You’re So Shallow: Balance Your Marketing Efforts with What’s on the Inside—Internal Communication
Monday, August 24th, 2009 | Internal Communication, Marketing, Public Relations | No Comments
As marketers, we are shallow and superficial. We work tirelessly to unveil our prized marketing campaigns to external audiences, but we fail to promote these campaigns internally, thus losing out on much needed field support and brand advocacy.
We all know that branding starts with frontline employees, and if they are not reflecting your brand, it could undercut your efforts to grow the company.
A few years back, I was working in the marketing department of a medium-sized corporation with a growing PR program. We were beginning to tackle bylined article placements and securing sources for trade articles, but when we would call our resident specialists, they would fail to return phone calls or even cooperate with our requests.
This problem stemmed from the lack of education about the PR function and the WIIFM (what’s in it for me) for helping out with the aforementioned articles.
After developing an internal communication vehicle where we could feature our latest PR and marketing efforts as well as explain a little more about the PR function, we started to see a rise in employee cooperation. Employees were now able to see the value in serving as a source for an article or writing a bylined article. They were able to see how a single placement could skyrocket their credibility.
By using internal communication mediums to better inform employees of marketing initiatives, you can produce an internal troop of brand evangelists and foster much-needed marketing support.
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Searching for an Email Service Provider? Try an Authorized Reseller
Friday, April 24th, 2009 | Email Marketing | No Comments
The hunt for an email service provider (ESP) to fulfill my company’s ripe email initiatives began at the dawn of the New Year. I, along with two other vibrant members of our marketing team, set out to find an ESP that aligned with our business objectives and provided scalability options for future growth.
But where do we start? With hundreds if not thousands of ESPs in the market, the search was like taking a block of cedar and whittling it down into a small figurine. We looked at the ESPs geared toward smaller organizations such as iContact and Constant Contact, but quickly nixed them from the pool as they don’t have the level of service, scalability features, storage options, measurement tools and segmentation capabilities as enterprise-geared ESPs. We then turned our attention toward larger ESPs that are known in the market to service large, multi-divisional, business-to-business companies. That is when we landed on the likes of ExactTarget, Silverpop and Lyris.
These companies met our ESP criteria and allowed us to take our search to the next level, cross examining pricing, support, etc. But our search for an ESP took a turn when we learned about the many different authorized resellers that are aligned with enterprise-level ESPs.
One of the strongest reseller programs can be found with ExactTarget. ExactTarget Reseller Partners-typically interactive, PR and ad agencies as well as web development firms-have to go through mandatory training to certify themselves to properly sell, service, and provide level-one support for the ExactTarget solution. ExactTarget doesn’t give them the keys to the software without putting them through driving school.
On ExactTarget’s website, ESP seekers can search for resellers by region, business focus, etc. We discovered an ExactTarget reseller in the area and investigated their location, pricing strategy and support levels.
As it turns out, the reseller was located down the street and their pricing was significantly lower than going directly through ExactTarget. Other factors made this reseller a win-win for our company, but it important to note there are both pros and cons of partnering with an ESP reseller.
Pros:
- Premier Software. By going through an ESP reseller, you can utilize the industry-leading, multi-featured software of an enterprise-level provider. It’s the same software, but run under a different brand.
- Lower Pricing. Due to the “volume-purchase discount” a reseller receives when signing on to an ESP, there will generally be a better cost per message rate. The license fee will also be significantly lower than that of the ESP.
- Access to Local Rep. Most ESPs say they have a “local rep” in your area, but that could mean they are located in Northern California when you are headquartered in Southern California. If you can find an ESP in your area, you will have hands-on access to their service and support as well as the ability to do live, in-person training.
- One-Stop Shop for Additional Services. If you sign on with a reseller that also sells ancillary services like SEO, web design, etc., you will have instant contact to other services you may need. You may even try to negotiate a free one-time-only service like an SEO audit of your website, an analysis of your e-commerce site, etc.
Cons:
- The middleman. If you are dealing with complicated API calls, you will have to go through the reseller to access ExactTarget engineers. This type of middleman block can be annoying.
- The jump-ship scenario. The reseller could decide to “jump ship” one day from their ESP partner and go with another ESP, leaving you high, dry and lost in ESP land.
- One-Stop Shop for Additional Services. This is both a pro and a con. If you don’t want to take advantage of additional services, and the reseller keeps pestering you, the relationship could turn sour.
- Less PR power. The ESP usually has more PR power than the reseller and can help generate awareness about your email marketing program once it is up and running. For example, the ESP could sponsor an industry conference and have you speak at it.
As you can see, there are pros and cons of partnering with a reseller. It is important to note that all ESP reseller programs are not created equal! Do your research. In addition to calling up the ESP and getting the lowdown on their reseller program, get a third-party opinion by attending email marketing conferences, or try hitting up email marketing experts on Twitter. The more research you do, the better. Happy ESP hunting!
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Reggie the Green Gorilla Gave Me a Banana but Never Called
Thursday, April 16th, 2009 | Public Relations, Social Media | 2 Comments
It was April 1, 2009—April Fool’s Day—and I was going about my day avoiding any possible pranks and staying clear of mischief. Around lunchtime, our office receptionist buzzed me informing me that a guy named Phil was there to see me. Phil? I immediately told the receptionist to send him away as I am used to solicitors showing up trying to sell products or services. But Phil didn’t budge. The receptionist told me he wasn’t going away and I should come to the front and greet him.
As I approached this foreign Phil character, I was greeted with a hand shake-and a banana. “This is from Reggie the Green Gorilla,” Phil said. “You’ll understand what this is all about very soon.”
Phil smirked, said goodbye and walked out the glass doors.
As I stood there, holding a banana and questioning what just happened, I noticed a green and black yin and yang sticker on the banana. I walked back to my office trying to put the pieces together and started guessing what this all could possibly be about.
Do I have a stalker? Is someone trying to sell me quality organic bananas? Is the yin and yang sticker a sign that my work-life balance is skewed?
Determined to curb my befuddlement, I tapped into Twitter to see if anyone has an answer to this jungle-themed game of Clue. After no more than a few hours, @blake05 responded with the answer: Reggie the Green Gorilla is the untraditional mascot of David and Sam PR, a Phoenix-based boutique PR agency.
And there it was. I had nailed down the suspect, but I still didn’t have a motive. Was this some clever, passive aggressive tactic to get my company’s business? Was this a humorous brand awareness campaign?
It’s been more than two weeks and I still have no explanation as to why I was the proud recipient of an overly ripe banana. For my peace of mind, I am seeking answers—answers from you, David and Sam PR. Feel free to fill me in on your game @sarahellis.
Though I don’t know much about this caper, there is one thing I do know: The banana was delicious.
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When Executives View Social Media as a Teenybopper Playground
Saturday, March 14th, 2009 | Social Media | No Comments
It happened on a Friday. A fellow B2B marketer came to me expressing angst about a social media meeting he had with his company’s executives. “They just don’t get it,” he said. “How do they not understand the great opportunity that is social media?” After I calmed him down with a few empathetic remarks, I got to the root of the issue. My distressed marketing friend proposed setting up Facebook and Twitter accounts for his company. In his mind, this was a no-brainer. After all, EVERY other company was doing it and it would serve as another platform to strengthen brand identity. But despite his excitement and assurance in this endeavor, he was shot down by execs because they viewed social media as a “teenybopper playground.” Yes, I said it correctly, a teenybopper playground. The execs viewed the company’s proposed entrance into the social media realm as brand negligence because they perceived Twitter and Facebook as a forum for teenage and college coed gossip.I know what you’re thinking: Who are these executives and why are they stuck in the dark ages? I know, it is crazy to think, but this is not an isolated case of mistaken perception of social media. There are executives all across the country with this same mentality.
Despite the rampant media frenzy around Twitter and Facebook and the success so many companies have found on these social networks, some marketers will still have to face-and attempt to debunk-the misperceptions some executives have about social media.
So just how do you pave over this misperception and influence executives to get excited about social media? Here are five ways:
- Educate, Educate, Educate - The misperception of social media is rooted in its history. At one point in time, Facebook was in fact a college coed networking site. But this is 2009, and times have changed. Start educating execs about the change of the social media tide. Share articles (the shorter, the better) that speak to the many benefits of social media. Find other companies in your industry that are on board the social media train. Remember, consensus is a major influencer.
- Tie Social Media to Your Company’s Values - For example, most companies are adamant about building customer relationships. What better way to enhance customer relationships than instantly connecting with customers on Twitter or offering a Facebook site that spurs customer interaction?
- Preach Pioneerism - If your execs are claiming that your industry and its customer base aren’t ready for social media, preach pioneerism. With every movement, there are always the early adopters that pave the way for others. Every company wants to be “the first” at adopting certain products, practices, trends, etc.
- Seek Customer Backing - If you have the capability of sending out online customer surveys, simply ask if your customers would like to see your brand on social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook. If you can provide solid metrics which demonstrate your favored entrance into the social media realm, execs should give you the go ahead.
- Give Execs a Portal to the Social Media Experience - Offer to set them up a personal Twitter or Facebook account. Once they get a first-hand feel for the professionalism and networking capabilities of these social media tools, they should leave their social media misperceptions behind.
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Is that Tweet Kosher? Let Me Consult My Twitter Stylebook
Sunday, February 22nd, 2009 | Social Media | No Comments
As a PR professional, a multitude of style guidelines stream through my brain every time I put my fingertips to keyboard. I hear the voices of disdain from Strunk and White when I start jumping from tense to tense. I think of our beloved AP Stylebook when I see a serial comma before the last item in a list. Knowing the exorbitant number of style guidelines has become an occupational hazard that has capsized the professional levee and paraded into my personal life (i.e. It is not uncommon for me to edit menus when I go out to dinner; I just can’t help it).And now that I have fully embraced Twitter, I have yet another stylebook to incorporate into my repertoire of professional guidelines. Say hello to “140 Characters, A Style Guide for the Short Form.” According to a recent New York Times article, this new tweet-savvy stylebook centers around eight core practices to infuse in your Twittersphere including the importance of simplicity, honesty and humor.
It is my understanding that this stylebook isn’t a set of rigorous guidelines, rather a cultural and social commentary on how to mold your tweets to win followers and influence fellow members of Twitter Nation. Call it social psychology for the social networking world.
I am going to reserve final judgment until I read the book, but I think the book might just be ‘tweet smarts’ for the people who are socially impaired. I am sure you learned it is wrong to talk on the phone while going to the bathroom. Well, the same goes for tweeting about your bodily functions. You just shouldn’t do it.
Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/sarahellis
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