Disqus - Latest Comments for jasonbaer

Re: Advanced Social Media Course is Live!

jasonbaer — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:35:52 -0000

Nice job Chris. Love the curriculum, and the lab component is critical. You have to do to learn in this environment.

Re: 7 Keys to Mastering Time on Social Media When Your Business Has No Time to Invest

jasonbaer — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:58:38 -0000

Great post. Thanks for including me. I'm bookmarking this one to refer to clients and conference attendees. Excellent synopsis Cindy.

Re: Advertising Agencies And Social Media: A Culture Clash

jasonbaer — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:25:02 -0000

Nice post JF.

As someone who has spent most of the past year training agencies on social media in intensive, 2-day workshops, this post hits very close to home.

At the business level, agency owners are committed to not "sleeping" on social media the way they did on digital marketing 1.0. That's the good news.

The bad news, is that at the core service provision level, social media has major implications for staffing and billing.

Because it is so labor-intensive, social media is not terribly lucrative for most agencies. There's really very little economies of scale. You basically end up selling hours in most cases, which is a model that agencies abhor because it compensates the firm for pounding nails - not for knowing where to hammer.

Further, as you adroitly point out with your paid blog post point, a decent amount of social media blocking and tackling does not require massively skilled labor, making the economic equation murkier.

Lastly, the timely nature of social media requires agency personnel to be on top of it at all times, which is perhaps the biggest hurdle from a staffing perspective. If the agency is in charge of social media listening for a client, and a crisis breaks Saturday night on Twitter, is the agency paying attention on Saturday night? If not, why not? How do you explain THAT to the client?

Most agency personnel work on multiple clients. That's an increasingly difficult proposition in a social media world.

"Doing" social media is a tough financial model for agencies. Doable, but tough. That's why I advise all agencies looking to get serious about social to focus on the transformative, strategic services, and success metrics, rather than on trying to make money sending Tweets professionally.

That's why agencies looking to build a social media

Re: What if no one tells you that you’re wrong?

jasonbaer — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:09:03 -0000

Absolutely agree, Chris. I see it as the ability to curate our own world via RSS, etc. The power of "mainstream" media to set the tone is vanishing. I read a great editorial by the editor of my small-town newspaper yesterday, and he talked about how the health care debate is the death knell for newspaper influence. Even though EVERY major news outlet has come straight out and said the "death panel" concept is nonsense, it won't die because it's being fanned by non-traditional sources.

I wrote a post about this trend a few weeks ago called "Why Blogs Will Kill Dissent" http://www.convinceandconvert.com/digital-media...

Great post. Thanks for taking the position that everything we do in social media isn't a net positive. We need more of that contrarian thinking.

Re: http://www.prostylus.com/Blog/?p=120

jasonbaer — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 15:24:46 -0000

Thanks for much for including my interview with Danny Brown on your list of recommended reads.

If you're anti-interview, this may not resonate, but I have 16 other live Twitter interview transcripts on my site at http://www.twitter20.com Lots of well-known social media types have participated. My favorites are probably Scott Monty, Amber Naslund, David Armano, and Valeria Maltoni. Danny was a fantastic addition to the group.

The Twitter interview format has its advantages and drawbacks, but it certainly keeps interview subjects on their toes. Some great perspectives have come out of those interviews.

Re: Spiral16 Adds Unique Layers To Social Media Monitoring

jasonbaer — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 10:34:56 -0000

JF -

Good post. I love Spiral16, and have used them a bit. Good company and good people. A couple of my clients are using it as well.

One thing I can like about Spiral16 is the granularity of their sentiment scoring. It's a full 7-point scale, whereas many other providers use a 5-point scale. It's a nice feature.

Re: Gary Vaynerchuk - What I did last night…with Facebook What Facebook...

jasonbaer — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 14:04:21 -0000

Nice video, and appreciate you working through the changes.

I agree that Facebook is getting a lot closer to being the de facto method for social engagement. They just have so many more cards to play than does Twitter (or anyone else).

But, you totally nailed it at the end. Until you can unilaterally message someone on Facebook, this new search capability is better for social monitoring than it is for social engagement.

Indeed, it seems that Facebook is on the way toward allowing unilateral messaging to people that put their content in front of the privacy wall. I'm concerned though, that this will trigger a HUGE flood of Facebook spammers - similar to what Twitter has seen. This may have the unintended consequence of chasing away the tens (hundreds?) of millions of casual FB users that stick with the site because it's essentially spam-proof.

Facebook has to tread carefully here. They have to make sure they stay relevant in real-time search and conversation, but they have to protect the customer experience at all costs.

It's MUCH easier to piss off the Facebook audience, than it is the much smaller Twitter audience, who have proven they will put up with almost anything, and keep coming back for more.

Re: Dear Gary Vee,

jasonbaer — Tue, 26 May 2009 20:29:29 -0000

The nature of expanding your communities beyond your core is that members of each are going to get pissed that you're doing other stuff and moving on - if only just a little.

If you're being true to yourself and talking about what you're doing and what you love, what's the harm? People need to remember that social media is 100% opt-in. Nobody is forcing you to read tweets or watch videos.

It's easier for you, easier for your community, easier for everyone if you just keep doing the same thing over and over without deviation or expansion. But, that's sure not the Gary I know. I'll take a dose of extra hype over boring status quo 1000 times out of 1000, and I'll bet 98% of the world agrees with me.

Props for paying attention, but you can't please everyone when you touch as many folks as you do. Hell, Al Roker probably hates on you behind your back.

Re: Announcing Mighty Mouth Media

jasonbaer — Fri, 15 May 2009 17:22:29 -0000

Congratulations! Really happy for you guys. What type of clients are you looking to serve primarily?

Re: Gary Vaynerchuk - Telling your story and how so many miss it After...

jasonbaer — Wed, 06 May 2009 17:06:57 -0000

You are 100% right.

The issue is that companies and brands don't believe they have the distribution mechanism to get their message out there directly. They've been trained that you have to go through the gatekeepers, and let them spread the word.

Be your own gatekeeper. And then open the gate.

The Domino's CEO response to the fiasco a couple weeks ago was perfect. It was just a day late.

As someone that advises many PR firms on social media, I can also say first-hand that you're spot on about their unease with this direct approach. Message control is at the very core of public relations historically, and PR firms have to recognize that helping their corporate clients craft and distribute their messages directly is the key part of their job moving forward, not sending press releases to reporters.

Good stuff as always, GV. Gotta get you on a live Twitter interview soon.

Re: How Many Chores Does It All Add

jasonbaer — Tue, 05 May 2009 14:59:11 -0000

Sure, it's a lot of time. But the exchange is that you are spending no time and no dollars on marketing your business. Your social media efforts ARE your marketing. Plus, it's a lot of fun. That makes the value equation look a lot better, at least to me.

I think characterizing it as a chore is misplaced (and probably purposely so, since you're the king of the challenging headline). As they say, if you love what you do, you'll never work another day in your life.

There's no question that even with tools like Seesmic Desktop and more and more coming online all the time, drinking from the social media firehose isn't for everyone. I believe the data is skewed by non-browser usage, but I don't totally discount the recent study concluding that a lot of people bail on Tweeter after 30 days.

Just like cross-country running, Thai food, and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, social media immersion is not universally attractive. It's a lot of time, sure. But I think the real challenge is the number of touch-points. As you reference in the OP, you check at least 7 distinct "inboxes" or streams every morning. That's intimidating.

My fear is not that the labor is too much of a burden, but that it spreads people out to a degree where it's not fun any more. And when Facebook (and Twitter) stop being fun, people will stop hanging out there. And when that happens, the need for companies to reach people via those mechanisms will be diminished, and we'll be on to the next phase.

That's why I'm such a supporter of your philosophy of picking your spots. Very few of us are Brogan-esque in our ability to juggle so many balls, and I'm not sure if this post encourages that behavior (setting up inevitable disappointment), or warns against it in a subtle way.

As always, still mulling.

Nice post. It's always the seemingly straightforward ones that get the ideas flowing. To me, that's your true genius.

j

Re: Apple rejects an app for offensive words on Twitter

jasonbaer — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 16:44:12 -0000

Ridiculous. Another example of Apple being completely out of the loop with regard to social media. Not quite as bad as Google CEO not understanding Twitter, but very close.

Tweetie is not the definitive Twitter app for iphone, and Apple needs to get it together on this and all other app-approval processes. You can't build the store, make yourself king of the store, and then act like a bunch of idiots. Not cool.

Re: Gary Vaynerchuk - Facebook fan pages are new and what do they mean...

jasonbaer — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 15:56:20 -0000

Brands are going to have to actually interact with their fans and cultivate relationships on Facebook. You can't just collect friends like baseball cards. The rich (the truly social brands) will get richer, and the poor (those that look at Facebook as a microsite) will fail.

Operationally, it's great, because you can now "manage" your Facebook presence in a way that's more similar to how you "manage" your Twitter presence.

See you in Austin!

Re: Gary Vaynerchuk - Getting fame or money or more eyeballs doesn’t...

jasonbaer — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 19:43:28 -0000

"Your upbringing defines you." Yep. Another reason why you're the man. You understand it's not about you, it's about everyone BUT you.

Looking forward to SXSW.

Re: Ogilvy On Social Media: "Totally Baffled" Says Biographer | Social Media Explorer

jasonbaer — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 19:12:27 -0000

If you've read "Ogilvy on Advertising" (and you should), this is a must read. It'll be hitting my Kindle soon. Maybe on the way to SXSW soon.

I don't know that social media has risen because of changes in messaging, or even consumers' desire to get info from their "peers" instead of companies. More so, the absolute erosion of conglomerated audience (except for Super Bowl and Oscars) has made marketing a hyper-targeted game, rather than a mass-media game.

I read recently (sorry, forgot the source) that it took 6 TV commercials in 1960 to reach essentially the entire American consumer population. Now, it takes 150+.

The idea of finding your target audience and communicating with them on a one to many basis is a mathematical fallacy. Social media, search, targeted banners, mobile, experiential out-of-home, good direct mail, and a number of other tactics have filled that void.

Re: Content Tags

jasonbaer — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 16:43:56 -0000

Thanks for the link Chase.

I don't have a tag cloud because the visuals of it will freak out some of my less-technical readers. You are absolutely right about tags vs. categories and duplicate content. I will be picking one or the other in the new version of the site launching soon.

Re: Is Social Media Just for B2C Companies?

jasonbaer — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 10:57:57 -0000

Great post, and a question I get from my PR firm clients all the time.

True B2B doesn't have the volume of conversations that B2C has (generally speaking).

But, the customer pool for most B2B is narrow enough that an effective social media outreach program can actually reap far larger rewards for B2B than B2C - and faster.

My approach for B2B is to make someone in the company the star, rather than the company itself (usually). Leveraging thought leader and humanization strategies, find someone in the company (usually not the CEO) and make them the social media bright light. Blogs, podcast, conference speaking, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.

The other approach that can work well for B2B is to facilitate customers to interact with one another using social media, which creates reflected glow on the brand. The large email company ExactTarget is doing that with their 3Sixty social network. Their customers interact on the portal with one another, and with company personnel. Nice use of the social connections that technology provides.

Re: Social Media Fallacies - What To Know If You’re Thinking of Social Media

jasonbaer — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 18:09:36 -0000

Thanks so much for the link and the kind words. Much appreciated.

Re: Email Marketing Tips from Convince and Convert

jasonbaer — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 11:30:37 -0000

Maria -

Thanks so much for the kind words and link to my post. Much appreciated.

jason

<abbr>Jason Baer’s last blog post..A Social Media Slam Dunk</abbr>

Re: Humanizing Your Brand – One Customer at a Time | Social Media Explorer

jasonbaer — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 13:49:34 -0000

David -

Thanks much for the link to my Phoenix Suns post. Amazing how much listening can make a difference, and even more amazing how rare it happens.

Re: Stories You Can Tell

jasonbaer — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 19:00:32 -0000

Absolutely. Every single person reading this post should read "Made To Stick" by Chip and Dan Heath. The definitive book on storytelling, IMHO.

Their best example is Subway. The campaign they used immediately before Jared was "6 under 6" (6 subs under 6 grams of fat). The Jared message was the EXACT SAME message of healthy eating at Subway. But one campaign was a boring fact. The other was a story. Presto! Marketing gold. Side note: The agency that came up with it was originally shot down by Subway. They believed in their idea so much, they got a single franchisee to run it locally, and then came back to corporate with sales data. That's conviction.

A more recent example is the BestBuy TV ads over the holidays. Nothing about the products, but all about how the products improve lives. Nice work.

Thanks for reminding us that features and benefits are not inherently memorable or interesting.
j

Re: Stupid Campaign Watch: Most Off-Target Creative Ever

jasonbaer — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 11:51:43 -0000

By "foodie" they clearly mean "people that consume food." Methinks this was one of those emails where subject line was created seconds before sending it out.

Re: The Social Media Goes Gonzo Blog Carnival | danny brown

jasonbaer — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 23:28:14 -0000

This is fantastic. I love the way you put this together. Not an easy one to write. Impressive stuff.

Re: Blogging is like…The Blues

jasonbaer — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 14:40:59 -0000

Super fantastic analogy. One of the reasons corporations often have trouble blogging is that vulnerability isn't part of the corporate DNA.

Good stuff. Thanks for this post.

Re: Cultivating a Writing Habit

jasonbaer — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 19:47:51 -0000

Chris if you're not Jordan, I'm not Bill Cartwright.

However, it was encouraging that you cited many of the same influences that have shaped my own (not yet as prolific) output.

Made to Stick is priceless. I don't share the universal man-love for Seth, but his thesis-first approach is great. I agree 1000% on the King book. Had the same reaction (although didn't rip the book).

I'd offer a couple of other personal touchstones. I find Bill Bryson to be the absolute best at turning a phrase. He is the master of word selection. I like Cormac McCarthy because he proves you can write a sentence like "The man went to the door." and have it drip with meaning.

Although I find his current politics don't sync with my own, I've always cribbed from Dennis Miller in the reliance on simile and metaphor when I'm really rolling.

Also glad that we share a NCTE trophy. I remember writing that essay like it was yesterday.