Lee Odden over via Ed Kohler of the Technology Evangelist writes about Social Media Optimization. How does business leverage the opportunity to connect with people using consumer generated media tools?


I’ve distilled Lee’s tips into a easy to use and remember format for my readers here:


1. Get In.
Go where where your market is and investigate the Long Tail for related niches for your products and services. Get your brand is fair percentage of minds hare.


2. Fit In.
Create community around your brand for your percentage of minds hare to pay dividends. Go interactive and create conversations and networks around your brand. Participation is mandatory or someone else will start the conversation that you should have had to begin with. Meet your community where they are and find out what they want and deliver it. Fit in with the new expectations and habits of social networking.


3. Make Friends.
Do actually engage your market through community. Create interactive contests, polls, user feedback loops whatever allows your community to choose, create and contribute to the improvement of your brand. Allow them to submit home grown videos, photos, naming contests and any other unique and interesting experiences that will reinforce your brand and a great experience. This leads to trust. When you’ve been authenticated and validated by your community that can rightly influence the message of your market about your products and services. You'll find yourself in a cooperative position where consumer involvement becomes a vital contribution to your success and word-of-mouth marketing is lifting your business profile in a positive manner that helps you acquire new business.


Check out Lee’s comments by clicking the link below:


SMO: What is Social Media Optimization?: Technology Evangelist.

To read the Lee Odden's comments in full, visit him at the Online Marketing Blog: New Rules for Social Media Optimization.

From MediaPost:

 In the emerging context of pull media, it will be even more important for marketers to maintain an intimate connection with consumers. Relevancy and personalization are requirements in online marketing.

JupiterResearch projects that growth in online direct marketing will shift from list rentals to sponsorship and co-registration programs that work to target offers contextually. “It’s not about making the consumer believe in the brand, but communicating that the brand believes in the consumer by connecting to them with relevance and responsibility,” says Greco.
As everything goes granular, niche, and interactive, we will all learn to love the data. “The guys who get their arms around the databases are going to win,” says Fitzpatrick. “If you don’t learn how to embrace technology now, find another job.”

As new media channels continue to contribute to the fragmentation of the mass market into millions of niche markets, marketing pro’s are finding themselves in lurch of sorts. The growing influence of consumer voice and choice has accelerated the need for marketing pros to work to figure out how to manage traditionally accepted online and off line marketing tactics with that of new online consumer behavior and social markets and the technologies that make social markets possible and powerful. This new consumer behavior is that of social markets. Consumers don’t blindly trust corporate advertising any longer, they trust the voice of the people and the stories they tell about the products and services they use.

It just isn’t the marketing message any longer. The markets are the message as well. It is what is being said about business that becomes the period or full stop to messages business are putting out. The biggest online imperative for any marketer and entrepreneur is the talk it up with your consumers and prospects NOW. You must open a new media channel of communication and engage your markets as  you work out new marketing approaches and related ROI.

The Long Tail has opened vast channels of interest and purchasing that is both narrow and deeper than the mainstream, broad mass market interests. The Long Tail is also where social markets are fiercely active and consumers continue to leverage new media tools to communicate, create, distribute and buy content and merchandise through decision making that is deeply influenced by the consumers themselves. Said another way, The Long Tail affords consumers the means and access to opportunities to create buzz about what they like most and share it with others who in turn act on those recommendations. Consumers now have the tools to personalize their information streams and target the content, products and services that allow them to dig deeper into highly niched and special interest content. This creates a much more rewarding buying experience for consumers and those businesses that provide buying experiences that cooperate with these new consumer behavior patterns are being richly rewarded for it.

Consumers want to be able to integrate choice, creativity and contribution into their buying experiences. They want interactivity and unique and individual experience as well. They want to customize, socialize and validate their choices. Can your enterprise integrate any of these characteristics into your customer experience with your business?

How does old school traditional marketing transition from push marketing where mainstream media channels controlled the message to new media channels such as consumer created blog content, podcasts and video where consumers are controlling the message and altering the marketing and advertising message of big business in the process? It’s won’t be easy for businesses who aren’t willing to adapt and change.

The marketing challenge is in the economics of balancing old marketing methods with the economics of reaching into the Long Tail of ecommerce and into new and emerging markets that aren’t as visible, are vigorously consumer controlled through opinion, contribution, filtering and personalization and are becoming very profitable and stable sources of income and opportunity.

 This is an insightful article about the challenge of marketing for Web 2.0. Read more by clicking the link below: 

MediaPost Publications - Getting In The Front Door -.

 

Quick...how do you get your message "heard" by the right people who can directly influence the bottom line revenues in your business?

Well, there are many ways depending on your business and customer base. Watch the video and see how one company chose to get their proposal directly into the hands of someone who has the potential to make a dramatic impact on their bottom line.

What's the connection?

What is the connection between this video and business blogging? Maybe much, maybe very little. One thing is apparent though. At a time when information clutter, overload, volume and competition are always at the ready to overwhelm your message and reduce it's effectiveness in reaching your audience, you must think about how to break above the noise and deliver a crisp, clear and direct message that will be heard and received.

The company in video used a low tech but effective medium to deliver their business plan to their target in a memorable way. As a result they were able to get immediate attention and some level of action towards their business objectives as outline in their business plan.

Why Create a Business Blog?

As a business considering a business bog, realize that business blogging allows you to use a hi-tech method to engage in an ages old process of talking with customers and prospects. While the method of delivering your conversation to your customers had changed, the mode has not. You are still simply talking. The important thing about blogging is that this talking isn't just a moment in time. It is digital dialog which is nearly immortalized in bits and bytes in the world of the Internet. This talking has the ability to reach your customers and boost your business quicker than traditional PR means and even email.

This digital dialog is persistent and endures as an organic mesh of links which carry permanent influence. This talking also bypasses the corporate boardroom and the media newsrooms. These means of communications and others not listed here are not obsolete but blogs have disrupted the command and control nature these mediums once had. Your business cannot drive the message alone any longer through these media channels. Customers are drivers of messages and drivers of change more so than ever before and blogging outpaces traditional media channels in getting much of the information that matters most out into the mainstream of your customers and prospects.

Is Traditional Media Communications Dead? No. It Just Isn't Trusted.

Traditional media channels are not trusted. Trusted communication is communication that involves business and consumers. The spirit of entrepreneurship is alive and well yet the image of corporate success has been tarnish greatly by greed and scandal. A business imperative for you is the establish trusted communications and relationships. Blogs are the most trusted form of accuracy right now. There is a lot of opinion disseminated within the social context of blogging and that opinion will eventually reach your business. The social matrix of blogs is very good at filtering fact from fiction although it isn't perfect but the power in blogging is that it is the power of the people.

People trust the opinions of the guy or gal consumer like them and will consider their opinion and expertise in making decisions about your business...UNLESS... you are blogging! Blogging is inherently an open medium of communication. You bring yourself to the level of identifying with your customer base when you open a business blog. You engage in an authentic process of communication which can boost your business and brand. You also position yourself for tremendous opportunities to exercise thought leadership in the marketplace, build an army of customer evangelists and influence (not control...remember the customer is in control now) opinion about your business.

The culture of the customer is one that has conditioned them to look for opportunities to talk to businesses, express their opinions about businesses, share their purchasing experiences with businesses as well as look for those companies (especially the ones they like) which are willing to talk back and share the inside story of how the company is being run and managed. The opportunity here is that any business can position themselves as leaders in their market, in their communities and most importantly in the minds of their customers by simply talking about how they are doing business and asking for input and feedback from customers.

The social marketing and social networking era ushered by blogs is a culture of collaboration. Each customers reaches another one through opinion, persuasion and choice. Simple word of mouth. Again, old mode but new medium.

Your Business Blog May Not Sing or Dance, But...

You may not be able to get your blog to sing or walk into someone's office and do a presentation but you can channel a stream of expertise into your marketplace and create an ongoing presentation of what you do best as a business and demonstration the value of your products and services on a continual bases and at the speed of change. A business blog is now in the critical communications path at some degree of internal or external communications. You simply have to have the means to get your information to your customers as fast as possible. You should also be willing to get information from your customers as quickly as possible.

To create a business blog is not to just jump on the bandwagon of "me too" blogging. To create a business blog is to position your business more effectively for the communications wars where information and perception conspire to help your business or hurt your business. You have an awesome opportunity to drive your brand value deeper into minds of your customers and strengthen your customer relationships at dramatically reduced costs.

A business blog doesn't guarantee an overnight increase in profits, new customers or fame. It takes some time to build an effective business blog but with the right strategy for your business and right guidance on how to deploy social communication tools in your business, you could be well on your way to improving customer relationships, building brand equity and keeping your competitors in check.

Tags: blog, blogging, blog marketing, business blog, business blogging, rss

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Conversations with Experts: How to Build Your Business On and Off-line
Conversations with Experts is hosted by Denise Wakeman and Patsi Krakoff of the newly released Build A Better Blog System manual that teaches professionals and businesses about how to create blog success by integrating blogging technology in their marketing strategy.

TONIGHT! Tuesday, May 24, 2005 8:30 p.m. EDT - FREE
Guest Expert: BL Ochman of What's Next Online, featured in the Build A Better Blog System

Is blogging a fad that will pass or a sea change in corporate communications? The conversation with BL Ochman will cover a range of topics from what your company could do with a blog, why blogging is not for everyone, how to write for your blog, to building an audience and why blogs are good buys for advertisers. BL will also reveal ...   more »

I love blogging. I really do. Because I continue to meet so many fantastic people. I certainly do appreciate all of the emails and Skype calls I continue to get. I'm now have to rethink my contact management or at least upgrade my contact management skills to successfully grow the many great contacts I've made which result in some pretty valuable associations. This brings me to Rich Brooks of Flyte New Media blog. Beside a blog on web design and marketing that I've come to enjoy reading Rich has also published a PowerPoint presentation on blog planning, blog building and blog promotion.

I met Rich in the blogosphere (no surprise there!) as I was checking inbound links and noticed that he was kind enough to link to me. I replied to his blog with a thanks and email conversations ...   more »

Conversations with Experts: How to Build Your Business On and Off-line
Conversations with Experts is hosted by Denise Wakeman and Patsi Krakoff of the newly released Build A Better Blog System manual that teaches professionals and businesses about how to create blog success by integrating blogging technology in their marketing strategy.

Wednesday, May 11, 2005, 8:30 p.m. ET - FREE
Guest Expert: Michael Pollock of Small Business Branding, featured in the Build a Better Blog System

There's a new breed of solopreneur today. (S)he's street smart and lives from the heart; nimble and technically savvy. (S)he weaves an intricate web of like-minded souls who feast upon the products of his/her energy and spirit. Like some of the world's biggest companies, (s)he's well-known, respected and sought after for the value (s)he consistently delivers to her network. During this conversation, we'll ...   more »

Conversations with Experts: How to Build Your Business On and Off-line
Conversations with Experts is hosted by Denise Wakeman and Patsi Krakoff of the newly released Build A Better Blog System manual that teaches professionals and businesses about how to create blog success by integrating blogging technology in their marketing strategy.

Wednesday, May 4, 2005, 8:30 p.m. ET - FREE
Guest Expert: Priya Shah of eBrand360, featured in the Build a Better Blog System


Conversations with Experts will feature Priya Shah who will discuss 'Using Blogs to Market Your Products and Services.' If you haven't registered yet, there's still time. Your certainly don't miss this free Conversation with Priya who has about 10 blogs! I highly respect Priya who has become a awesome colleague and friend of mine behind the blogging scenes. Her newsletter is one of the few ...   more »

Michael Pollock of Small Business Branding blog succinctly points out that logo's aren't really whats in important.. He makes the point that your brand identity is what people think and feel about your business.

Herein lies one of the biggest bloggers advantages and this is connecting in personally powerful ways with your target audience. By establishing deeper relationships you are able to effectively influence how people think and feel about you and your business. While I submit that investing in a branded design with your blog is not a wasted investment, realize that your connection is what will create your blog's greatest success.

This is evidence by the many, many blogs that maintain simple layouts and yet connect with and communicate successfully with a core audience. Michael points out that the logo is simply the symbol of your brand. ...   more »

According to this article by Inc.com, business blogging is on the rise.

Blogs are a low cost and highly effective tools for solo entrepreneurs and small businesses to communicate and differentiate themselves. My friends Paul Chaney and Anita Campbell were quoted by Inc.com as saying:

"Blogs are a way for you to tell your story over and over again, and do it in a personable way. If you are blogging and your competitor down the street is not, then it can be a competitive advantage." --Paul Chaney

"Blogs are tailor-made for small businesses, and they are a better tool for them, Large businesses have to worry about what they can say in their blogs. They have to worry about SEC regulations and their different constituents, so small businesses have a better chance of making blogs work for them." --...   more »

The call with Denise Wakeman of Build A Better Blog System was great fun. Denise was a wonderful hostess and I'm glad I got to meet her and got the opportunity to become a part of the excellent work she and Patsi are doing. The audio from the call is now available. Here are is a list of the content we covered on the call:

What social marketing is fundamentally all about.

Why a social marketing emphasis is even necessary.

How to best position your blog for social marketing success and why blogging has changed the way marketing is being conducted online.

How to establish a successful community around your products, services and brand.

Why voice and value are the key to creating successfull community and how to actually fine tune your voice your blog to effectively communicate with your ...   more »

Wayne Hurlbert of the Blog Business World shares more with us on how Blog SEO power continues to grow.

Wayne says:

"That two word phrase, when entered into the Google search interface box, gives back 461 million returns.

That incredible number is double the amount of pages returned, when I wrote about how Blog Business World ranked Number 8 out of 158 million returns last month (March 17 2005).

That previous result for "business world" without quotes, as in... business world ...has since changed.

For the better.

Blog Business World has now moved up the rankings to Number 5 in Google for a search for business world.

When I first wrote about the high ranking in Google, despite the incredibly huge page return (now 461,000,000), the blog SEO power posting was met with some skepticism.

The readers ...   more »

I for one never tire of information on blogging and how to do it the right way. Improvement is the name of the game. Never stop learning. We live in an abundant world and there is room for anyone to carve a niche of their interest with their expertise. With the latest but the not least of the entries into the world of books about blogging, Denise Wakeman of Next Level Partnership blog and Patsi Krakoff of Coachzines Blog have put their collective expertise together and just recently released Build A Better Blog System.

Do you have all the clients you want? Are you getting the results you want from your marketing strategy? Build A Better Blog System will provide you with the tips, tools and techniques to building and professional blog the reflects your business, your knowledge and ...   more »

Some of you may have noticed this report being advertised by Forester Research through Google Adwords for awhile. Well I just got around to checking it out in it's entirety.

It's a very good report. You can listen to the audio summary of the report here or you can view the video summary (link on the same page as audio). To get access to the full report you will need to register on the Forrester site if you haven't done so already. This report is free and includes several graphs and powerpoint slides. It's worth the moment it takes to register (registration is free also).

Anyone researching business blogs or working on building a case for a business blog will certainly benefit from this information. Go to Forrester for more information: Forrester Research: Blogging: Bubble Or Big Deal?   more »

Here's a great article about business blogging fundamentals. In the E-commerce Guide the articled entitled Tell Me About It: How Blogs Can Work for You covers the "buzz" benefits of a business blog.

Why You Should Start A Business Blog
Quoting Susannah Gardner who is a web designer and expert blogger :

"You have the ability to communicate one-on-one with customers in a casual way, and you can respond to timely events and maintain that community interaction on a weekly, or even daily basis. You can't do that with an established ad campaign."

And additionally as quoted from Susannah Gardner,


"Blogs are niche publications, so whether writing about sea life or home decorating, people in the media recognize you as an 'expert' and suddenly you're getting a lot of mentions in the press," he said. "It opens up opportunities you wouldn't ...   more »