Brand Focus #10: A Grouposal and 4 things Marketers Can Learn From It

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November 21, 2011

Okay, this isn’t exactly a brand but it won my vote for being innovative – this guy proposed to his girlfriend using Groupon.

How did it work? He ‘sold’ himself by publishing his deal on Groupon Malaysia, knowing that his girlfriend checks Groupon on a daily basis. The deal garnered almost 48,000 ‘buys’ which indicated the support he received for the proposal. The girl said “Yes”.

4 things Marketers can learn from this proposal:

#1: Know your target audience

How many marketers out there actually sit down to really understand their target audience? I ask this because it is tough. Many businesses out there want to expand too soon, without thoroughly understanding their existing audience and it goes beyond just demographics. What are their behavioral patterns online? What are their interest? The closer you get the better it gets, just like how the guy knew the girlfriend checks out Groupon every morning without fail.

#2: Don’t limit your marketing tools even before it starts

A common scenario
Client: I want a Facebook campaign.
Marketer: Sure! Let’s do one.

I must admit I fall into that once in a while too, simply because it is the easy way out. However the real question to ask is: Will _________ be THE effective tool? Could there be a better tool out there that your target audience is using? Many pick Facebook / Twitter simply because it has a huge user base. But let’s face it – how many will actually participate in your marketing campaign? Think of other tools that can make your campaign fun and memorable outside of the usual Facebook.

#3: Get people talking

Mark Hughes in his book Buzz Marketing says that there are 6 buttons to get people talking (buzz): the taboo, the unusual, the outrageous, the hilarious, the remark-able and the secrets. In the case of the Grouposal, it is the unusual – and it generated more than 6,000 shares on Facebook alone. How’s that for a proposal? Give your campaign an angle that people can talk about.

#4: Be on the look out for opportunities to promote

Sometimes you do not need to create your own successful marketing campaigns – you can hitch a ride on the hype. Traditionally, marketers rely on festive seasons such as Christmas, New Year’s, Halloween and etc to market themselves. What about weddings, birthdays, anniversaries or proposals such as the above? This hair salon saw the opportunity to promote themselves using this proposal that was stirring much buzz.

See the Grouposal here

What do you think of this Grouposal? Is there anything else that can make a better campaign?

What Makes A Good Social Media Network Platform?

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October 1, 2011

| Jan Wong

A lot has happened in the online sphere lately. The introduction of Google+, the long delayed Twitter Analytics and recently, all the debate on the new Facebook features and layout. In the past we’ve seen the rise (and fall) of Friendster, MySpace, High5 and many other social networking sites. Why did they grow cold? I don’t know about you but as I read through different reviews, complaints and compliments, I realized that everyone have different feelings towards either platforms and a question popped up in my head:

What Do You Look For in A Social Media Network Tool or Platform?

Could it be… Apps?

The games on Facebook, the add-ons on LinkedIn, the 3rd party apps on Twitter. Is the flexibility of the platform a reason of your choice?

Could it be… the number of Users?

“800 million users on Facebook and growing, that’s the place to be!”

Could it be… the Cool factor?

“Because everyone is there and all my friends have it, I’ve got to be there else I’m not cool.”

Could it be… Privacy?

Or would you prefer something more controlled such as Twitter’s protected Tweets?

Could it be… the Diversity of Content?

The ability to post / share / read text, images and videos (and location?).

Could it be… Mobility?

Something that you can easily manage on mobile such as check-ins, text in 140 characters, something that requires less maneuvering on-the-go.

Could it be… Advertising opportunities?

Perhaps Facebook appeals to you more because you are given the option to advertise?

Could it be… the Analytics?

The ability to keep track on what’s happening with your updates – the number of clicks, shares, visitors and etc.

What is it that you look for in a social media network tool? What makes you define a tool as ‘useful’ or ‘great’? I’d love to hear your thoughts :)

The Problem With Being A Human Brand by @MargieClayman

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September 26, 2011

| Jan Wong

This is a guest post by Margie Clayman (@MargieClayman), the director of client development at Clayman Advertising, her family-owned agency. She is the third generation of her family to work there! Margie is the community manager at 12most.com, the librarian at The Blog Library, and the resident blogger at MargieClayman.com.

When I was first reading about social media, which was in about 2007, the levels of excitement that were surrounding this brave new world was hard to contain. Although the technology was cool, what people in my sector of the business world were really excited about was that brands were becoming personal. With social media, you’re no longer just a customer who buys a certain laundry detergent.

Now you were a face, a name, and interests on that manufacturer’s facebook fan page or on that company’s Twitter account. The other side of the coin was that the company was no longer just a company. Maybe the Twitter account was managed by a person named Jill. Well, now you were buying your laundry detergent from Jill, and Jill was selling to you, a real person with a name and a personality.

What could be greater?

Fast forward to almost five years later and the world online is getting a bit more complicated. While it’s true that brands are becoming more personal, a few problems are starting to arise because of scale and because of human nature. All great things must come to an end, or at least, they have to change, right?

Oh no! I gave away all of my best work for free!

One thing that online brands are realizing is that in the effort to really get to know their customers, along with other companies, they gave a LOT of information away. All of those blog posts you’ve enjoyed reading over the last few years have essentially been people giving away their expertise. Sure, some sites have always had ads on them, but we all know that online ads are mostly good for branding, not for clicks. And besides, even if someone clicks on an ad on your site, they’re not really buying what you sell. They’re buying something that someone else is advertising on your site, right?

Now, a lot of people are wondering how they can push the rewind button on that decision. They want to start charging, or they want to start charging more. With such close contact to their customers, they are hearing about this a lot more often and with a lot more vitriol than might have been the case a few years ago. This is an increasingly big conundrum for online brands.

Oh no! I don’t really think you’re my customer!

Another problem brands are struggling with right now is the realization that a lot of people that they follow, or who are following them, are not really customers. They’re not even prospects. Heck, they might not even be competitors. In the race for online clout (yes, spelled with a c, not a k), people raced to get as many followers as possible without stopping to wonder, “Hey, would this person ever buy from me?”

Now, people who have thousands or hundreds of thousands of people in their online communities are wondering how to filter through all of those people to get to the ones who might actually help them grow their business. As we’ve seen over the last few weeks with the “great unfollowing of 2011,” this can cause a lot of misunderstanding and discomfort, as is the case with so many adjustments. Again, because brands and customers have been so closely intertwined for the last few years, the blowback to these evolutions can be pretty severe.

Oh no! You want me to respond to you right away!

This is perhaps the biggest problem haunting online brands right now. When a lot of brands moved online in 2008 or 2009, there were not nearly as many people online as there are now, and nobody really knew what they were doing. It was all unchartered waters. Brands could respond to requests, suggestions, or calls for help lickety split. Five years later, customers and/or prospects still carry that expectation.

We have been taught that social media enables brands to execute customer service better than ever before, and that response times should be in minutes, not hours. Due to scale, however, responding that quickly to everyone is no longer an option. If the person managing a brand’s account did nothing but respond to people all day, they still would miss someone, and that someone would likely vocalize discontent.

Oh no! How can we get out of this mess?

Well, that’s the million dollar question. It seems like just like in the business world, social media is moving to a scenario where the smaller and more flexible you are, the better off you might be. Could we be moving to a brand new model where fewer followers is the optimum mode of operation? Could we be moving to a world where blog content is gated and must be paid for? All of these changes are going to be very uncomfortable, and there is likely to be a lot of rather hostile discussion as social media grows up and evolves.

Then again, I could be totally and 100% completely wrong. What do you think about the future of brands online? Where are we headed, and where are we now?

Brand Focus #9: Mobile and Facebook Integration for Your #SocialMedia Marketing Campaign [Carrefour Malaysia]

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September 17, 2011

| Jan Wong

In conjunction with one of Malaysia’s largest festive celebration the Hari Raya, Carrefour Malaysia launched an interesting marketing campaign using a combination of a free downloadable mobile app from the Apple AppStore and Facebook.

The app ‘Wholah’ requires the player to identify as many Facebook friends within 60 seconds to win different prizes including a can of Coke on their first play or subsequently a packet of Twisties or Oreos, all redeemable from any Carrefour outlet with no strings attached. To increase gameplay, the app also gave out in-game badges on different occasions.

If that isn’t enough, the campaign built towards a Tweetup, bringing the consumers together for a festive celebration together with the brand Carrefour.

3 Reasons Why Integration Matters for Your Next Social Media Marketing Campaign

#1: It Goes Beyond A Contest

Everyone can run a contest on social media platforms such as Facebook but not many can integrate a content into their marketing objective / brand message. The Wholah campaign took advantage of a festive season – also a season where shoppers flood hypermarkets to stock up for the festivity. A simple prize redemption method such as the requirement for players to come by and collect may in turn generate sales as consumers may just end up shopping at Carrefour since they’re already there.

#2: An Opportunity to Exercise the ‘Human’ in the Brand

Hari Raya celebrates the conclusion of the fasting month for Muslims and it is often celebrated with your family members. It is a time where children seek forgiveness from their parents and to celebrate as a family with great food. Using this fundamental concept, Carrefour became human by organizing a Raya Tweetup as a follow-up to the campaign, bringing the spirit of togetherness as the nation celebrates this joyous season.

#3: Easily Measureable

One of the main challenges businesses face when running marketing campaigns using social media is the ability to measure its effectiveness and conversion rates. Sure, there are tools out there to do the math but most of them comes back with an estimated figure. By having your social media marketing campaign tied to a offline business operation (such as the redemption of prizes), it will allow your business to determine the effectiveness of the campaign from the redemption rate – leading to other more accurate estimations on the increase of sales figures during the promotional period.

If you’re curious, check out the campaign’s microsite here

What do you think of the Wholah campaign? In what areas Carrefour Malaysia have succeeded / failed?

Watch Out! Are You Building A Frankenstein on #SocialMedia?

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September 15, 2011

| Jan Wong

Frankenstein somehow came out as an illustration in a recent discussion with a friend which I thought is a fitting example when it comes to creating a social media marketing campaign. How is it so?

5 Things to Consider When Building Your Next Social Media Marketing Campaign

1. Don’t build something you can’t power up!

Excited business owners and entrepreneurs often fall into the trap of building an idea fortress. You may have a grand scheme in mind but be aware of the time constraints, cost, knowledge, technical skills and practicality in making your plans a reality. Can it really be done with your current resources?

Always build a MVP – most viable product by first putting together what’s most important and practical to keep the costs down until you can afford something as big as a Frankenstein.

2. Watch your back!

Don’t let it haunt you in return. When Frankenstein came to life, it backfired and became a monster instead. Look out for loopholes in your marketing campaign that can bite you in return. It may be the terms and conditions, the sign up process, the voting process, the selection process or even the tools that you pick – you do not want to use a trial tool that ends before your marketing campaign ends!

A simple rule before launching your social media marketing campaign publicly is to test it and test it again!

3. Be innovative!

Frankenstein was created by stitching together different body parts. Your campaign can be created by stitching together different ideas from other marketing campaigns too! There really isn’t a need to reinvent the wheel for your campaigns. Understand existing concepts and inject your own flavor to make things different.

Be on a look out for great ideas both online and offline that you can implement in your next campaign.

4. Don’t build for your own pleasure!

Was there a need for Frankenstein to be created? Do the citizens of that time need Frankenstein? Not many people can create a new need like Steve Jobs did with the iPad. Build a campaign that your target audience would want to participate in. Don’t fall in the trap of building something cool just because the bigger companies are doing it. If your audience needs nothing more than a simple sweepstakes, so be it.

Always fall back to the basics: is this what my target audience wants? is my social media marketing campaign too complicated for them to participate? will there be any technological barriers?

5. Don’t give up!

Unlike Frankenstein, you do have an opportunity to make changes to adapt to the changing requirements of your target audience. Don’t give up when the marketing campaign did not progress as expected because you are dealing with humans and their preferences change from time to time. Take time to understand the flaws of your campaign and do better in the next.

Be reminded that your marketing campaigns are built for human participation therefore their preferences can affect your results.

Are you building a Frankenstein for your next social media marketing campaign?

What are your thoughts on building a social media Frankenstein?

Brand Focus #8: How to Manage A Groupon Campaign For A Small Business?

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September 12, 2011

| Jan Wong

Just a week ago I popped by a small restaurant just slightly away from town for dinner and managed to have a chat with a small restaurant owner. Somehow the conversation landed on the topic of Groupon – he loves it.

Recalling from my past conversations with other business owners on Groupon in Malaysia, I instantly wanted to know more about this liking of his towards Groupon. What is it that made his Groupon campaign successful? Why is it that he is able to make Groupon work while others find it difficult to handle?

Here are some tips from our chat:

#1: Don’t Stinge on Quality

The restaurant owner insists that the proportion of the meals served during the campaigns have to be the exact proportion of how it is off-promotion, if not better. Customers can tell the difference – especially those that frequent you. Business owners should not opt for a cheaper alternative just because of a lower profit margin.

#2: Know How Much You Can Handle

If your restaurant operate 8 hours a day with a total of 40 seats and if each customer takes an average of 30 minutes per meal, you’re likely able to handle no more than 640 customers per day. And that’s if you operate back-t0-back without rest. This figure will let you know whether you’re able to take in X amount of reservations daily. This restaurant owner drew up a reservation chart to make sure he does not overdo it. By doing so, he will be able to operate at full capacity, yet maintain the quality and service efficiency.

#3: Know Your Limits

If the number of customers flooding your store isn’t a concern, how about the number of staff on duty? He pointed out a valid point – the more customers you have, the more manpower you’ll need and that will cost you money. If that still isn’t a concern, think about the workload – will your staff be able to handle two, three, or even four Groupon campaigns back-to-back? Give them (and you) a break…

#4: And Measure Your Results

The simplest method suggested is to give out vouchers for their next visit. Have them printed with unique codes / colors so you can track which campaign your customers are coming back from.

Have you purchased a deal on Groupon or similar sites? What is your experience with the businesses running the campaigns?

7 Ways to Avoid Consumer Backlash for Your Next #SocialMedia Promotional Campaign

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September 8, 2011

| Jan Wong

This is a guest post by Adam Pedley (@Adam_Pedley) is the founder of Binkd home of the Binkd Promotion Platform. Adam is also a great buddy and one with great insights on promotions. Enjoy!

As a business owner you want to increase your following and engage with your customers. A perfect way to do this is to run a contest. Give a way a prize, get people spreading the word of your business, every one wins right? Unfortunately this isn’t always the case. Here are 7 points you need to consider before running a contest to help avoid consumer backlash.

1. Avoid Voting Contests Or Apply Strict Rules To Them

If you have a voting contest, there are sites / Facebook pages out there that let you post your entry link and get heaps of votes from random strangers. Then you also go and vote on all the other entry links on these pages. A reciprocal exchange of votes from random strangers.

People get REALLY angry about this and this actually tends to be worse when you are in a predominately women focussed business (e.g. homewares or fashion).

You can either avoid voting contests, put in place strict rules forbidding people to post on these pages and if they are found to have done so, they can be removed from the contest, or do a vote for a chance to win.

Vote for a chance to win is a slight variation on a plain voting contest. Each vote they get is a chance to win, but not a guarantee, hence it limits the effectiveness of gaining votes from random strangers. This type of contest is available on the Binkd Promotion Platform.

2. Ensure Your Prize Is Highly targeted And Valuable

If you give away a cheap or not applicable prize to your audience not only will you lose credibility, you will anger your customers for wasting their time reading your contest or making them feel devalued and not worthy of your time.

A highly targeted and valuable prize will gain you more entrants and greater trust with your followers. They are also more likely to keep coming back.

3. Monitor Your Contest Very Closely

There is always the potential for things to go wrong in your contest. Maybe you made an error in the terms or setup the contest incorrectly. These errors normally surface in the first few hours hence it is best to launch a contest early in your working day. This gives you the ability to monitor your contest and correct any errors during the day, rather than waking up in the morning to discover a PR nightmare.

4. Don’t Change The Terms Once The Contest Is Running

Apart from being illegal in some countries, changing the rules of the contest after it has started never goes down well with entrants. If you think you may need something in the terms, write it in now and don’t add it in later. Your terms should be well crafted and looked over by a lawyer to ensure it is valid in the countries you are running the contest.

5. Avoid Humorous Prizes Or Language

While something may be funny to one person, it generally isn’t to others. To avoid negative feedback and have the best chance of people spreading the word, stick to widely accepted and wanted prizes in your niche.

6. Don’t Run A Contest For A Good Cause

If you run a contest with “I will donate $X to a charity or the latest global disaster, if I reach a thousands entrants” or something similar, you will get entrants who buy into this but you will also receive a fair bit of backlash. Generally people will say, why don’t you just donate the money now, people are dying over there you (insert expletive).

7. Make Clear Any Out Of The Ordinary Terms.

A lot of people don’t read the terms of the contest and then have a go at you when they realize it wasn’t what they expected. If you have any terms that are slightly out of the ordinary, make sure you put them in a place where people will read them as well as the in the terms and conditions. The more upfront you are about them, the less likely anyone will question you later after they have entered.

What is the Best #SocialMedia Tool for a Marketing Campaign?

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September 5, 2011

| Jan Wong

It is interesting to see how business owners or marketing people jump straight into Facebook when talking about using social media tools for a marketing campaign. Do Facebook fit into every marketing campaign there is? What is the best social media tool for a marketing campaign?

If you came here to find out what is THAT tool, I’m sorry to disappoint you because there isn’t one. But before you click away, let me tell you why:

#1: You can’t fix a window with a hammer

Similarly, you don’t saw with a pair of pliers. There is a tool out there for your marketing objectives and not every tool is the answer. Get this – even experienced social media experts fall into the trap of using too many tools just because they all seem to fit. Put your marketing objectives first and focus on what is it that you want to accomplish with it THEN select your tools. You don’t drill a hole in your wall only to find that it is too big or small to be used.

Here’s a simple tip that I use often to select compatible tools by using just a paper and pen:

1. Create a master list of ALL the things you can do or can think of using social media
2. Put down your marketing objectives and describe your target audience
3. Now group the items on your list into 4 different categories: the ‘Must Haves’, ‘Good-to-Have’, ‘Maybe Next Time’ and ‘I Don’t Need It’

4. Select your tools!

In this example, you may want to consider having a Facebook page, host a simple contest to get fans to share about the event, encourage fans to post photos from the event to win something, place QR codes at the event to uncover a mystery gift or use Foursquare to reward visitors at your event. As for ideas on how to improve your event further, you’ve got the ‘Maybe Next Time’ column to help you out.

#2: You cannot build a house with a single screwdriver

From the very same example you’ll also find that although your target audience are on Facebook, it should not be your only answer when it comes to social media marketing. At times you’ll be required to include other tools to complement your marketing campaigns such as a microsite (it can be a blog), a QR campaign for on-ground interactivity, a Foursquare special to reward loyalty or a mobile app containing an event directory and itinerary and more!

The larger your objectives are, the larger the campaign will be, and the more tools you’ll (likely) have to use but it all begins with setting the objectives right and keeping with it.

My Recommendation?

Get yourself a social media Swiss knife. I use the above method almost all the time. What about you?

4 Common Excuses in Adopting E-Commerce for Your Business in Malaysia. Are You One Of Them?

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August 11, 2011

| Jan Wong

#1: “I Don’t Have the Technical Skills”

This is perhaps the most common excuse of all – the limitation of the necessary skills / knowledge and you’re right to say that technical skills are required… 5 years ago. In actual fact, starting an E-Commerce site today is so easy that you hardly need any technical knowledge at all! For instance, you can simply setup a blog using platforms such as WordPress or Blogger. Platforms such as WordPress makes it so easy even for beginners as it only takes minutes to get your site up and running!

#2: “I Don’t Have the Time”

Believe it or not, E-Commerce saves you even more time. The reason is simple – the moment your product is online, the purchasing process becomes automated. You’ll no longer need to physically monitor and track individual orders as the system does it for you. Your job will just be revolving around fulfilling that order. Even better if you’re selling electronic products such as e-books as your job ends at setting it up.

#3: “It Doesn’t Suit My Product / Service”

Recent reports in Malaysia revealed that RM1.8 billion was spent in year 2010 online, which indicates the growth and the amount of people that are already buying online. Whether it is the payment of bills, buying of books, electronic goods or fashion related items, consumers today are looking for that convenience in their busy lives and E-Commerce is just the right solution for them. You just need to get your online service across to them.

#4: “I’ve Tried and It Didn’t Work”

Are you sure? Are you VERY sure? List down ALL the things you’ve done and identify what you have not done or what else you could’ve done better. This time, put down an action plan and EXECUTE them. Most E-Commerce sites fail because business owners think that it’ll generate revenue automatically, in which they’re wrong. Just like a conventional business, E-Commerce also requires dedication and commitment to make it work.

Remember, technology has changed the way we communicate and do business today. The question is, are you ready to drop these excuses and make a change for your business?

What other excuses have you come across so far? I’d love to hear them too!

#SocialMedia Lessons from Traffic Lights. Yes, Traffic Lights

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July 14, 2011

| Jan Wong

And I’ll say it again – traffic lights. You know, those rectangular shaped boxes on poles that flash the red, yellow and green lights on the road? How can anyone learn anything from that thing? I did.

#1: The green light that everyone loves

Most people begin their journey on social media networks hopeful and they foresee increase in enquiries, sales, visitors and building a huge database of customers – they have a green vision. You’ve read success stories, attended seminars and workshops and you think you have all it takes to get you started. You created a blog, a Twitter handle, a Facebook page and all is well and green. You’re ready to roll..

#2: But the light ain’t always green

In fact, you’re likely to bump into a series of red lights when you’re just starting out – even if you’re doing everything right. It takes more than having the right plan / strategy on social media simply because you’re dealing with people on social media networks, commitment and consistency plays an important role and strategy does not.

#3: And there are times where you need to slow down

Are you pushing it too hard in your networks? Could it be that your followers cannot keep up with your ~~countless tweets and updates~~ enthusiasm? Slow down! Observe how are they reacting to you and talk to them for a change. You’ll be surprised of what you can find when driving at a slower speed.

#4: And beating the red light will cost you.

When faced with a red light, many at this stage resort to buying fans, followers, visits or comments which only brings temporal pleasure – such as how you may feel after beating a red light at the junction. You may feel good because there’s activity happening again but it’ll never last and it may bite you in return as purchased followers are never your followers to begin with. They probably are bots anyway and when this happens, you’re just buying numbers, not true followers.

If that isn’t enough, you may also lose all that you’ve worked so hard for, rammed down just because you couldn’t wait for the lights to turn green. Whether it is purchasing too many backlinks that backfired on search engines or driving away real followers with bots, you do not want to risk that.

Red lights are the perfect opportunity to evaluate what you’re doing on social media because you’ve got nothing to lose. It can be a time where your readership or interaction dips in numbers and it is the perfect time to identify the cause.

Remember, red lights don’t stay red forever.