September 2009 Gay Business Report

How Do I Get My Web 2.0 and Social Networking World All Working Together in Synchronized Harmony?
Finding the most efficient ways of using photos, blogs and videos to promote your company on the Internet, far and wide!

...from our July 2009 Gay Business Report, we went into great detail as to how and why to use Twitter, and over the past two months, even more has evolved on this topic that provides even greater relevancy to using Twitter in our business lives. But Twitter is still only part of the story, as it is both one of our primary TOOLS?for managing our online content and one of our primary TOUCH POINTS?for communicating our content’s message to a wide and relevant audience worldwide...

Other Highlights

• Updates on our Social Network Marketing Webinars
  
• How To: Manage Social Media Goals and Expections
  
• Interview with Scott Monty, Global Digital
  Communications Manager at Ford
  
• 13 Steps That Transformed One Company From
  Invisible King to Sought Leader
  
• 9 Rules of Facebook Promotion Every Small
  Business Should Know
  
• New Study Shows How Different Generations Use
  Facebook
• Ooh la la NLGJA: National Lesbian and Gay
  Journalists Association focusing on new media,
  economic pressures and professional development
  at Montreal convention this month
  

Direct Link to September 2009 Gay Business Report:
http://www.pinkbananamedia.com/pdf/pbmbizreport_sep2009.pdf

How Do I Get My Web 2.0 and Social Networking World All Working Together in Synchronized Harmony?

Finding the most efficient ways of using photos, blogs and videos to promote your company on the Internet, far and wide!

It’s interesting, but as we enter into the latter half of 2009, we can look back less than a year and see how when it comes to social network marketing, we’re living history as we speak. There was a day when only a small handful of early adopters even knew what Twitter was. Now, it’s become part of our daily dialogue (can you say “Tweet”), the way “Google” has turned into “Googling” and become a verb.

From our July 2009 Gay Business Report, we went into great detail as to how and why to use Twitter, and over the past two months, even more has evolved on this topic that provides even greater relevancy to using Twitter in our business lives. But Twitter is still only part of the story, as it is both one of our primary TOOLS for managing our online content and one of our primary TOUCH POINTS for communicating our content’s message to a wide and relevant audience worldwide.

Our company’s main focus with clients is to break up the social networking world into two main components, the TOOLS used in social networking (photos, videos, blogs and micro-blogs) and the TOUCH POINTS used to broadcast the photo/video/blog message to as wide an audience as possible. There is a lot of gray area in this concept, as the tools used in placing photos, videos and blogs online are also some of the best touch points to use when broadcasting that message and communicating with as wide an audience as possible. When placing photos online, Flickr.com serves as both an excellent site to post, manage and maintain a user’s photo albums, as well as serves as one of the best sites to share photos with other Flickr.com users using some of their social networking features they’ve built into their site. Lastly, Flickr.com is also one of the best sites to use when virally spreading those photos far and wide online, as their RSS and XML?features, as well as their integration with Twitter.com, blogs and other sites.

It is this concept, using sites such as Flickr.com for photos, YouTube.com for videos, Blogger or Wordpress for blogs and Twitter.com for micro-blogs (also known as status updates) that should form the cornerstone of every social network marketing plan in place today. This content is then integrated with your social networking sites including Facebook, FriendFeed, LinkedIn and Twitter (yes, Twitter... thus the gray area of Twitter being both a tool and a touch point), and the more automated this integration is for you, the easier your life is and the more efficient your social network marketing strategy becomes.

For example, let’s say you have some photos you’ve taken of a business reception or mixer you attended, and you plan on using a few of those photos for your blog posting as well. Here’s what to do.

1. Upload the photos to Flickr.com and specify that they are part of a SET all their own (in Flickr.com, a set is synonymous with a photo album). You can upload the photos directly online at Flickr.com or use their handy photo uploading software, which makes your photo uploading work even quicker and easier.

2. When using the Flickr uploading tool, you can both create a description for the Photo Set as well as for each individual photo. If you have all of the photos selected (using CTRL-A or your Control Key to select multipe individual photos at once), you can also specify a generic description for each photo as well. Make these descriptions work for you by being exact about what event the photos were taken, along with the website addresses of the organizations you wish to promote. If you’re just an attendee, be sure to add “Photos Taken By: xxx” and enter both your company name and your website address. Do the same for the general photo set description, and now when someone clicks on any of your photos, they will be just one click away from where you want them to be... either your website, a specific page on your website, your client’s website, etc. Your Flickr.com profile will also have your website information on it as well, but since the user has to actually find your profile link, click on it, etc., you’ve now maximized your photo’s performance by placing all of that information and more directly in each individual photo’s description.

3. Place a few of these photos into one or more relevant Flickr.com groups. If the photos are related to gay travel, then make sure you’re a part of a few gay travel Flickr.com groups (some groups have thousands of members). This creates just another way for your photos to be seent.

4. Using the integration feature of Flickr.com to Twitter.com, you can select a few key photos and click on “Share”. Scrolling down to their BLOG selection under Share will allow you one-click access to then sharing your photo using Twitter as well. Use some good key words to describe your photo as you send it out into the “Twittersphere” as you want as many people to find and click on the photo as possible. Your photo will have a new link using http://flic.kr and this link will display your photo, the descriptive text you entered along with hyperlinks, thumbnails of additional photos in this photo set, direct links to your other photos and to your profile, etc. All of these can then allow a user to discover more and more about you, your company and some of the various activities you and your company are doing. You are both informing and entertaining your viewers, with the hope of further engaging them andconverting some of them into potential clients.

The rest is easy... you would then write your blog, use some of your photos in the blog posting, and link to this Flickr.com photo set directly from your blog. You would also make sure to upload these photos into a new album you’ve created, but from your Facebook Fan/Business page. Placing these photos onto your business page and not your personal page means that every online Facebook viewer who checks out one of your photos is exposed to your business, not just you as an individual. Of course, since you’ll probably be in a few of the photos, they will be linked from your personal profile since you’ll be tagging yourself in these photos as well and they will be featured in your profile’s news feed.

And yet, we’re not stopping here... your blog is hopefully already integrated into Facebook Fan page using the NOTES feature of Facebook, whereby you can automatically have your blog postings appear in your Facebook Fan page with no extra work on your part. Thus, after posting your blog and waiting a few hours (these integrations aren’t always instantaneous), you can check out your Facebook Fan page and find that your members have already commented and shared this posting with their friends as well.

A lot of time was not spent on these last concepts, as most people seem to be more and more comfortable with how Facebook and blogs work nowadays. We’ve written extensively on them in previous Gay Business Reports as well. Our main focus now is to do a more in-depth analysis of the way these components work together, especially using some of the newest tools at our fingertips such as Twitter.

On that note, let’s continue the thought process from above. Your blog posting is now on Facebook, but it hasn’t made its way automatically to Twitter. That is where TwitterFeed.com comes in. Using TwitterFeed.com (or other programs out there including HootSuite.com), you can automatically have your blog postings converted into a Twitter, along with a shortened URL, and posted to your account automatically. By also having a Bit.ly account (http://www.bit.ly), you can also make it so that you have more detailed analysis of how many click-throughs you receive, as well as how many click-throughs your blog posting has received from others ReTweeting it as well. You’d be fascinated to learn that some articles and blog postings are now receiving between 100 and 1,000 click-throughs on a normal run, and others related to hotter topics receiving upwards of 10,000 click-throughs and more. Thus, Twitter is a force to be reckoned with... do we really want to ignore such click-throughs driving RELEVANT?traffic (aka potential clients) to our website?

Further continuing along the thought process from above, let’s go back to Facebook but keep thinking about Twitter. You’re on your Facebook Fan page and you want to communicate with your members and other viewers of your fan page. Just a week ago, Facebook enabled your Facebook Fan page to integrate with your Twitter account so that when you post a business-oriented status update in your fan page, it can automatically appear as a Twitter as well. This is powerful, in that it allows you to post once on Facebook and have it appear on Twitter as well. We’ve argued in the past that to post your Twitters automatically into Facebook is not the right way to go, and we stand behind this still. Twitter conversations are developing a life of their own, with retweets, Twitter replies, shortened URLs and more, and these conversations are no longer in the form of status updates to be shared on Facebook as well. Especially in your personal profile. But to share a business posting FROM Facebook TO Twitter is relevant, in that you are starting a conversation from Facebook and allowing it to have a life in both places now. On Facebook, the conversation takes the form of comments which stay on Facebook and appear below your original status update. On Twitter, they take the form of replies using the @ symbol and ReTweets using the RT sign, with perhaps a few # signs thrown in by other users to improve their search relevance. All more indications that your Twitters now have a life of their separate from status updates in Facebook.

Of course, these same rules starting with Flickr.com above apply equally well to videos on YouTube.com as well. You’ll typically have less views on a video than you would on a photo, but the views you do receive are considerably more engaged in you, your product and your service. Using sites such as 12Seconds.TV, your video can quickly and easily be integrated on Twitter as well.

Stay tuned for our next posting in the upcoming Gay Business Report where we apply everything we’ve just discussed here in this article and take this process further, setting you up as a potential “Thought Leader” in your specific field.

Direct Link to September 2009 Gay Business Report:
http://www.pinkbananamedia.com/pdf/pbmbizreport_sep2009.pdf

How the Social Networks Can All Work Together

We are working on an article for the September 2009 Gay Business Report that ties in nicely with Part 2 of our upcoming webinar we are doing on September 2nd, focusing on some of the more advanced trends and techniques in social network marketing as we enter the latter half of 2009.

The focus of this article, and what we touch on in our webinar and offer as a service to our clients, is all about setting a social network marketing strategy that includes and brings together the various social network marketing activities a person or company is doing, into one cohesive marketing plan and execution.

Part 1 of our discussions is always easy... it focuses on Facebook, as Facebook is a great place for most of us to start... to cut our teeth, so to speak, on how social network marketing works. And for many of us, Facebook can be the beginning and the end of our social network marketing strategy, as it provides us a platform from which to speak our mind (status updates), share links of our own blog postings and articles we like, share and tag photos and videos, and most importantly, provides us with a strong and lively audience paying attention to what it is we have to say.

From this Facebook page, all social network marketing techniques and habits can be taught and learned, and it's no secret that the majority of businesses large and small are in the process of figuring this out now.

But what about the world outside of Facebook, starting with Twitter? The #1 thing many of us in social network marketing hear nowadays is "why Twitter?" or "I don't understand Twitter", or better yet "I don't give two hoots about Twitter!" Which is all fine and good. But if you're in business... any business... your competitors probably do understand Twitter and do give two hoots about putting it to work for them.

A lot has been written about Twitter, and we've summarized our thoughts on the subject in the blog posting found here. The real question isn't "why Twitter" anymore, but rather, how do we get our Twitters, our Flickr photos, our YouTube videos, our blog postings, our bookmark sharing, our Google Reader article shares and more all working in sync with each other, and in a more fully automated fashion, broadcasting their message to our various audiences found on Facebook, Plaxo, LinkedIn, FriendFeed and more.

Thus, when you post a new blog entry or upload a new photo onto not just Facebook, but also Flickr, how do you get those blog entries and those photos out there working for you, automatically. When you read an article related to your business, product or service, how do you share this article with your peers and set yourself up as a thought leader on one or more particular subjects. And lastly, why is it wrong if your business simply synchronizes your Twitters to your Facebook status updates, not realizing that the conversations being had on Twitter are becoming completely separate from the status updates you're posting on Facebook.

More importantly, once you've got this system in place and working smoothly, how do you spend the least amount of hours possible in this new marketing initiative and yet get the most marketing output, in the form of web traffic, leads and sales, out of this strategy? That is the key... to first get all of these social network marketing activities working together, ensuring there is an audience out there paying attention, and then automating this in a way that allows you to carry on and conduct business, as well as follow up on all of the new business this marketing strategy has opened up for your company.

So watch for this upcoming article, and if this is of interest to you, please do attend Part 2 of our upcoming webinar and/or request from us a proposal for putting together a unique social network marketing strategy that is right for your business.

January 2009 Gay Business Report

In This Issue
New Marketing Tools for 2009
How to get more targeted visitors to your site

In the last edition, Matt Skallerud wrote a great article, "Making Sense of Social Media." He compared social media to talk radio and old-fashioned telephone party lines. "A tiny percent call - but everybody is listening." This article is going to teach you how to best market to all of those "listeners...."

LGBT Marketing Forum: European Tourism and Hospitality Leaders to Gather in London
Timely Discussion of Gay and Lesbian Growth Opportunities During Economic Downturn

Unprecedented economic challenges facing the global tourism and hospitality industries have led leaders to explore viable "niche" markets to fill the gaps. Research over the past decade has indicated particular strength in the gay and lesbian markets, who continue to take holidays in large numbers during recessions, health scares, etc.

Community Marketing, Inc. (CMI), the international LGBT research and marketing firm, has announced a comprehensive "European Symposium on Gay & Lesbian Tourism" to meet these challenges and identify growth opportunities. The symposium, to be held at the Cumberland Hotel, Marble Arch, London on 13 February, is dedicated to marketing and sales executives of tourism boards, accommodations, travel suppliers, tour operators, retailers and meeting planners. ...

Other Highlights

• What are the Benefits of Social Media Marketing?
  
• Who’s on our PBM Social Networking Site?
  

 Download PDF

November 2008 Gay Business Report

Monthly Gay Business Report
November 2008 Edition

A monthly companion piece to the annual Gay Market Report, this monthly publication features select new articles from the Gay Market Report, as well as Current GLBT Business News relevant to companies targeting the GLBT community. In addition, we're featuring a variety of company spotlights on unique companies in the GLBT space, as well as successful companies reaching the GLBT community.

In This Issue 5 Steps for Successful Social Media Marketing Let's say you've gotten the approval to get your company involved in social media marketing and are ready to launch your efforts. How will you define success? Spotlight on Clear Channel’s PrideRadio.com Over the past few years, we've had a variety of satellite and online radio stations appear with some incredible content ranging from dance music to talk radio. We've also recently had real world, terrestrial radio stations bring their music online including 92.7 Energy out of San Francisco and 103.9 Pride FM out of Toronto. Now, we have PrideRadio, brought to us by Clear Channel, with content ranging from online music streaming to Internet on-demand music videos and podcasts.... Seniors: Invisible and Overlooked RainbowVision's early motto was (and is) "Envisioning Our Future, Ourselves". The LGBT population has always been aware that if they did not look after themselves, no one else would. After hearing so many LGBT friends talk about buying a house together, and starting a community, Joy Silver took the lead and made the dream come true.... Other Highlights GLAM Magazine Hits Hampton Roads GayFranchise.com Launches New Web Site Germany’s First Gay TV Channel Hits The Airwaves The New Rules of Viral Marketing - eBook Download The Biz Q&A: Leading PR Executives Talk About LGBT Marketing, Part 1 of 3 Download PDF Subscribe: Click Here Advertise in future issues: Click Here Past Issues: October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 April 2008

How is Social Media Changing the Face of Marketing?

For many years, traditional marketing was in the form of one-way communication. Through public relations and advertising campaigns, companies put forth value propositions to generate market appeal, attract and retain customers, and drive sales by talking “to” their potential customers. However, with the rise of social media such as blogs, online forums, and social networks like MySpace and Facebook, the voice of the consumer is quickly drowning out those carefully crafted company messages. With 3.5 million brand-related conversations taking place online daily in the United States, companies are realizing that marketing to today’s technology-driven consumers means engaging in two-way communication and talking “with” their potential customers.With the rise of social media, the transparency of information is increasing and companies are not able to hide behind their branding experts any longer. The successful companies of the future are going to have to establish a sense of community with their customers, listen to their concerns, and get them involved in the company. Indeed, with democratization of information through social media, marketers are finding that consumers expect to engage in dialogue with brands rather than merely listen passively. Marketers who leverage these tools are showing their markets that they are not merely window-dressing when it comes to expressing an interest in their customers.

Why Should Companies Include Social Media in Their Marketing Plans?

More and more forward-thinking marketers are realizing that social media platforms are ideal for building community and soliciting consumer feedback. They start by leveraging blogs, in particular, both to open communication lines between their company and the consumer, as well as to communicate in “short-form” editorial, which is becoming more and more prevalent as the written content of choice for today’s online consumers. Because blogs are interactive and allow consumer feedback, these blogs become virtual water coolers and a meeting point for troubleshooting, relaying feedback, and offering ideas for improvement, which can result in products and services that are more relevant and useful to the consumer. Not only does this new level of “conversation marketing” enhance customer satisfaction, but it also builds community. End users feel they are a part of the company’s process and become evangelists for the brand.

What are the Rules of Engagement for Marketing through Social Media?

Though technology-based companies were the pioneers of engaging consumers through social media, many household consumer brands have taken the leap now as well. From Facebook profiles to podcasts to virtual stores in the Second Life virtual world, mainstream companies like Coca-Cola, Ford Motor Co., Toyota, Whirlpool, and Target are tapping into the online action. These companies have learned – and some have learned the hard way – that promoting your brand through social media requires chucking out old marketing rules of thumb and adopting new rules of engagement.

But what about the negative commentary someone could post about your company? A surefire way to nip negative commentary in the world of social media is to make sure your promise matches your experience. However, in the event that you uncover unfavorable comments floating in virtual space, damage control in social media operates pretty much like it would with any other medium. You must catch the negative commentary early on, listen carefully to what is being said, and then react accordingly. If you ignore it, the momentum of the commentary will only get stronger and worse. Even though you might be drawing more attention to the problem initially, you’ll actually increase customer loyalty if you address it and respond. That says to the consumer, ‘We’re working on it. We hear you.’ And if you can’t change whatever prompted the negative comments, you have an opportunity to explain to your customers why that change can’t be made. This type of proactive engagement with your customers makes you a leader, not a follower.

Are Certain Types of Social Media Tools Better than Others?

As with any marketing plan, it’s important to take the time to study and participate in all types of social media as an audience member before engaging in marketing to those audiences. The core marketing principles of yesterday apply to marketing to tech-savvy consumers today: Identify your audience and then find the best way to reach the largest group in the most efficient way possible. As a general rule, bloggers are very targeted to niche groups, whereas social networks tend to be very broad.

Just as marketers study the media kits of newsstand publications before placing an advertisement, they should also find out which blogs, Web sites, or social networks their current and potential customers are engaging in. Audio or video podcasts can be ideal for brands that need a personal touch — a “face” to which consumers can relate. They can create a stronger personal connection between the team members behind the brand and their audience. Social networks can be good channels for disseminating special offers and company information that might not be worthy of a press release but is still interesting enough to share with consumers on a particular network. Like viral videos, social networks make it easy to spread interesting content to friends. This content will have a natural advantage in breaking through market noise, and if it’s a positive impression, it will be given more credibility than highly crafted marketing messages.

Summary
Social media is changing the face of marketing. The carefully crafted messages of yesterday are giving way to a more open dialogue between companies and consumers. As more of the marketplace embraces communication through blogs, online forums, and social networks, more consumers are giving unfettered feedback about companies and their products every day. Companies that don’t participate in these conversations are neglecting the reputation of their brand and opening the door for competitors to come in and build more meaningful relationships with their customers.

Before engaging in social media, companies need to explore the various options available and decide which methods will likely have the greatest impact on their target audience. No matter which avenue they choose -- a blog, a podcast, a store in a virtual world, or whatever else -- marketers need to think ahead and be sure they’re devoting the appropriate resources to ensure that their content is relevant, engaging, and frequently refreshed. That’s how to fulfill every marketer’s dream – by keeping consumers coming back for more.

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Gay and Lesbian Social Networking Advertising - Marketing - Community

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