@web smith
Branding, Media, Strategy, Creation, and User Experience. I build brand advocacy.
Web Smith, L.L.C.
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GQ Endorses: The New White Suit
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12 posts tagged Communication
Trickle up. Kanye West made news today by simply going on an unsolicited truth-spree. While his spurt of tweets could be deemed hilarious by some, obnoxious by most - it is a great example of how social media can instantaneously influence social networks and more traditional media when the message is sensational (or even aggravating) enough. Anatomy of a Twitter rant.
How time flies. All it took was one news search on the Twitter platform to realize that relevantnews was no longer fastest through CNN, ESPN, or even Mashable. 2009 wasn’t early adoption by any means but even in the last three years, I’ve watched the platform develop into a necessity for many personal and corporate brands.
A lot can be done in 140 characters or less. Here is a wonderful guide to the best and worst type of tweets. Whether you’re manning a corporate account or your personal one, this is a great perspective on balancing what you want to say with what others want to hear.
If Twitter is about adding value, this is a must see guide that will help you shape your message and eliminate noise. (via Wall Street Journal)
The Psychology of Social. Here is a great guide to understanding how to make your communication heard and when the best time of day it is to do so. Audience matters, engagement matters more.
A Two Way Street. Social media can be just as frustrating as it is liberating and innovative. Because many people think that just because they have “followers”, they can neglect them. The way I see it, if someone has a million followers but they can take the time for one, anyone of us can do the same. One-on-One communication is scalable if you care enough. Take The Rock for example. Once again, social media is redefining access.
Social Media and ‘The Help’
One Voice. The subject of this blog dawned on me while in the men’s room of a lavish movie theater in West Austin, a town better known as Bee Cave, Texas. There, the median income is $128,000. The average home is $1.5 million. The money? Old. The aura of the community? Aristocratic. In the urinal next to me was a 60 year old man, who with the company of another 60 year old man across the restroom, had a brief yet powerful conversation:
“Well, Joe, did you like the movie?”
Joe takes one look at me and says, “Let me comment on that when we’re in the car.”
Let’s set aside the cultural and racial implications that surround the plot of The Help was set (trailer). Look beyond the fact that it was an empowering story of: racial inequality, cultural difference, venom, revenge. And then: a bit of understanding, empathy, moral victory, and resolution. That’s great and all (I may have even let a tear slip). But move past all of this and on to a meaningful metaphor that can be applicable to the present day.
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Business Communication 101: Should your business be accessible via social media? Maybe not. I believe that some businesses should reevaluate their social media accessibility. Twitter and Facebook aren’t just forms of outward media. Sometimes, clients and customers have things to say in return.
I have a policy: if we mess up, call us on it publicly! All businesses should strive for this level of interpersonal accountability with their clients. In this video, I discuss a recent encounter where SICFIT is a client of a local service provider. We pay “Company X” for certain services and occasionally, they fail to deliver. So in an effort to gain their attention, I did what anyone in 2011 would do. I sent them a polite message via Twitter. The response? A call from the founder of that company and a conversation that wasn’t the most cordial. The founder of Company X didn’t ask “How can we fix it?” He asked, “Can you avoid saying anything that can be perceived negatively via Twitter?”
In 2011, the question has to be “How can we fix it?” and “Can you please hold us accountable until we are where we want to be as a company?” I believe that this is what customers and clients are looking for in business. And if you have this focus, not only will social media take care of itself. Your business will improve because of the new accessibility that people have to your brand and its customer service reputation. Boring topic? No. It’s my most important yet.
Your business is like a bed. Focus on the frame, the mattress, the sheets, and the pillow before picking out the 1,000 thread count comforter. Without the fundamentals, shine means nothing. “Effective Media Strategy Made Kindergarten Simple”. This is the key to social media in this decade. #REALTALK
The “AMEN” Strategy of grassroots marketing and brand equity growth within the CrossFit community will be a commonplace tactic for a breadth of young niche brands over the coming years. It’s an acronym that I use for communication with less niche-aware, seasoned investors. It is universal, in approach. As brands diverge into others’ established territories, brand equity will be a determining factor in a business’s success. Whether inside or outside of the CrossFit community. The strategy combines clear revenue centers with in-house promotion and amplification. Apparel, Media, Equipment, Noise. Apparel is self-explanatory, as is media. Equipment is the brick and mortar that feeds the growth of your niche’s sport, passion, etc. Do you sell the brick and mortar? Noise is the hype, promotion, communication generated by your brand’s personalities, conventional and social media channels.
For niche-brands, I believe that this will be a widely use acronym and modern approach to develop the relationships that have benefitted brands like: Hurley, Tapout, Billabong, DC Shoes, Vans, and Mizuno.
Is this a question with a yes or no answer? The Scenario: Gary Vaynerchuk (AKA @Garyvee) invoked a response over Twitter. I responded and he specifically acknowledged my response. Later in the evening, I called in to his Sirius XM Radio Show, Wine & Web. Referencing a Twitter discussion about his upcoming self-help book, The Thank You Economy, I said something that made him think. “Gary, you and I talked earlier about…”, I said. In a moment of either confusion or epiphany, he responds, “We did talk earlier…”
That moment, I realized that I presented an increasingly relevant cultural issue that social media’s sommelier hadn’t yet though out. Do you “talk” over Twitter? First, let me define mutual conversation. It is a communicatory pattern between persons (a) and (b) where as person (a) invokes, (b) responds, and (a) acknowledges that specific response. The specific response and the acknowledgement is exclusive to the two participants, even if the exchange is over a public channel. Is mutual conversation over Twitter the same as talking?
![[INFO GRAPHIC] How business is changing with social media’s growth. Message control is an increasingly difficult strategy to maintain in business. There’s been a drastic shift towards attitudes of improved transparency and humility. Businesses that move to incorporate these changes in communication will be better positioned for success in the market’s current climate. People expect honesty and interaction over social media channels, no matter the size and tech savviness of the organization.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lae442X6pC1qaujk2o1_500.jpg)
[INFO GRAPHIC] How business is changing with social media’s growth. Message control is an increasingly difficult strategy to maintain in business. There’s been a drastic shift towards attitudes of improved transparency and humility. Businesses that move to incorporate these changes in communication will be better positioned for success in the market’s current climate. People expect honesty and interaction over social media channels, no matter the size and tech savviness of the organization.
