"Answers": Find Them On LinkedIn

As I have perviously mentioned, LinkedIn is a great way to help jumpstart your future career.  One of the ways that I have learned to used LinkedIn recently is through the "Answers" tab.  "Answers" is a way to ask specific questions to all LinkedIn members.  They are categorized, making it easy to find general of specific topics to help you learn more about the professional world.

How To Check It Out:  To look at the "Answers" page of LinkedIn, just go to the top bar and scroll over "More".  Click on answers and you go to the home page.  This page has a layout with some of the newest and most popular questions in the main section.  On the right hand side, you can browse through general topics and areas of study, such as Health, Marketing, or Business Operations, and then go into subcategories to get more specific questions and answers.

What role can you play? As a recent graduate, I just started using this as an outlet to expand my knowledge and influence within the last few weeks.  Being young and relatively inexperienced in the professional world, a lot of times I just get on a few times a week to read.  I go to the areas that are valuable to me, such as Direct Marketing or Internet Marketing, and just soak in the questions and answers provided by other professionals.  Some are right on, some contradict each other, but thats the beauty of having an individual opinion.  Everyone can provide the answer that they think is best.

You can also participate by answering questions.  Many questions in areas that I have recently studied or have learned about I can provide answers to! It is a great feeling to be able to take something you learn and apply it, whether it is in your work or helping other people.

The other way you can play a role is to ask questions.  A few weeks ago, I got frustrated with my job.  My marketing budget is nonexistent and I just had one of those mornings where you get down on yourself.  So I turned to LinkedIn.  I asked a question that I needed help with.  The next morning when I got on my computer, I had e-mails and LinkedIn responses from 6 people, providing me a great way to learn more about areas of my field that I was unsure about.

Why?  Why should you participate in LinkedIn "Answers"?  Because it helps you become more of a professional.  First, it can help you network with people.  When I posted my question a few weeks ago, my profile views increased drastically.  A few of these people I had personal messaging conversations with, and a few I "Connected" with on LinkedIn.

But most importantly, it helps you grow in areas that you have little or no prior knowledge of.  It helps show that you care about growing as a professional.  Never be satisfied with the knowledge that you have; always strive to learn more from others and through experiments.  One of my favorite quotes is "The day you stop learning is the day you stop growing".

Instagram For Businesses?

Everyone’s talking about Instagram after the recent $1 billion Facebook acquisition.  In just 2 years the app has aquired more than 50 million users and has become a staple of high school and college kids.  With all of the great filters that allow for pictures to look so much better than they actually are, one big question remains: Is Instagram useful for businesses?

This is a topic that I know very little about.  First, I want to give my few thoughts on Instagram and business.  After those thoughts, I am providing insight and examples of other people.

Instagram is something that can be very useful.  The business success stories that I have witnessed with Instagram all involve fashion in some sort.  Why?  Fashion items are easy to take pictures of.  You can put it on a hanger, a person, a pet, or a nice backdrop, and the picture does the talking for itself.  People see what they are getting with the item, and if they like the way it looks, then generally that is enough to buy it, or at least like it.  

Coach, the famous purse company has 48 thousand Instagram followers.  They generally post about one picture a day, and leave it at that.  The consistency of their posting has made them an Instagram success.  On a smaller scale, a local start-up in the Carolinas called Good Ole Boys has done a great job of taking pictures of their gear and creating a comfort appeal around the brand.  They may not have the largest fan base, but they post consistently, interact with followers, and show their items in ways that make people interested in the product.

After doing research, I have realized that my assumptions are pretty much true.  With digital photography being a great way to show advertisements, many fashion companies use Instagram successfully.  Taking a picture of a dress or pair of shoes and attaching a link to an online shopping cart is an easy way to increase sales.  MyHauteCloset is an example of a fashion blogger who was given many items to model and ended up making a nice fashion business just through Instagram. 

The other industry that appears to have done this is sports teams.  Teams like the Boston Celtics and the Atlanta Braves have succeeded on Instagram because they are sports and entertainment focused.  A lot of people enjoy looking at photos of their favorite athletes as they play the game they love or goof around in the clubhouse.  Sports teams also use it to recap and post photos of promotional events; for example the Atlanta Braves recently had a Star Wars night, and their Instagram shows some photos of fans in Star Wars apparel. 

Instagram really has become almost a hybrid of Twitter and Pinterest.  You post pictures that appeal to you and you make them look pretty through filters.  Then you can comment under them in a short text or post them at somebody.  While Instagram will never overpass a Twitter with text or a Facebook with profiles, it is a handy, mobile application that can connect people on a smaller level.  Maybe it will get much bigger.  Maybe the boom of the Instagram bomb will continue to spread outward, but for now, Instagram is not a do or die social medium for the business world.  If you are in the fashion industry, I definitely think that it would be beneficial to have it.  Otherwise, do with it as you please.  As for me, if I ever get more than 1,000 Instagram followers (@justinsthomason), I will run a 5K in a Batman suit. 

Why College Students Need LinkedIn

I remember last November when I began to search for jobs.  I applied to a few places over Thanksgiving and Christmas break, receiving response e-mails or phone calls to try back in a few months.  When March came, I began to apply for more places, with still little luck.  As April came around, I started to use LinkedIn a lot more.  I had used it some since the middle of my junior year, but just like many things in life, such as working out or shooting a basketball, if you don't use it, you lose it.

The Before:

Before LinkedIn, I was very immature.

LinkedIn helped me mature.  I know that seems weird . . .  a website helped me grow up . . . but it did.  I began applying to jobs, making more contacts, learning more about potential industries, and updating my profile.  While the positions that I currently hold did not come through LinkedIn, I was offered some job positions through the website.  My advice to current college students or recent graduates: use LinkedIn.

1. LinkedIn helps you get your stuff together.  Having a profile on LinkedIn that is incomplete is a terrible representation of yourself.  If you apply to any jobs or have anyone looking at your profile, it is motivation to make your profile complete.  Updating your experience with job titles, companies, dates, and job description are great.  The more experience that you have, the better.

2. LinkedIn teaches you basics about resumes and applications.  I applied to approximately twenty-five jobs on LinkedIn.  With those numbers, you realize that some do not respond, some send you a courtesy thank you, and others are interested in potentially hiring you.  Submitting a cover letter is not an option; it is a necessity. Changing your cover letter and resume from application to application are vital.  Responding to people's e-mails, while this should be common knowledge, are also critical to advancing in the job process.  Show them that you are qualified and that you care.

3. Another great aspect of LinkedIn is company pages.  As a college student looking for job in a specific field, I used LinkedIn to check out companies.  You can see their company description, connections they have with you, the size of their company, and other information that will help you get a basic understanding of what they do.  You can follow a company to stay updated on what they are doing and see job positions that they need to fill.

4. Grow your connections.  LinkedIn is not a Facebook or a Twitter, you do not post what you ate for lunch or pictures of your last sorority function that you don't remember.  Think of it as a Facebook with a coat and tie.  You want people to see you as a professional.  Look into the people around your age, reconnecting with those fraternity brothers that graduated a few years ahead of you or people that you knew in an industry you are interested in.  Then, connect with other professionals, such as your previous bosses, professors, or family contacts.  This will help people know that you are entering, or close to entering, the professional world.  A few family friends on LinkedIn messaged me asking about my interests and qualifications, saying they could keep an eye out for potential jobs for me.

The After:

LinkedIn made me grow up, become professional, dress nicer, and be better with the ladies (slight exaggeration).

Why Should You Blog?

When I was in college, I used to think blogging was a funny idea.  I believed that it was just a way to write a bunch of crap that nobody cared about.  I was forced to start a blog for my Digital Communications class, and over this semester I learned to appreciate the art of blogging.  A degree and three semesters later, I decided that I would create my own personal blog. I try to blog about specific topics (marketing, relationships, sales, social media) that will help people and encourage them think differently, while using my creativity to add my own view to my advice.  The result: Social Spaghetti, a mixing of ideas and thoughts that help people connect in society in a blog format.

These are the reasons that I started to blog:

1) Establish Yourself as an Expert While I know that I am nowhere close to an expert in the fields of marketing, social media, and relationships, they are fields I am interested in and have some knowledge about.  Even though I am young, I still have valuable experiences and advice that I can give people.  You can learn from my mistakes, take some advice from my thoughts, and avoid some potential blunders.  The more you talk about a certain topic, the more people will listen to you.  They know what to expect if you are consistent with your topic and provide some quality advice.

2) Stand Out From The Crowd  In this economy, any way you can stand out from the crowd is a good thing.  I've thoroughly enjoyed blogging the past month because it helps me to distinguish myself from the crowd.  Every new blog post means that I have learned something new, whether this is through personal experience, observation, or reading other material.  The more I can learn, the better off I will be in the future.  The day that you stop learning is the day you stop growing.

3) Connecting with Similar People  Like I mentioned previously, if you are consistent with your content, then people that share the same interests will come and read it.  If you look at my Twitter account (@MarketingYoung), you can see that the majority of my followers are connecting with marketing, social media, blogging, and advertising.  I read a lot of their daily blogs, and hopefully, they read mine as well. Reading, commenting, or replying to these people has helped me make connections across the global marketing community.

4) To Have Fun  Will I ever be a top blogger in the field of marketing, social media, and relationships? Very doubtful.  I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't get some kind of enjoyment from it.  Whether it is analyzing how a TV show can teach you about something (Lost or Suits) or looking at the world of social media, I like the things I am talking about.  If you do not want to read about Stealth Marketing, then you can skip that blog post or not read it at all.  But if you ever lost the enjoyment of writing or thinking of creative articles, then my blog would slowly become outdated and disappear.

Why Use Twitter: Your Following

Everyone knows that Twitter has taken off in the last two years.  With over 250 million users, Twitter is a great way to post personal opinions and get your word out.  But is it good for businesses? Does it work for small businesses? Does it matter if you already have a social media presence on other platforms that are successful?

The answer to all of these is absolutely.  Twitter is a great tool for small businesses, large businesses, or any sized business in between.  The reason I say this though is not because of what you say, it is because of what you don't say.  Whether you are a business that deals with products or services, Twitter is of great value to you because of ability listen.

Check on the Consumers:  As I have mentioned previously, the consumer runs your business. Whether you run a business that sells products or services, or you work B2B or B2C, Twitter allows you to listen in to your customers.  Being able to check on them is invaluable to a business.  You can see their view on your industry, your company & products, or your competitors.

Check on the Competition: The goal of a successful business is to supply a solution that meets a demand of the consumer.  Once that is accomplished, then your goal is to be the best solution in that category.  Being present on Twitter allows for you to check in on the competition.  Follow those companies that are similar to you and compete for the same consumers.  You can see how they interact with customers, new products, events they host, or information or blogs they supply to their followers.  This will allow for you to look at what does and does not work.

Check on the Industry: So you check on the good guys (buyers of your service) and the bad guys (those competitors that you wish didn't exist), now you can check on the the things that can influence the battle.  This could be the passing of a new medical device tax that makes you not be able to expand your company locally, a drought that damages and dwindles your crops, or a new technology that changes the game. Being able to keep tabs on anything that can change the business is vital to know as soon as possible, and Twitter is a great source for immediate and continuous news.

As seen, Twitter is a great tool for listening to the conversation.  You can listen to people and understand more about how you stand in the market and how to better serve your clients.  So many times during our lives, personally or professionally, we talk and never take the time to listen.  Whether you have a yell or a whisper on Twitter, make sure to hear what others are saying.

Why Does Social Media Matter?

My current marketing position has been a struggle to say the least.  I was hired right out of college to create a marketing campaign for a company that had never attempted any kind of marketing.  When I took the job, I realized that there was another catch: I did not have a budget.  My first response: What can I possibly do without anyone else to teach me and without any money to work with?

Luckily, over a few weeks, I began to get VERY involved on the internet.  I knew a lot about social media and knew that this might be the outlet that I could use to drive results.  So my current response is: What can I do to impress my company and clients while successfully marketing with no budget?

Look no further, the answer is social media.  Social media has a wide number of different platforms, allowing businesses to successfully select what they want to do.  Do you want to make videos? YouTube. Are you trying to create articles of content? Blog. Facebook. Are you trying to get a quick following and spread the word? Facebook. Twitter.  Trying to be a wedding planner? Pinterest (Sorry, I had to add this one).

Social media provides us with a rare opportunity to connect directly with people.  We can get linked up with businesses or individuals.  We can form great relationships while getting to know a lot about a company or person.  So these are my reasons of why a business should use social media:

Free This is probably the most obvious one, especially in my position. Most, not all, of social media is free.  You can get more performance out of them through paying more (LinkedIn members, Facebook Ads, Twitter Promotions), but you do not have to pay anything to start.  All you need to do is sign up and get a good user name.  Generally, something short and sweet will do the trick.  Think about your market and products when creating a name.

People WILL See You  Sometimes you may have to branch out and follow people first or try to connect with them, but they generally will respond.  If you provide good content, whether it is general or specific (USA Olympic information or a Rome Braves game review), people will take notice.  It helps you create great word of mouth marketing!

Trials  Social media allow for you to test out some new and creative ideas before running them in more costly places.  Why have something bomb in the pages of TIME magazine? Just put it on a Facebook page and monitor the reach and engagement of the public.

Caution: Social media and marketing campaigns take time.  Do not automatically get discouraged if it does not take off.  Very few things happen overnight, so keep you head up and relax.  If not, then its back to the drawing board.

Yep, You Lost It: Losing Your Customers' Trust

With so many platforms to reach an audience, companies have many options of how to appeal to their clients.  E-mails, company websites, and Twitter, to name a few, all provide the chance to publicize and create buzz around a product or service.  But what if you falsify some information? What if you make guarantees about your product that are not true? What if you inflate your opinion on websites or social media by commenting about yourself or bringing your competitor down?  My answer to all of these: You have failed your customer.

The idea of deceiving your client is the easiest way to make sure that your business fails.  All ethics and personal opinions aside, you must create a relationship that is based on trust.  If they cannot trust you, then they will not buy your product.  Many examples come to mind when we talk about stealth marketing, but the most recent one is

Mitt Romney. I am putting aside my political views on this one.  Romney, the Republican nominee for President, may or may not have done what he is accused of with his Twitter account. Purchasing Twitter followers just to increase your number is not a good thing in any way.  These followers appear fake to your actual followers or outside world, while being a base that is most likely not very interested in your product or service.  If you really like something on Twitter or Facebook, it takes 5 seconds to follow or like it by yourself.  Regardless of whether the Romney campaign did or did not buy Twitter followers, with or without Mitt's approval, it is not a bright spot for the campaign.

So you can try to look like you are creating a larger buzz about your product than you are, but you can also display false content, which leads me to

Wal-Mart.  Wal-Mart has long been the poster child for giant corporations in this country, destroying the dreams of many entrepreneurs and Mom & Pop stores.  With labor issues seen as the forefront issue with Wal-Mart, Wal-Mart teamed up with Edelman to create a fake blog written by a middle-class family that promoted Wal-Mart stores, employees, and products.  Wal-Mart paid for the travel expenses of the RV, put a logo on the side, and determined the route it would travel.

What should you do? Simple: be who you are.  Do not claim that your nuggets are 100% white meat if they are not.  Do not post comments or feedback on your website under a false name.  Don't try to buy people to create a fake amplification of your reach and buzz.  It is fine to participate, but be honest.  Post comments as a yourself, letting people know you care about their thoughts and the product you are selling.  If you use shady tactics to get consumers, they will leave you just as quickly as they came when you are exposed.

4 Tips to Successful Word of Mouth Marketing

The world of marketing is one that includes two contrasts: many stereotypical concepts and many outside of the box thoughts and ideas.  My question: Why is there a "box" in the first place?  There should never be a limit to the creativity and ideas that you can come up to reach a larger audience.  With social media, connecting and having an extended reach has never been easier, and it helps us with the most successful type of marketing: Word of Mouth.

Word of mouth marketing is free and is the most powerful and persuasive type of marketing.  Hearing someone that you trust give you a pitch about a successful experience they have had with a product is generally enough interest to make someone try it.  A bartender tells you about the new Bud Light Platinum, so you purchase it next time you go to the store.  Your older brother just finished his first year at Clemson University and loves it, making you take a tour of the school.  Your friend wears COAST Apparel or Polo, leading you to their website store to make a purchase.  Word of mouth marketing happens so much that we may not even understand that it is happening.  Regardless of our awareness to the marketing, we are being influenced positively or negatively about a product.

The four things needed for a successful Word of Mouth campaign are:

People: You must find people that are enthusiastic and connected to relay your message.  These can be in the form of anyone, related or not related to the company. These people will talk about your product because they love it, they want to share it, and they want to help others. If you give them something to talk about and they like you, then you have almost everything you need.  For example, Justin Bieber has sold-out concerts and album sales all across the world.  His fans are passionate and they spread the word about him and his music.

Content: You must give people a topic to talk about.  If the product that you are selling absolutely sucks, then you can't expect to sell it.  Allow people to have their expectations met with your product, or blow away those expectations completely. Nobody had any idea that the iPod would be a necessity in the world of technology.  It made CDs irrelevant, and crushed any competitors by continuing to update the product, adding more memory, videos, and touch capabilities. You must make your content so good that it has to be shared.

Tools: When you use tools to help the conversation, word of mouth marketing can have a greater depth or a greater reach.  Someone can easily "Like" your Facebook page or retweet something on Twitter.  Allowing people a "Share" button or to sign up for e-mail subscriptions to the newest items or product updates will help them know more, leading to them sharing more about it.  In addition, if you own a business that sells consumer goods, allow for people to walk out with something that is informative about your store.  This could be for their benefit or for them to pass on.  For example, Rush Wilson, a clothing retailer in Greenville, SC, includes ping pong balls with their logos with any purchase a college student makes.  This gives a constant reminder, a talking piece, and a good impression on the consumer.

Particpate: You have to respond to the word of mouth marketing! Respond to e-mails, complaints, comments, tweets, or questions. The more that the consumer knows your product and can talk about it with confidence, the better they will make it appear to a friend.  Also, if the customer service is always good, whether you are successfully selling an item or fixing a complaint, people will talk about it.  Chick-fil-a is always notorious for having the nicest employees and best customer service.  Having just graduated from college, I cannot mention the number of times that my friends talked about the cute, sweet girl that served them at Chick-fil-a.

Does Facebook Help Professional Sports Teams?

Everyone knows about Facebook.  You either have an account or hear people 

talking about Facebook endlessly, wishing you could be a part of it.  The truth 

is, I think Facebook is starting to decline.  Even my age group, college students 

and recent grads, are turning away from Facebook, and towards Twitter, Pinterest, 

and other social media platforms.  Regardless, everyone uses Facebook for 

personal interests.  Does this personal interest overlap enough with professional 

sports teams for them to create their own page, content, and interest on the 

Internet's largest social media website?

The answer is yes.  While many companies struggle to make their Facebook page

 standout or be relevant, it is extremely needed by professional sports teams.  The 

Los Angeles Lakers, arguably America's NBA team, has 445K likes on Facebook. 

 In short, whenever the team adds content to their page, such as pictures, team 

information, schedules, or promotions, it comes up on their fans News Feeds.
Even the lowly Charlotte Bobcats, the toilet of American sports, have 121K
followers, updating them with content of running polls, videos, articles, and
contests.  

Some other notable teams: 

Soccer:

Real Madrid 29 million

Manchester United 26 million

US Men's Soccer 5K

Hockey:

Boston Bruins 1.2 million

Detroit Red Wings 1.3 million

NBA:

Miami Heat 6 million

Los Angeles Lakers 445 K

MLB:

New York Yankees 5.8 million

Atlanta Braves 1.2 million

Boston Red Sox 3.6 million

NFL:

Green Bay Packers 4.1 million

Dallas Cowboys 4.9 million

The other thing that you must consider about these fans: they liked the page on
their own.  This helps the team know that they are reaching an audience that cares.
They will be more inclined to listen, participate, and purchase.

If these pages are updated with content consistently, whether that is weekly or
daily, they provide great insight to a target market.  So my advice to professional
sports teams: Use Facebook, update it daily with relevant content, and provide
links to your website.  It will only increase the buzz, interest, and revenue
of your team.

Guys vs. Girls

Guys vs. Girls

As we have moved into a world of social media, we must consider that some platforms work much better for one sex than the other.  This brings up two influential social media sites: Google + and Pinterest.

Google +, the platform that took $580 million to create, allows for you to create different circles of the people you know.  While I believe that a person should aim to be consistent in their life, showing who they are at all times, Google + lets you share certain aspects with only specific people.  The demographic of Google +: it consists of 69.4% males.

Why is this? Well, Google + hasn’t really gone viral or mainstream.  It has a specific niche, with 7 of the top 8 occupations on Google + being: Engineer, Developer, Software Engineer, Designer, Web Developer, Programmer and Software Developer.  Clearly, Google + is for a more computer focused crowd, which happens to be a profession dominated by men.

Pinterest, a pinning website of photos and videos, is about 75% female.  The ratio of my friends on Pinterest is 10:1, favoring the women.  The site was not designed just for women, even though it has been taken over by feminine content ranging from wedding planning and home decorations to recipes and fashion.  The vast amounts of crafting and hair advice, among other things, just does not encourage men to participate.  Even though a similar site, Gentlemint, was created for only men, it has been mostly unsuccessful and men have ever so slowly started joining Pinterest.

The main things we can learn: women love images and they love collecting.  They find it relaxing to look at photos of things they are interested it.  Due to women being more emotional, caring, and nurturing than men, they trust more easily than men.  This allows for them to trust the content of their following and followers, providing for more sales and interactive campaigns on Pinterest.

If you are a company targeting women consumers, you needed to be on Pinterest with a marketing campaign yesterday.