Hollerback Marketing does not work in the Social Marketing realm

Many traditional marketers, public relation experts, and advertising professionals simply need to go back to school. They may be experts in the way to push marketing, create attention grabbing ad campaigns, branding and traditional messaging. They may have a knack with developing a catchy commercial. However, I am amazed daily about the household name brands failing to understand how to deploy a savvy social media/marketing/networking campaign. Here are a couple of basic ideas I formulated on my walk this morning:


1) It isn’t about you or your brand. It is about your customer and what is in it for them. Without them, your brand doesn’t exist. Customers own your brand, sorry you don’t.

2) You won’t be able to realize “what’s in it for them” unless you are willing to LISTEN. In the words of Dr. Frazier Crane, “I’m Listening”. This is called “Pull” marketing.

3) Stop trying to figure out what you are going to “Push” at people. In the social realm, pushers are no better than drug dealers. The good people recognize you for what you are… a bad person not playing by the rules of the society and they steer clear.

Brands need to understand opening up a channel of communication will change and affect the entire company. With social marketing, you are engaging the customer. Yup, that is the new buzz word… everyone wants to “engage” their customers. It is important to remember a lesson from real life. When two people get “engaged”, there is a promise to honor and to commit to one another. Engagements impact people’s lives. This will impact your organization. Sometimes, it will shake the roof. By listening to an audience, there will be a lot of noise. However, think of the good that can come from embracing great ideas for new services, processes, and products. If you are worried about what your customers are actually going to say about your brand and organization, you have bigger problems. This may be the prime time to ask your prime audience for help.

What lead me to write this? Last night, I did some primary research for a former colleague of mine interested in how social networking might positively impact the staffing offices she manages. I would consider this person an action taker. She is smart and looks for ways to improve her team and the overall enterprise. I looked at four major staffing companies. I did the same process with each of them.

1) How was social networking being used on companies primary website? Did they have multi-media? Did they have either RSS feeds or Follow me sections. … and heavens did they have a place for their customers (temps and hiring managers) to hang out and engage (there is that word again) the company.

2) Three of them did have the” follow me”. I then explored both Twitter and Facebook usage.

3) Only one was actually listening and responding to people on Twitter and “engaging” in the conversation. Two were following no one and they hadn’t posted content on their Facebook fan pages in at least 45 days.

Basically, these staffing giants which are really just the type of companies which should just “get” it down to their bones are failing at the basics of social marketing. What is a staffing company? It is a company that through its’ relationships connects workers/professionals with hiring companies based on both soft and hard skills. The social web is simply an extension and additional tool. I was stunned. I guess you know who I am calling today. In the end, it comes down to building out a business plan for your social strategy.


Plan, think, engage, listen, and be able to act on ideas, problems, and embrace your audience.

Now, take the megaphone away from your mouth and put it to an ear.

Are you really a Social Networking Expert?

Last week, my good friend and former co worker Derek Showerman, wrote a blog post about the amount of people out there claiming to be a Social Networking Expert or Guru. He said it made him feel “uncomfortable” I have to say when I first read the piece I was highly offended. This comes from having given him a #followfriday shout out the same day referring to him as a dreaded, “Social Networking Guru” I used Guru because it has less letters that expert. When I tweet #followfriday recommendations, I try give some context on why I think people should decide to follow them. After a couple of unsatisfactory DM's back and forth, we went old school actually spoke on the phone. We had a stellar conversation on why he feels the term is overused.

I agree with him in some respects. Those of us that have been in the community and social networking world since prior to the term Web 2.0 went mainstream are now inundated with people coming into the industry. Many think simply being on Twitter and Facebook qualify them to do a social networking strategy for a Fortune 1000 company. Think again! This is why I still affirm Derek is an experienced social networking professional and consultant. I have seen him in action with huge deployments. He gets it and is patient explaining how to proceed to ensure success. I am lucky to have him and many others like this I have worked in the industry. Perhaps, the social networking industry can learn from legal, real estate, and sales professionals:

➢ Corporate Attorney vs. Ambulance Chaser
➢ Real Estate Broker vs. Happy Housewife with a Real Estate License
➢ Consultative Sales Professional vs. Used Car Sales Dude

Beyond this, if you consider yourself a social guru, are you practicing what you preach? Actually networking! I have been very impressed with my own network reaching out to forward job postings and sending out recommendations for positions. If you are simply paying attention to your own brand are you really networking? Are you joining the conversation or simply sitting on the sidelines? How are you sharing your expertise with your friends that aren’t gurus with their job searches? When was the last time you forwarded a job posting to a friend in need? Social Networking is just that NETWORKING! It is sharing information to advance business or personal relationships. I am interested in hearing about your successes. Here are three of mine:

➢ Recruiter sent out an email blast on a job posting. I received it from the recruiter and from three different former colleagues.

➢ Found a company online that needs a Sales Manager. I checked LinkedIn and discovered the Hiring manager was a second degree connection. I asked for an introduction. The result was an offer for a phone interview.

➢ Have a recruiter (my former business partner with Randstad) trying to get my resume in front of a hiring manager. Another former colleague is doing some consulting work for them and also has provided a recommendation.

Okay, maybe only one of these used a Web 2.0 application. However, social networking is networking first and using web tools second. Regardless, if any of these cases result in offers, they have all helped to provide me a chance at three great opportunities. My mother told me a long time ago to be very careful of my business relationships and to treat people well as I progressed in my career. I have always been very proactive to help someone with a resume re-write, provide references, and pass along job openings as I heard of them. I completely believe that kindness showed is returned in spades. Thank you to everyone that has been supportive in my networking efforts. You continue to be a huge support. I will never forget how people in my network have been there for me.

Please comment and share your experiences:

My Road....My Journey

Given my last employer's need to cut heads to survive this economic time, I have been forced onto the unemployment queque. It is a strange position for me to be in given I have pretty much been steadily employed since I was 14 except my freshman year of college.

My job is to find a position. This has brought about many both mental and physical sojourns over the past 60 Days. They have been countless trips into New York for meetings, interviews, and discussions as well as Boston and Boulder.

I have been close on a couple but have failed to close the deal on my next venture. There is a reason for this beyond my skill as a sales professional and overall corporate value. The ability to keep a positive outlook is key. However, many times I have wanted to climb into bed and pull the covers over me. I have instead pushed on to search one more job board. This has proven to make me a successful sales professional and I know it will pay dividends soon.

Most of the opportunities have come from my network. I am delighted to say social networking has not only supported me in the past but continues to keep me optimistic about the future.

You see, the road ahead may be bumpy, dirty and not the one I would choose to sail down. However, like the picture there has to be light at the end. Every time my life has thrown challenges at me, the journey was worth it. This rough patch has meaning. I will come out of it a better for the experience. If Lance Armstrong wouldn't trade having cancer, I can get through a bit of employment woes. My mantra is livestrong lately!!