Wanelo and YOU

Courtesy of Tech Crunch

Have you or anyone you know said “I found this cool shirt on Pinterest, but I have no idea where to find it!” Well, yeah that’s probably Pinterest’s biggest weakness in a nutshell – people don’t know where to buy what’s on the post or if it’s even for sale. Pinterest is awesome in generating buzz about your business. But Wanelo (which comes from the line WAnt, NEed, LOve) takes it one step further and makes it so users can buy your product online. It turns the idea of Pinterest directly into a revenue model.

Before we go any further, it’s important to know that Wanelo doesn’t help sell everything – it does have a strong focus on monstly fashion and clothing. Keep that in mind if you’re considering using Wanelo to help with online sales. Yahoo! best describes the typical Wanelo user to be 14-30 years old, a woman, and a bit of a hipster.

So why use Wanelo? Why not just sell through your online store alone or use Facebook? Well just think of how Pinterest works – it’s fantastic for browsing…and discovery. It can boost your sales in a way normal e-commerce can’t:

It is quite different from normal e-commerce Internet shopping; it is much more like virtual window shopping. Rather, discovery commerce is much like browsing through a magazine catalog and discovering things that you didn’t realize you wanted to buy until you saw them, hence, “discovered” them. Education PR

To fully understand what Wanelo is, visit their “About” page. Here are some tips on how to use Wanelo to boost your online sales:

Wanelo Tips

1. Use “Save” Buttons
   If you use Wanelo’s “Save It” buttons on your Wanelos product pages, it helps increase its popularity. The button is a lot like Pinterest’s “Pins.” (Wanelo)
2. Keep Product Pages Up
   Even if the product is sold out or no longer being made, keep the page up. Have a friendly message directing the user to another similar item or simply that the item is out. This will help keep the traffic heading your way and boost sales of other products.
3. #Hashtag #With #Meaning #And #Creativity
   If you’re getting sick of us talking about hashtags, blame Twitter. But how else are people going to find your stuff? When you post a product, use meaningful hashtags that people would use to search for your item. You can also @tag other people based on their Wanelo username – great way to network.
4. Be Creative and Fun
   The social media platforms we’ve talked about in the past weeks all have a strong sense of creativity to them. Wanelo is the same. Use fun (but meaningful) hashtags, display fun products or display the product in a cool way. Maybe Wanelo will help you spice up the products themselves!

Go More In Depth

Here’s a video from Tech Crunch that gives a good overview of Wanelo and how you can make it work for your business online.

Next Week

We’re going to be honest that we don’t know what platform we want to talk about next! We kind of what to hear what you want. Do you have one that you’d like us to talk about? If so, make a note below and we’ll post some stuff next Friday 🙂

Pinterest and YOU

Photo from:
http://goo.gl/0Zmey

With 25 million unique visitors a month, Pinterest is quite the specimen. It’s a more niched social platform, yet it has massive traffic. Users can post links, recipes, and pictures on Pinterest, and it’s represented with a photo. Pretty unique social platform, huh?

Pinterest isn’t for every business. Motorcycle dealer?…maybe not the best place. But if you are a freelance photographer, this is probably a good site to use. Take a look at Pinterest’s infographic that better explains the user demographics of the site.

Tips for Pinterest

1. Use AWESOME Photos
   How does Pinterest display its posts? With PICTURES! Users can decide in a split second to pass over your pin or click on it, and there is high competition for their clicks. No matter what content the link posts to, lead them to it with a high quality and captivating photo (Social Media Today). Get creative – use memes, infographics, panoramas, close ups, high-quality cameras, and color effects.
2. Interact with People
   One of the best ways to get traffic to you is to follow, re-pin, and like. Just like other social media sites, people return the favor. It’s quite the symbiotic relationship (yes, we’re bringing science into this post). Be efficient with your time and focus on people in your target audience.
3. Make a Good Title
   Pinterest doesn’t have a complex algorithm like Google – it’s very straightforward. So, if you’re photo has a picture of a black lab in it, it’s probably a good idea to have “black lab” somewhere in the title. Anything is better than IMG_325.


Credit to Tech Crunch
http://goo.gl/gw2lY

4. Use Analytics
   Feedback on your marketing campaigns are important. No one wants to advertise to thin air – it wastes time and money. According to Tech Crunch, Pinterest offers a free feature for businesses that allow them to track the statistics of follows from Pinterest to their website.
5. Be Positive
   Have you taken a look at the differences in attitude when comparing Pinterest to Twitter and Facebook? The latter two tend to have some snarky posts and tweets. Pinterest tends to stay away from that, so you should too. Be positive and profound; avoid the dark and gloomy. If you have to go down that avenue, use another platform.

Go More In Depth…

We don’t want you to feel limited by what we presented, so here’s a couple more links you can follow:

• E-book for Pinterest Business Users
• Best Time to Pin

Next Week

Ever wish you could buy that adorable dress from that pin last week? Well, Wanelo makes it so you can. It’s Pinterest for shoppers! Check back next week to read about it.

In the meantime – do you think Pinterest will ever bring in more men? They make up for only 1/3 of the visitors. Think that will change?

Facebook and YOU

Facebook started as a social network for college students in 2004 , but it has evolved into so much more. Games, fan pages, public and private groups, and now…businesses. Since the startup cost of launching a page for your business with Facebook is $0, the network has become a huge tool in PR and Advertising for small businesses. There is a lot you can do with your business on Facebook, but there are a few things you don’t want to ignore.

Facebook Tips

1. Make Graph Search Your Friend
   A relatively new addition to Facebook, the Graph Search acts a lot like SEO (Search Engine Optimization), except it’s a little cooler. According to Ad Age, the results show up in a user’s search are based on their friends’ likes. Certainly changes your thought about “likes” and “check-ins,” doesn’t it? Graph Search is taking “word of mouth” to the nth power, and Nielsen’s Q3 survey in 2011 showed that a whopping 92% of people trust their friends for recommendations. Generate genuine “likes” (don’t just buy them), and you’ll see the self-perpetuating benefits of using Graph Search.

2. “Content is King, but Engagement is Queen”
   Ramon Ray is the man of technology and business. We recommend reading his book “The Facebook Guide to Small Business Marketing,” which actually came out only a couple days ago. We’ll let Forbes’ excerpt about his book do the talking:

   “Content is King, he says, but Engagement is Queen – simply having a Facebook business page is of little more use than a static internet calling card. Businesses should use contests, polls and questions to keep their customers and prospects engaged. Killer photo images of products are highly essential. Video can be vital as well. Visual social media and compelling content – not just information about the product and service – is key.”

3. Consider Offers
   Offers can help fuel sales and traffic to your website or store. The best way to describe an Offer is…a coupon. Whether it’s a discount, a freebie, or to enter in a drawing, fans can use the Offer to redeem in your store and/or on your website. Aria is one success story that used Offer to make 671 reservations for 1,585 nights. Be careful with Offers though, the larger audience you want to reach, the more you have to pay. Define your audience specifically and powerfully.

4. Be Aware of your Public Personal Life
   This one is pretty straightforward, but it’s easy to grow complacent about. In fact, we might have even overlooked this point if a CBS News article hadn’t brought it up. Consumers want businesses to be transparent, but that doesn’t mean we should embarrass ourselves. Be conscientious of pictures you’re in and what you say on your personal Facebook.
5. Manage your Time
   This is another tip that’s so simple but so overlooked. How you allocate your time is crucial. We’ve all had those times where we go to Facebook just to check notifications, and two hours later we’re elbows deep in someone else’s profile. The same can go for running a business. Try not to let running a Facebook page prevent you from actually running your business. Have a schedule; set a time limit; do what you need so that your work is efficient.

Getting Started

If you haven’t created a page for your business and you want to, go to Facebook’s Business page, and they’ll take you through it step-by-step.

Go More In-Depth…

We never want you to feel limited to only what we’ve posted. Here are a list of other articles you can check out:

• Facebook Page Success Story
• Is Facebook for Your Business?
• Top 10 Small Business Facebook Pages of 2012
• Did Chick-fil-a’s PR use Fake Facebook Account?

Next Week

We’ll look into Google+ next week. If you have any opinions or questions about Facebook and advertising, feel free to comment.

Twitter and YOU

For the next couple weeks, we’re going to talk about how businesses can effectively use various new/social media for public relations and advertising. Mastering new media perfectly is like being able to answer the secrets of the universe – it’s just not possible. When the consumer is involved in the message, the company doesn’t have total control over every little thing. However, there are trends and habits that are good to follow and can help guide successful advertising in the new media world.

So let’s start with Twitter.

One of the best methods of promotion is word-of-mouth. People trust what other people say about your organization. Funny that they are hesitant to trust you…

As Lessons from TV says, “when you talk to one person, you’re talking to a thousand.” The networking power of Twitter is great, so harness its strength. There are a lot of tips available for good tweeting, but we want to highlight the big ones.

Tweeting Tips

1. Hashtag the right way
   The hashtag (#) is a fundamental feature of Twitter, so use it! They’re used for tagging, joining a conversation, and oftentimes humor. But don’t be reckless. Hashtags can go oh-so wrong if you don’t think about what you’re doing. McDonalds started the hashtag #McDStories, but that just led to the sharing of horrible nasty customer experiences.

   

   Oops.

   Don’t overdo hashtags too. Overkill will lose attention. Yeah, your post will be more searchable, but if there’s no real content in the tweet, no one will want to read it. Also, make them easy to remember – whether it’s catchy, short, or simple.

   A good tactic to utilize is hopping on board with already known hashtags. #firstworldproblems, #NDSUproblems, and #ftw are popular ones around here. They may be different where you are, but use those! During the blackout at the Super Bowl, the smart advertisers used #blackout to join consumers’ conversations. Management Today has a more in-depth article on hashtagging as well.

2. Target your market
   Just like any other marketing campaign, a business has to focus their efforts toward their target audience. Talk in a way that resonates with them. Tweet about stuff they care about – no point in tweeting pointless information to the universe. Audi talks about how they target consumers on Twitter.
3. Build a relationship
   Twitter encourages dialogue, so a good relationship is a two-way street. @reply to followers and pay attention to what people are saying about you on Twitter. It shows that you’re listening, and if you listen…they’ll be more likely to listen. A relationship with your audience is a lot like a relationship with a friend – be honest and transparent, and remember that trust takes a long time to build but can be destroyed in an instant.
4. Do more than inform
   We don’t talk to our friends, co-workers, and family like information-spewing robots. We joke, we motivate, we share stories. Twitter is useful for informing followers, but strive to educate, entertain, and inspire too. Make the audience feel like they’re in a conversation and not broadcasted to.
5. Use links and multi-media
   We love clicking on anything linkable, there’s just something about those blue little words. Give followers something enticing in the tweet so they want to follow the link. Twitter also has great picture and video sharing features that makes for better tweets.

   Jeff Bullas gives a couple more tips that are good to read.

The main key to follow in Twitter is a lot like all other new media – be genuine. Consumers can tell when you’re just trying to burn a hole in their wallet. Build a relationship, be conversational, be relational, and be transparent.

Go More In-Depth…

We never want you to feel limited to only what we’ve posted. Here are a list of other articles you can check out:

• 60 Do’s and Dont’s for Twitter Noobs
• Twitter Tips

Next Week

We’ll look into the social networking giant, Facebook, next week. If you have any opinions or questions about Twitter and advertising, feel free to comment.

Super Bowl Sunday

Super Bowl and New Media

Think of the insane work that goes into only a few hours of national greatness called The Super Bowl. The food, the drinks, the stadium, the clothing, the uniforms….even the parking at the stadium. Millions of dollars in transactions are spent preparing for one night – check out some crazy stats from Time Magazine.

And then there are the commercials.

^^ Volkwagon’s Darth Vader commercial was one of the biggest hits during the Super Bowl.

Without the million-dollar commercials, it’s safe to say the Super Bowl wouldn’t be as glamorous as it is now. Some viewers watch more for the ads than the game. Even my focus shifts if the Packers aren’t the playing…

Advertising in a New Age

Technology changes drastically every year. Consumers want to be engaged more every year. Super Bowl advertisers don’t want to lose their connection with their 111.4 million viewers. So how are advertisers using new media this year?

Pick the Ending

• Doritos is letting viewers pick which homemade commercial to air during the Super Bowl – a tactic they’ve used before. But ABC News says Coke is doing something a little different. They’re letting viewers pick the ending. And they’re meeting the viewer halfway. People don’t have to log in at Coke’s website to vote, they can also hashtag their pick on Twitter. You have to admit you are much more likely to cooperate when it’s through a platform you already have (Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, etc.). Whether or not this ends up working well for Coke or not, they’re catching on…

 

Sneak Peaks/Trailers

• Some companies have tried showing entire commercials to consumer, which has worked, but marketers from places like Proctor & Gamble and Kraft foods are trying a different approach.

  

  ^^Tide’s “sneak peak” banner to create buzz for the real deal on Sunday.

  According to the NY Times, P & G and Kraft are offering up a sneak peak/trailer of their commercials. They are also encouraging consumers to spread talk about the sneak peaks on social media. Proctor’s goal is to generate buzz with their “teaser campaigns.” Will it work? We’ll find out after the Bowl if saving the big reveal for Sunday was the right move.

 

^^Kraft’s Mio Fit Sneak Peak

Premiere of a New Product

• After the advent of the iPhone and Droid phones, the Blackberry has struggled to hold on to their market share. Research in Motion stated they will reveal the new Blackberry 10 at the Super Bowl. Other than that, they’ve been pretty hush hush. Volkswagon pulled a similar stunt when revealing the revamped Beetle design, but not many companies go quite that big. RIM needs a big move like the Super Bowl, because Blackberry is struggling. This is another campaign to keep an eye on and follow up after the game.

 

Go More In-Depth…

We never want you to feel limited to only what we’ve posted. Here are a list of other articles you can check out:

• Fun Social Media Facts for SB XLVII
• Social Media Putting the After-talk of the Super Bowl on “Steriods”
• Pepsi’s Move from TV to Internet Last Year

 

Wrap Up

Next week we will do a follow up of the ads aired during the Super Bowl – What worked? What didn’t? Did P & G pull of their sneak peak strategy?

Stay tuned, and if there’s something that interests you or you want us to talk about, let us know.

Basics of PR and New Media

Intro to PR/Advertising 2.0

The learning curve for new technology is huge. Developers push out new products and new media every day. Talk about information overload. For anyone who wants to publicize or advertise themselves, where do you start? What avenues do you use, and to what extent? Organizations, businesses, and individuals all have to consider how new media will play a role in their promotions.

At least in this day and age.

Before we start blogging in-depth about the latest in PR/Advertising and new media, it’s a good idea to start with the basics. If you’re considering new media in your promotions, think about the following:

• Target audience
• The industry are you involved in
• Budget $$
• Manpower and technology savvy

1. Target Audience

This should drive everything and anything you do. Your audience is responsible for your success, so why focus on them?

Look at the demographics and psychographics of your audience – compare it to what’s out there for new media. For examples, if your main customers are middle-aged mothers, then LinkedIn or Facebook is probably a better option than Twitter for social networking.

To save you some time, we found the social media demographics of 2012.

If you’re looking into advertising, consider algorithm-based advertising. Some smart techy guys found a way to gather info from Internet users so advertisers can reach only those they want to reach, no matter what website the user is on. Its methods aren’t perfect, but it’s a start of precise targeting.

2. Industry

Look at what other people are doing in your industry. Are they on the new media bandwagon yet? Are they the pioneers of what’s up and coming, or is everyone resisting change? We’re not saying you have to do they’re doing, but it’s smart to see what’s up.

Five industries are experiencing a huge shift in their business model because of new media. For them, it’s either change or get left in the dust:

• Travel
• Video rental
• Music
• Newspapers
• Bookstores

3. Budget

The main reason new media has blown up…it’s darn cheap. Many businesses and individuals have gained popularity through the Internet. Where would J-Biebs be without YouTube? And think of how apps have changed the mobile world for…well just about any business who took the time to develop one.

New media can be a great startup option for promotions on a low budget, but add a couple dollars and you can quickly have a very powerful advertising tool on your hand. Think of how many people see those ads in the free version of Words With Friends…

4. Manpower/Knowledge

Here’s the hard part. If you don’t know much about the “Interweb,” managing your new media can be difficult – timing tweets properly is important, conversational blogging can be hard to do, websites take a lot of maintenance, and building apps requires nerdy knowledge.

So just be careful to not get in over your head. Connecting to your audience through social media can be hard if you have too many irons in the fire, and using more technological methods like online ads, websites, and apps can take a lot of work. Match your manpower and new media savvy to your goals.

Next Week

Now that we’ve laid down the basic relationship between PR/Advertising and new media, we can really start getting our hands dirty. Check back next week to see what we talk about more specifically next. Comment below if you have anything to say, and follow us if you think we’re not boring (we like to think we’re pretty alright).