4 Takeaways from WOMM-U
May 9, 2012 by Kara Martens
We’re spending most of this week in Chicago at WOMM-U, where classes in word of mouth marketing and social media are in session. Attendees have been soaking up tons of great advice from panelists and speakers since Monday morning. Here are just 4 actionable takeaways and themes “students” are traveling home with:
Shoutlet and Lithium Announce Strategic Partnership that Strengthens Link Between Owned and Earned Media for Customers
May 3, 2012 by Jason Weaver
Today we’re excited to join Lithium Technologies in announcing our new partnership, which will give mutual customers a powerful integrated solution that maximizes their social efforts.
Lithium is a leader in branded community technology that powers some of the most engaging owned media spaces. Integrating its platform with Shoutlet creates a powerful link between the conversations and content on those platforms and the owned social media outposts managed by Shoutlet.
The Five Ws of Social Media – and Why Tools are the ‘How’
May 1, 2012 by Kara Martens
In school we were taught that a good story includes the five Ws: who, what, when, where, and why. Those Ws are also great questions to ask when planning content for your social media efforts.
- Who are you trying to reach?
- What drives them? What content are you creating?
- When is the best time to engage your customers?
- Where should you reach them – which social networks and marketing channels are best?
- Why are you running a certain campaign, writing specific content, asking for a particular call to action? What’s your goal?
Next week, marketers and social media pros gather in Chicago at a new kind of school, WOMM-U. May 7 through 9, WOMMA’s WOMM-U Conference will take students through a rich curriculum of panels and sessions to help brands answer the five Ws in social media and create customer experiences that reach their customers and spark word of mouth.
6 Ways to Master Social Media When It’s Not Your Only Responsibility
April 27, 2012 by Kara Martens
Time management in social media has always been a dilemma, even as companies have matured in their social efforts. Professionals still struggle with being able to tackle it all on a daily basis.
The struggles of practitioners at organizations of different sizes vary, too. Large companies with dedicated social teams are often dealing with increased social conversation volume, many times driven by customer service inquires in social media. Altimeter’s Jeremiah Owyang reported late last year that the average size of the social team at a large company with more than 1,000 employees was 11.
For companies with an active social media presence but that have not built up a staff solely responsible for social media, keeping up is especially tough. Many are juggling other marketing duties alongside managing social media and often times, social get bumped down on the priority list. The good news is the impact of social media has been realized, and the days of the intern doing social media are over. Instead, many people are in a state of limbo – their company has recognized the importance of social media, but haven’t reached the point of hiring enough dedicated staff.
Is Your Brand ‘Pinteresting’? [Webinar]
April 12, 2012 by Kara Martens
One year ago, “pinning” had more to do with sewing or bulletin boards for most people than with one of the hottest social sites around. Over the last several months, Pinterest has become a breakthrough marketing opportunity, especially for lifestyle and publishing brands.