Monthly Archives: March 2012

The Power of Text

March 30, 2012

A few nights ago, our client WFAA Channel 8, the ABC affiliate in Dallas, ran a story on the 10pm news and then asked the audience to vote via text at the end of the segment. In ten minutes, over 2000 votes poured in and the station was able to broadcast their audience’s response only thirteen minutes after airing the story.

The same exact question was then put forward to Facebook fans immediately following the broadcast. Twenty-four hours later, the question had received 155 likes and 183 comments. In 24 hours a little over 300 people interacted with the story on Facebook versus over 2000 in ten minutes via text. Why? I could give you lots of stats and theories, but one real human behavior shift comes to the front of my mind. Mobile phone users typically have the phones within arm’s reach 24/7. It takes me less than 25 seconds to text in my opinion and have my voice heard. We as humans want to be part of the news. News has evolved… it’s “our” news now, not just some announcement system.

Next time you are excited over 300 responses to a question on social media, stop and think how much more data you could have gotten if you’d partnered your social media with text. Allowing users multiple platforms with which to interact helps them participate in the community they’re already a part of.

- Jeff Kilman, CEO

Photo credit: Flickr user roland

Can We Please Have Your Facebook Password?

March 29, 2012

Would the HR person who had the brilliant idea to ask for social network passwords of job applicants please clean out his or her desk and report to the CEO’s office for their exit interview immediately? To the list of the dumbest ideas in the history of business – changing the taste of classic Coke, an online site that sells used pet toys, a robotic thoroughbred horse and talking sneakers – we can now add asking for someone’s social network passwords before you interview them for a job.

Even Facebook, arguably the preeminent social network and an organization not known as a beacon for privacy safeguards, was appalled by this trampling of its users’ rights. The company’s legal beagles growled and howled and then issued a press release that noted that sharing a FB password or asking for someone’s password violated the site’s user agreement and any employer who requests such information may face “unanticipated legal liability.” As we can all agree, there’s nothing more annoying than an unanticipated legal liability!

As is often the case with violations of law, the problem with asking for user’s password in a job interview is not illegal. Job interviewers are only prohibited from asking questions that are discriminatory in nature (race, gender, etc.). However, the lawyers who work for Mark Zuckerberg noted that if the employer gets personal information from an applicant’s FB page and then fails to hire the applicant, that employer could be subject to a discrimination lawsuit.

Whether these invasions of privacy should or will result in lawsuits is an open question. That’s why they have courthouses. However, the mere fact that thousands of recent law school graduates could be nipping at the heels of every company that asks for a social network  password is enough to intimidate even the most intellectually challenged HR professional.

The firestorm of outrage resulting from this misguided attempt to use those cool, new social networks for the devil’s work has caused several U.S. Senators and a handful of state legislators to file the paperwork to prevent this invasion of privacy from coming to fruition. So, if you’re a job applicant, the odds are good that no one will be asking you for your Facebook password any time soon.

However, if you’re clever enough to post your hour-by-hour whereabouts on the location-based social networks and these are re-posted and read by people whom you’ve never met, you might come home some night to find the big-screen TV missing. But that’s another privacy question entirely.

- Art Young, Client Development

Photo credit: Flickr user rpongsaj

Facebook: What’s the Deal with Timeline?

March 26, 2012

 

Is it just me or does it seem like we’ve been hearing about the coming of the Facebook timeline for years now? Alright, so maybe it’s only been a few months, but still why all the chatter and speculation? What’s the big deal? Does it affect me? If you’re one of the 845 million Facebook users in the world, it does, so listen up.

Before I get started and go off on a timeline tangent, let me first explain what this timeline thing is. Facebook Timeline is a new interface for both personal and business pages; it comes equipped with new features and lots of changes. These new features allow users to brand their page with a unique cover photo; and display their life events, starting from day one to present. These events appear on your “activity log” in a timeline format that showcases your photos, status updates and wall posts. The features allow businesses to do the same, brand their page with a cover photo, and display their company’s timeline.

On top of allowing friends and fans to get to know you better through previous accomplishments, awards; and milestones; timeline also makes it easier for people and businesses to manage everything in one place, your activity log. As Facebook explains it, timeline or activity log allows you to, “see and respond to your recent activity and private messages right from the top of your page.” So to recap, Facebook timeline is a new interface for both profiles and pages, that allows users to create more meaningful connections through sharing their life events as well as providing a more organized format for users to manage those connections.

So when are these fancy new features and changes coming your way? Very soon. On Friday, March 30, EVERY Facebook profile and page (brands included) will be switched over to the new format, whether you’re ready or not. Don’t fret. I’m here to make sure you are ready. If you act as fast you can, you can still enjoy the trial period that allows you to play around with the new format before it goes live for all your friends, family; and fans.

The first step in converting your profile to the timeline and starting your trial period is to press the “get timeline” button or “preview” option. I highly recommend taking these next few days to edit your timeline, because as I may have forgotten to mention, once your timeline goes live, all of your wall activity, starting from the first day you signed up for Facebook, will appear on your profile. So, during your trial period you may want to go through your timeline, or activity log and “hide” those life events you don’t want to share, like that one time in Mexico, and maybe that other time at happy hour. This “hiding” feature works for anything on your timeline, including posted photos, conversations, places you’ve been; and brands you have liked. So like I said, take the next week to go through and mold your timeline into the self-image your comfortable with sharing.

The other new change you need to make to your profile before letting it all hang out is add a cover photo. This cover photo will be visible to the public and the first thing that catches peoples eyes when they visit your profile, so you probably want to choose a photo that represents you, like a calming picture of the ocean from your last vacation, or a crazy picture from the pit at the rock concert last week. Don’t over think it — nothing is permanent.

Once you have edited your timeline and placed in a cover photo you can hit “publish” or if you’re too nervous, Facebook will automatically publish your page after the trial period is up. If any other questions arise, I recommend checking out the Introducing Timeline information that Facebook has put together for its users.

Now that you know what Facebook timeline is what to expect you’re not so sure how you feel about revealing your past to all of your family, friends and or fans? As always, Facebook wants you to feel protected so check out Facebook’s new privacy features to ensure that only the people you want to be seeing your timeline are indeed the only ones allowed to see it. No creepers allowed.

From here on out, Facebook life as we know it has changed. With my helpful tips I think you’re ready, kid, so go out there and share your timeline. This is your time and space to really express yourself or your brand. Get wild. Get crazy.

- Katie Cohen, Creative Services Coordinator

Photo credit: Flickr user flattop341

The Shortest Distance Between You and a Sale

March 22, 2012

If you run a business, have you ever noticed that the whistles and bells found in smartphones get in the way of actually making a sale? Sometimes, the easiest, most logical call to action is, well, a call. Adding a click-to-call button on a mobile screen might be the most efficient arrow in your mobile marketing quiver.

This is not quantum physics. Your grandmother told you things like: The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. And we all know how one gets to Carnegie Hall. So, what’s the most logical feature to motivate someone with a smartphone in their hands? That’s right. It’s a click-to-call button.

Google Uses It

Writer Lauren Johnson of Mobile Marketer wrote an interesting piece on this very subject. She noted that Google is on track to “generate $2.5 billion in revenue from its mobile advertising, a large chunk of which is driven by click-to-call formats.” Whether you think Google is brilliant or rapacious, they know how to make money and nobody ever went broke effectively copying Google tactics.

The types of goods and services that can benefit from the incorporation of a click-to-call feature run the gamut of enterprises. The commonality of these businesses that benefit from this feature seems to revolve around whether a prospect needs clarification before making a purchase. If it does, this feature should be a part of the mobile strategy. This covers a wide range of businesses: medical/dental practices, concert ticket offices and bigger ticket items such as appliances, computers and new smartphones.

Improving the Customer Service Experience

Adding a simple click-to-call feature can also change the way companies deal with customer service engagement. Ask yourself this: Would you rather click on a button and get a sweet-voiced customer service rep to help you with your concern about the color of the $200 dollar sweater? Or would you rather go to a website, find the customer service page, fill out the “contact us” form, send it in and wait two days before getting an auto-generated response that “someone will be happy to talk you if you call this 800 number between 8 and 5 pm Hawaiian time?”

Don’t Try This at Home

“Sure,” you say, “That click-to-call button sounds like something we need to do. I’ll get my IT gal on it pronto!” Before you give this assignment to the IT guy or gal or let the interns tackle it, you might want to consider that the placement of the button could be responsible for thousands of dollars in sales. Plus, that mobile screen is teeny, tiny.

Once the decision is made to add the click-to-call feature to your mobile marketing, it’s a good idea to get a professional designer involved in its incorporation on the screen. Smartphone users, especially those who must have the latest and greatest gizmo, are not the most patient people in the world. In fact, these folks use their phones for transacting commerce more than the average Joe and they are the first people to drop your brand like a hot potato if the user experience is not flawless.

Get someone who knows what they’re doing when you’ve made the clever decision to include a click-to-call feature to your mobile tactics. That’s my opinion. What’s yours? Contact me at art.young@pocketstop.com and I’ll tell you how to get to Carnegie Hall. Oh, what the heck. Practice! Practice! Practice!

- Art Young, Client Development

Photo credit: Flickr user Dan4th

Mobile Opt-Ins and Online Shopping

March 20, 2012

 

I just purchased a washing machine from Walmart.com. During the checkout process, the system asked for my mobile number. At the time, I didn’t think anything of it. I simply figured they would call me when the appliance arrived. There definitely wasn’t a box that said “check here to receive SMS messages.” (These are the kinds of things I notice, being a mobile marketer.) I went through all of the steps of the ordering process, clicked submit and awaited the delivery of my new washing machine.

About an hour after making the online purchase, I received this text message.

FREE MSG WALMART Alerts: You will now receive pickup alerts for Walmart.com orders. 1 msg per package arrival. Reply HELP for HELP; STOP to opt-out.

For those that know Mobile Marketing etiquette, this a BIG NO NO. Legal requirements state that we must provide an opt-in checkbox and it’s also a requirement to tell the consumer what is going to happen with their personal information. If we as marketers don’t do this and we don’t police this marketing vehicle ourselves, we are doing ourselves a big disservice.

While I don’t mind and actually appreciate the text message alert, the way in which Wal-Mart has implemented this technology is all wrong. I’m sure somewhere buried in the fine print of the terms and conditions, I have now signed up for daily Wal-Mart deal alerts etc… but let’s hope not, especially for the sake of this amazing medium we call mobile marketing.

 - Brian Teague, Chief Technology Evangelist
Photo credit: Flickr user wayne’s eye view

Site of the Week: Secret Society of Women

March 19, 2012

 

I was THRILLED (and I don’t use that word loosely) to be able to attend an incredible panel at SXSW Interactive last week that featured several of my favorite women on the internet. Performance Anxiety: How Women Present Themselves in the Digital Age was presented by Huff Post Women and featured the likes of:

Lisa Ling, amazing journalist and exceptional human being

Susan Orlean, author (think of the film Adaptation) and Twitter queen

Tiffany Shlain, founder of the Webby awards and incredible filmmaker

Bianca Bosker, HuffPost’s senior tech editor and founder of the site’s Women in Tech series

In a world where living online is the new living, these four panelists shared some compelling insights into the way we share and behave online. Something that continually came up throughout the session was the idea of persona. As the internet has evolved, every single user has created a personal brand, skewing the perception of their truest selves. This is a global phenomenon, and one every single internet user is guilty of, whether they can admit it or not.

It is precisely for this reason that Lisa Ling created Secret Society of Women, a site where users can share and comment anonymously. Ling was inspired to create the site after she suffered a miscarriage and found a great lack of support in the online community for issues that people have a hard time talking about. In the age of Facebook, where I can tell you what 647 of my closest friends had for lunch, I find a hub of anonymity refreshing. It seems that the things we suffer through have become either very public or intensely private in the days of social media, as one must choose whether to share or remain completely silent for fear of someone else sharing. SSOW bridges the gap between those two worlds and offers a place of reprieve where women can just, you know, talk.

- Sarah Toler, Creative Director

Photo credit: Flickr user ItzaFineDay

 

Text Campaigns for Brands: A Case Study

Want your customers to be more loyal to your brand? Then put yourself in the palm of their hand. Literally. SMS is one of the easiest, most cost-efficient ways to communicate with your brand’s loyal customers. And, for those customers that are on the fence about how fabulous your products and services are, SMS marketing is the key to showing them why they can’t live without your brand! If you need more convincing about how to make your brand a superstar using SMS marketing, then read this article for Luxury Daily.

If you’re like me, you prefer to hear an example of how SMS can increase sales and brand loyalty instead. So, I’ll tell you a quick story about one of the clients at Pocketstop.

ALON Brands needed a mobile marketing solution to drive more customers into their stores in West Texas and New Mexico and increase brand loyalty among existing customers. The Pocketstop FREE Gas promotion built a one-to-one relationship between the brand and consumers and it also allowed participants to communicate their preferred method of communication with ALON, via web, text or social media. Other SMS campaigns for ALON, including the DATE NIGHT contest and Customer Appreciation Week further established loyalty among ALON customers, by giving them timely and relevant access to special offers and a chance to win prizes.

Pocketstop helped ALON build a database of over 25,000 loyal customers. The offers sent to the database resulted in double-digit in-store redemptions. People got social with the brand, and we soon saw a Facebook following of over 3500 people and website traffic numbers that spiked 25%.

In a world where I’m constantly bombarded with information and other media competing for my attention, I actually appreciate SMS communication from my favorite stores and organizations. A reminder about a professional organization luncheon that I plan on attending, a coupon from my favorite retailer, or requests for my customer service experience don’t seem intrusive when they are timely and relevant to my wants and needs. And, of course the organization on the other end benefits as much as I do if their SMS message turns into my attendance (and therefore registration fee) at their event, money I spend in their store, or their increase in positive customer service ratings.

- Sandy Taylor, Accounts Manager

Photo credit: Flickr user KB35

Mobile Gaming: Did Temple Run Knock Out Angry Birds?

March 15, 2012

 

Remember when Angry Birds was THE game to play? There was a time when anyone with a smartphone spent hours everyday trying to beat the simple game of catapulting silly birds to knock out the pigs. The game quickly became one of Apple’s and Android’s top downloaded app.

It didn’t take long for Angry Birds to soar past 500 million downloads across all media. But Angry Birds didn’t stop there. Next thing you knew those cute birds were everywhere. Birthday parties, t-shirts, stuffed toys, even jewelry; you name it and the franchise had it. As one of the gaming hits of 2010 Angry Birds made a huge splash. But where are those birds now?

Angry Birds is still one of the most popular apps ever made but Temple Run is quickly coming up on its heels. While Angry Birds is available for Apple and Android users, Temple Run is not. However, Temple Run has already passed 36 million downloads in a mere 6 months on the iOS platform alone. Droid users are anxiously awaiting the Temple Run release but no final date has been announced. From the looks of the anticipation, Temple Run could annihilate Android app records.

Pause. Hold up. I just wrapped my head around the bird craze. What the heck is Temple Run? Temple Run begins with a character that has stolen an idol from a temple. The next step? To run. Monkeys are chasing you as you jump, turn, and slide as fast as you can, all while collecting gold coins for points. Best part? There is no finish line, just a never ending addiction to “run”.

So, will the Temple Run franchise become the next big thing for time-wasters? Will Angry Birds suffer from the Temple Run takeover? It’s hard to tell because these apps are some of the first of its magnitude. Will the money behind the birds be kicking itself once Temple Run hits the big markets? Maybe investors and businessmen alike have no choice but to relentlessly be on the lookout for the next big thing so they can hop from app to app to make the big bucks. App popularity seems to be a fleeting franchise. The next big thing could be-no wait- IS around the corner.

Temple Run may or may not be the next big app franchise but rest assured something will come along soon and our beloved birds will become an endangered species. Pocketstop is constantly reading, viewing, and engaging in new content to capitalize on what’s next. It isn’t easy, but then again, staying on top never is. Word of advice? If you want to cash in on the app franchise world, you’ll need constant vigilance. See what apps are taking of and jump the bandwagon. Happy hunting!

- Dhanya Yalamanchi, Public Relations Associate

Photo credit: Flickr user Yaniv Golan

Are You Game?

March 7, 2012

Technology has always been about making tasks faster, easier, and painless. Here’s a new twist; making a mundane task faster, easier, painless AND fun. That’s right, fun. More and more companies are climbing into the realm of gamification using apps, websites and other tech mediums to assist in rehabilitation, study disease control, and even strengthen adults brains pre-Alzheimer’s.

But why? Because that to-do list of yours gets longer everyday.

Your in-laws want that video of that cute thing your kid did, your spouse is on a crazy fitness swing, and did I mention the kids’ chores aren’t getting done, so guess what’s next on the list? Sounds exhausting and downright boring. Gamification has become popular because it creates a way for things to get done, without the tediousness of actually doing them. To gamify an activity allows for a pleasant distraction while the task is being completed. Some of those brainiacs behind technology were gamers and they listened to your qualms and came up with gamification. It turns your to-do list into a game accessed on your computer, tablet, or mobile device. Churn out that adorable video while playing a game on your ipad, download that fitness app and sign your kids up on chorewars.com. To-do list? HA. You now have a whole lazy Saturday afternoon ahead of you. Mission complete.

Is it working? It seems to be, especially given the exponentially rising number of gamifying technologies out there. But why is this working? What about games that encourages people to accomplish something?

Some say that games are the highest element of distraction; convincing you into thinking you’re indulging in a game instead of finishing a task. And that’s partially true, especially in regards to a cancer patient, playing Re-Mission. Competition might also have something to do with it. We live in a highly competitive society, just ask the crazy soccer moms and dads of the world. Turning everything into a game just fuels the fire. But maybe it’s all a little more scientific than that. My colleague, Art Young recently wrote an article shedding some light on the concept of neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity refers to our brains being “plastic” or in other words malleable. Are our brains re-training themselves to finish tasks in game format? The appealing nature of games now paired with retraining our brains might be a solid reason to why gamification is taking the lead.

Can you picture a world where everything is a game? When everything adds up to points? Maybe, maybe not. This popular idea seems to be the next best thing to sweep technology of its feet. What tasks do you want gamified?

- Dhanya Yalamanchi, Public Relations Associate

Photo credit: Flickr user KB35

How to Deal With Social Networks When You Make a Bonehead Mistake

March 2, 2012

 

If you’ve ever been a part of an organization that has had what seemed to be a simple matter  blow up into a nuclear holocaust of bad publicity, you might be interested in this missive. To state the obvious, social networks like Twitter and Facebook act as gasoline when there’s a spark of controversy. Just ask the Susan G. Komen foundation.

For reasons that are still not clear, on January 31, 2012, this squeaky clean, long-revered non-profit organization decided not to renew a grant to Planned Parenthood to fund breast exams. Since Komen’s stated mission is to find a cure for breast cancer and these screenings have proven to enhance that admirable endeavor, many supporters of the group – not to mention the millions of Planned Parenthood supporters – went through their own stages of grief, culminating in outrage. If you’ve ever worked for a non-profit organization, which relies on kindnesses (and money) of strangers to keep the doors open, you know that outrage is not something you want to encourage.

It took about as long as it takes for twenty million people to simultaneously update their Facebook page and type out 140 characters on Twitter for all hell to break loose. While this bonehead move was reverberating through the social networks and big Komen donors mysteriously decided to forgo their annual contributions, it was strangely quiet on the Komen social nets. One got the impression that the silence was the result of Twitter-lash – an updated version of whiplash.

In about a week, the adults at Komen had taken back over. The top executives with an anti-abortion agenda and questionable good sense were gone. Komen founder Nancy Brinker apologized and re-instituted the Planned Parenthood grant and college professors who teach communications students had a new case study entitled: “How to make a policy screw-up even worse!” And yes, you WILL be tested on this material.

Arguably, the Komen fiasco was so monumental that even a brilliant social network strategy would not have fixed the problem. However, most agree that the organization could have helped itself immeasurably with more input into the debate surrounding the firestorm.

So, what if your company or organization does something dumb and millions of people start saying tacky things about you on Facebook or raises such a ruckus on social networks that nobody wants to buy your pizza or plumbing supplies or cars? It’s probably a good idea to have a plan of action before the stuff hits the fan.

Here are some suggestions:

  • Assume that someday controversy will happen and you should have a plan to deal with the social network posts that will surely follow.
  • Assign someone who understands social networks to be responsible for responding to controversy within hours – not days – of the controversy breaking.
  • Give this designated social network czar the power to do her job. This means equipping them with cellphone numbers that get answered 24/7 of the honchos who can respond to the chatter.
  • Get a social network listening service to monitor everything – good and bad – that’s being served up on the nets about the organization.
  • Be prepared to offer videos, infographics and other web-friendly media as to the real facts surrounding the controversy.
  • Be very clear and honest in all communications. This way you never have to have to say you’re sorry…again.

When things are peachy, the megaphone of social networks is a great tool for spreading peace, love and understanding. However, when things go south, this fabulous megaphone can reversed and the noise hitting your organization can be deafening.

- Art Young, Client Development

Photo credit: Flickr user audreyjm529