MGH Word of Mouth / Social Media Marketing- Baltimore, MD

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USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO FIND YOUR NEXT EMPLOYEE

So you’ve started using social media to reach out to current and potential customers, but, what about your employees, or, more importantly, your future employees? How can you begin using social media tools to effectively tap into that unknown pool of talent?

We’ve assembled a list of the top four social tools that companies can use to attract potential employees.

1. Facebook allows you to connect with and recruit young professionals by maintaining a company page with the latest job information. By viewing the profiles of your fans, you can dig deeper into someone’s personality than a typical resume allows. If this doesn’t work, run a Facebook ad specifically targeting people with an age range and keywords.

2. Your Twitter followers offer a wealth of opportunity. Use your account to notify followers when a position opens in your company. With a few retweets you can reach hundreds of potentially qualified individuals (It works! I found this internship via Twitter.)

3. Scour LinkedIn for recruits in your area and industry at your leisure. User profiles detail past experiences, current jobs, and future goals. Many also include professional recommendations, which can give you insight to a potential employee’s work ethic and habits before meeting with them.

4. Post available positions on college or industry-specific message boards and online marketplaces like Craigslist. These online venues are becoming two-way streets of communication between employers and job-seekers. As an employer you can browse uploaded resumes and respond directly to the posts which interest you. And by searching industry-specific boards you can find those most passionate about their work.

The main point is to make the most of your current networks. You have invested time and effort into building a strong presence for your company online; don’t be afraid to take full advantage of what you built when recruiting applicants.

Here are a few college/professional job boards to get your recruitment process started.
http://www.collegejobboard.com/cjb/index.cfm
http://www.thejobplanet.com/
http://koda.us/
http://www.prsa.org/jobcenter

Published by mghwom
November 5th, 2009 in Online Tools
4 Comments

A NOTE TO MY MARKETING FRIENDS

All too often, I see fellow agency marketers openly tweeting or blogging about their clients with no mention of the agency/client relationship. Sometimes, they even go as far as to review their clients’ products. “Wow, you have to try so-and-so’s new whatchamacallit.”

Well, STOP IT! You’re angering the FTC gods!!!

You are now required by federal law to disclose your relationship with that company. And if you happen to break that law, you could be held accountable to the tune of 11,000 smackers.

So what can all of us marketing flunkies do to avoid this harsh punishment?

1) Each time you tweet about a client, include the hash tag “#client” within your tweet. It’s only seven out of your 140 characters, and it’s enough to get the point across.

2) If you have room for more text - say, in a blog entry - try to explain the full relationship. “So and So, Inc. is a client of our company, Such and Such, LLC. We provide the following services for them…”

3) If you post any client content on any sharing sites (YouTube, Flickr), be sure to also include some mention of the relationship, even if it’s just a tag.

So that’s it. Go forth and avoid those fines!

- Ryan, @ryanatmgh

Published by mghwom
October 8th, 2009 in MGH Random
13 Comments

THE NEW FTC GUIDELINES YOU NEED TO LEARN

This isn’t the most exciting blog entry you’re ever going to read here, but it’s an important one. So before you go out and starting WOM’ing the world, take a moment to read the following:

600px US FederalTradeCommission Seal.svg THE NEW FTC GUIDELINES YOU NEED TO LEARN

Yesterday, the Federal Trade Commission released a brand new set of guidelines that speaks directly product endorsements and reviews written through social media.

The new rules dictate that bloggers (and all consumers who use social media) must fully disclose the relationships that they have with advertisers. If they receive a free product, or experience any gain from writing a review (such as a paid review - blech!), he or she must include text that explains their affiliation with the company who provided that incentive.

For example, if you work for a tool company, and you send a new set of wrenches to a popular daddy blogger in hopes that he’ll give write a positive review about you, you must ensure that he includes the following (or something similar) in his review blog post: “Tool Company sent me this wrench set, free of charge.”

If the daddy blogger fails to disclose the relationship, both your company and the blogger could be fined up to $11,000.

Continue reading ‘THE NEW FTC GUIDELINES YOU NEED TO LEARN’

Published by mghwom
October 6th, 2009 in Marketing Tips
5 Comments

IGNORE SOCIAL MEDIA…AT YOUR OWN RISK

Over the last year, several major brands have learned hard lessons about crisis communications in the age of social media.

Take Domino’s as an example. In April, an online video surfaced showing two rogue employees preparing food in rather disgusting ways. Thanks to the reach, ease and speed of social media, the video permeated the Web – grabbing 1 million views on YouTube in just a few days – and Domino’s had a full-blown crisis on its hands.

There’s also United Airlines. After singer-songwriter Dave Carroll’s $3,500 guitar was allegedly broken by United Airlines baggage handlers, he took to the Web when his calls and emails to the company failed to yield compensation for the damage. His video, “United Breaks Guitars,” has garnered more than 5 million views on YouTube since July, leaving some to speculate that this snafu may have caused United to lose significant amounts of money and its reputation.

In this world of rather pervasive social media, it is crucial for every company to be prepared to face a crisis caused or perpetuated by the tools of the Web. Moreover, a brand should be ready at a moment’s notice to also use social media to disseminate its position on serious claims launched at it.

So, what can a company do?

First, every brand should have an interactive presence. Whether it’s a Twitter account, a Facebook page or an email database, companies should be regularly engaging their consumers. Besides the fact that these tools can build business, they provide an immediate avenue to dispel rumors, communicate with the public and respond to negative claims.

Continue reading ‘IGNORE SOCIAL MEDIA…AT YOUR OWN RISK’

Published by mghwom
October 6th, 2009 in Brand Management, Marketing Tips
10 Comments

A QUICK REMINDER ABOUT COMMUNICATION

“If it isn’t two-way, it isn’t communication. It’s message distribution.”

This quote has stuck with me ever since I came across it in this article about employee engagement. It’s such a simple, common sense, idea and yet, some employers forget about it when communicating with employees, just as many brands forget as soon as they start using social media.

If you’re going to participate in the world of social media, you need to make the shift away from talking to your customers to talking with your customers. The key here is to listen and, as often as possible, respond. We understand that you cannot implement every suggestion a customer may make or remedy every single complaint that comes through. But at least acknowledge that you are listening to your customers and their input matters to you and your brand.

These tools present plenty of new opportunities for brands. Never before could you receive instantaneous feedback from your customers, nor could you ask your fans to recommend you to their network of friends and actually watch the endorsement unfold in real-time. However, you’ll only achieve these unique results if you approach social media as it’s own unique strategy…and not as a new vehicle to push traditional marketing strategies.

-Kim, @kimberwom

Published by mghwom
October 1st, 2009 in Marketing Tips
3 Comments

SOCIAL MEDIA ADAPTION SKYROCKETING

Last October, we reported that “93% of social media users said that brands should have some presence on social media outlets.” Well, a year later, it’s evident that companies share the same sentiment and are ready to take on the world of social media.

The e-tailing group and PowerReviews recently released findings of their first annual Community and Social Media Study, which assessed the social media adaptation rate of 117 companies, as well as their motivation for utilizing these social media tools.

The findings show that social media has already become a part of the marketing mix for many companies, with a majority of the remaining companies planning to adapt within the next year.

According to the study, Facebook has become the most popular social media outlet among companies, as 96% of the retailers surveyed either already utilized Facebook (86%) or plan to within the next year (10%). However, other word of mouth and social media outlets are not overlooked, as 94% of respondents plan to take advantage of customer reviews and 91% plan to utilize Twitter by the end of 2010.

newblogggggggggggggggg SOCIAL MEDIA ADAPTION SKYROCKETING

The findings go on to uncover that the companies’ primary goals for using social media tools, besides driving sales, are (1) to engage their customers, (2) increase brand loyalty, and (3) mobilize their advocates to drive word of mouth.

So what does this all mean for you and your brand? Well, if you’re not already using social media to engage your consumers, there’s a good chance that your competitors already are…or they’re planning to do so within the next year.

If you’re thinking about jumping into the social media game, or you’re not sure how to engage consumers on your online networks, check out some back to basic tips here.

Published by mghwom
October 1st, 2009 in Marketing Research
4 Comments

MGH WOM BLOG NOMINATED FOR A MOBBIE!

Exciting news, readers: we’ve been nominated as one of Maryland’s Most Outstanding Blogs in the Baltimore Sun’s first-ever Mobbie Awards. We’re excited to be nominated (can we get a woot!?) and honored to be among some great company.

The Mobbies are a reader’s-choice award contest, so we need your help! If you’re a fan of the MGH WOM blog, we’d appreciate it if you showed your support by voting for us here (we’re listed under the business & technology category):

…And by sharing this with your friends: http://data.baltimoresun.com/mobbies/?vote_for=64#64.

Voting is open today through October 9, and readers are allowed to vote once a day in each category.

While we were nominated in the business & technology category, the Mobbies cover a wide variety of topics so, if you’re looking to add a dose of fresh content to your Google reader, we encourage you to check out the full list of nominees.

As always, thank you for your readership and support. You’re the best!

Published by mghwom
September 28th, 2009 in MGH Random
1 Comment

CRAFTING A COPORATE SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY

News Flash: Your employees are using social media during work hours.

Today, more than 300 million people are using Facebook, and believe us, much of their online activity happens while they’re sitting at work. Even if they wait til they get home to log on, they’re probably still complaining talking about their lives at the office.

With that being said, MGH believes its key for any organization to clearly communicate its opinions on social web usage to all of its employees. Instituting a social media policy in your workplace will not only protect your brand, but it will also allow you to leverage your employees as true extensions of your brand.

Below are some basic things to consider when drafting a social media policy for your workplace:

1) Remind employees to fine tune their public vs. private lives online. Encourage them to be proactive in their social networking privacy settings, and to be aware of what info is searchable by the public. We here at MGH like to say “Keep your Facebook private, but let your tweets be seen by the world.”

2) Don’t try to control every message that is posted by your employees. This will breed a negative relationship between your senior administration and your ground level folks.

You should, however, remind them of the importance of company confidentiality and maintaining a competitive advantage. You want them to be able to talk freely and openly about your company, but with the goal in mind of furthering your business - not ruffling feathers.

Of course people are going to complain about their days at the office. It’s inevitable. But make sure that they’re doing it with a level of respect.

3) Encourage your employees to network. We here at MGH believe this is absolutely critical for the success of most businesses today. Your employees should serve as your natural ambassadors online. Their social networks present opportunities to procure new clients, develop vendor relationships, and to even learn from the competition.

At the end of the day, trust your employees’ judgment. You hired them for a reason; don’t be afraid to let them act as an ambassador for your company. If you can’t trust what they’re doing online, you should reconsider if you want them as a part of your organization.

Also, don’t forget to get feedback from your employees about your policies, and allow the policies to evolve over time. Chances are something new will pop up next week and force rules to be changed.

To get you started, you can also take a look at some of the policies other companies have put into place: IBM, Intel and Dell

Published by mghwom
September 28th, 2009 in Brand Management
2 Comments

POSITIVE WORD OF MOUTH THROUGH ACTS OF KINDNESS

Sure, we talk a lot about what’s happening in the world of social media and how that impacts word of mouth. But there’s a lot that you do to produce positive buzz through offline activity as well.

I was inspired to write this short entry after reading an article on the Consumerist entitled “Free Ice Cream Doesn’t Heal Broken Leg, But It Helps.” The article recounts the story of Michael from Maryland who broke his leg while rushing to cash in on a “free scoop of ice cream” promotion that Bruster’s Real Ice Cream was running. After contacting the company and explaining his situation, a Bruster’s delivery truck drove to his house and dropped off four pints of free ice cream…just because.

In his letter to the Consumerist, Michael closes by saying, “Bruster’s, in this one motion, has earned my brand loyalty forever. I tell my story to everyone who comes to visit.”

A free ice cream coupon certainly would have been enough to keep Michael happy with his Bruster’s relationship. But the company took it a step further. It went above and beyond to produce a story that was ripe for sharing - not only among family/friends, but through mass media.

I’ve lived in Maryland my whole life and have never heard of Bruster’s. But you better believe I’ll keep my eyes peeled for them after reading this heart-warming story.

Think about what you can do to make every customer experience one worth sharing. What are people going to remember? What brand experiences are they going to share with family and friends? And, most importantly, what can you do to make a mark on someone’s life?

It doesn’t take a lot - just remember that even the simplest of experiences (either positive or negative) can have huge implications for your business.

- Ryan, @ryanatmgh

Published by mghwom
September 25th, 2009 in MGH Random
1 Comment

LOCAL TREND MONITORING

Twitter has quickly become a prime source for keeping a pulse of what’s going on around the world…but you already knew that. However, what if you’re a local business owner or a resident of a great city like Baltimore, and you want a way to stay on top of what’s going on specifically in your hood? Then look no further than Trends Map.

Trends Map is a Google Map mashup that displays real-time Twitter trends by geographic location. Just zoom in to your desired city on the map to see the top tweeted topics in that area.

TRENDMAP1 LOCAL TREND MONITORING

In addition to categorizing and displaying trending tweets in an area, Trends Map also displays the most tweeted links and media, such as images or YouTube videos, in a geographic location. This information can be accessed by selecting a city name from the main map.

TRENDMAP2 LOCAL TREND MONITORING

Lastly, Trends Map allows you to select any given trending topic in order to view other locations around the globe where the same topic is trending.

TRENDMAP3 LOCAL TREND MONITORING

We, here at MGH, encourage all local business owners to take a look at Trends Map whether you tweet or not. This tool provides a quick and simple way to learn more about your customers and potential consumers: what they’re doing, what they’re talking about, who they’re talking to, what issues they find important, what news stories they’re reading and what videos they’re watching.

Learn about your consumers. Care about your neighbors. Stay in touch with what’s relevant in their lives. It will help you figure out how to connect and add value, when you’re ready join in on the conversation.

-Kim, @kimberwom

Published by mghwom
September 25th, 2009 in Marketing Research, Online Tools
9 Comments

NEEDED: WORD OF MOUTH AND SOCIAL MEDIA INTERN

MGH is looking for an intern to support our Word of Mouth/Social Media Marketing team during the Fall semester.

Qualified applicants:

Live, breathe, eat, and sleep the Internet.
Will have a solid understanding of social media tools (social networks, blogs, message boards, review sites, video/photo sharing sites).
Will have a basic understanding about how brands are utilizing various web marketing strategies and tactics.
Will be able to tackle heavy research assignments and should be able to analyze collected data.

We work hard and play very hard here at MGH’s Word of Mouth division. We’re looking for someone who can have a good time while getting his/her work done right the first time.

If you think this might be you (or know someone who might be interested), email Ryan Goff at rgoff@mghus.com or tweet him at @ryanatmgh

Published by mghwom
September 22nd, 2009 in MGH Random
7 Comments

AUGMENTED REALITY SNEAKS INTO PUBLIC RELEASE

For those of you unfamiliar with augmented reality technology, it is defined by Wikipedia as “a live direct or indirect view of a physical real-world environment whose elements are augmented by virtual computer-generated imagery - creating a mixed reality.” In other words, the technology allows developers to lay pictures, text, video, etc. over top of a live image.

In Yelp’s case, the augmented reality feature allows users to point their iPhones at restaurants, bars or businesses in order to receive information (including contact info and consumer ratings) about the establishment. This data is presented as an overlay on top of the iPhone’s video screen. Watch this thing in action:

Yelp’s app puts consumer reviews and other valuable information directly in the hands of iPhone users. By simply pointing their phone’s camera at a random building, they’re instantly provided with consumer-to-consumer recommendations, making their purchase decisions that much easier.

As more applications like Yelp begin utilizing augmented reality technology, consumers will rely less and less on the web (and your website) to acquire information. They’ll be instantly fed this data without having to lift a finger. Literally thousands of consumer reviews could appear right in front of their eyes…even more of a reason that you should be keeping tabs on what’s being said about you on the web.

In a following post, I will discuss some possible ways that different businesses and industries may be able to utilize augmented reality to engage their customers. In the meantime, if you have any thoughts on the topic, please feel free to leave them in the comment section.

Published by mghwom
September 2nd, 2009 in Online Tools, Viral Marketing
5 Comments

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