Beyond the Web site - social media
You’ve had a Web site for years. Now what?
By Lisa Manfield
October 13, 2010
October 13, 2010
Social media gives businesses a cheap way to raise awareness of their brands online, drive traffic to their sites and convert visitors into customers. With all those advantages, are small companies using all the tools available to them? Not according to the new head of Google Canada, Chris O’Neil, who told the CBC in August that Canadian businesses aren’t doing enough online. “To be a relevant company today you really need to have digital capabilities and really understand what the Internet means, because that’s where your customers are.”
Of course, many small businesses have had Web sites for 10 or more years. The problem is that their Web strategies haven’t changed in as long. “So many sites are stuck in the ’90s,” said Amber MacArthur, a Toronto-based new media strategist and vice-president of MGIMedia. “You need to have a site that is current.”
But it’s not about just your Web site anymore. To be truly effective online, small businesses need to incorporate current social media tools and strategies that build traffic, engage with customers and give people something to remember—and talk about—online.
Share your deep, dark secrets
For ThoughtFarmer, a Vancouver-based maker of social intranet software that launched in 2007, online marketing strategies have involved social media, spoofs sites and creative ways to get people to share content. Last spring, for example, the company’s Intranet Secrets campaign invited social media users to share their “behind the firewall” confessions at www.intranetsecrets.com, a Web site created to drive traffic to its main site. The campaign was a spoof of the Post Secret Web site, where people from around the world anonymously share secrets via online postcards.
“The site resulted in a huge boost in traffic,” said Chris McGrath, co-creator and product evangelist at ThoughtFarmer. “Everything we do depends on our Web site traffic. Our software is complex and we need to do live tours. For every four people who sign up online for a tour, we make one sale. It’s a good sales closing percentage.”
And it was a good marketing hook, too, one they credit to their fearless online marketing consultant Darren Barefoot of Capulet Communications, who has mounted campaigns for clients like Mountain Equipment Co-op and James Hoggan & Associates’ DeSmogBlog. “You need to be willing to take risks to be successful in online marketing,” Barefoot said. “The campaigns we do tend to be gimmicks—ways to draw attention to something on the Web. We try to be remarkable.”
Of course it’s no small feat to be remarkable in an environment where big brands like Old Spice have raised the bar with brilliant video marketing campaigns. “Run-of-the-mill online marketing will get you run-of-the-mill results,” Barefoot said. “Old Spice was original, risky and well-crafted. It’s the poster boy for online marketing campaigns.”
Social media stunts can also feel a bit risky for small businesses; they invite the potential for scrutiny and a viral effect that can send both good and bad feedback across the Web instantly. For ThoughtFarmer it was a risk that paid off. “We’re a small company with a small budget and I can get Capulet to do a great social media campaign with a lasting impact on traffic.”
Content makes the Web go ‘round
ThoughtFarmer’s social media strategy began with a corporate blog. “We started blogging almost as soon as we launched, and it really drives traffic,” McGrath said. “But the biggest thing with writing a blog and commenting on other blogs is you must be comfortable putting something out there. When I first started, there was definitely a comfort barrier to overcome.”
But the payoff can be huge. “Adding a blog makes your site more appealing to search engines,” Barefoot said. “Most traffic online comes from search, which is why blogs have become a fundamental part of businesses’ online strategies.”
Blogs are also an essential part of a content marketing strategy, which Joe Pulizzi, founder of Junta42 and the Content Marketing Institute in Cleveland, said is “critical for small businesses.”
In an age when anyone can become an online publisher, content marketing allows businesses to attract customers through quality, trustworthy content. “Content marketing is the best way for a small business to position itself as the leading authority in its market,” Pulizzi said. “If I was an accountant in Cleveland, I would be developing white papers, e-books, blogs, a newsletter and more about key accounting best practices and insight for that region. If you position yourself as the industry expert by creating the very best information about the topic (like a publisher does), prospects will be attracted to that content.”
To socialize or not to socialize
Once you’ve got that content, the next step is to tell the world about it. And that’s where social media channels like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Flickr—which thrive on text, photos and video—come into play.
“I recommend every small business have a short video explaining what they do in 30 to 60 seconds,” MacArthur said. “Video is one of the most powerful media we have and Facebook is one of the top five sites for consuming online video.”
But before jumping onto Facebook or any other social media site with your content, MacArthur advises starting with a social media plan. “Know where your customers are,” she said. “Then develop a plan for achieving your goals and stick to it for six months. Update your sites regularly and interact with your community.”
Your goal may not be traffic at all, but customer engagement and retention. To that end, in her book, Power Friending, MacArthur suggests businesses use social media to build friendship-like relationships with their customers. “The relationships companies have with their customers have changed due to the Internet,” she said. “Companies must step up and develop real relationships in a proactive manner and build a community. It’s about give and take.”
And Pulizzi suggests doing that with content. “Your customers don’t want to hear about your product all the time, so the best way to keep a dialogue going is to deliver great, useful information on a consistent basis.”
Even if your company isn’t maintaining profiles on popular social media sites, it’s still crucial to listen in on those channels, Barefoot said. “Jump in to answer questions as this can be particularly useful for lead discovery. It’s not a certainty that doing this will help your bottom line, but B2C businesses will see some benefit.”
Whether or not your company is participating in social media, there’s no doubt your customers are, and it’s a good idea to be aware of that conversation, particularly in the event of negative publicity. “If complaints are made publicly, then they should be addressed publicly,” Barefoot said. “The Internet never forgets. Your follow-up will remain online and you’ll come across as reasonable and effective.”
Location, location, location
B2C businesses with a storefront location might also consider trying one of the numerous location-based services that have sprung up since the advent of smartphones. “Services like Foursquare and Gowalla are definitely the future,” MacArthur said. “Signing up is a must to offer deals and discounts, but keep in mind that only a small percentage of people are using these services now.”
Location-based apps allow mobile social media users to check in at various businesses, share their location with their friends and build loyalty points for frequent patronage. Starbucks, for example, offers discounts to its most frequent check-ins.
But Barefoot suggests proceeding with caution into the location space. “It’s early days for location apps and if you haven’t updated your site in a year, then you shouldn’t worry about them.”
For ThoughtFarmer, the whole point of online outreach is in-person contact, which is why the company’s next step is an old-school spin on location marketing: an October conference covering all things intranet. “It’s a physical event using social media to promote it.” And perhaps that’s the best of both worlds.
ThoughtFarmer, a Vancouver-based maker of social intranet software, invited social media users to share its “behind the firewall” confessions at www.intranetsecrets.com, a Web site created to drive traffic to their main site.
Do have a story to tell: “Tell remarkable stories. If you do ordinary stuff you’ll get ordinary results.” Use social media channels to share your stories.
Don’t overcommit: “Make a short-term plan and dip your toes in the water. Start internally and practise it before announcing it.”
Do use monitoring tools: Know what people are saying about you online. Google Alerts will e-mail you whenever your company is mentioned or you can make your own monitoring dashboard with Scout Labs or Netvibes.
Don’t be risk averse: “You need to be willing to take risks to be successful in online marketing. However, if you do everything your competition does, you’re only going to achieve mediocre results. Online attention tends to observe a power law distribution, so you need to take risks to be a serious outlier.”
Do measure your results: Know what channels work for you and focus your energies on those. “You need to be measuring all the marketing you do.”
Of course, many small businesses have had Web sites for 10 or more years. The problem is that their Web strategies haven’t changed in as long. “So many sites are stuck in the ’90s,” said Amber MacArthur, a Toronto-based new media strategist and vice-president of MGIMedia. “You need to have a site that is current.”
But it’s not about just your Web site anymore. To be truly effective online, small businesses need to incorporate current social media tools and strategies that build traffic, engage with customers and give people something to remember—and talk about—online.
Share your deep, dark secrets
For ThoughtFarmer, a Vancouver-based maker of social intranet software that launched in 2007, online marketing strategies have involved social media, spoofs sites and creative ways to get people to share content. Last spring, for example, the company’s Intranet Secrets campaign invited social media users to share their “behind the firewall” confessions at www.intranetsecrets.com, a Web site created to drive traffic to its main site. The campaign was a spoof of the Post Secret Web site, where people from around the world anonymously share secrets via online postcards.
“The site resulted in a huge boost in traffic,” said Chris McGrath, co-creator and product evangelist at ThoughtFarmer. “Everything we do depends on our Web site traffic. Our software is complex and we need to do live tours. For every four people who sign up online for a tour, we make one sale. It’s a good sales closing percentage.”
And it was a good marketing hook, too, one they credit to their fearless online marketing consultant Darren Barefoot of Capulet Communications, who has mounted campaigns for clients like Mountain Equipment Co-op and James Hoggan & Associates’ DeSmogBlog. “You need to be willing to take risks to be successful in online marketing,” Barefoot said. “The campaigns we do tend to be gimmicks—ways to draw attention to something on the Web. We try to be remarkable.”
Of course it’s no small feat to be remarkable in an environment where big brands like Old Spice have raised the bar with brilliant video marketing campaigns. “Run-of-the-mill online marketing will get you run-of-the-mill results,” Barefoot said. “Old Spice was original, risky and well-crafted. It’s the poster boy for online marketing campaigns.”
Social media stunts can also feel a bit risky for small businesses; they invite the potential for scrutiny and a viral effect that can send both good and bad feedback across the Web instantly. For ThoughtFarmer it was a risk that paid off. “We’re a small company with a small budget and I can get Capulet to do a great social media campaign with a lasting impact on traffic.”
Content makes the Web go ‘round
ThoughtFarmer’s social media strategy began with a corporate blog. “We started blogging almost as soon as we launched, and it really drives traffic,” McGrath said. “But the biggest thing with writing a blog and commenting on other blogs is you must be comfortable putting something out there. When I first started, there was definitely a comfort barrier to overcome.”
But the payoff can be huge. “Adding a blog makes your site more appealing to search engines,” Barefoot said. “Most traffic online comes from search, which is why blogs have become a fundamental part of businesses’ online strategies.”
Blogs are also an essential part of a content marketing strategy, which Joe Pulizzi, founder of Junta42 and the Content Marketing Institute in Cleveland, said is “critical for small businesses.”
In an age when anyone can become an online publisher, content marketing allows businesses to attract customers through quality, trustworthy content. “Content marketing is the best way for a small business to position itself as the leading authority in its market,” Pulizzi said. “If I was an accountant in Cleveland, I would be developing white papers, e-books, blogs, a newsletter and more about key accounting best practices and insight for that region. If you position yourself as the industry expert by creating the very best information about the topic (like a publisher does), prospects will be attracted to that content.”
To socialize or not to socialize
Once you’ve got that content, the next step is to tell the world about it. And that’s where social media channels like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Flickr—which thrive on text, photos and video—come into play.
“I recommend every small business have a short video explaining what they do in 30 to 60 seconds,” MacArthur said. “Video is one of the most powerful media we have and Facebook is one of the top five sites for consuming online video.”
But before jumping onto Facebook or any other social media site with your content, MacArthur advises starting with a social media plan. “Know where your customers are,” she said. “Then develop a plan for achieving your goals and stick to it for six months. Update your sites regularly and interact with your community.”
Your goal may not be traffic at all, but customer engagement and retention. To that end, in her book, Power Friending, MacArthur suggests businesses use social media to build friendship-like relationships with their customers. “The relationships companies have with their customers have changed due to the Internet,” she said. “Companies must step up and develop real relationships in a proactive manner and build a community. It’s about give and take.”
And Pulizzi suggests doing that with content. “Your customers don’t want to hear about your product all the time, so the best way to keep a dialogue going is to deliver great, useful information on a consistent basis.”
Even if your company isn’t maintaining profiles on popular social media sites, it’s still crucial to listen in on those channels, Barefoot said. “Jump in to answer questions as this can be particularly useful for lead discovery. It’s not a certainty that doing this will help your bottom line, but B2C businesses will see some benefit.”
Whether or not your company is participating in social media, there’s no doubt your customers are, and it’s a good idea to be aware of that conversation, particularly in the event of negative publicity. “If complaints are made publicly, then they should be addressed publicly,” Barefoot said. “The Internet never forgets. Your follow-up will remain online and you’ll come across as reasonable and effective.”
Location, location, location
B2C businesses with a storefront location might also consider trying one of the numerous location-based services that have sprung up since the advent of smartphones. “Services like Foursquare and Gowalla are definitely the future,” MacArthur said. “Signing up is a must to offer deals and discounts, but keep in mind that only a small percentage of people are using these services now.”
Location-based apps allow mobile social media users to check in at various businesses, share their location with their friends and build loyalty points for frequent patronage. Starbucks, for example, offers discounts to its most frequent check-ins.
But Barefoot suggests proceeding with caution into the location space. “It’s early days for location apps and if you haven’t updated your site in a year, then you shouldn’t worry about them.”
For ThoughtFarmer, the whole point of online outreach is in-person contact, which is why the company’s next step is an old-school spin on location marketing: an October conference covering all things intranet. “It’s a physical event using social media to promote it.” And perhaps that’s the best of both worlds.
ThoughtFarmer, a Vancouver-based maker of social intranet software, invited social media users to share its “behind the firewall” confessions at www.intranetsecrets.com, a Web site created to drive traffic to their main site.
Dos and don’ts of social media
As an online marketing strategist and co-author of the social media handbook Friends with Benefits, Darren Barefoot has seen both social media successes and epic fails. Here are his five dos and don’ts for small businesses.Do have a story to tell: “Tell remarkable stories. If you do ordinary stuff you’ll get ordinary results.” Use social media channels to share your stories.
Don’t overcommit: “Make a short-term plan and dip your toes in the water. Start internally and practise it before announcing it.”
Do use monitoring tools: Know what people are saying about you online. Google Alerts will e-mail you whenever your company is mentioned or you can make your own monitoring dashboard with Scout Labs or Netvibes.
Don’t be risk averse: “You need to be willing to take risks to be successful in online marketing. However, if you do everything your competition does, you’re only going to achieve mediocre results. Online attention tends to observe a power law distribution, so you need to take risks to be a serious outlier.”
Do measure your results: Know what channels work for you and focus your energies on those. “You need to be measuring all the marketing you do.”
