ChatterBachs… Composing Strategies

Below you will find a recap of the dynamic 12.08 #SMfastfwd tweetchat on “Brands and Social Media”.  The recap is not intended to capture every comment but to preserve the flow and energy of the session.  This was probably the most quotable and interactive #SMfastfwd we’ve ever had, reflected especially well in the length of the last section.  You’ll really want to read through the entire recap, however, to catch many insightful and memorable nuggets that just may well apply to what you’re trying to do in social media.  Special thanks to our guest panelists for making this such a great tweetchat: BronnersXmas, Groshbackdrops, blurbbooks, AJBombers, and onecoconut.

#SMfastfwd– Q1: Introduce yourself. Who are you? Who? Who? Who? Who? (Can you name the group affiliated w/ these lyrics?)

jccjhiggins: Casey with Virginia Tourism; voice behind most things VIFL – web, enews, Facebook, blog …

adriennebryant: Adrienne Bryant, Association of Florida Colleges and – THE WHO!

BronnersXmas: Bronner’s CHRISTmas Wonderland – Lori Libka, communications assistant.

Groshbackdrops: @LindsayFultz SM face and voice for @GroshBackdrops. Manager of Sales and New Media Marketing.

blurbbooks: Who the heck is this? I’m Amanda, and I’m the Director of Marketing ’round these parts.

#Smfastfwd– Q2: What #socialmedia channels are most effective for you? Twitter? Facebook? LinkedIn? Foursquare? etc. Why?

CygnetUpdates: Made good contacts on Twitter and LinkedIn, not using FB for anything but personal for now.

AJBombers: We use twitter for everyday talks with customers, play around in FB & YouTube, and use 4sq to build community

jccjhiggins: So far, Facebook has driven traffic better than Twitter. Our blog does well, too. They all drive each other, really. Have a YouTube presence, mostly for video  hosting. Not on 4sq as a brand presence (yet, anyway). Have a LinkedIn group.

onecoconut: haven’t started using Linkedin yet, but FB and Twitter have been very helpful –  I believe that Twitter helps to develop more personal connections than FB does I find that fb is great for announcements: events, news, fun pix, etc, but “real” info/education is thru Twitter

Groshbackdrops: FB profile pg b/c I get 2 know our customers on a personal level. Biz benefit is we have brought in 6figs in FB rev. Twitter has helped me form new networking relationships while I find FB enhances current customer relations and loyalty.

NCCmeet: Twitter – it’s where our target audience is (event and meeting planners). For our wedding planning side Facebook & Twitter

adriennebryant: Facebook has thus far been the most popular. My goal is 2 make both FB and Twitter great tools for our Assn.

BronnersXmas: Facebook & Twitter. FB gr8 4 us – esp. w/ plp who already know us. Build that relationship. Twitter more 4 new friends/contacts. Watching 4sq. Users still strongly young males but changing some. Our demo strongly women.

blurbbooks: Creativity abounds in our Twit friends, and FB allows us more space to educate

#SMfastfwd– Q3: How are you using #socialmedia in your org? Brand awareness? Customer service? Monitoring? etc.

AJBombers: SM is integral to our marketing and operation plan, we spend ZERO in traditional dollars.

Groshbackdrops: All of the above!

onecoconut: ALL! consumer interaction in real time has been the best with SM

jccjhiggins: Our #socialmedia presence is mostly for listening, customer service and enhancing knowledge about our brand for familiars. We have way more interaction on FB. Seems like more REAL actual “face” time.

blurbbooks: A dash of inspiration, a bit of education, a smidge of troubleshooting, a lot of listening.

BronnersXmas: Facebook gr8 4 building loyalty 4 us. Occasional customer service issue 2 take care of-might never hear them otherwise.

kikilitalien: We def use SM for listening/brand awareness right now. DelCor is committed to the concept of serving the assn community.

#SMfastfwd– Q4: What are your best practices/secrets for turning #socialmedia into real business?

AJBombers: Give your customers control of your brand

onecoconut: I also think that for us, Twitter has been great to see what others in our industry are doing well/things that we would never do!

DKRex: follow the best ppl (the really smart ones) — be alert to gr8 tidbits/trends/tools Groshbackdrops: Actively listening and responding in real time. Show your personality and engage. Put a face w/a brand name. Also be accessible!

kikilitalien: SM is a sml part of our business – our “secret” might be in looking at ways we can better connect w/ ppl… b/c we offer SM training/consulting/etc, we are looking to lead more by ex for ALL of our services… and mostly we just want to do the best we can for our existing clients. Maintaining/strengthening our clients.

BSStoltz: Add value; provide info yr audience wants; listen & learn; ensure it’s just a part of yr process, not just the end

jazambos: Push fans and followers to engage and motivate others to use product – word of mouth and SM seems to help people with that

BronnersXmas: Building/growing a gr8 email (& now mobile) database really complements what ur doing w/ SM. Contact w/ valuable content.

#SMfastfwd– Q5: What challenges do you face in #socialmedia? What are your shortcomings, biggest mistakes?

onecoconut: comp “paying” for followers and ppl not being able to tell the difference jazambos: Knowing what info to push through channels and how to find audience AJBombers: Time. I’m on so often that I’ve trained our customers that they can always find me online

Keri_Mellott: Challenges in social media I see most is: time management and lack of an actual strategy. Important 2 know 2 not waste time.

kikilitalien: I think my biggest mistake in SM for biz has been in letting great content slip past the expire date b4 I cld post/share

rigginsconst: generating content for blog… technical info (construction) adriennebryant: Getting co-workers involved; time management and working towards a real strategy

jccjhiggins: Hard to give attention on all of a state w/out killing followers.

#SMfastfwd– Q6: What misperceptions about your brand are you trying to overcome via #socialmedia?

Groshbackdrops: In the beginning that while we may be the oldest company in our industry we are not stale in our thinking.

jccjhiggins: Ha! We steer toward family love – authentic & wholesome. World sees VIFL as bow-chicka-wow-wow. Fun brand, no? 🙂

Keri_Mellott: #Socialmedia gives companies/brands a platform to speak and 2 mics – one for them, and one for the audience.

kikilitalien: Biggest misperception to overcome? DelCor only provides IT outsourcing solutions (also provide AMS, KM, and SM Consulting)

blurbbooks: We’re still such a young brand that we’re often just introducing ourselves!

onecoconut: biggest misperception – that we’re owned by Pepsi, and not still a family owned company as we are!

#SMfastfwd– Q7: If you had to do something over in your approach to #socialmedia, what would it be?

rigginsconst: started sooner

E5V: Not worry about socializing the brand and being fun. Stale tweets are disregarded. onecoconut: would’ve realized sooner that I can talk personally, that it’s still SOCIAL media

jccjhiggins: I’m not the boss ’round here, but a do-over would be to have a dedicated person only for #socialmedia. We divide & conquer.

Groshbackdrops: Get involved sooner and not to be scared of failures.

blurbbooks: In hindsight, I’d fight harder for dedicated headcount. So much awesomeness left on the table.

DKRex: still trying to post original stuff, would like to blog but I feel content lacking Keri_Mellott: Go back in time, talk to Twitter engineers & have Twitter Lists available when I first got on here. (Glad here now tho)

BronnersXmas: Started using video sooner.

#SMfastfwd– Q8: What new tech/#socialmedia are you looking to implement in the coming months? In 2011? 5:54 pm

jccjhiggins: Keeping 4sq and @SCVNGR in mind for 2011. Ear to the #socialmedia ground.

AJBombers: We’re currently planning with @venmo and @scvngr as well as continuing with @foursquare

Groshbackdrops: More social good!

kikilitalien: I’m getting really serious abt science behind social networks & identifying underlying influencers. Socioeconomic levels, etc.

Groshbackdrops: And video, something I’ve been somewhat scared to do.

E5V: I want to use more videos. While not everyone likes them, it’s easier than lengthy articles

blurbbooks: More vids like this one: http://bit.ly/aUonAj, figuring out global/local strategy.

The following comments were just too insightful or funny to leave out:

adriennebryant: My goal is to revamp our website, create FB Page and get the Twitter Feed listed on both to show value to our members.

BSStoltz: I like to say that Twitter is like a bar, FB is yr living room & LinkedIn is the local chamber of commerce. There r differences.

onecoconut: we find that these days, consumers want more than just a gr8 brand, they want a great COMPANY, that they can truly believe in and SM seems to help people with that

kikilitalien: Want integrity? Check out the @Groshbackdrops blog! Talk about being “real” – LOVE it!

Keri_Mellott: The #newtwitter is the BOMB for adding videos in tweets.

kikilitalien: *thinking* who would my celebrity tweeter be? Daria from the MTV comic series in the 90s?

blurbbooks: (Now would be a good time, btw, for any of our followers to tell us what they’d like out of Blurb #socialmedia!)

kikilitalien: Ha! We could form our own superhero tweet team! 😉

onecoconut: I’m in! (only if I get 2 wear a cape)

kikilitalien: I want gold metallic knee boots…

jccjhiggins: Sounds like Radio Shack Holiday Heros commercials!

ChatterBachs: Just like bread that’s been left on the counter too long… @E5V: Stale tweets are disregarded.

E5V: @chatterbachs like stale bread, you can still break it down and make it into something good

kikilitalien: @E5V True – we can feed birds! Bread chicken…

kikilitalien: @onecoconut Interacting on here with you makes me *WANT* to go buy the product. I feel like supporting a friend! 😉

onecoconut: @kikilitalien awww! that is the sweetest thing EVER! Have to admit, was already all over your site 🙂

kikilitalien: One day you’ll have more content than you know what to do with! That’s my problem!

kikilitalien: @onecoconut Let’s all go ahead and admit that we considered visiting Wisconsin to try @AJBombers, too. 😉 (I know I did – yum)

onecoconut: road trip?? RT @AJBombers @kikilitalien @onecoconut welcome ANY time! #1stburgeronme

kikilitalien: @E5V That’s why I started doing video…easier than writing post after post…

ChatterBachs: I think it’s mine too! Great 1! @onecoconut: is it too early to say this is my favorite chat ever?!

DKRex: ppl r my tools!

ChatterBachs: I hope you mean in a good way… not in an evil dictator kinda way… @DKRex: ppl r my tools!

E5V: I’m almost tempted to us xtranormal.com to appeal to my age group. Produce short news headlines