The Edgy Entrepreneur

The Seesmic Twitter Client: There's a New Sheriff in Town

I have long been an avid supporter of TweetDeck, particularly when it comes to its uses for marketing online...maybe even more than avid (is there such a thing?). Which is why it grieves me to say that Seesmic Desktop is just short of kicking some serious TweetDeck butt.

If you have used the Twitter client, Twirl, then you are already familiar with Seesmic.  My difficulty with Twirl was that it was too small and didn't afford me near the versatility I needed to search Twitter. This new incarnation is both a Twitter and Facebook app that let's you manage multiple Twitter accounts, as well as your Facebook profile.

Here's the skinny on features:

• post to and follow multiple twitter accounts from one desktop application
• Facebook integration for posting status updates and following friends updates
• groupings of friends, even across multiple twitter accounts
• all searches and groupings are saved, they aren't deleted when you close the column
• post pictures and web cam shots via drag and drop in the update box

Right now, this service is in its infancy, so it has bugs to work out. And, it will have to address the black hole of memory loss that TweetDeck had to face in the beginning, too. But Seesmic is responding to the demands of Twitter and Facebook users everywhere. And the primary complaints are lack of flexibility...we are no longer satisfied with having to log in and out of all of our accounts to post, contact friends and reply to messages. Not to mention that we can't keep track of anybody without a grouping feature.

Essentially, Seesmic is attempting something that neither Twitter nor Facebook have been able to do very successfully...and that is build a grouping system that would allow for cross-platform connectivity. Twitter and Facebook couldn't do it because they were so focused on keeping their platforms proprietary, they didn't listen to their customers begging for this kind of functionality. And though Twitter has had an open API and Facebook has taken recent steps in the right direction, it still is not far enough.

Maybe it will have to be a third party like Seesmic, that builds a management system to corral our social media platforms. Truthfully, I have been less than excited by Facebook and Google's attempts at connecting people across sites. This could be the best approach, sort of like an Outlook for social media...gather all of your accounts and contacts into one location and organize them all, then transfer to your handheld device for mobile conversations.

We will have to stay tuned to see where Seesmic takes its Twitter/Facebook application. For now, I am using both TweetDeck and Seesmic...but I can forsee a day where the balance will tip in favor of that rascally racoon...

Building Community on the Web

Seems like I have been so busy with the release of my book (Growing Food) and the kick off of my podcast with Amanda Thomsen (Good Enough Gardening) that I haven't had a single minute to write about my second passion...social media marketing, and in particular, building communities online. I have learned a really a couple of really valuable lessons during this process, so I thought I would share them with you.

The first is this...though every brand or company might want an online community, not all will be able  to build one. That's just a cold, hard fact. Now, I am not saying that people can't benefit from online marketing...because everyone can...but no, not everyone can benefit from an online community.

The second is this...it will not happen overnight. If you try to push people into becoming a community overnight, they will do everything they can to avoid it...and you will be treated like a spammer. And no matter how many clients want you to bring in 8,000 new people to their social media accounts each week and offer to pay you to do so, you must still tell them that is an impossibility. That's not a community...and a great example of that is the ill-fated MySpace.

The third is this...your networks will build slowly and then suddenly take off. I don't know why this happens, but it is as if you reach a level of critical mass that results in exponential growth. And once this happens on one platform, it makes growth on other platforms much easier. Graphic Depiction of Online Communities by D'Arcy Norman

The fourth is this...even if all of these things are in place, if the market doesn't want what you are selling, they won't buy it...period. So before you do anything else, use social media for market research. It has to be one of its best and most effective uses.

The fifth is this...and when people buy, the conversion rate won't equal the significance you feel in your social media relationships. Here's what I mean by that...social media marketing is relationship based, so a significant part of your time is spent building connections. And, when you do start promoting a product, you will naturally expect all of your online friends to feel as passionate about it as you do. And while I am not saying they won't ever buy it...I am saying that a lot of variables go in to making a purchase, so don't be disappointed if you have lower than expected sales.

Let me help put this into perspective, Grokdot posted the Top Ten Sites for Conversion Rates:
 1. ProFlowers 31.1%
2. LL Bean 25.7%
3. Amazon 23.7%
4. VitaCost 23.0%
5. Coldwater Creek 22.4%
6. QVC 21.1%
7. Roamans 20.4%
8. Office Depot 20.2%
9. LandsEnd 19.3%
10. Victoria’s Secret 19.2%

And these are well established brands that put a ton of money into marketing on and off line...average rates for small businesses would range from 1-10%. See what I am saying?

All of this is not to dissuade you, but to help you create a realistic marketing plan that will help you portion your time and resources efficiently and effectively. Since most small businesses don't have a lot of money, they have to be prepared to use the one thing they do have...time. It may take longer, but the long, slow burn can be just as effective, even more so, in building and maintaining a happy, healthy community.

Social Media Marketing: How It Works

It can be challenging, to say the least, to try and capture the way in which social media marketing actually works. The framework for understanding this process is so different from traditional marketing that not having experience in marketing can actually make the tenets easier to adopt.

 

The good news is that communicating via social media is much more like real life communications, on fast forward. We have removed the barrier of travel and quite a bit of the "getting to know you" niceties. And because much of the "screening" function has been removed from the relationship dance, users expect direct (tactful?) and transparent communication.

Implementing an online marketing campaign in this context requires that a company be flexible and responsive. This ongoing effort is about building culture and community around a product or business. And though there are some time-saving tips, this is not a quick fix or a one time effort.

Businesses who choose to enter this space need to understand that they are a part of the community they are building. They do not own the community they are building. And it is that lack of control that feels very uncomfortable to many. But by letting go of this need to have a polished and perfect (and unbelievable) brand, companies are able to build deep brand loyalty and viral recognition.

This loyalty is the result of a real life desire to support the people we care about and admire. Relationships create customers, and relationships are significantly harder to build if your campaign is only utilizing billboards, TV ads, and print.

With social media, when one of your contacts buys your product it is because they believe in the company at a much deeper level. They have stronger buy in and a connection with the person(s) who is running the campaign. Which is just common sense, really...don't you give your business to your friends first?

All of which makes social media marketing a very enjoyable process...if you have passion for your business and have a great product, you will have the opportunity to share that with a receptive and engaged audience. And this is a hell of a lot more fun than creating a whole bunch of static messages and using them to talk "at" a potential group of customers.

And where traditional marketing is about flooding the target market, hoping a small percentage of people respond, social media marketing is about building relationships. The latter necessitates more time spent on the front end, but results in a higher response rate. Taking the time to build these relationships will also increase the likelihood that your customer will continue to be your customer time and time again.

The jury is still out on whether or not social media marketing can benefit every business. This depends on multiple factors, including market pull and brand positioning. It is definitely in your company's interest to explore it a bit more, whether that is via hiring an interactive marketing consultant or using existing company resources to gather information.

Chances are that your customers are already using some form of social media. If you aren't showing up to engage them, someone else is.

Top 3 Business Marketing Tools for Adding Value

I don't know what has gotten in to me of late...I am madly exploring and adding things to my sites to boost the value for my readers, while simultaneously using them to market my businesses online. And believe it or not, you CAN market to people and have them enjoy and find value in it.

Case in point: I am mad about a new site called Chi.mp. They just rolled out Chi.mp 2.0 today and man, what a huge difference! These guys are still in beta, but the functionality that already exists is mad...Chi.mp is a "content hub and identity management platform". Essentially, that means that all of the things that are important to you can be a part of a platform you own.

Hang with me here, the creators of Chi.mp want you to have your own domain and the flexibility to add information and design features the way YOU want to...not the way THEY want. This is heresy in the social media realm...a site where you own your own information and create your own platform? Stop!

I recently built out my profile page for the Edgy Entrepreneur. It contains all the feeds for my social media writing, a social media news mashup (which I will get to in a bit) and miscellaneous social media accounts I think are beneficial. Go and check it out, see what you think. I have 4 invitations left for the beta, let me know if you want one.

Another thing I added to my site is a social media feed mashup. I have written quite a bit about my fondness for Yahoo Pipes, so I cloned a copy of an existing pipe and spiffed it up a bit. This contains some of my favorite social media blogs, a Yahoo web search for "social media" and a Digg Top Tech Feed. You can subscribe to this in an RSS reader, add it to igoogle or add it as a widget to your blog. If you have a social media blog and would like to add this widget to your profile, let me know and I will add your feed.

Finally, I added a customized Google Search to each of my blogs. I just decided that the amount of content on my blogs had reached critical mass. I mean, if people can't find it, they can't read it, right? It was a really easy process to set up. What's great about customized search is that you control the sites that you are searching. If you just want to search yours, that's fine...if you want to create a topical search, that's A-OK too.

And of course, all of these things are beneficial to both me and my readers. I am able to generate content that is informative and engaging, add other related content, and create a search that will save them from clicking on a hundred categories to find it all.

And, the overarching search engine benefit is insane. First, Chi.mp is designed to show up well in search results...and you can add Google Analytics, which ensures it will be indexed. The Yahoo Social Media Mashup is obviously indexed by Yahoo, and Google too...all of those gorgeous keywords attached to your site. Last, a customized Google Search? Hello? Can you feed Google more relevant information about your site than to have your readers search for things they EXPECT to find there?

It was a lot to complete, but I was on a mission...think about adding one or two of these items to your website...it could make a huge difference for you and your readers!

OneRiot: Social Search and Online Marketing Tool

Recently, I was followed on Twitter by a new social media application, OneRiot (@oneriot). And while Google is still working out its social search function, OneRiot has it in place. In fact, that's all they do. These guys are not only providing a cool service, they also have built a platform that doubles as an online marketing tool.

OneRiot is a search engine whose results are completely based on the preferences of its users. By installing their toolbar and agreeing to share your browsing habits, you are automatically influencing search results. And it is the aggregated browsing behavior of the 2 million+ users that prioritizes and generates results. These rankings are subject to change on a regular basis, dependant upon what's hot and what's not.

Not long ago, Google added user controls to search results. We could now add, remove and vote on the relevancy of the rankings. And though we knew we could affect our own results, it wasn't really clear how much our choices would impact the overall results. Frankly, the who's who in the SEO community ignored the new features, seemingly nonplussed by the potential for reducing the effectiveness of SEO keyword and linking strategies.

And, I can't say that I thought it was much of a threat either. Google is a behemoth and instituting that kind of change would take a huge effort and quite a lot of time. But OneRiot's whole framework is built on the concept of social search. There rankings are not at all based on linking structures and keywords. Which means there is no place for SEO in their world.

This is what makes their search system great for market research. In addition to checking the search page results for trending topics and user interest, you can also install their tool bar which shows at the bottom of your screen.

Here it is in action on the home page of Edgy Entrepreneur. You will see there is a pulse rating and an average visit duration graph. These two bits of information tell you how often OneRiot users are visiting the site and how long they are staying. Clicking on the pink square takes you to their search page. You can also install OneRiot as a search option in your browser bar.

There are a couple of ways to use this social search platform to boost your marketing efforts. The most obvious way is for market research. You can:

• use the search function to find trends in your topic area
• use the tool bar for a quick and dirty assessment of the popularity of a site

Another way to use this information to promote your business is to take advantage of the real time search rankings to find trending topics. This can be done by going to the home page or by subscribing via RSS. And here's where SEO folks like me might actually be able to evolve to meet the needs of this new era of search.

One of the great tactics of building web traffic is to identify keyword or topic trends and use that information to drive readers to your site. Though Google offers some trending topics options, OneRiot is better able to provide specific trends in real time. By searching with your keywords, you can find out:

• the focus of the conversation
• the hottest sites with the most hits
• sub topics/current events within your field that are generating interest

Collecting this information, then using it to compile and promote a post is a great way to keep your content relevant. It also gives you the benefit of snagging surging topical traffic. And while some of that traffic won't be sticky, some of it will. Not to mention, you will be a cutting edge content provider.

OneRiot is a great ancillary search tool with online marketing benefits. And while I definitely won't be giving up Google any time soon, OneRiot will now become a regular part of my website marketing and brand development efforts.

Can All Businesses Benefit from Online Marketing Strategies?

Can all businesses really benefit from online marketing strategies? I think this sometimes controversial question is asked more often than any other. And the answer somewhat depends on who you ask.

Marketing online is one of many ways to promote your business. And, as I have been reminded by many who are steeped in traditional marketing tactics, there are some who view this not as a method of marketing, but simply a channel for marketing.

I don't know that it matters much, or at least, it doesn't matter to me, whether it is a method or a channel. The point is that there are certain things online marketing can do that can't be done in any other way.

Through the use of social media tools, we are able to find whole communities of members of your target markets. And we have the opportunity to learn more about them than ever before. Marketing messages can now be laser focused and much more effective. Which means the cost of acquiring a new customer goes down dramatically.

Depending upon your internet marketing strategy, your primary cost could be contractor or staff time. And while click through advertising can still give you an edge, there are many places to build your brand online.

In the real world, your branding messages function in a somewhat one dimensional way. Customers find your information and purchase your goods. They may or may not tell anyone else about you. Let's say you post the same message on FaceBook. That message is updated to all of your friends, and your friends friends. And, if it was posted on a searchable business page, it is visible to search indexing, which builds your Google street cred. Quite a different level of impact...

So, yes, all businesses can benefit from online marketing strategies because the Internet offers a ton of possibilities. Yes, some will do better than others in attracting traffic. But, that shouldn't preclude you from using what is available to increase your brand visibility.