blog

So you caught the car...now what?

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:44:38 -0400

Have you ever found an old voicemail, email or unanswered letter from a friend than you missed somehow. Maybe you skimmed over it in your inbox, or it fell behind the couch. Feels pretty lousy eh? Nobody likes to be left hanging, and it's no different in social media. So read on for some tips on how to keep this from happening.

Treat your digital friends like you do your real ones.

Unlike traditional advertising, social media is not about pushing your message out, it's about engaging in a relationship. In that way it's the same as real life...if I start a conversation, and you respond and I walk away, at best you'll think I'm rude, and at worst you'll tell your friends I'm obnoxious. (I'm not...check out my profile pic. I'm personable.)

Although it seems simple, when someone connects with your business via social media, it’s a commitment on their part. An effort. An investment. An endorsement. This is the result you want from your social media efforts. It's the whole point of being out there.

So how do you do it?

I'm not saying it's easy to keep on top of the two-way conversation. It takes time and effort and everyone is going to slip occasionally. There are tools to make it easier on most platforms, though. Make sure your Facebook status is set to notify you when you have interactions (likes, comments, etc). Check your mentions on Twitter daily, and search your business name to see if you’re being referenced so you can respond. It really comes down to paying attention, but using the tools helps you form the right habits.!

And what do you say?

How you respond depends on the nature of the interaction, of course. If someone makes a nice comment about something you've posted, it might be as simple as liking their comment, or posting a quick "Thanks!" Pay special attention to questions...they should be acknowledged and answered quickly, and the answers should be honest and clear. And remember, your social media conversations are public...don't post information that is private (like the commenters phone number or personal information) or encourage them to.

One thing that I should be clear on...sometimes your response in social media is as much for the audience as the original poster. Leaving questions unanswered, and not acknowledging comments can send the wrong message about you to other followers, and can end up hurting your brand. This is why you should still respond publicly first even if you’re going to take the conversation somewhere private.

Last but not least (and I can't stress this enough, which is why I started a new paragraph): You have to deal with the negative. Don't leave the bad stuff out there, but rather, turn it into an opportunity. Be honest, calm and fair.

In some cases, even when you provide a good answer and address an issue you'll get a person who just won't let it go...this is what we call a Troll...and you can delete/block/unfriend them without worrying about it. My colleague Anthony Stuart (of Design Blog fame) sent me this sample of Troll interaction. It's simple but I think it gets the point across:

BURGER GUYS: Introducing the new SUPER BURGER!

TROLL: This burger is so fattening.

BURGER GUYS: It is meant to be a treat, so we make sure to post all nutritional info so you can make an informed choice! :)

TROLL: It sucks and I don’t like you!

BURGER GUYS: DELETE

OK. It's not always that straightforward, but suffice it to say, there is a limit to what you have to put up with.

So, to sum it up...

It's not easy keeping up with social media interaction, but it should be something you consider right from the start when you’re outlining your strategy. Keeping on top of it once you've started is one of the biggest commitments of being in the space, so make sure you are prepared for the work that goes along with it.

By the way...feel free to comment on this blog. I’ll do my best to get back to you ;)

The Grinch Who Stole Social Media

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 11:08:56 -0400

Everyone in Farmville liked social media a lot
But The Grinch, who lived just North of Farmville, did not.
On top of Mount Social lived the old Grinch,
And all social media just made him flinch.

He hated social media, the whole social season.
Oh, please don't ask why, no one quite knows the reason.
Facebook privacy rules might have bugged him outright,
Or the fact that he couldn’t drive traffic to his site.
But I think that the most likely reason of all,
May have been that his friends list was two sizes too small.

But, whatever the reason, his rights or his site,
The Grinch hated social media that night.
“Everyone is posting pointless Christmas stuff,
Tumblerbuzz, Flutherzuff.
Second Life and Twitter-Fluff!
“Why for two or three years I've put up with it now
I must stop social media from growing...but how?”
Then the Grinch got an idea, an awful idea.
The Grinch got an awful anti-social idea.

He went down to Farmville.
No one knew he was there.
Everybody was tweeting sweet tweets without care.
Then he came to the first little house on the square.
Their mobile devices, charging all in a row.
"These mobile devices, are the first things to go."

He took every tablet,
He took every gadget.
He took every single device he could manage.
He drove 10000 feet to the top of Mount Social,
And he stopped at the top, set to dump every mobile.

Then he heard a sound rising over the chill,
A sound of singing coming up from Farmville.
It started out low... then it started to grow.
But... this sound didn't sound sad...
This sound sounded... glad!
Everyone down in Farmville, the tall and the small,
Was talking! Without any devices at all!
He HADN'T stopped social networks from growing!
IT grew! Somehow or other, it still kept on going!

And as he stood there, frozen stiff in the snow,
He puzzled and puzzed. How could it be so?
It came without Facebook!
It came without Flickr!
It came without YouTube, Xenga or Twitter!”
The Grinch looked perplexed at his un-social work,
“It came without Smugmug, Jaiku or Plurk!”

Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before.
Being social, he thought, might not be on a phone.
Being social, perhaps, means a little bit more.
And what happened next?
Well, in Farmville they say,
That the Grinch's friends list grew three sizes that day.

Now that his friends list didn't seem quite so small,
He whizzed down the mountain, back to Farmville and all.
He brought back their iPhones,
He brought back their toys,
He brought back their laptops, Backflips and `Droids.
He brought everything back, and checked in from main street,
And he, he himself, the Grinch, sent the first Tweet.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Ancient Secret of Design Revealed!

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 13:19:00 -0300

I'm going to take a lot of heat from the Designer's Guild for this, but here it is, the most closely guarded secret of design:

Do Less.

Whenever any of us create anything, we wonder, "Is this good enough? Does it give people enough information? Will other people (clients, coworkers, friends, etc.) like it?" We can't help our insecure human nature – we keep making changes, adding final touches, making revisions, and in the end, we over-complicate. Here’s my advice: Be confident, and be brutal. Look at your work, subtract elements, and keep subtracting until it doesn't work at all. Then add one element back in. Voila! A wise man (Jim McVicar) once told me, "If you want to sell bananas, sometimes the best approach is a big sign that says "BANANAS!"

Let's look at a simple scenario. Let's even assume you aren't a designer. You're a helpful office worker who has been notified that the photocopier is out of order. Let's make a sign!

Oh dear. Look familiar? Even if the only application you have for sign making is Microsoft Word, we can use the Ancient Secret of Design™ to do a little better then this.

Remove the clip-art, since we all know your office mates will try to use the photocopier and they will be puzzled that it doesn't work, so we don't need the “Clip-art Question Man.” He’s patronizing.
Remove the word “Photocopier” since the sign will be on the photocopier.
Lastly, use simple black and maybe ALL CAPS instead of bright green and a mix of upper and lower case. Why? Because like any other element, you should ask yourself, “does color make my message more clear?” In this case, a light green could make it harder to read, so it's out.

Voila! Clean, professional and clear. Now, if I was doing this with all the tools at my disposal, I might take 5 minutes and use a dark color that matches our corporate look-and-feel to draw attention with white text in the same font as our website copy. I would even take the extra step and mount it on a piece of art board and make it so it stands on its own instead of taping it. And, instead of “Out of Order”, I might write something that is just as simple, but funnier (I’m pretty funny.)

If you're thinking something as small as this doesn't matter – I can tell you, people notice these things. Design, big or small, adds to the overall perception of your brand. This is an example at the most basic level, but how you present yourself always counts, whether it's a sign saying the toilet is broken or a million-dollar national campaign.

Be Rational. Write Rationales.

Ok, this is a little more specific to people in the industry, but I think the theory can still be applied to many other creative processes. Before you present any design to a client, write a detailed rational on why you did everything the way you did. If there are elements of your design that you really hadn't thought about, this is your chance to think, reflect, and possibly make some changes so that what you present in the end is designed with purpose.

After 12 years, I still write rationales for almost every piece of design, and there is rarely an element placed without a purpose. If I realize while writing a rationale that I don't quite agree with my own reasoning, it’s another chance to simplify. If I'm not quite sure if I like something, I remove it. "When in doubt, it's out!" (I've had three coffees while writing this, I'm full of little quotes.)

A Footnote on Fonts

Never use Comic Sans. Ever. There's more to it obviously, but fonts are a beast of their own. In brief, never stretch a font horizontally or vertically, be wary of using any font heavy on the serifs for large titles, and when in doubt, use the simplest font in your library. For all my love of fonts, for my simple example sign created in Word, I used Helvetica. You'll never embarrass yourself with Helvetica.

In closing

I'd like to share a quote that I recite in my head every time I design, write, or do anything creative:

First Draft - 20% = Final Draft
An unnamed editor from Stephen King's book, On Writing.

Until next time.

The Blog Blog

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 04:46:33 -0300

So this is our first "official" Free Milk blog post. To be honest, I was a little "first date" nervous and tossed around a lot of ideas (like “first-date outfits”) before I landed on this one. And really, what better way to start than blogging about blogging?

Do you have something to say?

Like anything else you do online (or offline, for that matter), you need to start with a strategy. What’s your objective? Who are you talking to? What value can you offer? I can't stress how important it is to put the right thinking into your content strategy and parameters around your blog. If I’m on your blog and I want to read about your take on politics, I'm probably going to be a little irritated if I log-in one day and you’re talking about making a cake. (Well, maybe I won't be...I love cake...but you get my drift.) Decide who your audience is and speak to them. Consistently.

Plan ahead

There aren't many of us who can claim blogging as our fulltime job. More than likely, it’s part of your job (if you're lucky). It's an “after-hours” extra for lots of bloggers...and this can be dangerous. Once you make a commitment to your readers, being busy with your "real" job is not going to fly. To ensure that you post consistently, keep a running list of topics that fit your content strategy. When you do have down time, write a couple of posts (if your subject matter isn't time sensitive) and put them aside for times you just can't find the time. Line up your colleagues and/or friends for guest blogs or even ideas. I personally find flattery very effective (“but you're soooo interesting and wise and have *such* interesting insights...blah blah blah”).

Um. Tell someone it’s there...

Once you have your blog live, use every opportunity to move people there. Tweet it, share it, send emails to people you’ve made connections with, put it on LinkedIn if your audience is there. And don’t be shy to suggest that people pass it around if they like what they see. Ideally, you should provide your readers the option to sign-up and get notifications for your blog (yeah, yeah...this blog currently doesn’t have that, but it’s coming soon...5 WEEKS PEOPLE!).

And don’t be afraid to get the most out of your effort. There are tons of great blog sites out there hurting for content. Find an appropriate blog that aligns with your subject matter and get yourself published!

The last thing to mention (which might sound obvious, but unfortunately isn’t) is: Make sure your blog is clear, well structured and, if possible, a little bit entertaining. I’m not saying you have to be a published writer to have a blog, but if you haven’t done any writing for public consumption before, just recognize that it takes a little practice. And it can’t hurt to get another set of eyes on it to give you feedback before it goes live...and on that note, I’m off to give this to Heather so she can make me sound brilliant...

Next up, our Digital Art Director, Anthony Stuart, will be sharing some thoughts on design because he’s soooooo interesting and wise and has *such* interesting insights...blah blah blah.

What? This Old Thing?

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 22:26:04 -0300

Well here it is, all shiny and new. It's current, it's aligned with our brand, it's fresh and it needs to stay that way.

That's the challenge. A digital strategy can't represent a point in time. It needs to be a living, breathing, changing thing. You need to make sure someone is always minding the store and taking the expired food off the shelves.

The analytics will show you what people are doing and if they are getting what they need from your website. The content needs to stay current and be adjusted based on these things, as well as new news you have, and new stories you want to tell. The social media will tell you (very bluntly sometimes) what people think, and if you are engaging them in the way that you hoped to. Your content strategy there has to continue to evolve based on feedback, and it has to be properly managed. There is no vacation from "the Twitter".

So we're going to take a deep breath, look at our work for a second, have a quick high five and get going on the next release. Because we never stand still.

Thanks for following...come back for Free Milk anytime.

Home Stretch…Lists, Tests and a Little Stress!

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 20:54:30 -0300

We’re coming to the end of our little experiment and I can share one big result with you. Making your timeline public? Very effective.

As we sprint to the finish however, it makes sense to take a moment to talk about some things you should be doing before you hit the big switch.

Testing

After all the effort you’ve put in to making sure your strategy was sound, your social media made sense and your design was fantastic you want your “ta-da” moment to be awesome. So have a testing plan. Don’t kid yourself…there will be bugs. But you can make sure that they are little ones that only you notice, not big ones that ruin the experience. Proof, click, kick the tires AND have everyone standing by to fix any issues after launch. If you’ve built it right, and you have a good CMS, adjustments should be quick and easy.

Analytics

This could be its own post (and I’m sure it will be after launch) but for now let me just say this: have an analytics solution on your site, and watch it from the start. No matter how good your plan and design, there is always room for improvement based on real-time data.

We’ll do that right after launch…

I could also title this scope creep. When you are working with a deadline you need to stay on plan. It’s inevitable that your brilliant, engaged team will come up with a plethora of additions (yes, I said plethora) but you have to stay focused. Capture cool ideas and “nice-to’haves” and build a separate enhancement plan to add those things. You might need another scary public deadlines but MAKE SURE you don’t lose them.

Push the big red button and tell your friends

There isn’t really a big red button. I asked them to build me one but it was out of scope.

Once you’ve checked everything twice, put everyone on stand-by and made sure all the components of your plan are ready and aligned it’s time to launch and promote, promote, promote. Have a plan to push your site in social media, include it in your traditional media and collateral…basically put it everywhere. The tools are only good if people use them.

Whew! That was a little longer than usual, but this last minute check-list is key. Now if you’ll excuse me I have some testing to get back to.

Social Media. Finally! The cool stuff!

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 04:35:38 -0300

Or maybe you’re thinking…damn…are we talking about this again? Whatever your comfort level or interest with social media the reality is it’s everywhere, it’s getting bigger, it’s impossible to control and like it or not, it’s going to impact your business. If that doesn’t make you think “I have to do this right!”, I don’t know what would.

The social media space may seem simple, but here are a couple of key things to keep in mind:

You don’t HAVE to be EVERYWHERE

First of all, not every network is right for every business/message. For instance, Facebook is more social and personal, LinkedIn is more corporate, Twitter is for short and sweet. Take a good look at all the networks with a critical eye and decide which ones work for you and your message.

Second, maintaining a network effectively is a lot of work…even for nerdy people who spend the whole day with five accounts open on their desktops. Be realistic about your resources, and make sure you only go where you can be effective. One well managed network is better than five embarrassing ones. If you’re in multiple networks, have a strategy for EACH ONE. Who are you talking to, what do they care about, what are you trying to accomplish? Trust me, this planning is worth the time you’ll invest in it.

Be Real and Provide Value

Being fake or “salesy” in social media is like dropping chum in the Gulf of Mexico. The consumer in SM (that’s what cool people call “social media”) has a lot more power than they ever did before, and they won’t let you get away with much. There is an expectation of transparency, but also a low tolerance for low value data. You have to engage people with something that’s worthwhile to earn the right for them to share what you want them to know.

Have a Content Plan BEFORE You Start Talking/Posting/Tweeting…Please.

Ever follow someone who posts like crazy about a big event on Saturday, and then once that’s done…crickets. It’s brutal. Or, have you ever followed someone who tweets 40 times per day about everything from business strategy to laundry to the point where you can’t stand looking at their profile pic? They didn’t have a plan. It’s as simple as deciding what you will talk about, how often, and where the content will come from. This plan will look different for everyone, but it’s necessary to keep you on track and keep people engaged.

Being “unfollowed” is so much worse for your brand than never being followed at all.

With these in mind, we’ve revamped our own social media strategy. Our blog has a purpose, our Facebook page has a primary target and our Twitter feed has a content plan… critical elements of our Digital Makeover checked on the list…

For a timely, related read, check out Derek in last week’s Progress article…digital version here (hardcopy coming soon)…

A few others worth checking out in SM…Home Depot and their How-To video approach on YouTube…@badbanana with his quirky entertainment on Twitter…Lady Gaga with…well, she’s pretty much everywhere.

Until next time…

It’s BEAUTIFUL, but does it work?

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 04:33:49 -0300

So now that we’ve established that you SHOULD have a website – how do you make sure it brings real value to your brand and overall marketing strategy? I think most people would agree that the ”cool” factor is in the design and it’s tempting to go there right away…but there are some less sexy things that you should be doing first to ensure that you are getting the most out of your website.

Understand Your Brand

Whatever you design and build has to be aligned with your overall brand. The brand positioning, personality, tone and manner has to flow through the website and drive the design. When a customer arrives at your site, they should feel like they’re interacting with the other off-line aspects of your business. Online consumers are virtually all multi-channel now, so you can’t fake a new personality online. Your designers and developers are the ones who’ll l make that happen, so make sure they have the info they need.

Know Your Target

Like any other marketing tactic, WHO you’re speaking to will guide HOW you’re speaking. The flow, structure and content of the website should be designed for someone – whether that be your existing customers, potential customers, partners… just decide and keep those audiences top of mind as you put the pieces together.

Listen to the Data…it just wants to help…

One of the best things about marketing in the digital space is the data. Everything is tracked, everything is recorded and if you use this information well it can help you make better decisions. Use analytics to check where people are going, where they’re not going, how long they spend on your site, etc. Ask a hundred questions and let the data give you the answers – it’ll give you answers about your site’s usability and help you to make the right decisions. Figuring out what will drive a good customer experience comes from understanding what doesn’t. Sometimes the data will tell you things you don’t like about things that don’t work…don’t argue with stats…just make it right.

Lay it Out

Once you have all the pieces that you need, plan out the structure and flow of the site. Do you need a lot of content? Do you need to keep it clean? What does your audience want to see vs. what you want them to consume? Keep in mind that writing for the web is different from writing off-line…don’t ramble and assume short attention spans. Plan the structure so that you resist the urge to jump straight to the pretty. This doesn’t have to be fancy or formal…it’s the thinking that counts.

It’s ALIVE…or it should be.

The internet never stands still and this sets an expectation of change and movement. Your website needs to be current. It needs to evolve and change and feel like someone is behind it paying attention. When you are planning the layout, content and design this should be a core consideration.

So I guess the bottom line here is yes…you can get a designer to sit down and come up with something visually fantastic and cool. But there’s a lot more to making it work for your brand, your business and your audience…pretty only goes so far.

Before you ditch your website…read this.

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 04:31:44 -0300

Social media is extremely valuable to your business. That’s why we’ll have a full post on it later. This post, however, is my opinion on an idea driven by the social media explosion – the idea that businesses no longer need a website or a blog.

Given that I’m blogging about renovating our website, you’ve probably guessed that I’m going to take the other side on this one.

There may be some businesses, with very specific target audiences, who can pull this off – ditch their websites and live in social media only. They are few and far between. Your website is a safe harbor. It’s a place where you can ensure that your brand is represented the way you want, and the information you want your consumers to see is accessible and presented in a way that is beneficial to you.

So here are some key benefits to having a website, along with a few things to consider before handing your brand over to Facebook.

Your Audience – You’re a social media wizard (or you hired one), and have no concerns building relationships on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc. But are you sure your audience is at the same comfort level? Don’t assume that everyone you want to reach is in social media, and if they are, that they’re comfortable enough, and interested enough, to find your information.

Usability and Experience – In social media, you’re putting your content in someone else’s framework, and the user experience social media networks offer aren’t “one size fits all”. Design and content are important elements of a website – having control over those elements means you can tailor them specifically to your offering, your audience and what your analytics are telling you.

Brand Control – You know that social media is about building relationships with your customers. You also know that transparency and honesty are critical to success in that space. The fascinating (and sometimes terrifying) thing about that is that you’re never completely in control of your brand. You can find yourself dealing with negative comments, misperceptions, unfair representations, etc., that might skew your image and detract from your brand message. While it’s important to address those issues in the social media space, it’s also important to have a place where the clean, clear message you want to deliver can be found without the debate, clutter and distraction.

And one last important thing:

On your website you can be direct, tell consumers what you have to offer, and ask them for their business on your terms. You can’t do that as easily and directly in social media. People expect those things when they seek out your corporate website. They’re irritated by it on Twitter.

Ok. Thanks for letting me get that off my chest. Now back to our scheduled programming.

And so it begins...

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 04:24:11 -0300

The other day, someone asked me how long I’d been at Revolution and I was about to deliver my standard line of “I just started” when I realized that’s not really true anymore. In fact, I’m not even the newbie anymore (love ya Carey : )

That revelation was quickly followed by another one. When I arrived at Revolution it didn’t take long to build a lengthy “to do” list. Some projects came in, some clients needed social media training, some cool proposal opportunities came up, and an evaluation and overhaul of our own digital strategy was on the plate as well. The problem is, it’s easy to put work on our own public-facing digital strategy aside to some extent, because I didn’t set a target for when this would be done.

The reality of a digital presence is that it needs to be constantly evolving, and as your company grows and changes your digital presence should change with it. Our website and social media strategy in their current form served a specific purpose – it’s just not the purpose we need them to serve right now.

So here’s the plan: We’re making this makeover happen. We want you to see what we can do in this space. We’ve set an aggressive target of the first week of October and to keep us honest, we’re inviting you – our clients, friends, visitors (and maybe potential clients) – to come along for the ride.

We’ll be using this blog to document our “renovations” through a variety of topics including usability, SEO, analytics and others. We’ll probably even be sharing a little free advice that we would normally charge for (hey…I’m new to the agency side : ). We welcome your comments and opinions, so bookmark the blog, share it with your friends, follow the Revolution Evolution and tell us what you think.