Turbo Social Media Marketing » Social Media | Turbo Social Media Marketing

What Types of Social Media Messages Should I Be Publishing?

Tom Sullivan — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:55:53 +0000

By now most medium to large businesses have a social media presence. An assortment of small businesses are also using social media. While this is a good sign, the problem is that “having a social media presence” and “using social media” doesn’t necessarily translate into success.

The goal of any business using social media should be to grow the brand presence, engage the new audience and monetize these new Fans & Followers. So how exactly do you do that?

The key here is engagement. More specifically, getting consumers to engage with your business via social media. A 2011 study by Chief Marketer revealed that when deciding on whether to engage with companies or brands via social media, users look to several key types of interactions, but primarily, consumers will engage so that they can receive free products, discounts or coupons.

As you can see, consumers will also engage with businesses so they can receive product information or answers to a question or concern. Many consumers also like the ability to give feedback about a company’s products or services. In some cases, businesses can even rely on their Fans to help develop a new product, technology, or even care out a task. This is a newer phenomenon known as crowd sourcing.

So does this mean that you should simply post your promotions or discounts on your social networks? NO! Despite what statistics have shown, even with discounts and coupons, consumers will get tired of the same, boring messaging. In fact, according to interactive marketing provider Exact Target, the third biggest reason (38%) for consumers “unliking” a business was “the content became repetitive or boring over time.”

What was the number one reason people “unliked” a page? “They post too much,” said 44% of people surveyed. This response leads me to my next point: do not over-post or “spam” your Fans! Once a day is more than enough. More than likely you’ll find a sweet spot of about 3-7 messages per week.

So if you’re not just posting promotions then what else should you post about? Talk about anything that will strike up a conversation: the weather, the weekend, the Holiday coming up, etc. More importantly, provide feedback in the form of tips, advice and education to your Fans about industry-related questions consumers might have. One easy way to do this is to link to your blog.

Another idea is to ask your Fans for their feedback. If you’re think about running a special, or you’re looking to combine products or services, or you’re just looking for new ideas, ask your Fans. Their feedback is valuable, and the could even provide new ideas for your business.

Finally, make it fun to be a Fan! Offer sweepstakes and contests that will get Fans excited to check your page every day.

If you have any questions about getting established on social media or developing a strategy then contact Turbo Social Media, or give us a call at 877-673-7096 x2.

Why Fantasy Football Players Love Social Media

Tom Sullivan — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 01:31:13 +0000

Football season is upon us once again. With college football underway and the NFL season a mere day away it’s a great time to start talking about one of the most interesting characters in American society: Fantasy Football guy (or gal). Before I get into this though, I’d like to point out that we are very lucky to even be having an NFL season this year. Back in January I wrote an article about how social media use hurts the chances of there being an NFL season in 2011 (because of lack of player solidarity). Luckily, the lockout ended in August- thanks in no part to the Twitter banter among players- and football fans, and Fantasy Football nerds, everywhere breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Fantasy Football, in case you live on another planet, involves picking players at different positions and competing against office-mates, friends and family members on a weekly basis based on their respective players’ stats (touchdowns, yards, catches, etc) . Fantasy Football is so wildly popular that it will lead to countless hours wasted at the office and literally billions lost in worker productivity. According to outplacement consultants Challenger, Gray & Christmas, nearly 37 million people spend an average of 50 minutes of work time a week managing their fantasy football teams, resulting in as much as $1.1 billion a week in lost productivity.

Of course, the 50 minutes a week these football geeks are spending at work might be supplementing the time on Facebook they would have otherwise spent. Or not. The point is, Fantasy Football is big, real big. So, after individual match-ups are considered, what do Fantasy Football players rely on to make their game day decisions? First, you turn to the injury report.

One of the biggest things that scares any Fantasy Football player is an injury to one of their top players. Of course, the NFL is a brutal sport and many players often play injured on a weekly basis. You can turn to the injury report, which you can find on various sports websites; however, the injury report is often littered with guys who you know are hurt but will obviously play. For instance, Tom Brady has been listed on the injury report every week since 2005!

The injury list, which was designed 60 years ago in part to prevent gambling interests from gaining insider information, has become somewhat of a sham, offering very little meaningful information (such as Tom Brady’s constant shoulder injury). Conversely, some teams in recent years, like the Dallas Cowboys, have listed very few people, unless they’re totally unable to play. Teams can be fined for false information, as 13 teams have been reported to make false statements in the past 10 years (there hasn’t been any info disclosed on who these teams are). As teams continue to walk the line with the misleading injury reports they provide the NFL, Fantasy Football players will have to turn elsewhere.

So after the injury report where do you turn? Social media!

Here’s one example of Twitter use, by a player, that nearly scared Fantasy Football players to death: Arian Foster’s hamstring MRI. In the photo on your right Arian Foster, one of the top running backs in the NFL, tweeted a link to his hamstring MRI and in the tweet he said, “This is an MRI of my hamstring, The white stuff surrounding the muscle is known in the medical world as anti-awesom…”

Another interesting example of Twitter talk gone too far is Washington Redskins’ safety LaRon Landry. On Tuesday Sept. 6th he posted a tweet that appeared to blame the Redskins’ training staff for his slow hamstring recovery: ”Uuhhh oo it ain’t my fault, blame the genius circus staff for the rush. wouldve been there 2wks ago. Im sry but saga cont.” Landry later deleted the tweet, but not after it was re-tweeted by the Washington Post. On Wednesday Sept. 7th Landry tweeted, “As of now, yeah, it looks like I’m going to miss it,” referring to the season opener on Sunday.

With so many athletes out there willing to turn to social media to immediately let you know about their injuries, contract disputes and political leanings fans are closer than ever to their favorite players. Social media is so new that we’ve yet to see any backlash in the form a discipline handed down to a player over a tweet. That doesn’t mean that teams haven’t internally scolded their players over their tweets, but as of now players are free to discuss their health, and anything else, openly.

Time will tell if and when the NFL personal conduct policy extends to social media. My guess is that commissioner Roger Goddell is coming up with a plan as I write this. Until then Fantasy Football players will continue to turn to social media to make their game day player selections, and why shouldn’t they. Unlike Peyton Manning, who has kept his neck injury status as secret as our nation’s nuclear missile locations (with word finally coming today that he’s out for week 1), a plethora of other NFL star players love to divulge everything on social media, including their injury status.

Social Media Helps with Emergencies

Tom Sullivan — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 16:26:57 +0000

It occurred to me right after the 5.9 earthquake that hit the east coast, followed by hurricane Irene last weekend, that social media, while silly and useless to a lot of people, is very important during emergency situations. As a California native, it was weird to feel an earthquake on the east coast. So weird that I didn’t even realize that I was experiencing it until at least 10 seconds into it. Immediately after I wanted to know if in fact it was an earthquake, and if other people felt it. Well, no news network or blogger is that quick, so where did I look? Twitter!

Now, the example above was me merely trying to confirm my suspicion about an obvious occurrence. Hurricane Irene, however, is a different story. You see, one of the biggest threats that people face when a hurricane passes through (other than death and destruction) is power outages. If the power goes out not only can you not use your oven, stove, microwave or toaster to cook food, but you cannot turn on the television to get emergency updates.

So how do you get real time emergency updates when the power goes out during an emergency situation? Twitter! As long as you have a laptop, tablet or cell phone with battery life you’ll be able to connect to Twitter through wi-fi, even if your not connected to your network, which you won’t be able to do since the power is out.

Almost every local news station and weatherman has a Twitter account. In emergency situations they can provide you with valuable information on the storm danger zones, potential flooded areas, local shelters, tips for emergency kits and much more…

The character limit on Twitter messages is often thought of as a hindrance, but in emergency situations messages that are ‘short and sweet’ are most effective. They quick and easy to type, and they’re to the point. So what’s my suggestion? Sign up for Twitter and follow local news stations and weathermen (or weather-women), even if you never plan on “tweeting” just so you’re prepared in case of an emergency.

Most Popular Athletes on Social Media

Tom Sullivan — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 20:02:07 +0000

Football season is almost here and I thought it would be a good time to talk about athletes and social media. Specifically the most popular athletes on social media. I’m not going to prioritize by number of Facebook Fans or Twitter Followers; rather, I’ll simply outline some of the notable uses of social media by athletes of different sports.

Here are some notable athletes using social media (in no particular order):

1) Shaquille O’Neil: Shaq is has the second-most Twitter Followers by athletes with 4+ million (the first is Brazilian soccer star Kaka). Shaq has always been somewhat of a controversial guy, saying whatever is on his mind and calling out whoever he feels like. Now that he’s retired expect just as much banter from him because he’s now working as an analyst alongside Kenny Smith and the equally boisterous, Charles Barkley.

2) Chad Ochocinco: Love him or hate him, Ochocinco is always candid and never camera-shy. Reporters followed Chad around throughout the summer while he attempted to play professional soccer, ride a bull and wrestle alligators. Chad’s online persona is just as available as the guy who the cameras film. He tweets multiple times a day and has over 2.5 million Followers. The best part is that, unlike many of his NFL counterparts who use social media to spew negativity, Chad’s use is typically as upbeat and interesting as he seems to be on TV.

3) Ricky Fowler, Bubba Watson, Ben Crane & Hunter Mahan: This golf foursome, known as the ‘Gold Boys,’ came out with recent Youtube “rap” video called “Oh Oh Oh” that shows a different side of golf. The video is both funny and clever, and with nearly 2.5 million views, it’s getting a lot of attention. With no clear cut superstar emerging from Tiger Woods’ shadow quite yet (possibly Rory McIlroy) having like-able, young guys on tour helps keep golf relevant.

4) Lance Armstrong: One of the early “pioneers” of athletes to use social media, Lance is the fourth-most followed athlete on Twitter with over 3 million Fans. Much of his time on social media has been spent promoting his foundation, Livestrong, an organization promoting cancer research, funding and awareness. Armstrong has been arguably the most influential athlete to bring awareness and money to cancer research. Of course, his use of social media certainly helps.

5) Shaun White: Having grown up during the social media boom, Shaun White is no stranger to Facebook, Twitter or Youtube. As a professional skateboarder and snowboarder (and aspiring race car driver), and a good-natured and very like-able personality, White is a sponsor’s dream. What he does so well is promote himself and his image in an authentic way, but at the same time seeding his sponsors, endorsers and products. He’s not as popular as Shaq, Ochocinco or Lance Armstrong, but he makes very good use of his presence.

Not all athletes fire off ill-timed and misinformed tweets. It seems like much of the attention on athletes using social media today is the handful who get upset about something and immediately run to Twitter to post a message, and then back track and apologize for the Tweet after their PR company sees the post.

As an athlete you want to develop a personal brand. All of the athletes listed above have done that to a certain extent. Being authentic and available to your fans (or haters) will make you more appealing to sponsors. Unfortunately, social media is not like PR, which can be handled almost exclusively for the athlete by an agency. A strong presence on social media takes time, because the updates and messages have to come from the athlete themselves.

The more influential you are as an athlete the more people you reach. The more people you reach the more appealing your brand is to sponsors. It’s as simple as that. Only it’s not so simple, because so many athletes struggle with social media. Is it because their PR agencies haven’t evolved enough or is it simply because there are too many hot-headed athletes? Probably a little bit of both.

Searchial Marketing: What is It?

Tom Sullivan — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 15:45:22 +0000

There’s a new term buzzing around the social media world, and it’s “searchial marketing.” The phrase was coined by Dr. Alan Glazier, an optometrist and Founder/CEO of a 4 doctor private optometric practice in the Rockville, Maryland. Dr. Glazier is a frequent lecturer on social and new media and blogs professionally at SightNation.com and for Jobson’s “Click” e-Newsletter publication. In 2006 Dr. Glazier made the decision to eliminate traditional forms of advertising and started the transition of his practice towards EMR and online marketing.

Dr. Glazier’s experience with social media has led him to see the value in it far beyond the “relationship building” that social media is known for. Dr. Glazier claims that “when (social media) works, the relationship building is often labor and time intensive with a return on investment that is often hard to measure. Not many people understand that social media campaigns can be orchestrated to build relationships and drive in new business at a much greater rate than using the relationship aspect of social media alone provides. When I discovered this, relationship building became the least compelling part of the picture.”

“Searchial” is a term that describes the method of interacting within social media while elevating your profile in internet searches for the products and services that you offer. In short, the book (and the term “searchial marketing”) describe how businesses can utilize social media to not only build relationships, but more importantly, better optimize their rankings on search engines.

While I’ll credit Dr. Glazier with this term (which I happen to like a lot), this is a concept that we have been preaching at Turbo Social Media over the past 3 years. The blog is the core piece of any social media strategy that we implement with our clients, and this is because it serves as a tool to update your social networks with valuable information, and, if optimized correctly, can show up very highly in search engines. Check out the example to your right and you’ll see one case in which we’ve implemented this strategy flawlessly. As you continuously grow your blog you’re increasing the number of opportunities for you to rank for various services that you offer.

I encourage you to read Dr. Glazier’s new book “Searchial Marketing,” and if you have any questions about implementing a social media strategy and how you can benefit from both the relationship building and the search engine visibility then contact Turbo Social Media today, or call 877-673-7096 x2.

Social Media is Not Just Limited to Facebook!

Tom Sullivan — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 20:41:55 +0000

It seems like somewhere along the way people began to simply equate “social media” with Facebook. It makes sense given that Facebook is the largest social network online, but it overlooks the meaning of the term “social media.” Social media is a broad term that refers to the use of web-based or internet-based applications that allow for the creation and exchange of user-generated content. This means everything from blogs and forums to text message marketing to review sites to social networks.

The purpose of this article is to discuss how social media can help every business, regardless of whether they’re using Facebook or not. Obviously the first thing you need to research is where your target market is, and where they are looking for answers to their questions. One notable network that has proven the most valuable for connecting with executives is LinkedIn. There are two key ways to connect with people on LinkedIn, without having any prior relationship with them. The first is to join an established group. The second is to get involved in LinkedIn advertising. The latter is a new feature of LinkedIn, but like Facebook, allows you to selectively target who sees your ads.

If you are a cosmetic physician then you want to go where your patients might be. Unfortunately, your potential patients likely do not have Facebook or LinkedIn profiles that express their desire for or interest in plastic surgery, so advertising on these networks is fruitless. Instead, focus on user-generated forums such as Real Self and Make Me Heal. This is where patients go to ask questions when they’re in the research phase.

If you are a freelance copywriter looking for work then there are several networks that you should look into. The first is Craigslist. Typically companies looking for a consultant, independent contractor or part-time freelancer will use the “gigs” section of Craigslist to post what they need. Another option would be Elance. The only problem with Elance is that you will likely be competing with many foreigners who will do the job for much less than you. Fortunately, if you’re a copywriter this is a good thing, as your writing should be more advanced than a foreigner’s.

Facebook may be the right social network for specific professionals to focus on. If you are a photographer, then Facebook would be a great network to put up ads. Why? Because you can specifically target and advertise to the types of clients that you want to find. Most photographers want clients that they can establish a relationship with. This means shooting photos of their engagement, then their wedding, then their pregnancy, and eventually the birth of their children. Not only does Facebook allow you to target geographically, but you can also target by relationship status. Since almost every 18-35 year old engaged woman has announced this status on Facebook, so if you’re a photographer you should market to them!

Obviosuly I can’t give an example for where every professional should turn to in order to find their ideal partners or clients, but no matter what your area of expertise is, you can find where your potential clients are looking. When all else fails, do a search on Google for your profession followed by “reviews.” If, for instance, you are a general contractor you’ll see this brings up Angieslist. If you’re a dentist this brings up DoctorOogle, among others. If you’re a chiropractor this brings up ChiroHub, among others. Get listed in these directories and review sites.

If you’re looking to connect with potential clients, find partners, and increase your businesses’ exposure online, Facebook may not be the best place for you to be spending your time (at least to start). Instead focus on review sites, forums, blogs and directories where your target market is researching and asking questions. Focus on websites where visitors are making comments. These are the types of social media sites that you need to be involved with.

If you have any questions about how you can grow your business online contact Turbo Social Media today or call 877-673-7096 x708.

Why Social Media Use Hurts Chances of an NFL season in 2011-12

Tom Sullivan — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 19:33:21 +0000

While most of my articles focus on internet news, marketing tips and social media tools, I thought I’d spend some time discussing the dynamics of America’s favorite pastime (sorry Baseball) and social media. More specifically, how the growing use of social media could hinder the ability of the players union to unite against the ownership of the NFL, agree on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, and ultimately, prevent the 2011-12 season from being “locked out.” What better time to discuss this than one week before the biggest sporting event on the planet: the Super Bowl!

For those of you who aren’t up to date on the imminent danger of a lockout in the 2011-12 NFL season, let me bring you up to speed. The NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is a contract between the employers (owners) and the union (players) that stipulates wages, working hours, training, health, safety and so forth. The current agreement runs through the 2010 season, and it expires on March 4. If there is new no agreement in place by this date then players will lose many of their benefits programs, such as 401Ks, player annuities, severance pay and performance-based pay. Just to put this into perspective, in 2009 the total league-wide contribution to these benefits was over $325 million.

2010 was considered the “Final League Year” for the soon-to-expire CBA. With this designation there was no salary cap this past season, and there were more significant restrictions on player free agency. There are a plethora of free agent terms and stipulations that I won’t delve into in the article, but the bottom line is, if there is no new CBA in place after March 4, 2011 there will be no NFL season in 2011-12. Roger Goodell, the commissioner of the NFL, has offered to cut his salary to $1 next year if that happens. Unfortunately, not only does that offer mean nothing to fans (he’s been making $10+ million a year), it also does nothing to further the negotiations between the players union and the owners. Thanks for the gesture Roger!

So where does social media come in?

Even the most casual of fans recognize names like Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens because of their TV shows. They are both very active in social media as well, particularly Twitter (Ochocinco has over 1.5 million Followers and T.O. has nearly a million). Social media has made NFL players like these more accessible, and more importantly, it makes their thoughts and feelings more accessible. One player who has used Twitter to discuss his displeasure with the progress of the new CBA is New York Jets’ cornerback Antonio Cromartie. He unleashed this tweet earlier this week: “They [the NFL] got their guys acting like a–holes. So they just need to get their s– together and just get it done” (referring to the new CBA negotiations). On camera, he later referred to the head union rep as an “a–hole.”

Keep in mind that Cromartie has no involvement with the players union (I don’t think they’d want him to be involved). He’s not even an alternate player rep. Yet he’s bashing the very people who represent him and the very people who are working to prevent a lockout. He received some harsh words from Ray Lewis and Darnell Docket, as well as Seattle Seahawks’ quarterback Matt Hasselbeck (who is his teams’ 2nd alternate union representative). Hasselbeck tweeted this in response to Cromatie’s comments: “Somebody ask Cromartie if he knows what CBA stood for.” This then prompted another response from “Cro” saying that he’d “bash Hasselbeck’s face in.” Nice.

Cromartie’s stance is simple: just get the deal done. Whether you side with him or not on his stance you cannot deny that the bickering between players on social media forums, like Twitter, is only damaging the players’ solidarity and leverage with the owners. Because baseball players were untied back in 1994 they were able to avoid a substantial lockout (although they did lose about half of a season). Still, it was perhaps the greatest show of union solidarity in modern sports history. There was no Twitter back then.

With a lockout looming the players need to be untied. The owners have all the leverage, and bickering on Twitter or through the media is only hurting the players’ solidarity. Players need to understand that their actions on social media, while well intentioned (and humorous), are not helping their cause. We’re living in a new world now with social media, and just as job seekers need to “clean up” their Facebook page to make themselves employable, NFL players need to think before they tweet (or they may soon be unemployed).

Several NFL analysts and reporters are predicting that the lockout will go into the 2011-12 season. If that happens the players (who make millions) will hurt more than the owners (who make billions).

Amazon Following Google’s Lead, Set to Invest in Living Social

Tom Sullivan — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 22:20:49 +0000

If you’ve been reading our blog or following the news you’ll know that Google is set to by group discount website Groupon for $6 billion or so. Just last week Zack wrote an article about this titled “Google to buy Groupon? How this affects you”. Well now Amazon is following suit, with arguably Groupon’s top competitor, LivingSocial.

The key difference in the two deals is the price ($6 billion for Groupon vs. $175 million for LivingSocial). Of course, Google is aiming to purchase Groupon outright. Hence the astronomical alleged purchasing price. Amazon, which has cash reserves nearing $6 billion, doesn’t quite have the cash to buy LivingSocial outright. Nevertheless, investing in LivingSocial is big move by Amazon because many of these group discount websites are growing fast. In fact, LivingSocial is expected to pass $500 million in profits sometime next year.

Don’t expect this trend to end anytime soon. While Groupon and LivingSocial are the two biggest competitors in a growing industry, there are many emerging group sites with specific niches. Expect more investments and venture capital in these group discount sites in the coming year.

Rumor: Google to Buy Groupon? How This Affects You

Zack — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 18:39:46 +0000

According to Mashable, Google might be looking to spend a little cash ($2.5 billion to be exact) to purchase online money saving juggernaut, Groupon. This would be yet, another huge purchase by Google and another step forward int he progression of the online revolution.

For those of you unfamiliar with Groupon, it is a great website that allows you to get deals on featured items, based on how many others are also interested in purchasing that item in your area, like a Group Coupon (Groupon). In the last year, Groupon has become one of the top online companies, rising in value in excess of $1 billion! A company doing this well will obviously have copycats, and Google might be making the right choice in buying them out (assuming these rumors are true.

How this helps Groupon and Google
If Google is in the process of buying them out, this deal could be huge for the both of them. Google is a powerhouse when it comes to online marketing, and if they were not to buy them out, they would create some program of its own, that would only take business away from Groupon. At the same time, Google can now integrate the Groupon business model into their own their own, and combine it with platforms, such as Google Places, giving bug and small business alike, a great way to market.

How this helps you
As I stated above Google would likely be integrating Groupon into its own platforms, such as Google Places, allowing companies to advertise in new areas, as well as offer more Groupon-esque discounts to an even larger audience. Google is obviously the largest online company int he world and one of the most recognizable brands. Google’s size helps reach an even larger audience, which means more discounts for consumers and for you Business owners out there, it is another great Social media outlet for promoting your brand and getting your product out there.

Over the years, Google has purchased many companies, and with the exception of a few (*cough-cough* Google Radio *cough*) they have really grown beyond all expectations and helped revolutionize what we do online. So if these rumors are true, and Groupon is about to become Googleized, then expect to be blown away, and be ready to reap the rewards.

For more information on Social Media Marketing for your and your business, please feel free to contact us and give us a call 877-673-7096.

Thank You, and I encourage you to leave and comments or questions below.

The Importance of a Consistent Brand

Zack — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 20:32:17 +0000

A little while back, you may have noticed, that here at Turbo Social Media, we redid our whole website. We upgraded the features as well as the design and style. In order to stay consistent across all outlets of Social Media, that we are present, we have finalized implementing our design on those sites as well. Go Ahead and check them out, I will be waiting right here:

Facebook, Twitter and Youtube.

So what do you think? Pretty cool, huh?

Well this amazing design is not just for the looks. The design was implemented in order for us to keep our brand apparent wherever you find us. Branding is a very important aspect of just about any business as it gives you an edge in competitive markets. Your brand is your promise to your customer, and you want to make yourself know wherever people find you.

To learn more about how we can help you with your Branding and your Social Media Marketing, click the red button at the top of the page to watch our free video series or give us a call at 877-673-7096.

Thank You, and I encourage you to leave and comments or questions below. To learn more about the video series, Medical Professionals should click here and Entrepreneurs should click here.

Article by Zack Zucker, Manager Client Services, Turbo Social Media