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April 17, 2011
By Simren Deogun
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in Digital, Strategy

Learning to Listen to our Teenage Digital Friends

I was reading an article in the latest issue of Strategy yesterday about how social media has exponentially sped up the distribution of information and the ability for us to connect with one another.

Yes, at this point, to us marketers, this is common knowledge. But the perspective of this article focused on the youth market -- namely teenagers, aged 15-19.

They are the first generation to not know of a world without the Internet or without social media. How SCARY is that?!

68% of the teens surveyed use social networks regularly throughout the week, 48%, email and 46%, SMS. If they're not passing each other in the hall or sitting with one another in class, they are behind a screen.

And that screen is predominantly owned by Facebook.

But do they really care about connecting with or 'liking' brands? No, at least not according to the new research presented by DECODE and Strategy.

These teens carry an unusual skepticism on their shoulders when it comes to their online interactions. For them, liking a brand does not mean friendship, because they're not on Facebook to interact with brands! They don't trust them and don't feel advertising and Facebook make sense.

I love these teens! So much more honest and smarter than I could've anticipated. They see quite easily through the smoke and mirrors. Unwilling to 'like' for the sake of 'liking', but are more likely to be motivated to do so when the relationship is mutually beneficial and sincere.

So, the next time you're thinking about taking to Facebook to advertise, why not ask yourself what the teenagers (who've grown up in this digital world) would say? Are you being sincere? Are you really offering something of value? Do you honestly plan on being there day-in and day-out?

They're not liking for the sake of it, so please don't advertise for that reason either.

January 23, 2011
By Simren Deogun
1 Comment
in Business, Digital, Social Media

The LinkedIn Revolution: It’s More Than A Wallflower

I love LinkedIn! I've been known to cry out in disgust when I come across a professional (of any kind) who doesn't have a LinkedIn profile.

WHAT?! How can you not have a LinkedIn profile? With almost 2 billion people around the globe using the internet, what is your excuse?

Though, I admit my immersion in technology and marketing may impose the slightest of biases when it comes to this digital landscape. But I know that LinkedIn, though slower in its development and adoption of new features and functionality than its social network counterparts, is undoubtedly a powerhouse that is not going away.

On occasion, LinkedIn may appear the wallflower of the bunch, but I like to think of it as the cautious friend telling you to slow down lest you get a speeding ticket.

Social Media is a fad. Or at least the amount of time we allow social media to consume in our day-to-day is a fad. It will change and evolve, and then hopefully merge and simplify. But what sets LinkedIn apart from the 'fad group' is that it travels outside instant and real-time gratification.

I argue that it is viable and valuable because of the extremely long shelf-life of its content. It is, perhaps, the good twin of Facebook (i.e. Facebook = evil) because its service is based in professional development. (By the way, Facebook is by no means "bad" but rather driven by personal impulse, personal ego, and personal connectivity.)

What does LinkedIn have to offer?

Professional Network: LinkedIn is not for connecting with some high school acquaintance of yesteryear or last night's pub crawl participants. It demands a mutually beneficial relationship between two colleagues, peers, or professionals. I believe in order to use it well, you must establish LinkedIn connections with those who can enhance your professional know-how and reach.
Profile: A detailed summary of the professional you. From specialties and skills to experience and education. That profile is a powerful indicator of not only your professional capabilities but also your professional brand. It is your online resume.
Apps: Yep, LinkedIn has apps too! But if you didn't know about them that is certainly more LinkedIn's fault than your own. Events, Tweets, WordPress and an Amazon Reading List are amongst the heavy hitters. This is where that "brand" really comes alive in your profile. You get the chance to inject a bit of the real you.
Twitter Integration: Beyond Twitter simply being an add-on app for LinkedIn, this integration helps to marry the real-time influx of info on Twitter with the more constant and cautious focus of LinkedIn. Maintaining a professionally-driven Twitter account is an amazing way to sync these two fantastic worlds.
Ads: Just two weeks ago, LinkedIn threw its hat into the social network ad ring, joining ruler Facebook and its sickly protege Twitter! Still in beta (sadly), LinkedIn DirectAds (let's hope they drop the 'Direct' in Alpha!) offer what has made Facebook so successful in this realm: highly targeted online advertising that is cheap, simple and easy-to-use. I only wonder why it took them so long.
Sharing: Again, following in the footsteps of its predecessors, LinkedIn launched a share button late last year. But if you have a company or professional blog, this button is perfect to get people in your LinkedIn network talking about you.

More Fun Stuff from LinkedIn:

Create your own Email Signature: A customizable LinkedIn Signature for Outlook Express, 2000, 2003, 2007 and Mozilla Thunderbird.
Mac Search Widget: Search LinkedIn direct from your Mac.
LinkedIn Mobile: Get the LinkedIn mobile app for your BlackBerry, iPhone or Palm device.

November 14, 2010
By Simren Deogun
1 Comment
in Digital, Resources, Social Media

RockMelt: A Social Browser Learning To Walk

This past week saw the infectious rise of RockMelt, a new social browser built on Google's open-source Chromium browser platform. It offers all the regular browser functionality of Google Chrome (and its competitors) except with the addition of side panes that instantly connect you to your desired social networks.

The primary caveat is that you are required to have an active Facebook account to even get your foot through the door. To begin using RockMelt, you must login with your Facebook credentials; pictured right are all the fanciful permissions RockMelt insists you 'allow' for its use. An immediate turn-off for me!

But, nevertheless, I conceded being the digital nerd that I am -- under different circumstances though, the result may have not been the same, after all, my Facebook account is very personal to me. Just something to think about, RockMelt.

The heavy reliance on Facebook integration clearly defines (what at least RockMelt perceives to be) the hub of social connectivity on the web today: It's Facebook or bust.

RockMelt is smart to offer quick and easy access to any social network of your choice, including Twitter and WordPress.

I was excited to try RockMelt, having searched extensively for that all-in-one social aggregator. I was always left disappointed, in some instances there weren't enough features or maybe too many or I didn't have enough control. And yet, when my Twitter stream lit up with innumerable mentions of RockMelt, a pang of hope resonated inside of me.

In these first few days of use, disappointment has seemed inevitable. Built on Chromium, RockMelt lacks a unique and consistent design for its UI, it feels more like pieces of a puzzle forced together as opposed to ones that naturally fit. The side panes offer extensive possibility, but with the whole left pane dedicated solely to Facebook, I was left feeling cramped.

There is something also unbelievably unintuitive about the whole thing that I just can't seem to get over. To post a new tweet or status or the like, I have to use the left pane where my Facebook profile lives, input the content and select the relevant network. However, updates to my Twitter stream (and other networks) are viewed on the right. Why isn't it all in one place? Why can't I view and update Twitter in the same pane? Yikes.

I can't help but think that much of the marketing and buzz propelling RockMelt into the media forefront is predominantly two-fold. One, that it is much of a novelty product with little competition (despite a lacklustre predecessor in Flock). And two, that it is mysterious. Just ask Sally Hogshead, and she'll tell you mystery falls under "mystique" -- one of her seven triggers of fascination.

And so the public is fascinated, but admittedly not impressed.

I contend that any individual social network does a much better job presenting to and handling its audience, from Facebook's standalone experience to Twitter's new two-column interface and its bevy of amazing third-party managers (including Hootsuite and Seesmic).

RockMelt is a step in the right direction for the digital landscape, especially when it comes to "social aggregation" and target marketing. But it doesn't feel right yet, call it intuition or foolishness but I imagine something is on the brink of exploding, and RockMelt just might be the stepping stone to achieve that.

October 24, 2010
By Simren Deogun
No comment
in Digital, Technology

What Did ‘The Social Network’ Teach Us About Marketing?

Now that "the Facebook movie" -- better known as The Social Network -- mania has subsided, I think it especially timely to resurrect its message, marketing-style!

The poignant part of the movie for me was when Zuckerberg turns to Saverin and says, "It's cool now. And if it's filled with pop-ups for Mountain Dew, it won't be." Saverin wants ads on The Facebook because ads equal money. But Zuckerberg doesn't want the sanctity of his "cool" online networking experience to be infiltrated by overbearing advertisements.

What does The Social Network teach us? If it is cool, it will sell. Well, yea, if your target market is the young, college demographic!

Facebook, in its infancy, successfully filled the void of connecting and building relationships online with an uber-personal but rudimentary approach -- friends! More friends must equal more cool, right?

But it's not just about being cool. "Cool" ultimately represents the intangible properties of history's 'insanely great' marketing successes. "Cool" is that which cannot be planned or manufactured or anticipated -- it is precisely that which is ruined when it is planned, manufactured or anticipated. Yet, the concept and definition of cool is in constant flux.

Twitter embodies "cool" by being current and timely. iPhone takes on "cool" with good looks, charm and apps. Coca Cola is "classic cool" because it has modernized an old brand without abandoning its roots. Tickle-Me-Elmo was "cool" because it was unexpectedly infectious and cute.

Each of these products has its own difficult-to-measure but incredibly powerful cool factor. And almost each has evolved over time to effectively enhance and translate its intangible key to success on a global scale.

Ask yourself what your cool is. Where does it come from and why? And, if you have no perceivable cool to be found, are you trying too hard? Think back to high school and remember that one classmate who wore too much gel, too much makeup or sunglasses indoors, he/she was trying too hard to be cool. Don't be that kid, be your own.

Cool is dynamic, influential and flexible. It can be neither consistently defined nor created. It comes from the purest form of invention, where intent is earnest, meaningful and driven.

February 17, 2010
By Simren Deogun
No comment
in Business, Digital, News

Google Buzz Or Microsoft Outlook Social Connector

What is Google Buzz?

Google Buzz is a social media sharing experience inside of Gmail, which includes public or private sharing, inbox integration, photo-friendly sharing, connectivity to Twitter, Picasa, Flickr and Reader, real-time updates, and delivery of content based on Google's recommendations.

What is Microsoft Outlook Social Connector?

On the flip side, Microsoft Outlook plans to roll out a bevy of social media integration options with its 2010 Outlook Social Connector (OSC) release. As reported by Mashable, the OSC will include integration with Facebook, LinkedIn, and MySpace with, I'm sure, more options on the horizon to be announced.

Buzz vs. OSC

Google Buzz isn't worth the time and it will add the most value for those heavy Gmail users (that use Gmail as a primary email client and/or are working in the client for multiple hours a day). For those high-level users of Gmail, Buzz can offer the advantage of a single-stop, integrated experience.

In order for this integrated experience to be truly representative of the current social media landscape, it would require the inclusion of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Digg, and all of the other major players. What this creates is a feed system (much like Google Reader) that aggregates ALL, not some, of the social media content being made available by those you want to follow.

Microsoft Outlook Social Connector wins (despite the poor branding). That is, they win if Buzz is unable to secure the same big names (and I mean all the big names) to integrate with what should be the ultimate aggregated social experience.

Microsoft Outlook owns market share at 39% as the primary email client of choice. Gmail trails in with a much lower 5.5%. In a business environment, Outlooks is critical to almost all work-related tasks. It is the core communication point for internal and external communications. Employees are immersed in it for at least 8 hours a day. An integrated social media experience within the primary email client of choice is a marriage for success.

The disadvantage for both OSC and Buzz in a work setting is productivity. If OSC secures Twitter alongside the others, then it poses a significant threat to worker productivity what with the number of distractions suddenly multiplying exponentially. Gmail, also used within work settings, poses the same problem with Buzz.

Employers could, of course, prohibit usage of these services but we all know the social clients mentioned above are just a click away in any web browser.

Are either of these social media integrators worth your time? Do you immediately have preference for one over the other simply based on brand and experience?

What I think the most pertinent question to be asking is: Will this equation of Email+Social be the next phase with social media or will an unknown third-party, comprehensive social media aggregator eclipse Google and Microsoft?

March 8, 2009
By Simren Deogun
No comment
in Uncategorized

Social Media vs. Socially Inept

Blog. Twitter. Facebook. YouTube.

On his blog, Chris Brogan wrote:

The point is actually simple. Coming up with a one-size fits all strategy for dragging companies into social media is just goofy. [...]

It's not all about the conversation. It's not a matter of whether you get it or don't. Like all things, it's finding what works, building from a foundation, measuring progress, and adapting to new situations.

Brogan explores the necessity of social media from a corporate perspective. Should a company have a a blog? Be on Twitter? Or Facebook? Or YouTube? Or any other incarnations?

I tried Twitter and found the idea of posting the minutiae of my daily life inane. So it's not for me. But what about instant communication, the online water cooler, ultimate connectivity, all of these are used to describe why Twitter is successful even against harsh critics like myself. It can most certainly work for any given organization but I would first ask if you care enough to express that minutiae to the public and if that public cares enough to read it?

Are you on Facebook? Almost everyone I can think of would say yes. That might be enough said.

I love video as a medium to distribute information and to connect. YouTube simply happens to be the most popular way to do so at the moment -- bite-sized pieces of content streamed visually, quick and simple.

Blog to your heart's content. I recently started this one and it certainly takes some getting used to, but the amount I wish to share, what I choose to talk about, how and why allow ultimate control to fall within my hands. I like that. Exercise caution, of course. But, ultimately connect on a deeper level (which is definitely more me but it is your company?).

Social media has evolved into a necessity. Don't forget about it.

I think Brogan has it right when he says that it's about finding what works for you. Some may be fads, others lasting methods of communication. Either way, I think it's better to be involved then to be rendered socially inept by your lack of public presence.

Image Source: Simren Deogun

Tagged facebook

Learning to Listen to our Teenage Digital Friends

Contact me

Get in touch

Tagged facebook

Learning to Listen to our Teenage Digital Friends

The LinkedIn Revolution: It’s More Than A Wallflower

Ken Jeong Brightens Up Pepto Bismol For The Holidays

RockMelt: A Social Browser Learning To Walk

What Did ‘The Social Network’ Teach Us About Marketing?

Google Buzz Or Microsoft Outlook Social Connector

Social Media vs. Socially Inept

Contact me

Get in touch