I will go to the Negotiation Days in
The organizers of AEGEE Poznan told me, that their will be a variety of interesting companies and speakers, for example from
Montag, 30. April 2007
Negotiation Days in Poznan
To Blog or not to Blog: Key Questions for Marketers and Communications Professionals
Many companies have very simple questions: Should we have a blog? If so, what kind should it be? Who should maintain it? What should its purpose be? What will we use it for?
Before you start a blog and engage into Blog marketing – you should ask yourself these questions:
Are you willing to engage in a dialogue with your public?
What is your strategy for becoming an advocate with your consumers?
Does your company have a blog policy? If so, do your employees know about it?
Do your company’s employees contribute to blogs on your company’s Web site? On their own Web sites? Does your company have a policy about employees authoring their own blogs? Do employees know about such a policy?
Does your company’s communications agency have a blog strategy? Does the agency take blogs seriously? If it has a policy, do you know what it is? Has one been crafted for or presented to your company?
If your company has a blog, does anyone pay attention to how many hits it receives, who links to it and what kind of comments it receives?
Do you know how many times your company or brand was mentioned in blogs and in communication forums in the last year? Quarter? Month?
Does your company monitor blogs and online conversations to determine what’s being said? Who handles the task, and how often? What kind of data is collected, and who receives it?
If your company monitors blogs and other online conversations, does it also have a protocol for responding to negative information it finds? Who responds? What event(s) triggers such a response?
Does your company know whether existing consumers or critics—some of whom already might be in your customer database—are active bloggers or influential bloggers? (e.g., do you ask them questions about their blogging behavior when you interact with them in order to find out their level of blog activity?)
Do you understand the differences between the types of bloggers, e.g., credentialed media bloggers vs. consumer bloggers?
If financial analysts, media representatives and other outsiders are researching your company, do you know which blogs they consult?
When you launch a new product, event or campaign, does your company have a strategy for presenting the information to bloggers?
Because blogs are so easy to publish, has anyone determined whether certain elements of the blog-publishing format should or could be easily adapted for your company Web site? • •
Are you willing to enter the world of blogging with honesty, frankness and humor? If you cannot get past “marketing speak” and defensiveness, then do not blog.
The Dont`s of Blogging in General
And here are the Don`ts - what not to do with Blogs or Bloggers...
Get drawn into a fight, especially if a blog contains information that makes you unhappy, nervous or angry. Do your best to respond with the truth, both on the blog and on your company’s Web site.
Get drawn into a fight, especially if a blog contains information that makes you unhappy, nervous or angry. Do your best to respond with the truth, both on the blog and on your company’s Web site.
Alienate the blogging universe with unfounded criticism or slams.
Lie about who you are or post a “fake” blog that’s intended to serve as an advertising or marketing vehicle. You’ll be shot down almost as soon as you click on the “publish” or “post comment” link.
Be anonymous or pretend to be someone you’re not. They’ll find you out.
Use “seeding,” which is the practice where people who really don’t have a passion for your company, brand or issue are hired to promote it nonetheless. These seeding individuals and firms are paid to post comments or conversations on blogs and aren’t transparent about it.
Get wordy. Most blog posts are short on words and heavy with lots of links to other content.
Post a comment that sounds like an advertisement. If you’re engaging as a representative of your company or agency, identify yourself as such, offer to help or answer questions, and include links to Web sites, FAQ’s or other simple resources.
The Do`s of Blogging in General
I have taken this out of the Intelliseek study: Trust “Media” - How Real People Are Finally Being Heard. These are the "Does" - what a company should know about starting a Blog - thought it might be interesting ...
Be subtle, relevant and targeted when you engage with blogs and bloggers. Familiarize yourself with the writer’s subject, tone and style.
Keep a two-way relationship with the blogger…provide input, provide content, provide feedback.
Keep your blog postings and comments short and relevant.
Realize that whatever you post, or whatever comment you add to another’s blog, has the potential to be indexed by a search engine, such that it could become the first piece of content Internet users find when they search for your company, brand or the particular issue under discussion.
Tell the truth. It is best to get the truth out into the Blogosphere and keep attention focused on it if you think bloggers are unfairly spreading misinformation. Respond quickly, with the facts and with respect. Provide contact information for yourself or other people they can speak to or interview.
Understand that as “comment spam” increases, more blogs will place restrictions on commenting, either through required registration or filtering mechanisms that scan for spam before publishing comments.
Realize that timely purchases of keywords on Google AdWords Select or other paid search ad vehicles can be very effective very quickly (and sometimes are very inexpensive) if you get them at the moment of hatching.
Study shows – Blogs and Consumer Generated Media are the most trusted forms of word of mouth
Since I`m in the final stage of my thesis about Word of Mouth Marketing I wanted to share some interesting facts with you.Mittwoch, 25. April 2007
Follow UP Mediation Training and Conflict Management Seminar
What I really liked about this seminar was the diversity of the participants and trainers. We were again around 30 young Europeans from UK to Azerbaijan and had a really great and interesting time while learning about European Identity, Mediation in Conflict Situations and Negotiation Techniques.
The main topic of the seminar was „All different – all equal“ – which was perfect, cause if you have 30 people from different countries you expect some conflicts, headed discussions and an exchange of a lot of ideas. I really liked it and can recommend it to everybody who wants to learn more about applied psychology, intercultural communication and team building. Let`s use the skills for the future.
You can visit the website at: http://www.mt.u2.pl/
Here is a short description of the seminar:
In the past years people in Europe had to experience that also in Europe conflicts can escalate and that Human Rights are not equally treated in every country. This seminar aims at bringing together young Europeans with different perspectives on conflicts and to educate them in mediating conflicts in order to strengthen a “peace network” that crosses religious, ethnic, and geographic boundaries. Thus they shall be able to take an active stand in defending human rights and contributing to a Europe that fulfils the slogan “united in diversity”.
Donnerstag, 5. April 2007
Consumer Generated Media for Apple
Just found this really cool example of Consumer Generated Media for the Apple I-Rak on YouTube.
Take a look and enjoy.
Take a look and enjoy.
Follow Up AEGEE TV Media School in Eindhoven
As you may have read, I participated at the AEGEE Media School organized by AEGEE TV and AEGEE Eindhoven. I have to say it was a really great event – thanks to all the organizers, trainers and participants.
The setting of European Students Week (which had over 320 students from all the world as participants) was perfect, cause we had a great training ground to practise our new movie making skills. The movies we made (around 20) should be soon at http://www.aegee.tv/ - they are really worth watching, this I can promise ;->.
As a result of the Project sessions we also came up with some future project ideas for AEGEE TV. The ideas were about improving the PR of AEGEE with movies, about Video Journalism and about an
AEGEE TV Summer University (you can download the notes about the ideas here).
I liked especially the idea about making a “corporate” AEGEE movie, that we can show to students (for getting them interested in AEGEE and recruiting them) and to companies (to promote AEGEE, it’s values and to raise funds).
All we would need for that would be:
1. a script & storyboard
- what things should be in the movie
- who should be in the movie
- how long should it be (3minutes?)
- what core messages should be conveyed (AEGEE USP)
2. a budget
3. a motivated team with time and proper equipment
Lets see what happens in the future with this ideas…
Communication of AEGEE Benefits to company’s
I just found a useful guide at the AEGEE.org site (in german) about how to fit the demands & needs of companies with the values & qualities of AEGEE.
The guide compares the values Procter & Gamble with the things we do in AEGEE – like intercultural exchange, active citizenship, doing a lot of international projects together….
Maybe it will useful for your local if you write fundraising proposals or for yourself if you are looking for a job. If you want to know what AEGEE is, take a look at this site or read this Article about AEGEE Stuttgart.
Maybe we can also make a movie about it and start working on a future AEGEE Blog…
The guide compares the values Procter & Gamble with the things we do in AEGEE – like intercultural exchange, active citizenship, doing a lot of international projects together….
Maybe it will useful for your local if you write fundraising proposals or for yourself if you are looking for a job. If you want to know what AEGEE is, take a look at this site or read this Article about AEGEE Stuttgart.
Maybe we can also make a movie about it and start working on a future AEGEE Blog…
Mittwoch, 4. April 2007
Connecting with Customers – What can companies do in order to drive business growth
Get a corporate Blog and do it professionally
o Set up rules for Blogging in your company
o Look at best practise Blogs, learn what is useful and would benefit your company – apply it
Measure & Manage your Net Promoter Score
o what is your current Net Promoter Score
o where are your strengths, where are your weaknesses
o how is company positioned in comparison to your competitors
o what strategies and tools can you apply in order to make it better
Get into the dialogue with your loyal customers
o convert them into Brand Evangelists
o Build a Database with their names & specific data
o Communicate with them, build a relationship & give them benefits
o use their potential
Integrate a customer feedback system (or a CRM) and make it easy for your customers to get in contact with you.
Focus your Service on customer satisfaction & customer Loyalty
o studies have shown, that a god complain management can convert
unsatisfied customers into satisfied customers
o Net Promoter Score says that the ratio of very satisfied customers vs.
unsatisfied customers is a key metric for your company’s growth –
do you think this important?
Make use & encourage your Evangelists to create Consumer Generated Media (give them some Guidelines so they do it right)
o help and encourage them (for example give them incentives,
invite them into your company…)
create a win– win situation for all parties
In short - Connect with your customers & build a community & use their potential
o Set up rules for Blogging in your company
o Look at best practise Blogs, learn what is useful and would benefit your company – apply it
Measure & Manage your Net Promoter Score
o what is your current Net Promoter Score
o where are your strengths, where are your weaknesses
o how is company positioned in comparison to your competitors
o what strategies and tools can you apply in order to make it better
Get into the dialogue with your loyal customers
o convert them into Brand Evangelists
o Build a Database with their names & specific data
o Communicate with them, build a relationship & give them benefits
o use their potential
Integrate a customer feedback system (or a CRM) and make it easy for your customers to get in contact with you.
Focus your Service on customer satisfaction & customer Loyalty
o studies have shown, that a god complain management can convert
unsatisfied customers into satisfied customers
o Net Promoter Score says that the ratio of very satisfied customers vs.
unsatisfied customers is a key metric for your company’s growth –
do you think this important?
Make use & encourage your Evangelists to create Consumer Generated Media (give them some Guidelines so they do it right)
o help and encourage them (for example give them incentives,
invite them into your company…)
create a win– win situation for all parties
In short - Connect with your customers & build a community & use their potential
The Newbie Guide to Word of Mouth Marketing
Since I have started to write about Word of Mouth and its importance for Business Success, I get often asked – “So, you are the Business Psychologist, tell us what can we really do in order to make use out of this new developments in marketing and this word of mouth stuff?”
Here is the “Newbie Guide to Word of Mouth Marketing”:
1. get some of the popular books, studies and read some good Blogs about Word of Mouth, Viral Marketing,Web 2.0…
in order to get the basic understanding of the concepts and foundations of these areas (in the next weeks & months I will post something about the Word of Mouth Resources that were valuable for me)
2. find out the current situation in your company / NGO – how do you address word of mouth marketing:
a. where is your potential – where are your strengths
b. what is your USP – which tools and messages to you use to
communicate it
c. where are your weaknesses
d. where do you want to be in 5 years / what do you want to reach
at the strategic level
e. what can you do increase your strengths and remove your
weaknesses
3. next identify the things that you can do right now, the changes that have to be made in your company and the tools and strategies you want to use in order to drive growth
4. make these idea a priority in your top management (as with all important projects, the support & understanding of the top management is crucial)
Here is the “Newbie Guide to Word of Mouth Marketing”:
1. get some of the popular books, studies and read some good Blogs about Word of Mouth, Viral Marketing,Web 2.0…
in order to get the basic understanding of the concepts and foundations of these areas (in the next weeks & months I will post something about the Word of Mouth Resources that were valuable for me)
2. find out the current situation in your company / NGO – how do you address word of mouth marketing:
a. where is your potential – where are your strengths
b. what is your USP – which tools and messages to you use to
communicate it
c. where are your weaknesses
d. where do you want to be in 5 years / what do you want to reach
at the strategic level
e. what can you do increase your strengths and remove your
weaknesses
3. next identify the things that you can do right now, the changes that have to be made in your company and the tools and strategies you want to use in order to drive growth
4. make these idea a priority in your top management (as with all important projects, the support & understanding of the top management is crucial)
Memes and their importance for Viral Marketing
Those of you who want to get into Word of Mouth / Viral Marketing and understand the Basics of it - I just found a interesting portal about memes and memetics.
This explains, why certain ideas and messages succeed and spread through networks and why others fail.
You can visit the Portal here.
Another book that I recommend for this subject is the Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell - it explains why and how epidemics spread and what you have to do in order to reach that effect with your messages.
This explains, why certain ideas and messages succeed and spread through networks and why others fail.
You can visit the Portal here.
Another book that I recommend for this subject is the Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell - it explains why and how epidemics spread and what you have to do in order to reach that effect with your messages.
Dienstag, 3. April 2007
Unleashing an Ideavirus - Free Ebook on Viral Marketing
I have this book since almost half a year and I have to say it is great. It brought me a lot of interesting insights into the “next level of marketing” and what a company can do in order to really increase success.
The book is called Unleashing an Ideavirus, it is by Seth Goddin and is free.
Here is a short description:
...............................................
Treat a product or service like a human or computer virus, contends online promotion specialist Seth Godin, and it just might become one. In Unleashing the Ideavirus, Godin describes ways to set any viable commercial concept loose among those who are most likely to catch it--and then stand aside as these recipients become infected and pass it on to others who might do the same. "The future belongs to marketers who establish a foundation and process where interested people can market to each other," he writes. "Ignite consumer networks and then get out of the way and let them talk."
...............................................
Read it, it will be valuable.... - you can download it here.
The book is called Unleashing an Ideavirus, it is by Seth Goddin and is free.
Here is a short description:
...............................................
Treat a product or service like a human or computer virus, contends online promotion specialist Seth Godin, and it just might become one. In Unleashing the Ideavirus, Godin describes ways to set any viable commercial concept loose among those who are most likely to catch it--and then stand aside as these recipients become infected and pass it on to others who might do the same. "The future belongs to marketers who establish a foundation and process where interested people can market to each other," he writes. "Ignite consumer networks and then get out of the way and let them talk."
...............................................
Read it, it will be valuable.... - you can download it here.
Web 2.0 and Consumer Generated Media
Since Web 2.0 has started, it has become very easy for people to publish websites, write about their experiences with Brands, buzz about their opinions and promote their favourite products or to put up hate sites for companies they don’t like.
This so called Consumer Generated Media is becoming more and more powerful, since Google’s search algorithm makes it easy to find word of mouth at the top categories. The other fact is that people belief more in what other customers have to say about a brand, then what a brand has to say about itself with advertising (of course this is depended on how powerful your brand image is, but most of the time it is true). This makes it crucial for a brand to interact with its Influential Customers.
Just to give you a short list of Consumer Generated Media:
- Blogs enable everybody who can use the Internet to publish his / her own websites
- New mobile technology enables (mostly younger) customers to produce videos with almost no effort
- YouTube enables these people to publish their videos online
- Word of Mouth in Online Communities - before buying a product a lot of people look into the internet in order to see what users have to say about the product
Today Consumers are generating even more marketing messages then the companies itself. Companies have no other choice then to connect and communicate with their customers, otherwise the marketing will happen without them.
Ressources:
If you want to know more about CGM and how to manage it – take a look at the Blog.
Read about how Web 2.0 has changed Marketing.
There are some very interesting studies of the Keller Fay Group about Internet Word of Mouth and Consumer Generated Media - highly recommended.
This so called Consumer Generated Media is becoming more and more powerful, since Google’s search algorithm makes it easy to find word of mouth at the top categories. The other fact is that people belief more in what other customers have to say about a brand, then what a brand has to say about itself with advertising (of course this is depended on how powerful your brand image is, but most of the time it is true). This makes it crucial for a brand to interact with its Influential Customers.
Just to give you a short list of Consumer Generated Media:
- Blogs enable everybody who can use the Internet to publish his / her own websites
- New mobile technology enables (mostly younger) customers to produce videos with almost no effort
- YouTube enables these people to publish their videos online
- Word of Mouth in Online Communities - before buying a product a lot of people look into the internet in order to see what users have to say about the product
Today Consumers are generating even more marketing messages then the companies itself. Companies have no other choice then to connect and communicate with their customers, otherwise the marketing will happen without them.
Ressources:
If you want to know more about CGM and how to manage it – take a look at the Blog.
Read about how Web 2.0 has changed Marketing.
There are some very interesting studies of the Keller Fay Group about Internet Word of Mouth and Consumer Generated Media - highly recommended.
The future of Marketing and how to manage it professionally
I just had a talk with some marketing experts about the future of marketing and what changes will probably happen. We agreed on some points that I will post in the Blog, these are things every company should know about and engage into (or at least each company should have some people that are good in these areas) in order for to become more successful and efficient:
Building and managing a strong brand
- Professional Brand Management is the Foundation for everything
- Building a strong, emotional brand image that people remember and associate good feelings and images
- Celebrating your brand, so people can experience it, connect it with emotions and talk about it
- good positioning in your market
- …. (this is a long but important list)
Management of Connected Marketing
- Word of Mouth Marketing
- Buzz Marketing
- Viral Marketing
Get people talking about your Product and make it virus worthy, so they spread your brand message into their social networks.
Generating and Managing Buzzworthy PR
Here are two definitions to make it more clear (taken from Connected Marketing):
A PR Consultant is “a applied social scientist who advises a client on the social attitudes and actions he or she must take in order to appeal to the public on which it is dependent”.
PR practice is the discipline which looks after reputation, with the aim of earning understanding and support and influencing opinion and behaviour. It is the planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain goodwill and mutual understanding between an organization and its public.
Managing Web 2.0 Marketing
Making professional use of:
- Blogs / Blog marketing
- Social Networks like MySpace, StudiVZ, Friendster….
- Games like Second Life, Word of Warcraft (huge potential if applied correctly)
- Video platforms like YouTube, MyVideo
- Viral advertising
- Online Communities
- Tracking Tools
- Website, Email, Newsletters.. (the traditional tools)
Neuromarketing / Marketingpsychology
Understanding how and why Marketing and advertising really work and how you can make your advertising and marketing messages really efficient
Evangelism / Opinion Leader Marketing
- the Art of building relationships with influential people and getting them to evangelise and provide good word of mouth about your product
- since 10 % of the western population tell the other 90 % what to buy, it would be beneficial to get in contact with these opinion leaders, recruit them for your company – make them loyal and let them spread good word of mouth about your brand
- Integrated Communication of Connected marketing, Blogs and Social Networking
Integrated Communication of all your marketing channels
- have a core message and a strong brand with emotional values
- communicate this message with all your communication channels in order to create a clear picture in the
mind of the consumer
- align all your marketing channels (Direct Mail, Sales Personal, Video Communication, Online Marketing…) so
they all communicate the same powerful message and desirable emotional benefits of your brand
Making Use of Consumer Generated Media and Open Source Marketing
-> see my entry about CGM
Using the Long Tail Approach to sell more of your products and services
-> Read more about this in The Long Tail
List to be continued…
Building and managing a strong brand
- Professional Brand Management is the Foundation for everything
- Building a strong, emotional brand image that people remember and associate good feelings and images
- Celebrating your brand, so people can experience it, connect it with emotions and talk about it
- good positioning in your market
- …. (this is a long but important list)
Management of Connected Marketing
- Word of Mouth Marketing
- Buzz Marketing
- Viral Marketing
Get people talking about your Product and make it virus worthy, so they spread your brand message into their social networks.
Generating and Managing Buzzworthy PR
Here are two definitions to make it more clear (taken from Connected Marketing):
A PR Consultant is “a applied social scientist who advises a client on the social attitudes and actions he or she must take in order to appeal to the public on which it is dependent”.
PR practice is the discipline which looks after reputation, with the aim of earning understanding and support and influencing opinion and behaviour. It is the planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain goodwill and mutual understanding between an organization and its public.
Managing Web 2.0 Marketing
Making professional use of:
- Blogs / Blog marketing
- Social Networks like MySpace, StudiVZ, Friendster….
- Games like Second Life, Word of Warcraft (huge potential if applied correctly)
- Video platforms like YouTube, MyVideo
- Viral advertising
- Online Communities
- Tracking Tools
- Website, Email, Newsletters.. (the traditional tools)
Neuromarketing / Marketingpsychology
Understanding how and why Marketing and advertising really work and how you can make your advertising and marketing messages really efficient
Evangelism / Opinion Leader Marketing
- the Art of building relationships with influential people and getting them to evangelise and provide good word of mouth about your product
- since 10 % of the western population tell the other 90 % what to buy, it would be beneficial to get in contact with these opinion leaders, recruit them for your company – make them loyal and let them spread good word of mouth about your brand
- Integrated Communication of Connected marketing, Blogs and Social Networking
Integrated Communication of all your marketing channels
- have a core message and a strong brand with emotional values
- communicate this message with all your communication channels in order to create a clear picture in the
mind of the consumer
- align all your marketing channels (Direct Mail, Sales Personal, Video Communication, Online Marketing…) so
they all communicate the same powerful message and desirable emotional benefits of your brand
Making Use of Consumer Generated Media and Open Source Marketing
-> see my entry about CGM
Using the Long Tail Approach to sell more of your products and services
-> Read more about this in The Long Tail
List to be continued…
The Net Promoter Score & why it is important for your Business
A lot of studies have shown, that what people say and think about your brand & company is directly related to the profit and sales your company makes. If people are talking negative word mouth about your brand, it is likely that your profits will be affected negative by that. If they talk positive about you, this will also be reflected in your sales.
There is a more or less new metric that explains this interesting Correlation, take a look at the Net Promoter Score by Fred Reichheld and Paul Marsdens Articles on Seed to Spread and Advocacy drives growth.
Some may argue – is that really true, do I really have to care what my customers think, can’t I just do my marketing and tell my customers what to think about my company and brand…?
Maybe this was true 60 or 70 years ago but since Web 2.0 the time has changed, people are connected now through tools like Blogs, Forums, Websites… and produce more marketing themselves then a company can do, this term is called Consumer Generated Media and it will play a leading role in future marketing.
There is a more or less new metric that explains this interesting Correlation, take a look at the Net Promoter Score by Fred Reichheld and Paul Marsdens Articles on Seed to Spread and Advocacy drives growth.
Some may argue – is that really true, do I really have to care what my customers think, can’t I just do my marketing and tell my customers what to think about my company and brand…?
Maybe this was true 60 or 70 years ago but since Web 2.0 the time has changed, people are connected now through tools like Blogs, Forums, Websites… and produce more marketing themselves then a company can do, this term is called Consumer Generated Media and it will play a leading role in future marketing.
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