Social Media – Page 3

What does your Twitter and LinkedIn say about your personal brand?

kirk_wakefield Careers, Personal Development, Relate, Social Media March 1, 2013November 2, 2018career, Facebook, getting started, image, linkedin, personal brand, reputation, social media, twitter 0 Comment

by Ken Troupe – March 2013

Last month we talked about the importance of laying the foundation for your personal brand. Now let’s turn to the tools of the trade to communicate your personal brand online.

Twitter

[dropshadowbox align=”right” effect=”lifted-both” width=”250px” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ]Twitter allows for another channel of communication with your customers outside phone calls, email, direct mail, or face-to-face meetings.Secondly, it gives the opportunity to build your personal brand by

Brandon Steffek

sharing relevant and exclusive content others normally would not have access to.[/dropshadowbox]If you are not on Twitter, start today. Why? Because Twitter is the greatest customer service tool since the hand shake. A few rules and tips:

Rule #1. Twitter is a business tool. Twitter is not a place for you to give life updates on your kids, friends, and hot sports opinions…….leave that kind of stuff on Facebook (more on that later).

Rule #2. Don’t Tweet original content. At first you have no voice. You need to develop followers. How?

Get started by following people that do have something to say and start to retweet them.
Find interesting articles relevant to your job or sports business niche and retweet them.
Take part in sports business Twitter chats like #social4tixsales, #sbchat, #sportsprchat, among others.

Within these Twitter chats you can begin to develop your voice by taking part in the conversation. You are answering questions and engaging one-on-one with other sports industry pros. Too many treat Twitter as a monologue instead of a dialogue. There is a difference.

Commit to being active on Twitter. Nothing kills your personal brand faster than a Twitter account with zero activity.

[dropshadowbox align=”right” effect=”lifted-both” width=”250px” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ]

Trent Nielsen

When I look at a Twitter or LinkedIn page for someone in the sports industry, I may have a desire to learn more about their reach. However I’m also using the page as a window into their professional conduct. If you’re looking at a page that isn’t completely built out, has basic grammatical errors or even immature content, it’s typically a direct reflection of how that person goes about day-to-day life. I gravitate towards those who take their social media branding as seriously as their resumes and direct interpersonal communication.[/dropshadowbox]LinkedIn may be the number one social media site for learning how to do your job better and proving to others you know what you are doing. LinkedIn is so big we could do an all-day seminar, but I’ll hit the highlights.

Your profile

If someone Googles your name, your LinkedIn profile shows up near the top. What does your profile say about you?

Is it complete?
A complete summary section?
List all your past jobs and a little detail of what you did?
Are you using the “skills and expertise” section?
Any recommendations?
Updated contact information?
A professional looking photo?

Groups

With your profile ready, head to the “Groups” section. Join industry specific groups like “Ticket Sales Best Practices,” “Ticket Sales & Technology,” or “Sports Marketing 2.0,” among others. Within these groups you start to build your brand.

Watch the conversations and start to take part. Avoid offering wild or opinionated comments at first. Keep early interaction pretty vanilla. Once you have a little “street cred,” spread your wings to engage and offer divergent opinions.

Career Insight

LinkedIn is a great place to seek advice from people with a job you’d like to have one day. Ask their advice. You will be surprised how open some sports industry vets are if you just ask.

Facebook

Here’s the thing about our old social media friend Facebook: Facebook is great. A great place to stay in touch with friends and family. To read and comments on all those cute kids’ photos, updates on meals, and whatever else in on their minds. I love it. But, I really don’t think it is essential part of building your “professional” personal brand.

Facebook is, however, a place to quickly undo all your personal branding efforts.

My advice? Especially for young people entering or wanting to enter this business? Keep it clean and simple. No need posting photos drunk at parties or posts using bad language. Good rule of thumb: If your mom would not approve, odds are other adults won’t either. And these other adults are hiring managers or work in human resources.

Start Now!

Developing your personal brand means so much more. But if you take just one thing away from this:

Your Personal Brand is Important!

Start developing yours today.

How has social media changed consultative selling?

kirk_wakefield Relate, Sell, Social Media, Sponsorships, Tickets March 1, 2013November 2, 2018adaptive selling, Personalize, precall, premium sales, sales management, salesforce, selling, suites, tickets, VIP 0 Comment

by Ben Milsom – March 2013

“Business is social. So my number one tip for impressing our recruiters is connect and interact with us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter” says Monika Fahlbusch, SVP of Global Employee Success at Salesforce.com.

We have far more advanced tools than ever to find information about anyone. For the right price you can buy software to provide detailed information about anyone you want to meet, including their friends and spouses. I was recently on a phone call with a colleague of mine discussing a potential job candidate. He paused and said, “Let me check their LinkedIn page before calling them.”

There’s no where to hide anymore. You really can’t afford to. Social connectivity can make or break your personal brand, help you get to know your clients or prospects better, and can even get you that dream job. If you’re in sales and service, social media is critical to your success:

“Social media allows for a 360 degree view of the customer with so many more touch points to the customer and interaction it is easier to get a full view of what the customer needs and wants.” ~ Bryan Apgar, Associate Vice President of Sales and Business Development, www.websitealive.com.

People expect you to know more about them than in previous years. With LinkedIn and company websites, one should never ask a prospect, “What do you do? How did you get to this position?” or “Please tell me about your company.”

Let’s get personal

I retrieved this email from my deleted folder. The names have been changed to protect the guilty.

[dropshadowbox align=”center” effect=”lifted-both” width=”650px” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ]Hello Ben,

I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to follow up on an email that was sent to you earlier regarding Clueless.

Clueless is a global leader in support software. Our tool, Clue-On enables you to create, manage and deliver content in multiple formats with one click. I have attached some general information for your review.

I would like to schedule a quick call to chat with you about our product and see if it might benefit you and your organization. Would you be open to discussing this?

Thank you,

Bill Smith
Account Executive
Clueless, www.cluelesssoftware.com
254.710.5555
bsmith@cluelesssoftware.com[/dropshadowbox]

Bill is sending hundreds of these emails a day hoping five people will respond. He only personalized by changing my first name. Bill even asked the dreaded open-ended question. If Bill mentioned what I do, some potential challenges I may face, or even searched LinkedIn to find a mutual connection, I would have responded.

With so much information available it only tells me Bill and his company are too clueless or lazy to use it. I doubt I’d ever respond to this company in the future.

” Teams need to do everything within their power to provide outstanding customer service because one bad experience can be exacerbated when released in the digital and social media world.” ~ Jeff Eldersveld, Director of CRM and Analytics, Columbus Blue Jackets

What to do?

In this environment of social connectivity and transparency I recommend:

Be different. Emails and texts are common, personal touches make a big impact.
Dig deeper. Know your client or prospect and ask them questions you can’t read in their LinkedIn profile.
Care about your personal brand. Be sure you are up to date on how you want your brand to be perceived.

Social media in the NFL: Strategy and tools

kirk_wakefield Digital Strategy, Relate, Social Media March 1, 2013November 2, 2018brand, Facebook, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Instagram, NFL, San Diego Chargers, social media, twitter, what works best 0 Comment

by Nick Schenck – March 2013

At the Houston Texans, we publish content on three times as many platforms as we did in 2010. Through Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram, Foursquare and Pinterest, we collectively reach more than 1.4mm fans.

We’re not alone in allocating resources toward social. McKinsey found that 39 percent of companies use social media as their primary digital tool to reach customers. Within four years it is expected to grow to 47 percent.[dropshadowbox align=”right” effect=”lifted-bottom-right” width=”250px” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ]What works best?

The use of imagery. The rise of both Instagram and Pinterest makes it clear visual storytelling has to be part of our social strategy. Photos posted to our San Diego Chargers Facebook page see an astoundingly higher percentage of fan engagement than a typical text-only status update. We now make every effort to combine images with content in innovative ways to foster engagement on all social networks. It’s been said many times, a well-chosen image is worth a thousand words (or more).

Joel Price
Senior Manager
Digital Content
San Diego Chargers[/dropshadowbox]

Beyond creating a Facebook page and opening a Twitter account, though, what does it mean to have a successful social media strategy? Our social media strategy centers around our brand, our fans and, ultimately, increasing revenue.

Brand: Building an authentic dialogue with our fans would not be possible without a strong social media presence. We aim to reach our fans where they spend the most time online, and more than 20% of time spent online is on social media. Also, Mass Relevance shows that 62% of respondents are more likely to engage with social brands.
Fans: Creating memorable experiences for fans is among our biggest goals. Many fans will first engage with us on social media, so meaningful interactions are crucial. Fans today intuitively contact brands more via social media than through other channels like phones or e-mail.
- Customer service is key in this environment: Fans discuss our brand on social media whether we participate or not. To ignore that conversation would be a lost opportunity.
Revenue: The more value we create via social media the better. However, it’s important we remain credible to fans in the process. Running sweepstakes, publishing discounts and promoting exclusive player appearances are a few ways to generate value for sponsors and fans on social media. Also, we try to facilitate purchase decisions (i.e. merch, tickets, events) where possible. In many ways, facilitating the growth of a relationship is the purpose of social media. Why? Because the majority (54% according to this survey) indicate that “liking” a brand increases purchase intent.

Other than creating a strategy, I don’t believe there is a holy grail to social media. Since the beginning of advertising, the most effective brands have employed talented writers that know their audiences well and can communicate succinctly.

[dropshadowbox align=”right” effect=”lifted-bottom-right” width=”250px” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ]What works best?

It’s all about the fans. It sounds cliché, but social media is connecting with our fans and providing content they want to talk about. We have tested various promotions, posts and tweets throughout the season. The common theme is : What would you tell a friend about?

Overall, we curate content from our site, games, and fan-submitted-content to share with fans/followers to reinforce passion for their team, the Green Bay Packers.

Garrison Cummings
Marketing Analyst
Green Bay Packers [/dropshadowbox]

Of course, the tools change. I recommend the free tools available to measure your efforts (see below). Better perhaps than other forms of media, digital media lends itself to testing and measurement. Find out what works for your brand and audience and constantly optimize.

Bit.ly: Use a URL shortener to track click-thrus and discover which content resonates the most.
CircleCount/AllMyPlus: The best measurement tools for Google+.
Hashtracking: Track impressions and the reach of specific Twitter hashtags.
PicMonkey: Images drive engagement on social media. Use this tool. It’s easier than Photoshop.
Statigram: Instagram is growing rapidly. Track your progress and identify your best content.
TwitterCounter: Measure your Twitter growth and compare vs. other accounts.

Establishing Your Personal Brand

kirk_wakefield Personal Development, S3, Social Media February 1, 2013November 2, 2018Chicago Cubs, core beliefs, Facebook, goal setting, linkedin, personal brand, soical media, twitter, what do you believe 3 Comments

by Ken Troupe – February 2013

What does your Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook say about you?

A brand is “a type of product manufactured by a company under a particular name.” But what about your personal brand? It used to be only people like Dion Sanders, Oprah, or Martha Stewart needed to worry about their personal brands. But now, thanks or curses to social media, times have changed.

Colin Faulkner

“Whether you realize it or not, you have a personal brand. Your reputation is your brand,” points out Colin Faulkner, VP of Ticket Sales and Service for the Chicago Cubs.

Your personal brand is just a click away. A ticket sales rep in San Diego can develop a relationship with a VP of Sales in New York via LinkedIn. A marketing manager in Seattle can help develop strategic plans for a team in Florida during a Twitter chat. The ease of digital communication makes it more important than ever to manage your personal brand and what it says about you.

Merrill Dubrow, CEO and President of MARC Research, says “Before I hire anyone, I Google a candidate’s name and do research with the single goal of determining their personal brand and does it fit within our company environment.”

Merrill Dubrow

What are your core beliefs? Personal goals?

With jobs and careers riding on it, you must decide how you want your personal brand to be represented based on your core beliefs and personal goals.

1) Core Beliefs – Define and understand your core beliefs. Core beliefs include (a) how you daily approach doing your job and (b) how you want your co-workers and clients to think of you. For example, when I first started selling, one of my main objectives was to “treat people the way I wanted to be treated.” I wanted to be honest and up-front with clients. What defines you?

2) Goals – Develop goals. Put thought into where you want to go and how to get there. Everyone has been told to write down goals. Do it. It helps. If your goals aren’t important enough to write down, they’re not very important. Write them and put them someplace where you’ll see them every day.

Where you want to be in one, three, and five years is your road map to your ultimate goals. Observe and talk to mentors who’ve been where you want to go. Go to Linked-In and see the paths and timetables of others in the position you seek.

Two Things I’ve Learned Along the Way

First, set lofty goals. I think Bo Jackson may be one of the best athletes I have ever seen play. Interviewed on a late night show (remember Arsenio Hall?), Bo said he always had the goal of playing in both Major League Baseball and the NFL. As he moved up the levels he was always told it was time to pick one. He said, “Why?” His goal was to play both, so that’s what he planned on doing. And Bo knew what he was talking about. Remember you cannot achieve great things without first setting lofty goals.

Second, goal-setting doesn’t mean you’ll get from point A to B in a straight line, but having clear goals let’s you know where you are on the road. Be ready for the curves, adapt as they come, and stay focused on your end game. Remember, “a goal without a plan is just a wish.” ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery (1900 – 1944)

Now that you have your core beliefs and goals down, you’re ready to work on establishing and extending your personal brand in the digital world. You can go ahead and be working ahead, but next month we’ll discuss how to set up your Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook to fit your personal brand.

Special thanks to Jim Peacock for use of the Unique photo!

Using Pinterest, iTunes, and LinkedIn: How to engage fans and increase revenue

kirk_wakefield Digital Strategy, Relate, Social Media, Sponsorships February 1, 2013November 2, 2018AS Roma, creative, fans, innovative, Italy, itunes, linkedin, pinterest, social media channel 0 Comment

by Sean Walsh – February 2013

What do teams in the United States have to learn from Italy’s AS Roma?

In Europe, AS Roma became the first football club to use Pinterest. AS Roma boards include:

Iconic photography from their history
A board with images of every player
Official club videos
Individual boards for merchandise (men’s clothing, women’s clothing, children’s clothing, hats, bags, homeware – all appealing to the “fashionista” community of Pinterest)
Every cover from their official club program

The AS Roma Pinterest board is a fine example for other clubs to follow – it clearly shows they understand the channel. They understand how to use the technology to curate fan content and really get the fans involved. Most importantly, Roma recognizes fans should be included in their official club presence. The team has boards specifically for fan photography, fan videos and even a selection of amazing AS Roma themed cakes. Let’s face it, you can’t avoid cakes on Pinterest!

iTunes Player Playlists

The Italian giants rolled out iTunes playlists from first team players on their official website and can be downloaded on iTunes.

Music has always been a huge part of sports broadcasts and events, including terrace chants and anthems particularly popular in football (soccer). In recent years the image of players equipped with headphones as part of their pre-game rituals has become standard. Why not let fans tap into what their favorite players are listening to?

The latest step AS Roma has taken is harnessing LinkedIn as a way of targeting fans with more business/professional orientated careers. Within the past few weeks, AS Roma announced the launch of their new AS Roma company page on LinkedIn with a specific strategy for the channel.

We have long thought teams should adopt LinkedIn as an official social media channel: By using a shared interest in football, it creates a casual and comfortable first point of contact in which relationships are already created. We all know businesses exploit this bond between fans–just look at the number of corporate hospitality suites and tickets sold every season. The fans use LinkedIn and they clearly want to connect with other supporters, particularly those who may share business interests.

AS Roma appears to use LinkedIn as a way to market corporate-relevant products: premium seats, corporate hospitality packages and even attracting new sponsors. Most of their content revolves around new sponsorship ventures, executive season ticket offers and current corporate partners.

As football clubs look set to monetize social media in 2013, don’t be surprised if more clubs in the UK, Europe, and the US follow in a bid to market corporate hospitality and sponsorship packages to this more affluent audience.