Know When to Take the Conversation Offline

Posted on March 23, 2012 by admin

One way to think about social media is that online platforms are an extension of your brand and often an extension of your customer service department.  Social media allows you to listen, be engaged, demonstrate your brand and show that you care about your customers.  On the other hand, if not handled correctly, social media can amplify negative customer services practices. 

Let’s work through a potential negative insurance, customer services situation.  ABC Insurance Company has a Facebook page and a member has posted the following statement.

“My policy is about to lapse and I can’t get a hold of my agent.  He hasn’t called in three years.  I’m going to take my business elsewhere.”

What if you do nothing?  This comment will live on the internet forever.  The customer’s thoughts will be validated and worse, has planted the idea of incompetency to your online community. 

The situation must be handled.  You must reply.  Two things need to happen immediately – a public and private response from your organization. 

The public response should thank the customer for posting and bringing the issue to your attention.  It should also include what your next steps are and an email or a phone number where this person can talk to someone directly.  This lets the upset customer know that you’re concerned and it lets the online community know you’re responsive. 

The private response should come within minutes of making the public post.  Within the same day, contact this person and immediately schedule an appointment or offer another means of contact (usually phone or email).  Handling the response privately is illustrating exceptional customer service but it also allows for private dialogue should the customer feel the need to further express their discontent. 

By proactively addressing the situation you can resolve an issue, build a positive reputation, diffuse a potentially bad situation and, perhaps, internally draw attention to an area that could use a little improvement.

We are a very forgiving culture if you own up to your mistakes.  You can’t avoid mistakes nor can you deny them after the fact, but you can own a mistake and make it better.  If you remedy the situation, it can turn out great for you, but if you don’t fix it, it just makes you look bad and leaves the door open for continued oversight. 

Posted in Communication, Overcoming Objections, Social Media | Leave a comment

Assessing Corporate Social Media Readiness

Posted on March 19, 2012 by admin

The decision to participate in social media shouldn’t be a hard one.  The fact is your employees and your customers and their connections are already tweeting, blogging, posting and emailing about their experiences with you and your organization. The choice to be involved in social media has already been made for you.  Your decision now is simply how to best establish your readiness so you can contribute to and shape the conversation.

One of the best ways to establish your online setup strategy is for your organization is to ask the right questions.  Below are a few questions to help start a dialogue about becoming coming more comfortable with social media. 

-          What is the company’s tolerance for risk?

-          How familiar is executive management with the various forms of social media and how they are used?

-          How do you feel about your company engaging in a public dialogue with your customers?

-          What do you perceive as the biggest obstacles to our adoption of social media practices?

-          What approaches can you take that are adaptations of our current practices or existing materials that can ease the transition?

-          Who on our staff is most enthusiastic about talking to customers?  About social media?

-          How does the company normally react to negative commentary from the media, customers, competitors and other stakeholders?

-          How uncomfortable would your company be advertising in a publication or on a web site that often contained editorial content critical of our company or industry yet whose readers very closely matched your target audience?

Answering these questions will not only help you with defining the goals and outcomes for social media but perhaps you’ll identify other areas in which improvement can be made.

 

 

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Social Media Compliance Planning Tool: Editorial Calendar

Posted on March 18, 2012 by admin

All social media elements thrive on providing relevant and thought-provoking content.  Without valuable content your social media platforms will never accomplish its goals.  One way to make sure that you’re creating high value content and remaining compliant is by developing and following an editorial calendar.

From a traditional sense, an editorial calendar is a planning tool that newspapers and magazines use to organize major editorial features planned for forthcoming issues. 

The idea behind incorporating the editorial calendar is that the calendar for social media is three-fold: 1) create an organized, systematic approach to managing (creating, reviewing and approving) all the social media elements, 2) look at both the big picture and individual elements in each social media vehicle and 3) see how other non-social media elements (traditional and earned media) fit into the integrated marketing mix. 

An editorial calendar achieves it purpose for planning, as well as keeping your content on topic. It also gives you an overview of the direction you want to take your blog, Facebook page, Twitter feed, etc., over a week, month and year. An editorial calendar is your guide to publishing online content.

Different companies handle the social media editorial calendar differently.  For insurance companies and highly regulated organizations, many will add a variety of approval columns, a column for an advertising number and/or columns for their own specific internal checklist (i.e. state regulation). 

Here’s how to start developing your online editorial calendar:

Determine the platform.  It’s tempting to want a presence in every social media channel, but it’s often better to manage a few really well than to do many poorly. Think about your organization, your goals and the kinds of communication you’ll be creating, then choose the social media vehicles that make sense for you. A well-executed online strategy that aligns with your marketing plan will serve as a valuable extension of your brand.

Decide posting frequency.  Many organizations try to post daily.  When you’re first starting off once a day post can be a very ambitious goal.  If you’re new to posting, sometimes it is easier to start slower and work your way to increased frequency.  Once your online platform is public, you should post no less than 2-3 times a week and make sure that your content is quality. 

Brainstorm content.  Thinking about developing content for online platforms can be overwhelming.  It’s best to consider broad categories and target audiences.  For example, if you know you want to highlight the category of customer service, then you can approach customer service for their feedback and write a post accordingly.  As you accumulate additional topics, categories and audiences keep a file for future posts for days when you’re not feeling particularly creative. 

Mapping content.  Once you have a clear idea of content start inserting your posts into the calendar.  If you need additional information for your posts (i.e., podcast, video, photos, links, etc.) be sure to account for time needed to gather resources and approvals in legal and compliance. 

Route calendar.  Typically, marketing will draft the editorial calendar to account for brand standards and align with the organization’s marketing objectives, but it is critical to keep compliance and legal in the loop.  Once a month, route the editorial calendar to the appropriate parties to ensure that all regulations are being upheld. 

 

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Choosing to Actively Participate in Life

Posted on November 2, 2011 by admin

Earlier today I posted that I was starting the brainstorming process for my 2012 “Life
Theme” and asked what motto you live by.  A few of you have reached out to me asking me about how I got started.

About five years ago I went through one of those major life changes that caused me to
pause and evaluate my direction and purpose.  I was moving through life not actively
participating, sitting aimlessly on the sidelines.  I felt like I was going through each day just maintaining – losing out on opportunities and losing myself in the process.  I had fallen into the destructive rut of doing what was expected of me, not reaching beyond status quo.  Days would turn into months and months turned into years and I was sitting back and being a silent bystander.  For those of you who really know me, you know
that I don’t have a passive bone in my body.  I like to take action and make things happen.  I was in a funk of all funks.

There’s a line in Forest Gump when one of Lt. Dan’s girlfriends says, “Don’t you just love New Year’s?  You can start all over.  Everybody gets a second chance.”  That was me.  Boy, I was ready to start over.  And, coincidentally, it was watching that movie around New Year’s Eve 2006 that encouraged me to put together an action plan to reignite my place in the world.  Sure, it was nerdy.  Sure, it was ridiculously structured but putting that plan together was cathartic.  It gave me a sense of control at a time when I felt like I had none.

I put my marketing skills – planning, strategy, and execution – into action.  I charted out a theme, a purpose, and monthly goals.  Like a good little marketer I wrote down ways to check in with myself to evaluate.  At the end of each month I was going to reflect back and appreciate what I’ve accomplished, the happy moments, the positive things that were pushing me forward.  By focusing and celebrating the achievements, even the smaller ones, I knew that would provide enough momentum and encouragement to carry me through to the next month.

It’s because of this action plan that I feel like five years later I’m a better person and I have a lot to show for it  both personally and professionally.  More importantly, I am my own person.  I try to take a more positive approach to situations.  And, I’m experiencing new
opportunities that I would’ve previously declined.  (This blog is an example of me reaching
beyond my comfort zone almost to the point of nausea.)  I’m no longer aimlessly moving through my day. I’ve found the gift of purpose.

I’ve done this exercise for the past five years and I’m already brainstorming 2012’s
theme.  For me, this process is energizing and healing.  Considering the  possibilities that lie ahead fills me with hope.  Once I get my plan together for 2012, I share  a little bit with you.  Thanks for listening.  Ever forward!

 

Posted in Marketing, Randa, Writing | Leave a comment

Compose an Effective News Release

Posted on October 14, 2011 by admin

When well written and successfully targeted to the right media contact, a news release can be an effective means of communication.  It provides the reporter with the information they need to become interested in your story. 

When preparing a news release, stick to the basics.  Remember that a reporter who reads much beyond the headline or first paragraph is a rare breed.  Your job is to give reporters a document that in a short amount of space makes them interested in your story, compels them to tell it and gives them the basic information they need to do so.  A template and sample news release has been attached to this email, but in general, here are some do’s and don’ts to consider when writing a news release:

DO:

  • Deliver real news of interest to the public.  Your release should present the news from the viewpoint of the public’s interest, not the internal interests of your business.  In other words, put yourself in your reader’s place.  What makes your news compelling to her or him?
  • Answer the questions of “Who, What, When, Where and Why” within the content of your news release or announcement.
  • Make it easy for the reporter.  Limit the release to one or two pages and keep paragraphs to two or three short sentences. 
  • State the most important fact at the beginning of the release and “build down” from there.  Present remaining facts in descending order according to importance.  If possible, stick to no more than three key points in your release.  Create a headline that states the most important fact to your story.
  • Follow proper style.  Most news outlets are Associated Press (AP) style when it comes to punctuation, abbreviations, titles, etc.  The AP Stylebook Manual is available in most bookstores, and general style information can be found in the back of standard dictionaries and online. 
  • Confirm all of the information contained in your release, including dates, names, addresses, times, locations, and especially any contact numbers.  Even if you think you know how Jane Doe spells her name, but you’re not sure, take the extra step to confirm it.
  • Proofread, proofread, proofread!  Have as many pairs of eyes as possible proof your news release.  The wrong letter here or the wrong number there can spell disaster for the accurate reporting of the story. 
  • Call to make sure that your intended recipient received the news release.
  • If sending photographs along with your news release (this is a good idea), be sure to label them correctly with the identity of the location, and full names of persons photographed from left to right.  (Place this information on a label affixed to the back of the photo, rather than writing it directly on the photograph.)

 DON’T:

  • Put information in the news release that you don’t want to see in print or heard on air.
  • Ramble.  Get to the point.  And don’t try to imitate Ernest Hemingway.  Simply present the facts.
  • Use buzzwords or jargon that only your organization will understand.
  • “Over-hype” your announcement.  Reporters will see right through this and toss the release in the waste bin or, if e-mailed, delete it.
  • Include information that’s not essential to your announcement.  If you need to provide background information, enclose it in a one- or two- page Fact Sheet or Question and Answer sheet along with your news release. 

 TOPICS FOR NEWS RELEASES:

  • New Hires
  • Events
  • Location Changes
  • Adding a New Service Area
  • Special Projects
  • Product Features
  • Top 10 Tips for Consumers

 NEWS RELEASE FREQUENCY:

  • One a month will help keep you top-of-mind with editorial staffs.
Posted in Business, Communication, Public Relations, Writing | Leave a comment

Be the Net Force: Fight Organizational Inertia

Posted on October 14, 2011 by admin

My favorite of all Newton’s laws of motion is his third law – an object that is not moving will not move until a net force acts upon it.  An object that is in motion will not change
its velocity (accelerate) until a net force acts upon it.  (#nerd)  This is the scientific equivalence to pointing out when organization say, “Well this is the way we’ve always done it.”  Just because something has worked a specific way for more than 30 years doesn’t mean it’s the most efficient, the most practical or even the most innovative.  Organizations
that refuse to change and refuse to critically examine what they’ve been doing are sadly the organizations that get overtaken in the marketplace.  They will eventually make themselves insignificant.

You have the power to be that net force.  Make “Fight the Inertia” your personal mantra.  Those who can see and adapt to change and help others to see the benefit of change, are the folks who are the innovators, the revolutionaries and at the bare minimum, they are the people who can streamline processes and procedures for greater efficiencies.

Here are some helpful hints on how to help create change.

  • Show tenacity.   Effectively managing the workplace within means, not fearing or resisting change and challenges, but empowering management and employees with the necessary skills to effectively manage life changes.  In advertising we say that a message must be said at least seven times before it becomes embedded as memory.  Keep this in mind when trying to change culture – it will take time and likely several attempts.
  • Show historical successes.  If you have a situation or a proposal you’re trying to get adopted sometimes it can be helpful to show what a like-competitor is doing.  Talk through the process:  how you can start the project, adapt it to your brand, talk about expectations and next steps.  Use diplomacy.  Executive management never responds well to, “They do it, why can’t we?”
  • Inclusion. Whenever possible and when its advantageous, include people.  Please note that there is a big difference between including and giving them approval power.  Sales like to be brought in during the brainstorming process.  It makes sense.  Often, they have tremendous amount of quality feedback, field experience and are the front lines to the customer.  You don’t ask them to write product offerings, or policies, but they can give you some helpful insight.
  • Expect change. Now, more than ever the world is full of change.  Roll with the change.  Look at change as an opportunity.  If you find yourself looking at the negatives, pause and ask yourself, “What are the good things that have happened or will happen?” as a result of this new opportunity.
  • Help others. Change is hard for a lot of people. If you see them struggling with something new or the possibility of something new, be there to remind them of all the possibilities.  A positive voice is helpful and comforting.

 

Posted in Business, Communication, Overcoming Objections | Leave a comment

Delivering Your Message Under Pressure: Tips for Bo Pelini

Posted on October 10, 2011 by admin

Bo, congratulations on a great game!  It was an exciting game to watch and it will be a game that will go down in history.  The Husker Nation is rejoicing.

Like most fans, I kept the TV tuned to listen to the post-game coverage.  I expected this to be a very positive, upbeat press conference after all, the Huskers pulled off an amazing come from behind win in conference play!  However, listening to the post-game press conference, if I hadn’t watched the game I would’ve thought the Huskers lost.  You and your players sounded surly and adversarial with the media.  As a UNL graduate and marketing professional, this interview style makes me cringe.

If I may lecture for a moment.  Bo, you are a role model to the young men you coach and to countless other Nebraskans, especially to the young men and boys who someday want to wear the Husker red.  When your players see you react the way you to do and start to mimic your tone, attitude and answer reporter’s questions with the same antagonistic, short-tempered responses – you are do them and yourself a huge injustice.

For your players, some of them will go onto the pros, others will enter the workforce.  Regardless of their next step, this quarrelsome, argumentative and aggressive style will severely harm them in the real world.

I sense that media relations is very low on your priority list.  However, you are a major stockholder and ambassador in the Husker brand.  Whether you like it or not, you directly reflect the organization and all it holds dear.  I know you want to win games and your explosive style has been passed off as passionate, but you have to be respectful to people even if there are times when they don’t extend to you the same courtesy.  It’s call professionalism.

Bo, you are a talented coach. Don’t let media relations be your downfall.  Below is a quickie read on how to prepare for an interview.  Please take five minutes to read it and think about the press conference and how you would approach it differently.  With a more buttoned up media relations strategy, I think you’ll find that press conferences can go a lot more smoothly.  You never know, maybe reporters will eventually come around to being more respectful to you and to the team.

Preparing for a Television Interview

Preparation.  That’s the key to handling television interviews. The better prepared you are, the better you will be able to control the interview.  And, the more relaxed you’ll appear.

Interviews are not simply conversations between you and the reporter, they are rituals with considerable role-playing and gamesmanship.  A TV news interview is much like a formal debate.  The reporter will be prepared to ask questions that will lead to a good story.  He or she will probe, question and ask for further explanation – all to elicit more information.

Your role is control the interview by focusing the reporter’s thinking and delivering your key messages.
A few pointers:

  • Think strategically.  Know what you’re going to say and how you’re going to say it.  Then be alert to opportunities to deliver these messages, even if it means prefacing an answer to a reporter’s question with a message. This doesn’t mean you have to rehearse every word but know your key messages by heart before you are interviewed by the media.  Write them down and keep them handy.
  • Think sound bite.  Speak in whole, short sentences when answering a reporter’s question.  This may mean repeating back a part of the reporter’s question on  camera.
  • Remain unemotional.  Reasoned, upbeat, unemotional answers to questions help build credibility.  Keep your cool even during prolonged or antagonistic questioning.
  • Be polite and courteous.  If you come up against a hostile interviewer, don’t let him or her make you lose your temper.  With anger comes loss of credibility.
  • Critically evaluate reporters’ questions.  Make sure you and the reporter(s) fully understand the question and the issue behind the question.  Sometimes a reporter can  ask a dumb question.  Reporters are human too.  However, you have 100 percent  control over how you respond.  Use the opportunity to disengage from the hostile tone but then bridge to your key messages and leave your answer in a positive light.  NEVER, ever critically evaluate the reporter or their work.
  • Stick by your guns.  Good TV reporters will probe beyond your first answers.  They may ask you to elaborate or clarify your statements.  Be aware that they also may try to get you to say something controversial to make their story more interesting.  Don’t be  intimidated or trapped by their probing.  Simply answer the questions in a manner consistent with your key messages.
  • Watch what you say after the cameras stop rolling.  Some of the best – and most damaging – quotes have been captured after an interview allegedly concluded.  Often TV reporters will leave their microphones on after wrapping up an interview.  Do not be lulled into a false sense of camaraderie with the reporter at that time.
  • Relax.   Granted, this may be easier said than done, but here are a few suggestions: Take a few deep breathes before speaking.  Look the questioner in the eye and respond in a natural, animated manner, just as if you were explaining the issue to your next-door neighbor.  Don’t be afraid of a two- or three-second pause while you collect your thoughts.  You’ll appear deliberate.
Posted in Branding, Business, Communication, Public Relations | Leave a comment

Take a Whiff

Posted on October 6, 2011 by admin

I love candles.  I recently stumbled upon a brand of candle that packs a powerful, long lasting scent.  I came across two scents that knocked my socks  off.  One is a blueberry tart and the other is a hibiscus perfume.  Both smells  sent me reeling to very specific moments growing up.

The blueberry tart sent me back to being a little girl.  At six, I had two Strawberry Shortcake plastic figurines.  If you’re a Strawberry Shortcake aficionado you know that each character was named and specially scented after a specific baked good.  Strawberry Shortcake smelled like strawberries and Blueberry Muffin (who had a pet named Cheesecake), you guessed it, smelled like blueberries.  It was amazing that with one quick sniff, I remembered the joy and happiness I had playing with those toys.

The second scent was a beautiful floral hibiscus.  The ladies out there will remember Plumeria (aka hibiscus) from Bath & Body Works. Mmmmm.  I first experienced this
scent in the form of a lotion.  In high school, I was visiting UNL for the National Thespian Society annual festival.  My first ever roommate couldn’t stop talking about how great this lotion smells.  Boy was she right.  To this day, I smell plumeria and I remember how excited I was to be on a college campus for the first time, to be exploring a new world beyond my hometown.  I was filled with adventure and optimism.  To this day, before a speaking engagement, I’ll grab my plumeria lotion and apply it to my hands.  It helps get rid of the jitters and fills me with the same confidence and excitement I felt when I was 15.  Now I can have that smell fill my apartment.

Smell is so emotionally powerful and it’s often the first of your five senses to kick in.  If you’ve ever worked at a bakery or restaurant you know how important smell can be to
your marketing strategy.  Because there is believed to be such a strong correlation between smell and memory, savvy marketers are starting to uncover, explore and use aromas to amplify their marketing strategies.  Some businesses use particular scents in the hope that it will elicit a positive memory and, in turn, induce a sense of well-being among their customers while they shop.

Here are a few examples of olfactory marketing, sensory marketing or air design in action.  I’d love to hear about your experiences.  Have you ever had your sense of smell affect your purchase decision?

  • Real estate agents have been known to help increase a home’s appeal by baking bread, cinnamon rolls, cookies and dare I say bacon.
  • College admissions departments have been following their footsteps knowing that the smell of chocolate chip cookies help make potential students feel comfortable and at home.
  • Parking garages in California are using spring and citrus traces to give the suggestion of cleanliness and safety.
  • Airport bathrooms are using floral hints of roses and lavender.  I urge you visit Chicago O’Hare’s restrooms.  They are positively delightful.
  • A New York grocery store uses popular and powerful food smells like popcorn and hickory smoked meat to entice customers’ sense of being hungry and to ultimately encourage them to open their wallets a little larger.
  • Jimmy Choo Shoes created their own signature scent to provide a memorable fragrance that once smelled, customers would immediately recall and associate with their products.   This smell is pumped into their stores and applied to direct mail offers.
  • In 2006, California’s Milk Processor Board launched a series of “Got Milk?” billboards in San Francisco’s bus shelters. The ads scented with the irresistible smell of chocolate chip cookies, the other half of milk’s perfect pair.
  • Auto repair shops have been known to keep fresh coffee brewing in the waiting room to  keep odors of grease away from guests.

Bonus resource:  “Scent Marketing: Subliminal Advertising Message”
There is a very cool color to scent chart and other helpful olfactory marketing examples.

 

Posted in Branding, Business, Marketing | Leave a comment

I got stiffed. Don’t let it happen to you.

Posted on August 14, 2011 by admin

Before we even begin this post I think it would be fair of me to say that I’m writing this with a little bit of venom.  I completed a freelance project that I had invested some serious time and resources into and unfortunately, it did not go well.  The entire process was painful.  The contact with my client was not ideal.  They lacked providing a clear direction from the project get-go, stiffed me for services rendered and then passed it off my work as their own.  Not cool.  Thankfully, this kind of unprofessional behavior is the exception. 

I’m writing this post for two reasons.  

  1. To remind me that while I’m so furious at the situation there were several things I could’ve done better to make the relationship more amicable.
  2. To help other freelancers avoid getting screwed.

Tips for working towards a cooperative client / freelance relationship.

Get clear direction of the project from the very beginning.  In a world where every client wants it yesterday and every assignment is a rush job, it is tempting to take short-cuts.  Don’t.  It’s important to do right and do it well the first time.  Advertising agencies use a creative or project brief to come to a client / agency agreement on the important items such as target audiences, objectives, budget, expectations, deliverables and timelines.  This is a very valuable tool in the planning process and allows you to manage expectations from the outset.  It also allows you better understand the scope of the project so if your client tries to press scope creep on you, you can review the original project and determine if a new estimate is in order.  No matter how quickly a project needs to be completed, this is an essential first step.  Be as detailed as possible.    

Over communicate.  There’s no such thing as too much communication.  Clients want to be reassured that they’re working with a professional.  They hate being kept in the dark and they get irritated having to contact you for an update.  For freelancers, communication should always be proactive and frequent.   When you’re first discussing the project send recaps of phone conversations and email correspondence that confirms action items and next steps.  This helps your credibility and again protects you from a variety of other situations.  It will be to your benefit to not only outline the technician aspect of the job (to-do items) but look at your correspondence from a managerial / strategic role – advertise the benefits for your services and the project you’re completing.  Be professional in your correspondence.

Agree on payment and use a contract.  Depending on the size of the client, the size of the project and their reputation, you can be as flexible as you feel comfortable.  For web projects I typically request 50 percent up front, 25 percent at the completion of a specific approval milestone ad 25 percent after launch.  Public relations and marketing jobs can be billed at similar increments.  Always get a little upfront payment prior to beginning the project.

It has been my experience for clients who are anxious to pay 100 percent in advance are not good clients.  They tend to be demanding, needy and will expect you allow for scoop creep or little “I need a favor” requests from you long-term.  Having a split payment agreement allows you a little flexibility should the relationship become unstable and gives you both a reason to stay on you’re A-game throughout the duration of the project.  

In billing, I provide a great amount of detail.  (I include language and terms on who owns the work in the project brief and I remind them of it in the invoicing process.)  I do this to cover myself and initial expenses but also to reassure the client that they are receiving maximum value as well as someone who is thoroughly looking out for their behalf.    DO NOT BEGIN WORK UNTIL YOU’VE RECEIVED PAYMENT.    

Know when to part ways.  One of my bigger mistakes with the aforementioned client was hanging in too long.  I had pretty much ignored steps 1 and 3.  I had every red flag indication that this client relationship was not going to end well.  And yet, I naively kept working.  I have a huge sense of responsibility to complete something I said I would.  The project was super cool.  It was going to look awesome in my portfolio and the money was more than a little decent.  I was tempted by the siren song of being able to make a few extra car payments.  I continued to make excuses as to why I should keep working on this project when I should’ve taken the high road and stepped away. 

If you are faced with this situation and you decide to walk away always act professionally.  If they gave you 100 percent of the project up front, give the appropriate amount back.  If you cannot complete a specific component, determine the fair value and rebate it to the client.  I think it is better to step away from a bad project honorably than to do a lousy job and get a poor reputation.

Remember to say ‘thank you’.  Sometimes it takes having a lousy client to remind you and appreciate of the awesome clients.  If you have a great freelance / client relationship tell them thank you. 

While much of this information is common sense, you’ll be surprised how easy it can be to get caught up in the adrenaline of an appealing project.  Or, how tempting a few extra dollars would be sitting in your bank account. 

Learn from my mistakes.  Good planning allows you to avoid any after-the-fact surprises that result in painful consequences, ranging from a loss in funds to a loss of trust.

Posted in Business, Communication, Freelance | 4 Comments

Madam Mayor: My foursquare Journey

Posted on July 24, 2011 by admin

For the past year and a half I’ve been experimenting with the functionality of foursquare.  I’ve loyally checked into my most frequented places, I’ve even risked being ostracized by friends for one too many, “just a sec, I need to check in.” 

For those of you who are not familiar with foursquare, it is a location-based program that gps enabled smartphone users can check into locations (basically say “hey, I’m here” and tell their friends).  As foursquare users you can check in, earn loyalty rewards, receive girl scout-like electronic badges of honor and compete with friends for points.  For those who visit and check into a location the most are dubbed with the title of “Mayor.” 

I’ve made more than 170 check ins at more than 40 different types of businesses in four different cities.  At the peak of my obsession I was the Mayor of:       
-          My place of employment
-          Fernandos on 114th and Dodge
-          Sr. Matias on 90th and Center
-          The apartment complex which I reside

Besides the sad pattern of home, work and Mexican food, what did I get in return?  Jack squat.  Absolutely nothing.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not expecting my own parking spot and doves to be released upon my entering an establishment, (gosh, how cool would that be?)  but many, MANY of the places I visited didn’t have official check ins and didn’t have a greeting or incentive outlined in their checkpoint.  What a lost opportunity.     

Maybe it’s Omaha.  Maybe it’s the general type of businesses I frequent.  But I have yet to see an actual incentive in action.  Even when I had the one opportunity to “cash in” my reward there was a service snafu.  There was a local pizzeria that had a loyalty reward – for the fifth visit I would receive a free glass of wine.  I shared this with the waitress when I ordered and shared it with her again when she brought the bill back charging me for my glass of wine.  She said she couldn’t figure it out in the system to have the discount reflected on my tab.  **frowny face** 

And that’s where the real tragedy is … I believe foursquare has a tremendous amount of potential – especially for businesses.  Businesses can reward their brand advocates, improve or continue services that were commented on, give people a reason to encourage their friends to come, etc.  (A good article talking about foursquare and businesses.)  I’ve even recommended to some of my clients that foursquare is great opportunity.  Special events coordinators, you can get people to visit your sponsors’ booths by offering foursquare check ins.  How about a foursquare scavenger hunt?  How about creating your own badge?  Or, maybe you offer “swarm” (50+ people checked into one location) deals ?   

Businesses need to make a strong, concerted and strategic effort to use the opportunity to the best the platform can offer.     

Then again, maybe I’m just bitter that I don’t get free bean dip.

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