Painting a portrait with data

Most people in marketing are familiar with the concept of a persona. The idea is pretty simple. Using known information, research and customer interviews, you create a detailed character that best represents your target. The persona has a name, a photo and a well-developed back-story that makes him more “real.”

While there are differences of opinion about how much data you need to gather to construct a useful persona, at its simplest level, you are taking an abstract representation of your target—female, 18-34, income greater than $30,000—and turning her into a “person” you can consider when developing marketing messages and new product offerings. Here’s an example:

Stacy Jones is 24. She recently graduated from college and moved to the city. She shares an apartment with two roommates in a newly gentrified neighborhood.

Stacy is working for a national retail clothing chain while she looks for a job in her field. She really enjoys the interaction with customers and gets a lot of satisfaction helping people fine-tune their style and create the perfect outfit.

Stacy is very social. She is constantly sharing photos with her 300-plus Facebook friends, but doesn’t get why people would waste time on Twitter. With limited income, Stacy also spends a lot of time online looking for the best deals on designer-label clothes.

Stacy likes trying new things and having new experiences. Even with limited resources, she feels it’s important to experience what life has to offer …

You should have as many personas as you do meaningful targets. You can get as detailed as you want. The idea is to identify relevant patterns that are present across your target audience, and flesh those out in a personal description.

Often times, the process of developing personas reveals important differences within a target group that allow for multiple, more meaningful segments to emerge. Armed with a persona, you can now consider how Stacy—rather than a “female, 18-24, income greater than $30,000”—would react to new ideas or product offerings.

Why use personas for social media content creation?

Marketers have been using personas for advertising and product development since the 1990s, but they have an important new role in social media. It is becoming clear that using social media to simply broadcast marketing messages is not an effective use of the channel. The key to success in social is to garner engagement from your customers.

Social media is online word-of-mouth. People interact with content that is interesting, funny, entertaining or helpful to them. It’s hard to create content that will resonate with someone if you think of that person simply as a customer or some other demographic segment.

What do “white-collar men, 35-54” click on and share with their friends and colleagues? It’s hard to say, but “NASCAR Bob,” who owns a manufacturing job shop in the Southeast and is always looking for ways to help his employees make metal parts more efficiently, would probably share a link to an online tool that helped him figure out how to cut aluminum faster.  He would also likely be interested in stories about companies using automated production processes to win business from offshore competitors.

Boost engagement or risk becoming invisible

On a more practical note, engagement is becoming vital to securing visibility in some key social properties. Facebook’s Edge Rank algorithm weighs interaction—clicks, likes, sharing, viewing—very highly when determining if and when your post will be visible in your fans’ news streams. Since 85 percent of people who “like” a company page never return, triggering interaction has become important for enabling ongoing visibility.

This makes creating truly relevant, share-worthy content for your customers and prospects more critical than ever. Evaluating your ideas against a persona can help your team come up with great new content that may not have otherwise occurred to them—content Stacy and NASCAR Bob will be excited to receive and share with others.

What about you? Are you using personas as a tool for creating more engaging, share-worthy content? I’d love to hear your success stories (or missteps) related to using personas for social media.

David Fabbri is Creative Director of LoSasso Advertising Inc., a Chicago based interactive agency specializing in content marketing strategies and customer acquisition for leading B2B and consumer brands. (See more posts by David)

Happy Halloween!

Are you ready for the big Halloween scare? Facebook and Twitter do not define social media.

Social media refers to a core strategy in which we create content to engage consumers. The idea is that marketers should use social media (Facebook, Twitter and the like) to leverage their content strategies.

Top performers use social media for customization – segmentation based on both behavioral patterns and demographics. Your consumers deserve personalization because they are loyal and rely on your relationships with them. Not only will this increase customer involvement, but it will keep the customer up to date on what your brand is doing in relation to their specific wants and needs.

Chicago’s Best TV produces episodes with relevant content through the use of social media. The hosts go to restaurants in or around Chicago to find the best eats based on fan and follower suggestions. At the end of each segment the hosts say something along the lines of “if you know a place where we should go to find the best [insert food here] hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, ChicagosBestTv.com, you know the drill.” This encourages customers to get in on the action and support their favorite Chicago bites. Chicago’s Best TV’s integration of website and social engagement encourages their fan base to scope out their personal local favorites.

The most important thing marketers can do is keep content relevant. Send the right message at the right place and time and use the right platform. Don’t just jump on the social media bandwagon because everyone else is. Strategies still need a content marketing blueprint.

Whether you’re an ad agency looking for new business or a supplier serving the marketing needs of businesses, you need to be aware of the challenges CMOs are facing today. A new IBM study of 1,700 chief marketing officers reveals that respondents are feeling stretched, but are also excited about the future of marketing.

The study reveals that top marketing executives recognize a critical and permanent shift occurring in the way they engage with customers, but are not sure their marketing organizations are ready to manage the change.

Expectations of CMOs are greater today than ever. They have to understand and engage with more empowered customers, adopt and adapt to more sophisticated technologies and tools, manage data from disparate sources and be more financially accountable to their organizations.

The study’s findings point to four key challenges that CMOs everywhere must address:

1. The explosion of data – 90 percent of the world’s data was created in the last two years alone.
2. The rise of social media – 56 percent of CMOs view social media as a key engagement channel.
3. Channel and device choices – The growing number of new marketing channels and devices, from smart phones to tablets, is quickly becoming a priority for CMOs.
4. Shifting demographics – New global markets and the influx of younger generations with different patterns of information access and consumption are changing the face of the marketplace.

The rise of social media is of particular interest for agencies. Currently there are very few global or regional agencies that are leaders in this space. Agencies need to improve their social I.Q. and become leaders to assist CMOs in understanding, measuring and growing revenue from the social space.

Carolyn Heller Baird, CRM research lead for the IBM Institute for Business Value and the global director of the study states, “The inflection point created by social media represents a permanent change in the nature of customer relationships. Approximately 90 percent of all the real-time information being created today is unstructured data. CMOs who successfully harness this new source of insight will be in a strong position to increase revenues, reinvent their customer relationships and build new brand value.” 

The customer relationship is one of the top priorities identified by CMOs, yet most marketing organizations are stuck in traditional approaches to CRM, not taking advantage of real time data and social media. The sooner marketers adopt social media and the insight it provides, the better they will be prepared to anticipate future shifts in markets and technology.

IBM 2011 Global CMO Study Compilation

To access the full 2011 IBM Global CMO Study, visit http://ibm.com/cmostudy.

Mark Hollingsworth is the Vice President of Consumer and Interactive Divisions at LoSasso Advertising Inc., a Chicago based interactive agency specializing in content marketing strategies and customer acquisition for leading B2B and consumer brands. (See more posts by Mark)

The value of human interaction in business is as important as ever today.

Marketers need to incorporate PR, advertising, traditional and direct marketing into their multi-channel campaigns if they want to be consumer-centric. It is important to produce different types of campaigns and allow many ways to exchange ideas. The cookie-cutter model of marketing is out – what works for one consumer/client may not work for another. Consumer behavior changes and as marketers, we have to adjust and adapt to their needs (or as Michael Scott from The Office would say “Adapt, react, re-adapt, act”).

To remain fully engaged in the customer experience marketers must be present in the entire process – from the beginning to POP (point-of-purchase) or POS (point-of-sale). Here are a few tips to stay current:

1. Follow the consumer along their purchasing journey – build trust and cultivate deeper relationships between marketers and consumers.
2. Position your business as industry experts – be relevant and appeal to different types of consumers (not just the computer or social media savvy).
3. Enhance the experience – consumers expect to be engaged through rich, interactive media but they don’t want to be bombarded with heavy content.
4. Be available and flexible to answer questions or reply to comments – customer service will continue to be one of the most important aspects of your business.

I’ve said it before, but consumer power will continue to grow. Customers can provide your business some really exciting and unique ideas to help your business grow. Loyal customers want to help the brands they buy/love to keep them alive.

The most important thing we can do as marketers is listen to our customers. After all, the best marketers are the best listeners.

Jen Doyle, Senior Research Manager at Marketing Sherpa, recently published an article highlighting survey results about perceived 2012 marketing challenges titled “Top barriers to overcoming B2B marketing challenges.” Marketers listed “Lack of resources in staffing, budgeting or time” as their number-one challenge—by a large margin. While it may seem like a rather encompassing challenge (who doesn’t want more money, time and people?), it may be worthwhile to analyze the factors that contribute to this challenge.

The last few years have been remarkable in several ways. In the 23 years that I have been in marketing, I have never been though a more exciting and challenging time. We are in the middle of a turbulent economic period while experiencing a fundamental shift in how we need to think about and execute marketing.

The second most common challenge listed was the “Lack of ability to stop executing and think strategically.” This challenge runs deeper than simply being too busy to stop and think. We need to make sure we’re looking at the big picture—in the right way. Marketing today requires more strategic thinking and planning than ever before for three primary reasons:

1. Most marketers have not fully mastered online channels such as search-engine marketing and social media.
2. Marketing team members are still trying to catch up or catch on, and the rest of the organization doesn’t really understand the changes that have taken place.
3. There are rapidly emerging tools and technologies to measure, analyze and integrate marketing- into sales- and service models – This is a big one, and it is complex.

The third most commonly referenced challenge is key: “Limited ability to develop content.” Branded content is a largely underutilized marketing tool, and clients and agencies need to change their marketing support models to address it. Branded content builds and reinforces company reputation and messaging and bolsters lead generation and it is only getting more important. We need content managers and producers on both sides of the client-agency relationship and we need to ensure that content development is prioritized in the marketing plan. Buyers rely on the content they find online to inform their spending decision – this will not change.

Those of us in the trenches need to stay diligent about our craft, but also realize the importance of continued learning, sharing, training and repetition. Support for marketing needs to flow from deeper within every organization, and it is our job to champion this. Customer service needs be online, technical experts need to come out of the lab, opinion leaders need to speak up, and marketing needs to align with sales. Customers expect to be able to see who we are and what we have to offer before they invite us to be considered. .

As marketing leaders, we need to stomp our feet and wave our flags to get the rest of the organization to join the party. It may feel like pushing an elephant up the stairs, but it’s critical to our success.

Scott LoSasso is President of LoSasso Advertising Inc., a Chicago based interactive agency specializing in content marketing strategies and customer acquisition for leading B2B and consumer brands. (See more posts by Scott)

Dancing hamsters + the top summer song of 2011= awesome!

KIA®’s Share Some Soul campaign encourages dancing…lots of dancing. To enter, consumers can submit videos of themselves getting down to Party Rock Anthem via KIA®’s YouTube channel and Facebook page. What’s at stake? The winner earns his/herself a $10,000 cash prize and a chance to dance with LMFAO on stage. And who better to decide the winner than consumers.

Contest marketing is a social, interactive strategy that grabs user attention and increases brand awareness. “We really see the world shifting from a world focused around information to one focused on people” (Ethan Beard, 9.20.11, AdAge). Consumer power continues to rise as the influence of social media amplifies. Marketers are able to control the level of consumer involvement, build their brands and take advantage of some great exposure to both target and under-served markets through the use of contest marketing.

But contest marketing should not be your only strategy to create brand buzz. Social media is a tool used for communication and should not be the objective of your marketing strategy. To remain engaged in the communication process across all channels, B2B marketers need to expand their online footprints. Thought leaders and lead generation marketers need to merge their once-siloed strategies with traditional and online marketing – align social, mobile and email initiatives to enhance your B2B strategies and secure brand loyalty.

Some Facebook users noticed a change (or three) when they logged into their accounts yesterday – and the majority of them do not seem to “like” it.

The new Facebook layout displays posts and updates at the top of your feed on your Home Page based on what Facebook considers top-story-worthy to each specific user. The feed is refreshed so often that if you miss a few “Top Stories”, the next time you log in those stories will still be listed (chronologically) at top of the page. So why is there an outcry from users?

While Facebook’s attempt to emotionally connect users to their most important friends may be loved by some people, others think the latest idea of “staying connected” is too connected. Whether it’s the concerns of privacy violations or the feed clutter, many have expressed negative responses and annoyance.

But is it all negative? Facebook’s addition of the Twitter-like real-time ticker keeps the content relevant and fresh. For B2B marketers, content will always be the most important aspect of their social, media, and mobile campaigns. “Email and social are completely intertwined…Email lights the fire, and social fans the flame” (Ron Cates, 9.19.11, B2B Magazine). Facebook and other social media content strategies will help bridge the gap between SEO and email strategies.

As for now Facebook’s facelift seems permanent. Whether botched or not, that’s up to users to decide. The goal of email marketing should be to become a conversation medium like Facebook, but if marketers want to optimize their content strategies, do the opposite of Facebook and reduce the content clutter and confusion.

P.S. Facebook isn’t the only social media network getting a makeover. Pandora, otherwise known as the music social network also made some changes to its look.

Content marketing is more important than ever before. To ensure that you are getting the most out of your marketing efforts, you must develop a content marketing strategy that is unique, relevant and measurable.

“The goal of delivering exceptional content & stories to engage audiences in a company’s brand and value proposition is not new — but with the growing importance of online marketing and social media to deliver these messages, it has become essential to consider content development (and storytelling) a primary lever within today’s marketing strategy (particularly in B2B)” (Lydia Vogtner, 9.15.11, www.business2community.com).

Take a risk

In this day and age, it is extremely important to be experimental. The goal of content marketing is to be at the top of SEO rankings. Marketers have an obligation to find out what works and what doesn’t for consumers. We will not always be able to sell our ideas to consumers, but we must be able to create deliverable solutions for what they want. To be successful, B2B marketers have to develop a content marketing strategy because it is not a onetime deal – it is an ongoing, reoccurring process that will boost mobile and online media efforts.

Develop unique content

Search marketing is an essential medium for B2B marketers. Organic searches determine what content is original, relevant and engaging. Well-written content also builds the relationships you create with consumers. You do not want your content to be overly messaged – but it is a good idea to develop themes. For example if you host webinars, create a series of topics based around a theme such as mobile marketing. If you develop a popular video series for your website, make sure those videos feed off each other’s content – again as long as it is relevant and engaging.

Promote your social content

In this economy, some marketers are on a tight budget. Here’s the good news – the most popular analytic tools are either relatively cheap like Raven or free – like Google Analytics and AddThis. SEO tools determine the top keywords in searches, but they also have the ability to identify the social media content that people are buzzing about. In addition to tracking the top content, landing pages, referrals, and search engines these SEO tools can provide traffic analytics for the amount of clicks, shares, posts, etc.  Marketers should incorporate social metrics into their content marketing to generate measurable results.

Marketers need to take the plunge and build a relevant marketing strategy that integrates original and engaging content. Think analytically – monitor your content strategy because it is an interactive process that promotes social content and puts your brand at the top of SEO rankings.

If you haven’t seen at least one of Miracle Whip’s recent commercials, it might be time to Take a Side. With the Dow down (again) and the news about Kraft Foods making the split into two companies,  Miracle Whip’s strategic focus on consumer relations has also stirred up some controversial buzz. So what’s all the hype about?

Love to Hate: Marketing for Everyone

The great “love it” or “hate it” debate has encouraged lovers and haters of the Mayo rival to share their true feelings about the product. Miracle Whip even has a “not for every relationship“ video contest. Let Miracle Whip know how you and your significant other feel about the product and you could win $25,000 for your marriage…or divorce. For marketers, honesty is increasingly important even if you cannot fit the consumer’s needs.

Miracle Whip’s debate has people all over the U.S. discussing the positives and negatives of the pseudo-mayo via social media. Social media whether we like it or not, can make or break a brand. According to the Facebook page, the mission of the debate is this: “Some people love us. Some people hate us. And that’s cool. What’s not cool is people who’ve never tried us or don’t even know who we are. So we’re setting out to change that. If you’ve never given us a go, check out our YouTube channel for a free sample and then tell us what you think.”

Meaningful and Commercial Relationships

Marketers connect with their customers on a personal level when they engage in casual conversation and encourage product feedback. Miracle Whip creates more meaningful relationships with their consumers because they go beyond traditional marketing. Their advertisements tell a story, about real things and real people. When people have experiences with a product, they relate to others who have gone through similar situations.

Power of Influence

Miracle Whip admits that they are “not for everyone.”  The message is targeted to their desired audience as well as their competitor’s audience.  Miracle Whip knows that some people like Mayo better, but they use that to their competitive advantage. Not everyone is going to love what you have to offer, but if you market yourself to both the lovers and the haters – the power of influence may take its course.

It doesn’t matter what side you are taking, you are still talking about Miracle Whip. And that my friends, is intelligent advertising.

(And for the record, I do not like Miracle Whip.)

As you begin to think about 2012 marketing plans and budgets, it’s a good idea to review your media mix. The first step is to categorize your efforts and budgets by breaking them down into paid, earned and owned media categories.

Owned vs. Earned vs. Paid Media

The common idea is that “paid” media is advertising; “earned” media is PR; and “owned” media is all the other channels companies use to reach their customers directly – their website, email campaigns, Twitter and Facebook pages, etc.

These three media types are defined primarily by the level of control a company has over the message or interaction channel. It’s easy to see why companies would be interested in having more control over their messages and interactions—and therefore allot a greater share of their budget to owned media. Meanwhile, earned media can be appealing thanks to the credibility it lends: Third-party endorsements (via trade journals and other new sources) are a crucial part of a comprehensive marketing plan. With such a longstanding focus on advertising and PR, companies might neglect the important third channel: owned media.

Via company blogs and advanced search-engine marketing efforts, owned media has the ability to reach a broader audience–and deserves a greater long-term share of your marketing budget.

Advantages of Owned Media

1. Control – When done right, owned media allows you to tell your company’s story in a way that not only does the brand justice, but that also maintains editorial integrity and brings value to the marketplace. Ultimately, it’s a better way to ensure that a user’s experience fulfills your brand promise, because you control the medium—a significant advantage over earned media.
2. Cost – With owned media, you invest more significantly in creating your own content – white papers, videos demonstrating valuable how-to tips or best practices, and ongoing case studies that demonstrate your brand’s value and provide support to your target market. While creating engaging, attention-grabbing and sharable content is an investment, there’s no cost for placement, since your distribution channels are your own website, social pages, email campaigns and PPC or SEO efforts.

In the long run, you can bolster the overall return on your marketing investment with owned media – and enjoy far more valuable lead generation.