If you follow any brand news in social media, you’re probably aware of the criticism Toyota has been receiving over its Superbowl Twitter campaign.

If you haven’t heard about it, Toyota wanted to promote its new Camry range, so it started numerous Twitter accounts to send tweets to people about the car.

Now, there’s no doubt that having multiple accounts sending out random messages into hashtag conversations is spam. Heck, I’ve written about that here before, and it’s always a big no-no in any of our campaigns at Jugnoo.

It’s pre-Permission Marketing at its worst. And yet…

I can’t help but feel that we’re blaming the wrong people. While Toyota’s team may have been the ones behind the campaign, generally for brands that size it’s an external agency that handles promotions like this.

Sure, Toyota would have had to have signed off on the proposal, but at the end of the day, the expertise and best practices lie with the agency.

I’ve worked on accounts for Ford Canada, RIM, LG and more, and while these companies took the plaudits for the success of their campaigns, it was the agency that conceived, conceptualized and implemented – not the brand itself.

Because of the nature of the client/vendor relationship, it’s very rare that the talent behind a campaign is publicly acknowledged. And that’s how it should be, because you’re generally on a contractual status, nothing more.

So before we start shooting brands for a faux pas (perceived or actual), let’s just take a minute and be sure who the blame should be targeted at, before we scare away brands altogether when we should be encouraging them to be more active.

It’s the only way we’ll truly encourage brands to continue to experiment, and be where their customers increasingly are. And we all win when that happens…

It Isn’t Always the Brands to Blame for Social Media Screw Ups originally appeared on Danny Brown | Social Media Marketing Blog - The Human Side of Media and the Social Side of Marketing under a Creative Commons license.

Hey there! So I really wanted to add the Something Borrowed option too, but couldn’t think of anything, so the three in the title will have to do. So…

It’s been a little quiet here last week, since Kevin Green’s great guest post about LinkedIn (and if you haven’t read it yet, you’re missing a great ongoing discussion in the comments). But there’s a good reason for that, which is where the Something New and Something Old part comes in. And yes, I’m the something old part in the image at the start of this post…

Last Thursday, February 2nd at 11.52am, my wife Jacki gave birth to our second child, this time a daughter to join her brother Ewan, who showed his excitement at the news by offering back-up vocals to his favourite Thomas the Tank song.

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Salem McKellan Brown weighed in at 6lbs and 15oz, and both mama and daughter are well (they came home on Saturday morning). She’s a cute little tyke, and very wriggly – fun when it comes to diaper time!

So, obviously, my energies have been elsewhere. Normal service will be resumed shortly. In the meantime, you can hop over to Sarah Robinson’s blog where I guest as part of her 28 Days… series. This month, she’s looking at how you can encourage fierce loyalty from your community.

My post is titled If You Want Fierce Loyalty, You Need to Be Fiercely Loyal First. I kind of cuss a few times and talk about dog poo. Hence the Something Blue reference. Check it out if you have time, and make sure to check the rest of the series out too, there are some wicked smart people in it.

Cheers, have a great week and see you soon!

Something Old, Something New, Something Blue originally appeared on Danny Brown | Social Media Marketing Blog - The Human Side of Media and the Social Side of Marketing under a Creative Commons license.

As children, we have unbridled aspirations.

We dream to be astronauts. We dream to be explorers. We dream to be princesses. We dream to be the world’s greatest sports star. We dream.

Looking back at our childhood dreams, we rarely feel we failed because we didn’t become the astronaut. Or marry the prince. Or found new lands. Or had stadiums cheering our name.

Instead, we look back and remember a time when dreams had no limits, and anything was possible, even if (in reality) it never was.

Yet we never use the fail word. Because, in truth, we never failed.

Just because something didn’t happen doesn’t mean it’s a failure. Far from it.

That failed astronaut? Perhaps he became a doctor and found a cure for cancer.

That failed princess? Perhaps she became a politician and ended global hunger.

That failed sports star? Perhaps he became an author and wrote the book that changed the world forever.

Failure is simply a word. A perception of what might have been versus what is. Another path on an ongoing journey. Something that only exists because we allow it to.

And if we allow failure to exist, then we can also disallow it. And if we disallow it, then we can think the way we did as children. Where one dream not realized becomes another dream still to happen.

Because if something can still happen, then it hasn’t failed. And if failure hasn’t yet happened? Then perhaps it never will.

image: JoePhilipson

Because We Never Failed originally appeared on Danny Brown | Social Media Marketing Blog - The Human Side of Media and the Social Side of Marketing under a Creative Commons license.

I’ve been thinking a lot about collaborative marketing lately, and how we can turn co-existing businesses more into partners and less about missed opportunities. I think there’s a great untapped market for someone that really wants to grab collaborative marketing and run with it.

For example – imagine you’re going on a trip. You have to fly to get there, so there are a few processes you need to go through before, during and after:

• Buying your ticket.
• Driving to the airport.
• In-flight activities.
• Hotel or accommodation when you land.
• Rental car.

These are just the basics – I’m sure there are a lot more depending on what your individual needs are.

Now.

Instead of doing this all separately, there was some form of collaborative marketing behind it to make your life easier? I don’t know about you, but I know when my own life is made easy, I’m inclined to use the same service or product again. So.

Imagine if, when you buy your ticket (online or offline), the airline has a deal with all the major car hire firms like Hertz, Enterprise, Avis, etc. So, you buy your ticket and you have an option to hire your car at the same time. The rental firm then comes out and drops your car off. Or, better still, the airliner has a deal with airport cab firms to pick you up and take you to your flight.

Now, let’s also say that when you’re buying your ticket, you have the option of logging onto the booking site via Facebook Connect. If you’ve filled out your Movies and Music preferences on Facebook, the airline sees this. They then load this information into the media options available to your flight using something like iTunes. You can then watch your type of movies (if there’s a screen on the back of the seat in front of you), or your favourite music via an iTunes console.

With regards the hotel or accommodation, if you have to look after it and your company isn’t paying for it, again the airline has a partnership with hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts and more, and not just the big ones but of all sizes. You fill out a short cheat sheet when buying your ticket and the three most suitable accommodations pop up.

And the rental firm that started it all off?

They’re there (obviously) at the other end. But what they’ve done when you booked initially is ask what type of trip you’re having, and the kind of things you like to do when relaxing. So, when you pick up your car at the other side, the GPS is loaded with some destinations you might enjoy. And they’re tied in with local businesses that are part of the collaborative marketing approach of all the above.

Now, this is a pretty simple take on basic marketing 101. Yet, as an example of true collaborative marketing, it’s a start.

But it’s got to be better than a non-starter, no?

image: Ranjith Shenoy

Collaborative Marketing and the Natural Progression to Real Customer Satisfaction originally appeared on Danny Brown | Social Media Marketing Blog - The Human Side of Media and the Social Side of Marketing under a Creative Commons license.

I’m a little tired. Not physically. I could always do with a little more sleep, but then so can everyone.

No.

I’m more tired about the constant “The End of PR”, “The End of Marketing”, “The End of Print” and “The End of Advertising” missives  that seem to be flying about at the minute.

I can’t open my email subscriptions without the latest link shouting out “The end of…. Where now for Industry X?”.

I’m an avid blog reader and use Alltop regularly to find interesting stories from my industry and beyond. Yet it seems that there’s an “End of…” blog post for every *normal* one at the minute.

Why?

Why do we have to bang the nails into the coffin of industries that are still very much alive? Why do we have to look at an industry that’s been around for years as “ending”, just because there are new tools available? Is there really such a thing as an ending, anyway?

End or Mend?

Instead of saying an industry is ending, how about we say it’s mending instead? If an industry is really viewed as being broken, should we be closing the door on it or helping it back on its feet?

If your pet breaks its leg in an accident, do you immediately want to  put it to sleep or do you love it back to health? If you break the point on your trusty pencil, do you sharpen it or throw it in the bin? Even when that pencil eventually writes its last word, you don’t stop using pencils – you start afresh. But it’s still with the same type of pencil.

When you’ve taken your last step on a particular journey, it doesn’t mean your travels are over – it simply means there’s a new journey to  begin.

It’s easy to say something is finished – you don’t have to worry about it anymore as it heads for that big garbage bag of irrelevance. The harder part is making irrelevant into relevant.

It’s not easy, but if there are solid enough foundations already there, isn’t it better than starting again?

image: Black Glenn

The Only Thing That’s Dead Is Your Crappy “Everything Is Dead” Meme originally appeared on Danny Brown | Social Media Marketing Blog - The Human Side of Media and the Social Side of Marketing under a Creative Commons license.

We buy products and services every day.

Some we need, some we don’t. But we’ve heard good things about them so we buy them.

Who have we heard good things from?

Our friends. Our family. Our colleagues.

People we trust.

Why do we trust them? Because they’re not a mystery to us.

They don’t wear masks. They don’t hide behind veils. They don’t try and fool us with trickery.

They simply are.

You’re in business. You have a blog. You have a podcast. You want to be popular. You want people to like you; connect with you; follow you.

You want people to trust you.

We will. Just don’t wear a mask. Be yourself. Be true. Be honest.

We know you need to occasionally have your professional head on. Your business head. But does that mean you need to trick us? Does it mean you need to be the person you’re not, the business you’re not, the people we’re not?

No.

So wear the mask, but make it transparent. Wear the hat but make it your own. Pull the veil down but let us know it’s still you underneath. Make us trust you. Let us know who you are and that it’s you each time we talk.

That’s the way you’ll get our business. Our eyes on your blog. Our acceptance on Twitter. Our recommendations to our friends.

If you want us to believe, then make us believe in you. It’s not that hard.

Is it?

Image: GALERIEopWEG

Before We Believe You originally appeared on Danny Brown | Social Media Marketing Blog - The Human Side of Media and the Social Side of Marketing under a Creative Commons license.

If you take a look at a list of the oldest companies in the world, you’ll see the glaringly obvious fact that the majority of the companies listed are Japanese.

Germany makes a good argument for having a fair few, while the U.S. begins a late charge once they broke away from British rule. The rest is a mish-mash of European countries and developing countries (at least in the later part of the list).

So why does Japan have such a strong command of business, and what it takes to survive?

There are a few reasons. As someone who’s heavily influenced by Japanese culture, one of the things I’ve always admired about their business approach is how they encourage innovation and information-sharing from the bottom up. Everyone has a voice – it may not be used, but it will be heard.

Another reason is the permanent employment system Japanese companies use. This sees workers employed from college, but without a particular skill set to take to their new job. So, instead of being stuck in one division, the new recruit really does learn all about the company and its culture as he or she works their way through it.

Yet perhaps the biggest pointer on why Japanese companies often succeed where others fail is due to one simple reason, and one that’s more prevalent through smaller companies as opposed to the larger ones.

New employees are given mentors, and they spend years learning their craft, honing their skills and understanding every part of a machination or process that their employer goes through every day. They focus on needs and future needs as opposed to current successes.

It’s probably no surprise that this system can be found in Germany, under the term Meister– perhaps the reason Germany is second only to Japan when it comes to longevity and success.

So, simply put, knowing what you’re talking about and how to transfer that to what your customer needs is the secret of not only Japanese business’ longevity, but longevity in general when it comes to you too.

• Make your blog your fountain of knowledge as opposed to your drainpipe of loose facts.
• Make your speeches your topic of personal knowledge as opposed to a Googled equivalent.
• Make your business the one that finds the answers it doesn’t have, as opposed to your customers finding them first elsewhere.
• Make your job the one that educates you for your next position as opposed to the one that educates you on killing time.
• Make the books you read enhance your knowledge as opposed to entrench your growth.

We all want long-term success. We all want to be recognized or known for what we do, long after we don’t do it anymore. But sometimes we think achieving longevity is something others do, not us.

The funny thing is, longevity is a lot easier to come by than we think it is – you just have to know how to find it, and funnel it.

Ready to start learning?

Heritage, Culture and What the Japanese Can Teach Us About Business Longevity originally appeared on Danny Brown | Social Media Marketing Blog - The Human Side of Media and the Social Side of Marketing under a Creative Commons license.

What do you think their immediate impression is? If it’s personally, you might not care too much – after all, to each their own, right? But what if you’re a business offering a service – does that change your train of thought? Does the view of the same new face now hold more sway?

Even more so, what if your service is one that defines people’s first impressions of your customer – would you place even more emphasis on every single interaction you have, to make sure the impression left is the right one?

First Impressions

I have certain alerts set up via Google (as well as other social monitoring platforms), to alert me to words and phrases that could point to articles or blog posts relevant to me or my business needs. One of these alerts came in recently, so I thought I’d check it out.

It led me to this Facebook Page (note: image was taken prior to the brand pages makeover, but the “content” remains the same).

I’ve blocked out the name of the company (and forgive the blotchy red strokes – art was never my strong point), but you can still see the details of their service.

What stands out for me is that, as part of their service, they offer Facebook and Twitter page design. Since a branded Facebook page can really help you differentiate yourself from everyone else, it’s a service that’s becoming more popular. Yet the company’s own Facebook page is pretty lacklustre, with just the standard options.

Where’s the dedicated landing page, or more interactive tabs and features that some of the best Facebook pages have?

So, not a great start – but it was better than their main point of call…

Second Chances

It may have been that the Facebook page was a work in progress. I wasn’t so sure about this, since administrators of Facebook pages have the option to keep the page private until ready for launch.

But, give the benefit of the doubt – so I thought I’d check out the company’s website instead. Where I found this.

Probably not the best landing page in the world for a company that offers web design and development as part of their core services.

Couple this with the Facebook page – while you can have works in progress, you can also have landing areas that show this information, as opposed to a “parked here free of charge”-type message. For a company who wants to help you design the face of your business, the combination of the non-existent website and standard Facebook page doesn’t bode well.

Second Chances – Learning Points

Now I don’t want to be too down on this company, since it could be a fledgling business from some young entrepreneurs looking to realize their goal of owning their own business.

Yet at the same time, they’re not doing themselves any favours either by launching into the public too soon. So what could they have done differently?

• Have a dedicated landing page. This relates to both the Facebook page and the website (in its current form). Having a pre-launch landing page on a website looks a lot more professional than a web host message. The same goes for having a dedicated Facebook landing page as opposed to the standard Wall – especially for a Facebook page design company.
• Keep everything under wraps. While you might be excited to launch a product or business, unveiling it too soon can do more damage than good. Instead, keep everything private with maybe the odd teaser, and make sure you’re 100% ready for the public gaze. Because they’ll be ready for you, finished or not.
• Beware of search engines. The reason I received the alert that took me to this company’s Facebook page is simple – their information box is full of keywords relevant to my industry. Tying into keeping everything under wraps, don’t stuff keywords into something that’s public but not ready – it’ll just bring you eyeballs you may not want. Hold off until launch instead.

While first impressions count, you can get past a less-than-great one with an awesome second impression – but you need that second impression to be solid. This company’s website would have been their chance for a second impression – and they blew it.

Now. It could be that this company is one of the best in the world at web and Facebook page design, among other social media skills.

But given their first and second chance to impress, would you hire them to paint the face of your business?

First Impressions Count, But Second Impressions Are What Really Matter originally appeared on Danny Brown | Social Media Marketing Blog - The Human Side of Media and the Social Side of Marketing under a Creative Commons license.

For many of us, long term vision can be a scary concept. This is understandable, because it usually means that we’re having to put faith in something we’re doing now not showing a return until much later.

This could be our businesses; our blogs; or our budding relationship with a new lover.

It’s scary, because while we believe in our hearts that everything will work out, often we get impatient for results that we can see now.

We want our business to be profitable right away; we want our blogs to have hundreds of comments, subscribers and social shares; and we want that new love to be the one, and to fall in love with us so we can start living our lives together.

The problem is, very rarely is something a home run out of the gate. Instead, it takes time to truly get to where the real gold is.

It takes time to build a brand. It takes time to build an audience. It takes time to earn trust.

And it takes bravery to allow the luxury of that time. Something that’s hard to do in this instant result economy, where you’re considered a failure if you don’t have Number X within Timeframe Y.

But here’s the thing – today’s big successes all failed to start with, in one way or another. Household names now were nothing but hopes and dreams at one point, and they didn’t suffer because of non-instant success.

Instead, they succeeded because they saw the bigger picture, and believed the path to get there was worth the tough times they might endure. And they were right.

You can be too. You just have to embrace the concept.

image: Steinar Johnsen

The Scary Concept of Long Term Vision originally appeared on Danny Brown | Social Media Marketing Blog - The Human Side of Media and the Social Side of Marketing under a Creative Commons license.

The great thing about blogging is that you get to meet so many smart people. While a post might start the conversation, the comments take it in a whole new direction altogether, and makes a post better for it.

As well as blog comments offering the opportunity to read the views of these smart people, they also allow us to check out more of their writing, thanks to plugins like CommentLuv.

I’ve discovered some really great bloggers through comments left on this blog, and I’d like to share 12 of them with you today.

Each one of them brings a tremendous voice and point-of-view, as well as something to learn from every time. And you can’t ask for more than that.

So, without further ado and in no particular order, here are 12 bloggers you really should read and subscribe to in 2012.

1. Judy Dunn

One of the original For Bloggers By Bloggers core authors, Judy has long been one of my favourite bloggers from the first post of hers I read. Her Cats Eye Writer blog is one of the best around, period, for writing advice, style, life lessons weaved into blogging and more. If you want to be a better writer, read Judy Dunn.

2. Craig McBreen

Craig came into my radar last year, and he’s been there ever since. A fairly new blogger, Craig writes about social media and business, but from a more human angle. His writing style is very warm and incredibly smooth, and flows from one sentence to the other. If you want a business-type blog without the boring corporate fluff, check Craig McBreen out.

3. Jayme Soulati

Never one to pull punches or walk in territories others would be afraid to, Jayme Soulati writes an excellent PR-led blog over at Soulati-’TUDE. Although there are many reasons to love her blog, her no-nonsense approach to showing what’s wrong in PR and how to improve it make it an essential read for anyone with an interest in public relations.

4. Robert Dempsey

One of my favourite marketing blogs, because like Jayme above there are no punches pulled, Robert Dempsey’s blog is one of those blogs that has you hooked once you read a post. Knowledgeable; genuine; fearless – if you want a great marketing blog that really tells it like it is, Robert Dempsey is your guy.

5. Stuart Mills

There are many blogs that write about life and how to remain positive when the shit hits the fan. Many come across as false, though, and just out for eyeballs. Stuart’s Unlock The Door blog isn’t one of them. A tremendous blog that shines with humanity and real emotion, this is one of the best blogs out there to show you how to really live life, personally and professionally.

6. Bill Dorman

The self-penned “Invisible Blogger” because no-one used to read his blog (man, how that’s changed!), Bill Dorman is another blogger who effortlessly seems to bridge the gap between business, life, human emotions and storytelling. That’s not an easy trick to pull off – but Bill does it with ease. Read his blog and you’ll see how for yourself.

7. Ken Mueller

Ken Mueller is simply awesome – that’s all you need to know. More? Okay – Ken’s blog is one of the very best at providing solid business and social media views with humour and deprecation. This is a guy that’s not afraid to get the lady clothes on for a video to prove a point – and that’s just one of many reasons why you should read his blog. ‘Nuff said.

8. Samantha Collier

A fellow Canadian, Samantha Collier writes about social media for law firms on her blog. In an industry that has to be extra-careful at what can and can’t be said online, Samantha’s blog is a great educational resource, as well as a helping hand for law practitioners when it comes to the social media space. A great read.

9. Howie Goldfarb

I’m not quite sure whether Howie is an alien or human being, or something in-between. One thing I’m certain of, though, is that he’s one of the most-informed people I know when it comes to talking about advertising and social media, amongst other things. While his blog needs a visual makeover (my eyes, Howie!!!), it’s no slouch when it comes to solid information and overviews. Read it and learn.

10. Brankica Underwood

One of my perennial favourite bloggers, Brankica writes about Internet marketing, SEO, blogging and more over at Live Your Love. Her voice is one of the most vociferous out there when sharing opinion (and that’s a great thing to have), and she also continuously recommends awesome products for anyone looking to create a business online. Required reading.

11. Marya

I found Marya’s blog completely by accident. She suggested a guest post for For Bloggers By Bloggers and I checked out her stuff, and was blown away by the quality of educational content. Much like Judy that started this list, Marya writes excellent blogging and writing tips, and has a great community of commentators over at her Writing Happiness blog.

12. Dan Perez

I always give Dan stick for being a miserable sod – but deep down (okay, on the surface too!) he’s one of the most genuine guys you’ll meet. Dan writes about a lot of topics – social media, people, business, non-profit and more – as well as makes great videos to share them. But despite the multi-topic approach, Dan Perez’s blog is one of the most cohesive and educational/inspiring ones around.

So there you have it – 12 bloggers that you really should add to your reading list in 2012, if you’re not already reading them. Like I say, each one offers something unique to them, and makes blog reading and commenting a delightful lesson.

I hope you check them out – I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with any of them. Oh, and if you’re looking for more blogging tips and advice, there’s always our little site over at For Bloggers By Bloggers, too…

Happy New Year, all!

image: Kikolani

12 Bloggers You Really Should Read in 2012 originally appeared on Danny Brown | Social Media Marketing Blog - The Human Side of Media and the Social Side of Marketing under a Creative Commons license.