New Facebook Ad Manager Looks Promising

Recently, Facebook has been busy rolling out new features of its advertising platform. It first started with the addition of new types of Facebook ads, and now the social networking site is releasing a newer version of the ad manager. We’ve become accustomed to constant changes from Facebook, but this time, these changes seem to be in the favor of marketers.

Three main changes will be made when ad manager alterations roll out to all users on May 25, 2011. The first change improves performance graphs (A). In other words, graphs shown to marketers are simplified and easier to understand. You’ll be shown how many people your ad has been exposed to out of your proposed target audience, and how many of those people are social connections (clicks on ads that were shown with the names of the ad viewer’s Facebook connections who have liked a page, an ad, etc.).

The second change improves ad measurements (B). These new metrics will focus more on the audience and how they responded to your ad. The best part of this? Data is now updated in realtime, allowing for quick and timely changes to any ads that might not be doing so well.

The third major change allows for better ad viewing: inline ad management (C). If you are anything like us, and are in your ad manager several times a day, you feel the pain of having to navigate back and forth between pages. Problem gone! You can see all necessary information, make changes, and toggle between graphs, all within one easy window.

Facebook has also added new methods of tracking success. These include things like reach, social reach, frequency, and connections made. Read more about the changes that Facebook has made in the PDF they released. May 25 is coming soon, you best be prepared!

Target Audiences: Keeping Them Engaged

The suits have been talking a lot about target audience over at Deep Ad Thoughts. How to know your target audience, find your target audience, and how to get your target audience to act. What is there other than that? Well, a lot.

We WOMmers happen to know a lot about how to leverage the web to keep your target audience engaging with you and your brand, getting them to act over and over and spreading the word about you while they’re at it. Here’s six ways to do just that.

1. Campaigns and Promotions

Don’t be on social networks for the sake of being on social networks. Don’t just create online ads for the sake of creating online ads. Sure, there is some value in being present for brand exposure purposes, but at some point, it will get stale. Creating a campaign for your online efforts, just like you’d do in the traditional sense, can help break up the monotony of daily engagement. It will dictate tone and voice, new types of interaction, and creative media shared. The point is — you’ll always offering your audience stuff that’s fresh rather than recycling the same old messages. Bonus points if it goes hand in hand with some offline element.

2. Rewards, duh!

I love free stuff. You love free stuff. We all scream for free stuff. Reward your audience for paying attention. Maybe it is something as simple as a coupon, or maybe it’s a huge giveaway like an iPad or another free product. Your audience will be more apt to participate if they know they might get something they want out of it. But remember, don’t make participation too complicated. “Post your comment for a chance to win a free iPad” works much better than, “Click like, share with eight friends, retweet twice, and move to Alabama for the chance to win a free iPad.”

3. News and Resources

Use your online platforms as a way to help inform or educate your target audience. Bring new industry insights. Share insider news about your brand or things that interest them. Be generous with tips, tricks and best practices. If want you provide your audience with online are things they want and can actually use, they remember you, and keep coming back for more.

4. Fun

Mix it up. Humor goes a long way. On our Chicken Facebook page, we’ve found that people love recipes, but they love lighthearted posts even more. These posts tend to get more impressions, likes, and comments.

5. Customer Service

Part of keeping your target audience engaged is to help them out. Think ComcastCares. If you pay attention to your consumers’ issues and complaints, and then take steps to actually FIX the problem, your consumers will come back time and time again. Not only to have their questions answered, but just to interact and talk with the online face of your brand.

6. Reverse Interaction

Don’t just post every few days on your page. Your online presence isn’t a billboard. Ensure that you are responsive to people participating on your networks. Got a blog with comments? Answer them back. Someone posting on your Facebook page about how much they love you? A ‘thanks’ can go a heck of a long way. Showing some love on the regular is how you turn your target audience into brand enthusiasts.

100 Ways to Measure Social Media Success

During my daily morning Internet perusal, I came across a list of 100 ways that companies can measure social media. One. Hundred. Ways. Holy schnikies.

Since we are always trying to convey the importance of metrics and ROI of word of mouth marketing, I did a little dance (something of a shimmy, mixed with some hair tossing and a quick head nod) to celebrate my discovery of this wonderful list. I even added the number “100″ into my win column for today. So what if the post I found was from 2009? I understand that this makes my “100 wins” more like “99 wins,” but the best posts have longevity, right?

Since it was first posted, I can almost guarantee that this list has grown, but these 100 are a great way to get started. I’ve included some below. These are the ones we leverage most often. I can only encourage you to go read the entire article and put it into the framework of your company, clients, or marketing objectives.

1. Amount of buzz generated
2. Growth rate of fans, followers, and friends
3. Site Traffic / Page Views
4. Increase in searches due to social activity
5. Shift in sentiment before, during, and after social marketing programs
6. Clicks
7. Number of interactions
8. User generated content created that can be used by marketer in other channels
9. Volume of customer feedback generated
10. Impact on sales (online OR offline)
11. Leads generated
12. Products sampled

Via Media Post | Social Media Insider.

Social Media to Blame for Bland Online Brand Identity

I’m an advocate of keeping up on social media news. As a professional in the industry, I take it upon myself to be aware of all the newest toys, most up to date strategy ideas, creatively executed campaigns, etc. But lately, I’ve found it increasingly difficult to find inspiring social media news. The churning wheels have slowed, and it has become official: social media is no longer trendy. And I’m not the only one who thinks so.

Here at Cyphers, we’ve always known to count social media as just another tool in our arsenal of marketing skills (we’ve nearly given sermons on integration). Had all marketers been this realistic, they would have seen that social media would eventually become conventional and commonplace. All you have to do is look at the past, seeing how the ad world has changed. Each new fad or medium spurred creative growth, so why count this one as any different (history repeats itself, right?)?

So here we are, at the crossroads of trendy-meets-routine, and it seems that “everyone is doing it” these days. But just taking part doesn’t mean that you’re doing anything super special. In fact, it seems that the excitement and talk of all the things that social media can bring to a brand has simply boiled down to brands replicating each other on social networks. I’m not blaming brands. In fact, I think it becomes twice as difficult to be creative when you are working in an entirely new space with an entirely new set of rules. It becomes hard to think outside of the box when you’ve barely seen inside it.

But each day, month, quarter, year, brings a deeper look. As marketers, we must challenge ourselves to use social media in ways that aren’t confined to just Twitter and Facebook. Let’s not allow social networks to infringe on our creativity. Let’s take risks and be game changers for our clients. Let’s be those people who competitive brands look at and say, “Damn, let’s do it like them.” Let’s use strategy to bring value to our clients’ consumers in ways that no one has thought of before. Let’s give our clients’ consumers a reason to pay attention. Because, with a little strategy, creativity, and social media knowledge, these things can actually happen.

Do you accept this challenge? Get to it.

Facebook “Like” Button Changes: Straight Wall Abuse

I just recently read an article about Facebook’s new changes. I immediately began experiencing sweaty palms, a heart palpitation for two, and a look of confusion on my face that frightened my coworkers away. Okay, so maybe it wasn’t that serious. But still, I had a moment.

Folks, the “like” button has changed. Remember when you could read an article over at, say, AdAge.com, and simply “like” it? Ahhh, the good ol’ days. Now, if you “like” that same article, it’ll go ahead and post the danged thing straight to your Facebook wall the same way that the “share” function does. (Sure, you’ve got to be logged in for this to happen, but come on… aren’t we all eternally logged in?). Oh, the joys of technology. Streamlined life at last.

So what the heck does this mean, anyway? From a marketing perspective, there are benefits that can’t be denied. This means longer exposure of content on the web, and a share ability unlike anything we’ve seen thus far. The content is also more visual, giving opportunities for an alert audience to see and connect to that shared page more immediately. It also means a stronger (and ridiculously immediate) tie in of social media across the web.

From a personal perspective and an avid Facebook user, I can’t help but be a little miffed. It isn’t because more things will post to my account. Heck, I’m fine with that! It is more that Facebook seems to “forget” to tell us, the users, these things. It also presents a bone to pick – will users be annoyed that their “likes” are now unfiltered?

Ultimately, it seems that Facebook might be losing focus on their purpose. Are they there for authentic social connections? Or are they becoming marketing minions? While yes, Facebook can be a powerful tool for marketers, this power comes from the authentic nature and actions of its’ users – users who might jump ship if they feel taken advantage of. After all, Facebook wasn’t designed to be a billboard. Or was it?

What do you think? Can Facebook find a balance between maintaining its comfort for users and encouraging marketing involvement? Or are they  losing focus on what makes Facebook unique?

Word of Mouth Toolbox: Ambassador Programs

Blog post theme of today: back to basics! There are a few things that we’ve got in our word of mouth toolbox that are tried and true tactics, so we thought we’d revisit some and share them with you. One of our most powerful tools as word of mouth marketers is the creation and implementation of an ambassador program. We’ve seen it in action, helping create some serious online buzz for a number of clients.

So what the heck is it?

An ambassador program is a way to leverage the very idea behind word of mouth marketing: the passing of information from one person to the next. Ambassadors in and of themselves are people who speak on behalf of a brand. Sometimes they are celebs, but most of the time they are normal folks. It has been said time and time again that the most powerful recommendations come from friends and family, so enthusiasts’ opinions obviously matter to marketers. Ambassadors will talk about their love for a brand or service on their own, but it is our job to find those people and magnify their voice. We bring structure and organization to a group of enthusiasts, encouraging them to do a number of things, which include posting positive reviews online, attending offline events, and passing along coupons or news.

Think about it. Some of the most potent brands are chalk full of people who will go to the ends of the earth to show their love. Apple. Starbucks. Whole Foods. Harley Davidson. Coca Cola. Louis Vuitton. You can’t escape those enthusiasts. They are in your face whether you like it or not.

Let’s go get those brand ambassadors!

The thing about brand enthusiasts is that they are passionate for a reason. It could be the strength of the product (Apple), the value of the service (Whole Foods), or the way the brand experience makes consumers feel (Starbucks or Louis Vuitton). It is important to have a great offering in order to have enthusiasts. You can’t fake brand love. Great brands like these reward their enthusiasts up front, regardless of if they write a positive review online or tell someone about a new product. And even more so, its important to build relationships with your enthusiasts before asking anything of them.

Well, okay! Now what?

Consider what you’ll need for an ambassador program. Each is drastically different, and should correlate with a larger campaign idea or a set of objectives you’d like to accomplish. The main thing you’ve got to keep in mind is that ambassador programs should be designed to be mutually beneficial. Participants must find a reason to be a part of the program.

Why should they sign up? In an ideal world, just telling others about their love would be enough, but most often, it isn’t. Make them feel special by letting them in on breaking news, asking for their opinion about new products, providing them with coupons or free products, or giving them VIP access. Then, provide them with ways to help you: direct them to places online where they can review you, lead them to your Facebook page where they can “like” and share their opinion, or have them talk to a potential customer about why they love you.

The main key to a successful ambassador program is to locate your enthusiasts, and reward them upfront for their love. Then, make it easy for them to share their thoughts, and reward them for that, too.

Here are some general things you’ll need:

• Objectives – What are your goals? Do you want event attendance, positive reviews, general feedback?
• Outreach Plan – How many enthusiasts are you going to need? How are you going to reach out to them? Communication is KEY here.
• Timeline – How long will the program last? Is it a 6 month campaign or a lifetime program?
• Tasks - Exactly what will you have the participants “do”.
• Rewards & Incentives – The most obvious part: thanking people for their love.
• Tracking – Know what your ambassadors are up to!

Ready to take the leap? We’d be happy to help you locate your brand enthusiasts and build some meaningful relationships with them.

Social Media and the End of Gender

I came across this Ted Talk during my morning Internet perusal. It reminded me of how much “social media” has brought up the discussion of how traditional marketing topics apply in the new field. Joanna Blakely thinks about this, too, especially in regards to the discussion surrounding gender and how traditional demographics may not be applicable online. And I think she’s got a point.

Don’t get me wrong – demographics are a key part to our understanding of our consumers. But online has raised questions regarding psychographics, lifestyles, tastes, and preferences. Blakely claims that attributes like those just might outweigh traditional guidelines of who our consumers are. What do you think? Watch the video (it’s only 8 minutes long!) and let us know if you agree.

4 Steps to Running a Contest and Making People Love You

Recently, we hooked you up with a list of stuff you need to have to run a successful contest. Ain’t that the truth! But just having the pieces in place doesn’t necessarily mean you are poised for success. We aren’t ashamed to say that we’ve run a bunch of contests. In fact, we’ve kicked, screamed, cried, laughed, and cheered over them – learning the true process along the way. Yes, we’ve learned a lot. So forgive us as we try to share it with you without making this blog post 12 pages long.

1. Planning

It goes without saying that planning is the most important part of running a successful contest. The best thing you can do for yourself is be prepared for all circumstances possible. At this stage, you should focus on:

• Creating a sick concept and good prize – Ask yourself: What is going to get my target audience psyched? Of course, boring or lame will never fly.
• Setting goals – What do you want to get out of the contest: followers, content, buzz? What will you measure your success by?
• Timeline – When will you do all of this? Schedule things out – by the day, week, or month – to keep everything on track. This will be your best friend and will help keep you sane.
• Creative Ideas – Will you build a contest microsite? House the contest on Facebook? Use a third party app or company?
• Outreach Plan – Who will you get the word out about the contest? Blogger Outreach, FFPO, Social Networks, Press Releases? Find what audience you need to target, and create a database or plan to actually get in touch with them.

2. Ramping Up

This will most likely be the longest portion of your contest-launching process. Just like any project, you need to take the time to collaborate and fine-tune while you put all the pieces into place. Get comfortable with the nuts and bolts so you are ready for anything and everything.

• Get those “must haves” – There are five, and you can find them here.
• Creative Work – Remember those creative ideas? It’s time to build whatever you need to build to run this contest.
• Outreach – Send out those emails! Make those calls! But be prepared for questions and concerns. This is where messaging comes in.
• Carefully Crafted Messaging – Take the time to think about all the questions that participants might have. Create responses for those. Also, think about all of the problems that could potentially go wrong. Craft crisis messaging, too. Believe me, you’ll need it, especially if things really take off.
• Social Network Push – Got a Facebook page? Twitter followers? Let them know about your contest. They are pre-qualified to be interested in what you’ve got to say, making it more likely for them to participate.

3. It’s Go Time!

You’ve planned. You’ve ramped up. Now, it’s time to hit the ground running. This is where the contest comes to life, and your hard work (hopefully) pays off. But don’t pat yourself on the back just yet…

• Launch the contest – self-explanatory!
• Answer questions or concerns – Be ready for it; this WILL happen. It’s fine as long as you’ve got your messaging ready!
• Handle influx or lack thereof – Maybe a million people will be interested in your contest. But what if you see nothing? Have a Plan B so you don’t have egg on your face.
• Keep buzz going – Don’t be afraid to reach out to your database again. Utilize social networking sites to get excitement going.
• Prepare for the end – Know what you are going to do once the contest ends. How will you leverage the content you’ve received? Will you make a big splash about announcing the winner?
• Track your progress – Watch site traffic or entry numbers. Don’t wait until after the contest ends to see if you’ve reached your goal. Be proactive, and don’t be afraid to tweak things along the way to ensure your end goal is reached.

4. After Effects

So you’ve run a contest. You’ve got entrants, votes, the whole nine yards. Congrats! But don’t just stop there. You’ve got a little bit more work left.

• Yay, winners! – Announce the winners and share it with your social networks, database of people you reached out to, and other interested parties.
• Leverage content – Use that stuff til it hurts! Whatever your objectives may be, share the good stuff with the world.
• Review – Did you meet all of your goals? What worked? What didn’t? Make notes so that you can be sure to make your next contest even better.

Well, that might be a lot, but it’s enough to set you off on a good path. And the “making people love you” part? Well, I can’t promise that. But I can say that if you use these four steps, and make sure you’ve got all the necessities for running an online contest, you’ll not only get participation, but admiration.

5 Must-Haves for Running a Successful Contest

So your company has adopted social media marketing techniques. You’ve been on social networks and built relationships with your consumers, but want to take your engagement to the next level. You’ve heard that online contests can help your business get there, but you aren’t really sure what separates a great contest from the gimmicks. Don’t worry – we’ve figured that out for you.

1. Rules and Guidelines

The first step to having a successful contest is creating a list of rules and guidelines not just for entrants to follow, but also for you to live by. The goal is to create an airtight document that gives you ultimate control in case the contest somehow comes crumbling down around you.

Even with a small crisis, it is still good to be able to refer to a separate, impartial source when answering questions from entrants. Say it with me – “I’m so sorry, but it’s in the rules.” Have your lawyer look at it – we aren’t kidding. Having a foolproof rule book is the way to go.

2. A Great Concept

This one might seem pretty obvious, but you’d be surprised how pointless some contests can be. Too often, companies focus on how contests can drive traffic to their Web site, and stop there. But the point of a contest is to engage your audience and bring new consumers into your brand community. Just having participants enter their email addresses doesn’t really achieve that.

Creating a concept that will mobilize your target audience doesn’t have to get complicated – just look at the simplicity of the concept behind the contest we’re running for the National Chicken Council: the I Love Chicken contest. Your concept shouldn’t be so narrow that only a small niche of people want to participate, but it should still hone in on what your audience cares about. The true balance is making the contest easy to enter, but also specific enough that you get great user-generated content to use long after the contest ends.

3. A Huge A$$ Prize

Listen – people aren’t going to enter your contest for a chance to take a picture with the mayor of your town. Okay, a few might, but let’s face it – creative people aren’t going to pass over content they worked hard on – the kind of content that could be really valuable to your brand – for a photo-op.

You’ve got to give people a reason to enter. Money is always a great prize, or something worth a lot of money (think tropical vacation getaway). Personal promotion is also a good incentive (think about all the bands that vied to be the next FreeCreditScore.com guys). Whatever it may be, it has to motivate people to not only enter, but to get their friends and family to vote for them too.

4. Sharing Options

Give participants the option to share their entry with everyone they know on their social networks. It will be easier for them to pass the contest to their buds and relatives, ultimately driving traffic to your site. But it doesn’t just do that – it greatly widens that audience that can now connect with and participate in your contest and your brand. When you make it easy for contestants to spread the word and get votes for their entry, you hand them some power in the outcome of the contest, making them even more excited to be ambassadors for your business.

5. Crisis Communication Plan

Regardless of how well you plan the contest, set up your voting system, and monitor entries, there will be some sort of problem or question. And if you’ve got a great concept that is married to a huge prize, people will do pretty much anything to win, meaning that they will also find anything to call into question or complain about. That is where a crisis communication plan comes in.

Prepare for these often headache-inducing inquires by drafting messaging with the proper responses, tone, references to the rules, etc. While it won’t eliminate issues, it will help you maintain sanity as you launch your contest, making it much easier to respond to contestants in a consistent and professional manner.

Thinking about running a contest? Seems you’ve got a lot to think about. Not sure where to begin? It just so happens that we’ve got plenty of experience. We’d be happy to hook you up.