Social Media Videos

Real-time is big-time on social media.

It’s where the rubber meets the road.

It’s where you’re going to get the most mileage out of your efforts.

It’s the social in social media.

After all, if you’re sharing content on the fly, you’re clearly paying attention to what’s going on.

It’s not automated, it’s personally, manually published by a real live human being.

Your audience appreciates the fact that there’s someone there to talk to and listen to them.

Of course, some, if not a lot, of your content needs to be set up in advance using a social media scheduling tool. That’s your brand mantra. That’s you being conspicuous in your presence.

But real-time is big-time on social media. #socialmedia

Don’t forget the social in social media.

If you’re just broadcasting and boasting, you’re missing an opportunity to engage with your followers there and build long-lasting, mutually beneficial relationships with them.

If you’re scheduling all your content in advance and never spending any time yourself on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and the like, the lights are on, but nobody's home.

Don't be be conspicuous in your absence on social media.

Your audience wants to hear from you personally. They want to learn more about you and the people working around you.

The more they know about you, the easier it is to trust you. The more they trust you, the easier it is to do business with you.

This is not cold calling we’re talking about, quite the contrary. This is being there to be helpful, educational, supportive and informative.

One thing leads to another on social media, starting with the social and ideally – if you’re there for business reasons – ending with the sale.

“People like when you interact with them. It’s just human nature,” said Matt Haas during a recent conversation I had with him and Robert W. Lee on my podcast.

And I say yes, absolutely, nothing could be better than having the opportunity to interact with your customers and prospects.

After all, that’s a huge, positive step in the sales process.

That’s why live #video is so effective as a marketing tool. Those whose attention you covet are hanging on your every word. They’ve chosen to listen to you. They’re hoping to engage with you.

Experiment with livestreaming video on #socialmedia. Give the audience the chance to get to know you better and vice versa. The more engagement between you, the more trust. The more trust in you, the more potential business.

That’s why live video should be the next tactic you incorporate into your #marketing strategy.

When #SocialMedia first came around, it was said that every business is a publisher now, that every brand had better be creating content if they wanted to be relevant.

So almost everybody started a blog.

Well, don't look now, but today you’re not just a publisher, you’re also a broadcaster.

That's right, if you want to be seen and heard by the majority of your audience in 2020 and beyond, you had better be recording videos and podcasts in addition to everything else you’re doing in marketing and sales.

In this short clip from a recent episode of my podcast, I talk to Amanda Baier of Vecna Robotics about her team’s recent use of #Video as a #Marketing communications tool.

Being active on social media on an occasional basis is not nearly enough if you want to see results on these channels.

You need to be sharing content with others day in and day out.

You need to be listening to them and engaging with them frequently.

You need to be front and center continuously so that they automatically think of you whenever they need what you stand for and offer.

It takes a multitude of impressions before your audience begins to recognize you, like you, respect you and do business with you.

You need to be conspicuous in your presence on social media.

If I had employees, I would make sure they knew how to use social media.

I would teach them how to use LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and the like on behalf of my business.

I would encourage them to share content online that helped promote my brand.

I would provide them with incentives and rewards for doing so.

This would be a win-win situation.

They would be learning new skills, expanding their own respective networks, keeping on top of industry news, positioning themselves as thought leaders and building better careers.

My business would have a stronger workforce, one that would help me amplify the reach of my marketing communications and tee me up for greater success.

What about you? Do you have employees? Are you training them to advocate on behalf of your organization? How can I help? Reach out to me anytime.

Come down from your ivory towers.

That was a big takeaway for me after reading the book, The Cluetrain Manifesto, back in the day.

That point was made loud and clear to me.

Business executives needed to stop distancing themselves from their constituents and instead start talking to them and even more importantly, listening to them on the internet.

It’s been some 20 years since this book was published, but its main message holds true now more than ever.

Thanks to social media, there is no excuse anymore not to be engaging with your customers, prospects, connections, followers, subscribers, fans and even critics.

The savviest and smartest marketers and advertisers get it. They’re conspicuous in their presence online day in and day out. They’re joining the conversations on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and the like, if not leading them. They’re strengthening their reputations, supporting their networks, building trust, developing relationships and generating leads.

They’ve come down from their ivory towers and they'll never look back.
#SocialMedia #Marketing #Branding #ThoughtLeadership

If you’re automating everything you share on social media, you simply don't get it.

You’re not taking full advantage of all the benefits of being on these channels.

You’re missing out on countless opportunities to engage with your audience.

You’re not able to listen to your followers and respond to them when necessary.

The lights are on, but nobody is home.

You have a presence, maybe even a pulse, but certainly no personality.

There isn’t a face on your brand.

The social in social media is conspicuous in its absence.

By saving time on the publishing end, you’re wasting time in the long run.

Of course, you need to automate the publishing of some of your content, but you can’t forget the human touch.

The value of posting manually on social media can’t be overestimated.

P.S. By the way, this is what I do on social media - day in and day out. Add the human touch. It takes time, sure. But it is time well spent. See for yourself. Hit me up. Anytime.

Being active on social media on an occasional basis is not nearly enough if you want to see results on these channels.

You need to be sharing content with others day in and day out.

You need to be listening to them and engaging with them frequently.

You need to be front and center continuously so that they automatically think of you whenever they need what you stand for and offer.

It takes a multitude of impressions before your audience begins to recognize you, like you, respect you and do business with you.

You need to be conspicuous in your presence on social media.

A lot of things have changed during this pandemic, including what people expect from social media.

Not only are they turning to social media more often lately, they’re looking for a shared experience with others there, a stronger sense of community.

That’s something that was emphasized in an article I read recently written by Victor Snyder for business.com... https://www.business.com/.../social-media-patterns.../

I’m not surprised about the increase in social media usage. Almost everybody’s in quarantine in some way, shape or form. If not necessary for doing business, jumping onto LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and the like is the next best thing to being there with our friends, family, colleagues and clients.

The coronavirus crisis has accelerated the advancement and adoption of online communications technology. In both our professional and personal lives, we’re spending more time than ever online. #SocialMedia

When you put on a special event, encourage everybody involved to talk about it on #SocialMedia, especially the members of your audience.

Ask them to share content about your event before, during and after it, amplifying the reach of whatever you have to say or do to an exponentially larger number of people.

It’s good for you. Not only are you getting implied endorsements from a legion of fans, you’re getting in front of spectators, viewers and listeners who might otherwise have never discovered you.
It’s good for them, too. Yes, according to an article I read recently on the American Marketing Association’s website (“Consumers Enjoy Events More When Commenting on Them” by Gabriela N. Tonietto and Alixandra Barasch, September 23, 2020 https://www.ama.org/.../consumers-enjoy-events-more-when.../), creating content about an experience unfolding in front of them actually increases audience engagement and enjoyment.

It’s a win-win.

So don’t tell your audience to put down their phones. Rally them to use their phones, laptops and electronic devices to promote your event to their own respective circles.

Activate your audience to spread the word on your behalf on social media.
#Content #Marketing #ContentMarketing

It’s a great ad for a great cause.

But it’s much more than just an ad.

It’s a fundraising campaign for small businesses and nonprofit organizations.

It’s about the closing of Coogan's Restaurant in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City after some 35 years in business.

Facebook put this ad together, pledging to match up to $100,000 of the funds raised as a result of this campaign.

What particularly stands out to me about this spot is the riveting version of @gloriagaynor's classic, mega-hit song, “I Will Survive,” sung by Swedish artist, Lykee Li, that accompanies it.

See – and listen – for yourself. https://youtu.be/0w2vNztgecI

In this webinar (which I presented for the New England Direct Marketing Association on August 19, 2020), I talk about the importance of authenticity and immediacy in marketing, especially as witnessed during this pandemic. I share a handful of examples of brands that have pivoted during these tough times, changing up their messaging to align with how consumers are feeling about the world these days. You will learn how the social in social media can help you put a face on your brand and build trust among your audience which can lead to long-term, mutually-beneficial relationships.

Webinar production provided by Robert Lee of ShaLaLaLa Productions and John Kovaleski of OMBM Enterprises.

Age is not just a number.

You can say that again.

Age is not just a number.

That’s the hashtag - #AgeisNOTjustaNumber – in a campaign recently launched by Grace Creative, an agency in Los Angeles specializing in marketing to women.

Featuring a special Age Anthem video (https://gracecreativela.com/work/age-proud-video) starring a number of women who talk about their respective career and life journeys, this ridiculously awesome new campaign asks women over 50 to “Tell us in a video or photo caption the journey your age has taken you.”

This is an inspirational, motivational campaign that anybody of any age should want to get behind, especially women, of course, as this campaign is geared towards them.

Ageism is real, after all, but everybody ages.

Good for Grace Creative in coming up with such an empowering idea and acting on it. Good for all the women who are contributing to the success of this campaign.

This is great #marketing. This is great #branding. This is great thinking. This is great crusading.