Marketing Trends: Social Media meets Astronomy

Yesterday, the Brains on Fire blog wrote a post about how social media relates to a relatively unusual topic… Astronomy.  They wrote:

“Did you know that astronomers just discovered that the Milky Way is 50% larger than they originally thought? Just think about it for a second – all those new planets floating out there just waiting to be discovered and explored…So how does this possibly relate to [social media]? Well, for me it’s a great reminder that while social media is great, there is still a lot out there to be discovered. There’s no doubt that “social media” is the latest buzz phrase and Twitter and Facebook are the belles of the ball right now. And they are great tools. But as they become mainstream, they are becoming just another channel to push messages through…and the noise is increasing. Yes, there are some shining stars (no pun intended) when it comes to companies using these tools to have a conversation, but the vast majority of the companies using the social media platforms are still just pushing information. Not conversing.”

Brains on Fire brings up a stellar point – as the noise increases, messaging must become increasingly transparent and engaging or it will get lost in the shuffle.  Social media is an uncharted frontier.  There are no rules established yet, no boundaries, no common law, and if you make a mistake it could be deadly to your brand’s reputation.

So how do you make your message stand out from all the rest? The first way os to understand that all of the platforms/tools out there at your disposal are just that – tools at yoru disposal.  They don’t make a social media campaign successful, they don’t have some magical quality that promotes your busienss more than other mediums.  They are simply tools for you to use to get your message to the masses.

The second thing you must understand to be successful, is it is the message that matters.  Engage users with contests, witty conversation, meaningful advice, not with constant secret pushes to your website.  Users can see right through those techniques, and it turns them off.  Show the community that you have something worthwhile to offer, and your results will be much more positive.  Always remember, quality content is key!

If you are operating a social media campaign, ask your self: How are you using these tools to support real-world conversations? Real-world face-to-face interactions? How do you follow up with your messaging?  By answering these questions, you will obtain a better understanding of where the gaps lie in your social media strategy, and you will be able to develop a stronger action plan moving forward.

Do you have a favorite social media platform/tool?  Leave me a comment and tell me what it is and why you like it so much.

There are many great ways to increase your individual brand power, and here are a few tips to get you started.

• Start a blog.  Become a thought leader in your industry, by starting a blog and writing about relevant new technologies, or business techniques.  The key to this method, is understanding what your audience (or potential audience) wants to read and learn about.  Tip: Don’t be afraid to get a little controversial.
• Join a Social Networking website, and use your name as your login.  My LinkedIn profile is www.linkedin.com/in/laurencandito, and as a result, when I google my name, my LinkedIn profile is one of the first results on the page.  What is better that having your personal resume networking page at the top of the search results, pushing people to your expertise?
• Get your name out there.  Post to forums, comment on other people’s blogs, spark conversations with colleagues across the Internet.  Keep your commentary intelligent and meaningful, and push users back to your personal websites (i.e. blog, social networking sites, etc).  Always remember, communication is critical.  The key to developing a personal brand is engagement.  You must spark conversations with other people to be successful.

By following these tips, you can successfully develop your own personal brand and differentiate yourself from your competitors.  In today’s global society, your name is everything, manage it well and you will find success.  Get lost in the shuffle, and you may end up struggling to keep your head above water.

Exciting internet marketing news… Twitter has finally found their revenue model!

“How will Twitter make money?”  This was the golden question being asked in 2008 by social media experts and Fortune 500 brands alike. The $500-million question (the amount, mostly in stock options, that Facebook reportedly offered to buy Twitter) has plagued the company since its rise in popularity, and the company finally has an answer.

Twitter’s new revenue model revolves around the sale of corporate accounts, Twitter co-founder Biz Stone says, Twitter will earn revenue from such companies as JetBlue, Comcast and Dell, which already use the social networking tool to build brand awareness and grassroots advertising. In exchange, Twitter will work with these companies to build corporate-exclusive features, such as identity verification for accounts.  Stone comments, “Like, users who want to know: is that the real Shaquille O’Neal or not?” Stone said. “Maybe we could help users by saying, Yup, definitely the real Shaquille O’Neal. That’s a real account. We checked with them.”

There are other cool new features on the way, says Stone, although they will not be released to the public just yet, but one thing was made clear: Advertising is not the route they’ll take