danny brown » Guest Posts

It’s Not Rocket Science. A Retrospect at One Year of Community Building

Danny — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 05:07:09 +0000

This is a guest post from Matt Cheuvront and is part of the Guest Blog Grand Tour over at Life Without Pants – an epic journey of over 75 guest posts.

Want to learn more about Matt & see how far the rabbit hole goes? Subscribe to the Life Without Pants RSS feed & follow him on Twitter to keep in touch!

I’m still a newb to this whole blogging thing.

Those of you who know me might think I’m talking crazy, but no, seriously, this is still a relatively new scene to me when I think about the fact that a year ago – I wasn’t here, I didn’t have a blog, I knew none of you reading this, and I was at a completely different place in my life.

But in the past year – some pretty amazing things have happened both on and off my blog. I’ve met some amazing people, established a steady secondary income as a freelance designer and consultant, and have developed a fully interactive and thriving community of readers who genuinely push me to be at my best.

Recently I’ve had the pleasure of sitting down with a couple of people I really respect who wanted to interview me as an “up and coming” thought leader. It’s extremely humbling to be considered in that light – and in each of our conversations, I’ve been asked one common question: “How did you build your community?”

That’s the $100 question isn’t it? As bloggers we all want to know how to get people talking, how to get more RSS subscribers, more followers on Twitter, and so on. For most of us, we establish a niche, and they we start thinking about how to grow our community and spread our voice to a wider audience.

Now first and foremost – while flattered by what some may think – I’m no thought leader in this area. I have no professional credentials to back anything up – but a little bit of real life experience can go a long way. Looking back as I approach the one year anniversary of my blog – here are seven things I’ve done to build and nurture my blog community.

I set out to create “more than a blog” from day one

This was imperative for me. I’ve had my share of blogging flops in the past – with Life Without Pants, in what was maybe a desperate initial attempt to not become TOO specific in my overall theme, I set out to create a platform that was free form – much more than a blog – but rather a pedestal for people to come and share ideas. My style of writing actively promotes discussion – even going so far as to objectively ask questions in every post to get people thinking about a response. A blog should be a learning experience for both you and your readers – thus the more you can promote that level of engagement, the better.

I’ve found ways to relate personal experiences to applicable scenarios for my readers

At the end of the day – your readers care much less about your actual blog and much more about the person behind it (that would be you). I recently wrote a post on the topic – but in a nutshell, while you need to find ways to relate your content to the audience, you should never forget the one thing that makes your blog unique – YOUR perspective. Share personal stories, be opinionated, take a stance, use real life examples – and then open the floor for discussion.

I’ve replied to 99% of every comment received

From day one I told myself that I would respond to EVERY comment I’ve received and, for the most part, I’ve stayed true to this mantra. Even on posts that have had 100+ comments, I’ve invested the time into responding (thoughtfully) to every comment. The goal? Not to say “thanks for the comment” – but to take things a step further – ask another question, get people thinking even more. If you look through my archives – the comments section is always much more valuable and interesting than the post itself.

I actively promote the members of my community

Promoting, appreciating, and thanking the people who take the time to visit your blog is so important, yet often forgotten. We are absolutely inundated with the amount of content that is thrown at us from every direction, so for someone to pick YOUR blog read out of the million other ones out there should mean a lot. Take time to go the next step OFF your blog – send a personal email, follow up with your readers – visit THEIR blogs and get involved in their communities. Building a community is much easier when you have a group of readers who know you actually care about them.

I’ve gotten everyone involved with projects and ideas

E-books, video projects, guest posting – just a few of the things I’ve done over at my blog to involve my community. A community isn’t led by one dictator, but rather should be a place where many people can come and share ideas – not only in replying to comments and being good readers, but in creating some of the content itself. Share the wealth and volunteer your blog as a place for community to assemble and collaborate. It’s a 100% win-win situation for everyone involved.

I invent new ways to share content

Traditional blogging is still the way to go most of the time – people like to read and respond to blog posts – but I have integrated new media into my scheme as well. By using video and podcasting, I keep the content fresh and offer unique ways for people to enjoy the things I’m doing. Plus it challenges me as the manager of my blog to think of new ways to share perspective.

I see my blog as an investment

This is THE bottom line when it comes to blogging. A blog is a commitment, a community is an investment. You get what you give. You can still have a life outside of these online walls, but building a community comes down to being present and engaged in what’s going on throughout this space. Budget time every day to work on blogging initiatives, without distractions. Make it a real investment and when you do – the results will speak for themselves.

Socially Proactive

Danny — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 13:00:04 +0000

This is a guest post from Jim Mitchem. Jim is a father, husband, copywriter and founder of the virtual ad agency smashcommunications, llc. You can find him at his Obsessed with Conformity blog, and on Twitter @smashadv.

One of the things I hear most often from colleagues who attempt to justify why big brands need to be involved in Social Media is, ‘Don’t you want to know what people are saying about you?’

Only, this is a very passive position. Reactionary. More like Public Relations than marketing. Then again, most of the people I know in Social are from the PR side of the house. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

In fact, there’s a lot to be said for keenly monitoring what people say about your brand. Marketers from as little as ten years ago would kill for this opportunity. And with the amazing data mining tools available today, you can monitor your ass off. It’s brilliant.

However, there’s another opportunity out there that may be even more valuable than monitoring. Engaging. Yeah, yeah, everyone talks about how engagement is the core concept of SM. But talk is cheap. Well, not really.

In fact, one of the fallacies of Social Media is that because the media itself is mostly free (for now,) that it’s somehow cheap.

It’s not.

To effectively engage in this space requires a strategy and a team. And that means allocating budgets. In other words, being proactive. So stop what you’re doing right now, and go into your marketing plan and carve out 30% of the budget right off the top and put it into Social Media. Because A) traditional marketing is dying (becoming less relevant), and B) engagement takes manpower. Lots of it.

Yes, you can maximize the manpower with the proper tools, but if you’re not prepared to invest in the people who will take your brand into the brave new world of social, you’re just monitoring.

Don’t be afraid of Social Media. It’s not brain surgery. But after centuries of doing things one-way, we’re now in the age of two way. And reciprocal dialogue doesn’t occur in a print campaign.

You want to hear what your target audience is saying about you? You can do that in Social Media. If you want to be more proactive than at any time in the history of marketing, you can do that in Social Media too.

Imagine having people contact you on Twitter about a problem they’re having with a product – and you actually help them. In public. With everyone watching. Now imagine what the person you just helped is going to say about you (in public) to other people who are probably a lot like them, and who therefore represent potential new customers for you.

Imagine people talking about you in public and referencing your blog directly, where even more intimate dialogue can occur and where you can further reinforce your brand’s promise of value.

Imagine that. It’s sick.

And it’s being done now pretty well by brands like Zappos, Ford, Southwest Airlines among a growing list of others. No, none of these brands have everything figured out here. But they do have guts, and have recognized the massive potential that exists in proactive reciprocal dialogue with their audience.

Proactive engagement. It’s the new Super Bowl television spot. Just ask Pepsi.

Are You Online Right Now?

Danny — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 13:00:20 +0000

This is a guest post from close friend and writer Christina Kingston, who blogs over at CtKingston.com and is one of my 10 Bloggers to Watch in 2010.

If you’re online right now then…

Who’s watching rickety, old, near-death grandpa?
Who’s feeding the children?
Who’s French kissing the wife?

I was chatting with good friend and fellow blogger, Danny Brown, randomly discussing a multitude of topics. We touched upon one that made us both laugh.

The questions above, though harrowing, propelled a few snickers in regards to the “topic” we chuckled over, which boils down to web time spent versus real life squandered.

Danny suggested I write it up as a guest post on his site, but as time passed and rough drafts got cranked out, scattering by my desk side, I began to feel this particular blog might be too offensive for many of my career-oriented, married-with-children friends. It might even be offensive to my very close single friends who are sadly barren, unloved, lonely, and all alone without a clue how to survive in the workplace. I love these people.

Normally I have no problem being aggressive in prose or real life. I can easily blame my parents for this failing and that’s always a relief. Someone to blame. Once in a while I phone my folks, thanking them profusely for being such rotters. So rotten that their actions provided me with an infinite excuse. They hate those calls, but so be it, suck on it Ma and Pa! They know what they’ve done.

But this blog thing… I thought maybe I could just soft-pedal the initial idea so as not to appear accusatory of anyone I personally know, the ones who give the web their undivided attention, meanwhile habitually ignoring their wives, husbands, bfs, gfs, friends, children, jobs…

But no way, that’s what the whole piece was supposed to be about — the anti-social aspects of social networking as it pertains to the love showered on strangers, as opposed to the rampant disregard for those closest to us.

Although I see this kind of neglect often, I certainly wouldn’t map out anyone’s Internet timeline to prove how nearly impossible it’d be to find space where they might have had a moment to ask, “Hi kids, how was school?” Or even microwave a meal for themselves. And the married ones, do they ever talk with their spouses? They are online far too often to have sex with them, that’s clear.

And is the company they work for paying any attention to their sloppy work ethic? How much longer can these people keep a job? How many of these human animals once had an active social life, solid relationship and successful career only to blindly watch it dwindle while they squander away the hours on a social networking site? This question seemed like a good, possibly very serious blog idea.

But the more I spun it the more it felt potentially a tiny-bit rude.

I’m sure others will and or have tackled this dilemma. However, this kind of dicey subject will probably never be written by me.

But I’ll still wonder, “Who is feeding the children?” I also might think, “It’s no wonder your mate is cheating on you,” and occasionally imagine, “Of course your company flounders and you have zero job security.” I kinda might ponder such things every once in awhile, but I sure won’t be bringing it up in public.

Maybe Danny will… You’ll have to ask him. Actually don’t ask him, I doubt either one of us has much interest in that sort of discussion.

Please leave your thoughts below.

© dannybrown for danny brown, 2010. | Permalink |
Post tags: christina kingston, guest posts, social networks
52 comments

Social Media in 2010 – Aggregation, Segmentation and Specialization

Danny — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 13:00:07 +0000

This is a guest post by Brett Borders, who blogs about online identity issues at Online Reputation Edge and is also one of my 10 Bloggers to Watch in 2010.

2009 was an epic time in the evolution of social media. It was the year that many people got used to the real-time statusphere. It was the year that location-based social software (like FourSquare) started to socially map out the “real world” and encourage face-to-face connections.

Next generation social collaboration tools like Google Wave made a splash. And 2009 was the year that both my mom and dad signed up for Facebook – which marked a major “tipping point” for mainstream social media adoption.

There was a ton of positive hype and emotion about social media. Some of it was justified.

A lot of it was overblown.

2010 (“twenty ten”) is the year that many of the people who jumped into the social media honeymoon in 2009 are going to get seriously overwhelmed and burned out. Some people who thought social media meant the end of real work and normal business concepts will be painfully disillusioned.

And it will be a very successful year for people who know how to filter and focus on specific parts of social media, and for those who offer tools and training for using social media more efficiently and effectively.

Aggregation

Most people realize there’s way too much information for one human brain to process – but most of us aren’t yet very comfortable with filtering and aggregating social media streams. Yahoo Pipes is intimidating for even advanced users. Tweetdeck groups were a little advanced for beginners.

I expect to see lots more social media clients (external software apps) and interfaces with advanced filtering features, and countless new Web applications designed to make your social media life more manageable. Most of them will fail, but some of them will be essential smash hits.

The increase in aggregation technology and skills is going to raise the standards of content quality and originality.

In 2007 almost anyone could write a semi-coherent blog that would bring in links and comments. In 2010, only the very best and most compelling content will attract attention: the rest will increasingly be “filtered out” as a matter of course. As more and more people begin to suffer from social media burnout or career-endangering levels of productivity loss, the more experienced and connected users will become less generous with their time and attention.

Segmentation

Segmentation means being able to see patterns and break things down into groups. There are many different types, castes and subcultures of social media users: mommybloggers, small business owners, venture capitalists, cool kids, social news junkies, Make Money Online guys, social activists, corporate and agency types, narcissists and hopelessly-addicted hobbyists.

But people’s understanding of the different segments of social media users is relatively basic. Most published social media advice is “one-size-fits-all” – which isn’t as potent as it could be. Marketing to venture capitalists vs. government bureaucrats has some important “little differences.” The deeper your understanding of the sociological segments of the social media user base… their quirks, passions and hangups… the more successful you’re going to be in 2010.

Specialization

Specialization means knowing exactly what you want and going after it. People who specialize in general “social media consulting” are going to struggle to find clients amidst competition from thousands of consultants and agencies who are jumping into the same general basket.

That flew better in 2008 / 2009 when social media wasn’t as mainstream… but expect clients to become increasingly savvy, experienced and specific about the types of expertise they need. Those who drill down and focus on mastering a certain aspect of social media marketing are generally going to perform better. They will get more international clients who tend to pay better, and they’ll also get more sleep at night because they aren’t spread too thin and trying to “keep up with everything.”

Do you want to focus on training? Speaking? Consulting? Research? PR? Publishing? Programming? What specific part of the market do you want to serve? Is this area over-saturated with more established providers? Do the customers who need these types of services/products have money to afford them?

Specializing in social marketing for musicians, or online reputation management for politicians, or custom blog themes for the green industry – is a lot better than just getting into “social media,” “SEO” or “web design.”

Specializing in one area will let you brand yourself in as a leader in smaller area, and you’ll waste less time researching and entertaining inquiries that are outside of your zone.

Here’s to a profitable, productive and passionate 2010!

© dannybrown for danny brown, 2010. | Permalink |
Post tags: brett borders, operational tactics, social media
16 comments

Ten for 10 in 2010 – John Haydon

Danny — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 06:50:26 +0000

This is a guest post from John Haydon , who has a brilliant blog over at JohnHaydon.com. John inspires me every day and is one of the most giving and genuine folks around.

Every New Year, I think about what I’ve accomplished the previous year. When I’m done, I’ve felt refreshed and ready to get to work.

But many times, looking back doesn’t feel so good. Five years ago I had a bone cancer scare. Three years ago, I went though a divorce. I went from seeing my son seven days a week to less than three which, as any father knows, is heart breaking.

In 2009, I also had a string of heartbreaks, challenges and set-backs. I’ve also had many, many victories. Having hope and conviction is easy when you’ve just had a victory. Not so easy with set-back.

I promise this ends on a positive note, so stick with me, ok?

Firewood

There’s a Buddhist saying that “a fire burns brighter when logs are added.” The idea is that only through challenges does one forge a brighter, more expansive way of living. I mention this because we sometimes tend to see obstacles and set-backs as a negative. We fail to see the growth rings.
Maybe this is because it’s easier to just say “Oh, I’m sorry… that must be tough”, and think we’re lucky not to be in his/her shoes.

But why not be in their shoes? Why not be excited about an opportunity for self-transformation? Is it that deep down, we don’t believe in ourselves?

We see people “crushing it” all around us. Not despite the obstacles, but because of the obstacles!

How Mama and Mark Crush It

Mama Lucy lives in Tanzania with her kids. When her children were old enough to attend school in the 1990s, her country had no schools. She had to take her kids to Kenya to get an education – separating them from their home. She stood up against this injustice by building a school with money she earned on as a chicken farmer. And now she has a school with over 350 kids.

Mark Horvath had a promising career in television, but because of his drug addiction, he became homeless. He lost all his possessions and his family. With nothing left, he considered suicide. But then he had a spiritual awakening that put meaning around his struggles. Through his faith he quit drugs, pulled his life together, and eventually launched InvisiblePeople.TV.

The one thing Mama and Mark have in common is fire. They both burn for different reasons, but have used their struggles as the fuel.

Remember that feeling of failure I mentioned? Now I know that feeling is based on a misconception that winning in life means no challenges. Winning is inside – how we respond to life. To “crush it” is to burn brightly. To “crack” is to confuse ends and means.

So for 2010, my goals focus on cause rather than effect. On learning how to better start a fire, and fan it with hope.

My sincere thanks to John for sharing his thoughts on what made his past year, and what he hopes for next year – I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. I hope you’ll join me tomorrow when I offer up ten of my personal favourites from this blog over the last 12 months.

Ten for 10 in 2010 – Shannon Boudjema

Danny — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 18:45:19 +0000

This is a guest post from Shannon Boudjema, who writes over at ShannonBoudjema.com. Shannon is one of the most passionate folks I know, lives social media, and is someone I’m proud to call my friend.

My hat is off to one incredible year for the social industry. I think if I had to sum up 2009 socially, it would be the year that Social came of age.

We have seen staggering results, plausible case studies, and some very smart people with passion and vision doing things that have never been done before and what’s more, they’ve all lived to tell the tale. But as we all know, coming of age means life lessons, experimenting, getting things wrong, set backs and acquiring a bunch of experiences that ultimately define you as an adult.

I think 2010 will see even faster growth, twice as many start ups as were seen in 2009, more tech solutions that simplify how we gather and process content thanks to the biggest mash up of all revealing itself in this coming year.

Looking forward to:

Seeing how authenticity will shape brands in this space beyond the social network profile. Will authenticity be something that we see threaded throughout business this year or will it remain confined to just the parts the consumer can touch? Everything from hiring socially to operating within collaborative spaces to bringing the social philosophy to call centers that utilize social tools to fulfill the needs of their customers long before the dreaded complaint.

Watching how the Peer to Peer relationship evolves to reshape how we do business and its effect on the workforce model taking it from a more structured corporate model to a flex-force, entrepreneurial model – a model that in itself will bring change to how we buy, sell, engage and search. It’s true, we have seen this to some degree already with affiliate programs, modern day barter systems and individuals forming strategic alliances but 2010 is likely to see this grow and take shape in more sophisticated ways.

Figuring out how we resolve ‘Free’. I thoroughly enjoyed Chris Anderson’s book. He provides a lot of great content and perspective. I also like the book because it was that book that led me to Douglas Rushkoff, who offers some smart insights on how we get past free.

Seeing the end of:

Get Social Quick Schemes. People don’t get rich quick and unfortunately they don’t get thin fast. Getting social quick is also a band-aid for something that requires a fruit salad. That’s right… the get social quick schemes that promise huge amounts of twitter followers are not the answer. A facebook fan page without fans is of no value. But the truth is, these executional fixes are more damaging to you… doing things right the first time are always in your best interest, and more often than not, will be more effective with your time and your money.

Quality being valued over quantity – There is a place where Quantity rules – the quantity of traffic to your site is directly proportional to that site’s revenues. But that’s not what I’m talking about. So what would you prefer, 1000 engaged and active users or 35,000 bots, spammers, and people making noise? In a space where authenticity rules, why are we so scared to be authentic? For those who aren’t comfortable or don’t know how to best engage this space – learn how to do it right or hire someone brilliant.

Haters being ignored! I firmly believe that your haters are one of your biggest opportunities in this space. Hear me out! Who cares if you tapped a fan club who pledge their love to you. Great! You’re fortunate and we’re pleased for you. But what about those people who are thoroughly annoyed by you?

Those people who tell anyone who will listen how crap your product, service or brand is. Imagine if you could sit down with these fine folk, have a candid conversation, objectively listen and come away with insights that will not only improve business, but if committed action is taken, will turn the hearts of your haters into some of your biggest brand fanatics. Hmmmm, this just gave me an idea….

A few resolutions!

We need to know what to call this space. Social Media, New Media, Digital, Social Media Marketing, Social Technology…? Social is the correct part of the title. Media? Not so much. But then I don’t think it’s New Media either… if it is, then what do we call New Media when it’s no longer new? And p.s. – it lost its newness about five years ago.

Rear view mirrors play an important role in our life. They keep us safe and they prevent us from doing things we’d only regret. It let’s us look behind ourselves to scan the environment and gather information in order to make informed decisions about our next step forward. In other words, looking back isn’t always a bad idea… and looking back in Social has been made ridiculously efficient by the lovely Peter Kim. Bookmark his wiki warehouse of Social case studies.

However the cards may fall, my prayer for you is that 2010 is your best year yet. So be balanced, be kind regardless of it being reciprocated and always be the first one to smile and say hello!

My sincere thanks to Shannon for sharing her thoughts on the year just passed and the year ahead, I think you’ll agree she says much of what we’re all thinking about (and feel free to leave your thoughts about the year ahead in the comments). I hope you’ll join me tomorrow when I offer up ten people doing amazing things.

photo credit: sunsurfr

© dannybrown for danny brown, 2009. | Permalink |
Post tags: guest posts, shannon boudjema, social media, ten for 10
4 comments

Why Would You Bother to Comment?

Danny — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:53:46 +0000

This is a guest post following a great chat I had with Valerie Merahn Simon, and is a nice follow-up on my recent post about Twitter and blog comments.

If you’re like me, you read a lot of blog posts. Many of them are good posts. Some you’ll even share via Twitter or email. But only once in a while will you be motivated to comment. Commenting is a contribution. It requires time and effort and thought.

So why are readers willing to invest themselves in someone else’s blog post?

Controversy

Sometimes it’s hard not to “jump in”. When David Mullen & Lauren Fernandez asked Should Newspaper Have Outed an Intern for Plagerism? on Communications Catalyst, 107 comments ensued. A recent post on the Bad Pitch Blog regarding the controversial outing of the “reverse bad pitch” of “Mike Hendricks and the Laws of Shamelessness” resulted in 57 comments.

Another Bad Pitch post entitled “Simply put, thank you” about the very successful Bad Pitch Blog Night School garnered 0 comments. Of course controversy does not have to mean scandal. One of the most highly commented recent posts on Marketing Profs Daily Fix was Help! I Have Social Media Rejction Syndrome which inspired a spirited debate over whether it is appropriate to connect with those you don’t know on LinkedIn.

Expertise

Do you believe you can offer value and insights to the conversation? That the post needs your expertise? When Jeremy Porter posted The Best Schools for Journalism on Journalistics, his community was well prepared to contribute (28 comments). Whether they agreed with the schools on his list, or they felt he left off a school, his readers know journalism schools and felt compelled to share their opinions.

Similarly when Lauren Ferenandez asked her readers The 1.2 Million Definitions of PR: What’s your take? a discussion including 50 comments emerged. Her community understood the question, had an opinion and felt that were well suited to make a contribution to the conversation.

Questions

Is the blog a conversation with the reader, or simply offering a monologue? Jerimiah Owyang does a fantastic job of integrating questions alongside valuable insights to engage readers. A great example of this is Owyang’s recent post How to Kick Start a Community- An Ongoing List. With 72 comments the list did become a community undertaking.

Chris Brogan offers a similar example with his recent Simple Touch Points of Loyalty post, which offered 9 Simple Touchpoints of Loyalty and asked for help identifying more. Over 112 comments followed. One of his least commented posts Why I Will Promote Teaching Sells (just 8 responses) doesn’t speak to readers, so much as speak at them. In his words, “I wanted to share that with you clearly, and tell you a bit about the program, what I like about it, and then, I’ll let you go take a look for yourself.”

Does every post demand comments and interaction? Not necessarily.

Many of my favorite bloggers, brilliant thought leaders such as Shel Holtz, rarely receive more than a comment or two per post. These posts may be viewed by hundreds and shared by many, yet fail to evoke the often elusive comment. There is a unique skill, an art even, to crafting posts that elicit a written reaction from readers.

What was the last post you commented on? Why were you compelled to leave a comment?

Valerie Merahn Simon serves as a Senior Vice President at BurrellesLuce media monitoring and measurement, and writes a national public relations column for examiner.com. She is also co-founder and host of #PRStudChat, a monthly twitter chat between PR professionals and students moderated by Deirdre Breakenridge. She can be found on Twitter or LinkedIn and once in a while, if sufficiently motivated, commenting or even guest posting on a blog!

© dannybrown for danny brown, 2009. | Permalink |
Post tags: blog comments, guest posts, valerie merahn simon
79 comments

Blogger Outreach 2.0

Danny — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 20:37:58 +0000

This is a guest post from Christina Klenotic. Christina is a vice president at Dix & Eaton who specializes in digital communications, media relations and guerrilla marketing. You can visit Christina on Twitter or visit her on her blog, Beyond Social.

It’s been just over 30 days since Mom Dot launched its PR Blackout Challenge. The controversy was covered by a number of bloggers and mainstream media, including Danny Brown, Dave Fleet, Newsweek and PBS. So what have we learned?

As a PR professional who routinely works with clients on traditional and blogger relations campaigns, my most important takeaway is that pitching media bloggers and working with indie/mommy bloggers are two very different things. Here are four reasons why:

Not all bloggers are journalists

Outreach to indie bloggers who are not tied to a media outlet, like mommy bloggers, should be much different than traditional PR pitching to media bloggers. Think of the word “pitch” as a swear word. Instead, engage bloggers in conversation to forge a relationship and accept their honest feedback when they give it.

For moms who write about their experiences as a mom and occasionally pimp out a brand they love, more often than not a giveaway in exchange for an unbiased review is the way to go. The benefit to a company is that an influencer of its target audience will serve as a one-woman focus group about its experience. Blog followers who chime in after a post with their own feedback are a bonus.

Commercial blogging is here to stay

The evolving commercial momosphere was a hot topic during July’s BlogHer Business conference. While the controversy over the concept of mommy blogging becoming too commercial is not expected to dissipate anytime soon, there is an audience of bloggers who embrace their mommy blogger label and also welcome working with PR pros.

Transparency is non-negotiable

Because mommy blogger endorsements are under the microscope, it’s paramount for both PR professionals and bloggers to disclose expectations and commercial ties up front. Following the FTC’s guidelines for blog product endorsements is the only option that preserves credibility on both sides and is fair to readers.

Strategic targeting is essential

More than ever before, PR pros need to be very savvy in helping clients select the right bloggers to approach who can make a positive impact on potential customers. Mommy bloggers are not homogenized. Some write about their experience as a mom related to a niche such as travel, home improvement, work/life balance, etc. It’s a no-brainer that reading and following a blog is the only way to get a sense of whether a blog’s target audience and your client’s are a good fit.

Thoughts?

Make a Living with Your Tribe (Without Scaring Them Off)

Danny — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 15:23:17 +0000

This is a guest post from Brandon Mendelson. Brandon’s blog can be found at Soap Box Included. If you have a laptop you would like to donate to a homeless shelter or charitable organization, or would like to participate in crowdfunding A Million High Fives, you can find all the details here on the project page.

Let’s say you amassed a large tribe on your favorite social network.

A large tribe does not mean a large number of followers, but it does mean a respectable size that actively shares what you’re doing without your involvement.

Your tribe gets bigger and managing it evolves into a full time job. You need money to keep it going.

What Could You Do?

You could use affiliate links for items you recommend the tribe uses.

You could send sponsored messages and encourage the tribe to visit your sponsors.

You could integrate a brand into your tribe.

The Problem With The Coulds

Option one isn’t too bad. The key is to disclose to your tribe, in multiple visible places, that you use affiliate links.

Option two won’t work, and should be avoided. If you throw advertisements at your tribe, you guarantee some will leave and spread negativity about you.

In addition to chasing members away, like the affiliate links, a critical mass of click-throughs would be needed for this to make it worthwhile. Indicating the message is sponsored in some way will limit your success.

If you want to advertise, advertise where your audience would be receptive to it (such as on your blog, in a newsletter), but a social network is no place for traditional advertising.

The last option is tricky. If a company offers something valuable, that is relevant and useful to your tribe, and it helps you continue your project, it should be considered.

But, if a company comes to you and tries to ram their product into your efforts, or even worse, you become a shill,blurring your cause or project into a commercial, this is the worst thing you can do to your tribe.

Unfortunately, option three is happening increasingly as brands learn they don’t need big advertising campaigns, just a handful of “influencers” to get the word out. The why behind this is beyond what we’re discussing, but it is happening, and killing good projects as it does.

What Should You Do?

Option two is junk, don’t bother with it. Option one is okay as long as you inform your audience, but you have to be patient and plan for the long haul for affiliate links to be worth it.

Option three, can be a powerful thing. But it has to be done the right way:

A barrier needs to be formed. Your message can’t become the sponsor’s message.

Like the affiliate links, you have to clearly layout your relationship with the company in multiple locations.

Don’t use money to decide what brand you should team with. Make sure you have a logical fit, preferably one that fits the needs of your tribe.

Promote in moderation. This segment was brought to you by Sprint, using an example from my previous project, is more powerful than “Oh my god I love Sprint, they are so awesome #Sprint #cellphones”.

Be honest. If you need to keep your tribe going, tell them you reached out to a related company to help you, and in turn you are promoting something that could be useful to the tribe.

Let’s be clear: There will always be members of the tribe who resist advertising, regardless of form. But by following these steps, you can alleviate concerns and hopefully create a beneficial relationship between your advertiser and your tribe that allows you to fuel your project.

Thoughts?

© dannybrown for danny brown, 2009. | Permalink |
Post tags: a million high fives, brandon mendelson, guest posts, tribes
32 comments

Hyper-Connected or Disconnected?

Danny — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 20:24:14 +0000

Phone > Email > Text > SMS > Blogging > Facebook > Video > Twitter: that’s a quick & dirty look at the basic evolution of our communication channels over the past few years. We’ve grown faster, smarter, technologically savvy, and more efficient with the tools and services we use to communicate with one another in this digital era.

This sort of hyper-connectivity leaves seemingly little time-waste when it comes to responding to one our colleague’s tweets or a friend’s message (or numerous fan page requests) on Facebook. But as we continue to get deeper into the social media realm, I’ve heard just as much talk that our hyper-connected lives have actually made us become disconnected, with the real world.

I’ll be the first one to admit that I’m a technophile and practically sleep with my laptop and iPhone. People who know me online (and off) realize that I am constantly connected online, have a finger on the pulse of what’s happening in the social media space, and studying how companies are utilizing it successfully, or not. It’s who I am, it’s in my genes, and it’s what’s helped me get this far in my career, as I continue to try to make waves.

With that though beckons the questions of this lifestyle:

· Are we sometimes too hyper-connected?

· Do we pass up opportunities in real-life because we’re tending to online activities?

· Are we not spending enough time away from technology?

We’ve built respected communities online that we connect with on a daily basis, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re no more real than the people and activities we take part in outside of our home. Where should the line be drawn and a balance created with our online activity and “outside-the-internet” lives? Or has that line evolved into a blur?

What I’ve come to realize is that this tech/social media world isn’t for everyone. It pushes people to different levels – working on nights & weekends, creating proposals, continually writing fresh content (as I write this on a Sunday night), responding to tweets all times of the day – the list goes on. Hyper-connectivity has become somewhat of a prerequisite in this industry and can be seen as unbalance or overwhelming to the outside eye.

But what’s your perspective – how do you see your online activity? Are you bettering your experiences & skills and building trust within your circles through constant activity, or do you think those who question the technophile’s lifestyle are right? Do you feel that we should find a better balance between these respective worlds?

This is a guest post from Sonny Gill, a social media strategist and community guy whose passion for this space can be well documented through his career experience, as well as via his blog SonnyGill.com. You can also find him as @sonnygill on Twitter, and writing for his second passion, basketball, at RockinTheRim.com.

Phone > Email > Text > SMS > Blogging > Facebook > Video > Twitter: that’s a quick and dirty look at the basic evolution of our communication channels over the past few years.

We’ve grown faster, smarter, technologically savvy, and more efficient with the tools and services we use to communicate with one another in this digital era.

It’s who I am, it’s in my genes, and it’s what’s helped me get this far in my career, as I continue to try to make waves. With that though beckons the questions of this lifestyle:

Are we sometimes too hyper-connected?
Do we pass up opportunities in real-life because we’re tending to online activities?
Are we not spending enough time away from technology?

We’ve built respected communities online that we connect with on a daily basis, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re no more real than the people and activities we take part in outside of our home. Where should the line be drawn and a balance created with our online activity and “outside-the-Internet” lives? Or has that line evolved into a blur?

What I’ve come to realize is that this tech/social media world isn’t for everyone. It pushes people to different levels – working on nights and weekends, creating proposals, continually writing fresh content (as I write this on a Sunday night), responding to tweets all times of the day – the list goes on.

Hyper-connectivity has become somewhat of a prerequisite in this industry and can be seen as unbalance or overwhelming to the outside eye.

But what’s your perspective – how do you see your online activity?

Are you bettering your experiences & skills and building trust within your circles through constant activity, or do you think those who question the technophile’s lifestyle are right? Do you feel that we should find a better balance between these respective worlds?