowd like Chris Brogan are already shifting their attention from Twitter and Facebook. Will everyone else, including your clients, follow? Who knows–but it means attention, eyeballs and resources spread between another major platform.

· More noise, more information overload. Actually, information is not your concern-conversations are. As Tom Foremski points out, we need to stay on top of critical conversations-ones that mention your brand, product or relate to you in some way. This gets harder as new platforms emerge with thousands of voices shouting at the same time, a Tower of Babel.

· Google gets a place at the table- The odds are shifting now toward Google playing a significant role in social media.

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One challenge I’ve had with many corporate clients is getting employees to blog. Most corporate folks feel like they don’t have the time or skills. So it piqued my interest when I found out Southwest Airlines has a slew of employees writing their Nuts about Southwest blog. I was drawn in by the energy and spirit of the blog: All homegrown.

Curious, I sat down (virtually) with Christi McNeill, who manages SW’s corporate social media strategy to discuss the blog and social media program.  Turns out they’re doing a lot right down in Dallas. The social media program, started in 2006, is showing impressive results: 12 million monthly visits to its website, 1 million Twitter followers, 1.3 million Facebook likers.

The goal with their program is a combination of conveying news about SW, highlighting its culture and engaging with its “fans” (ie, customers), according to Christi.Below are my five key takeaways-what I liked best about SW’s approach to blogging and social media: (more…)