Monthly Archives: May 2010

Why Facebook Now Controls the Internet

Posted on May 26, 2010 | Comments Off

Since their announcements at F8 about Open Graph Protocol (OGP), I’ve been following Facebook far more closely that I normally do. Why? From the moment I watched the videos about what OGP does, I knew that the way the internet works will be changed forever. Today I saw something that confirms that Facebook now controls the internet. No, I’m not saying that to be sensational or dramatic, I believe it to be true…a shift has occurred with OGP that will forever change how brands and consumers interact, and Facebook owns it all. How do I know? Because long time rival Google is already embracing Facebook’s new protocol.

More about that in a moment. But first, if you are not familiar with what Facebook has done, let me give you a very brief overview.

What Does Open Graph Do?

Websites can now be uniquely dynamic, not globally static. In other words, each visitor to a site will experience it in a way that no other visitor ever will.

For example, when a visitor goes to a website and logs in using Facebook, they will see which of their friends “like” the site, a single page or even an individual product. In addition to the “like” feature, any site can customize the user experience by displaying personally relevant information like upcoming birthdays, events or hobbies of their friends. In all, there are sixteen categories of personal information that can be shared on the site, creating an experience that is unique for each visitor.

As a brand marketer that focuses on social media optimization (here is a list of companies that I currently or recently have worked for), I’m incredibly excited about how this changes the scope of how we can interact and engage with consumers. It’s a brave new world.

Proof That Facebook Now Controls The Internet

Given what websites are now able to create unique and very personal experiences on their sites, it’s no surprise that many are clamoring to understand and incorporate Open Graph Protocol into their online communities. I wouldn’t think that every company would be anxious to use OGP, however; companies that view Facebook as competition in any way are no doubt less-than-thrilled with this announcement. One such company is Google.

It’s no secret that there is more than a little competition between Google and Facebook. This Wired piece from February 2010 says it well, “this time it’s personal”. It’s not a new rivalry, there are many articles going back several years that describe a similar cut-throat mentality of competition. Given this, I’m truly surprised that even Google has started to incorporate Facebook’s Open Graph Protocol into some of their sites. Today, I discovered that YouTube, a company that is Google owned, is using OGP is a very creative way.

My friend and social media pro Josh Groth put up a link to a video on his Facebook page today. I thought it sounded interesting, so I clicked the link that brought me directly to the YouTube page and started watching (the quite excellent) ukulele rendition of MGMT’s Kids. That’s not the amazing part…what I was shocked to see was the prompt just below the video encouraging me to log into YouTube with my Facebook account! Facebook Connect for YouTube isn’t new, it was implemented last year. However, this move appears to cement into place the premise that YouTube (and therefore Google) needs Facebook.

Although I didn’t log in, it’s a brilliant move by YouTube, and I’m sure many companies will follow. If I had permitted the application to log me in via Facebook, I would have given YouTube full permission to contact me anytime via email, and to pull my personal information (and that of my friends) from Facebook whenever they wanted to, day or night. I would be giving them the keys to the kingdom, so to speak.

I asked somebody to log into the same video, first by directly visiting the URL in their browser without going through Facebook. The result? There was not a prompt to log in with Facebook. Next, they clicked through the link for the same video (same URL) that I had posted on my wall in Facebook. This time the prompt for them to sign in via Facebook was there. Want to see for yourself? Click the link here to go directly to the YouTube video page, then click the link here to go to my Facebook social media page so you can click through to the same video, but from Facebook. Do you see what I see? The prompt to log in only displays (for now) for the traffic that comes directly from Facebook.

This means that YouTube is using referral data (how you get to there site, where you are coming from) to determine if you will see the prompt for Facebook connect. It stands to reason that if you are going to YouTube directly from Facebook, you will be more likely to log in using the Facebook method…which of course increases the amount of information that YouTube can gather, store and use about you. All in all, it’s very clean and smart marketing.

What This Means

As much as I can appreciate the fact that YouTube is really embracing Facebook’s Open Graph Protocol, it’s hard for me to look past that fact that it is really Google using it. In my mind, Google’s continuing embrace and use of technology that clearly incorporates and benefits Facebook is quite telling: Facebook has rolled out something that is so beneficial to every brand and company that has a web presence, Facebook now controls the internet.

Checkmate. Well played, Facebook.

Reprinted courtesy of SOCIAL MEDIA TODAY.

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Posted in Social Media

Tagged ceo info, facebook, facebook's open graph protocol, Social Media

4 Proven Tactics for Email-Social Media Integration

Posted on May 25, 2010 | 1 Comment

With prospects and customers interacting with companies and brands largely on their own terms, marketers will realize better results through the integration of their communications and channels—that’s the overarching message in the latest report from Forrester Research’s Shar VanBoskirk (Courtesy of TargetMarketingMag.com)

In her report, How to Integrate Email with Social Media, the analyst points to some significant benefits of tightly aligning e-mail and social media, including better open, click-through and conversion rates; e-mail list growth; and increased campaign reach and influence through viral activity.

VanBoskirk advises marketers to adopt four specific, proven tactics for integrating marketing efforts across e-mail and social media:

Drive e-mail subscriptions within your social media presence: Place e-mail registration boxes, or links to your e-mail registration page, on your company blog, discussion forum or Facebook page so people can sign up for this contact as they become more engaged with your brand.
Encourage subscribers to share e-mail content. Forrester research from the first quarter of 2010 indicates that 7 percent of U.S. online adults share e-mail content with friends via social sharing tools. Support this trend and benefit from it by not only placing “share with a friend” icons and links in your e-mail, but at the top of your e-mail layout.
Leverage social media content for more relevant e-mails. Relevancy is what prompts engagement and response, so up the attractiveness of your e-mails by incorporating user-generated content from your social media presence. Some strong performers include ratings and reviews, as well as user comments and activity around products, services, campaigns and promotions.
Coordinate marketing campaigns across all media, including social sites. Sync up your marketing efforts across channels, including e-mail drops, direct mail rollouts, social media posts, website updates and more. In addition to surrounding the market, you allow prospects and customers to engage with the information through the path of their choosing.

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Posted in Email Marketing, Social Media

Tagged ceo info, email social media integration, Social Media, target marketing, west coast marketing

Why an email “drip” might be your best bet

Posted on May 21, 2010 | 4 Comments

Here’s an interesting article on classic email “drip campaigns” courtest of IMedia.

Article Highlights:
A welcome series of three to five messages capitalizes on the engagement levels of subscribers
Nurture your non-customers with informational emails that warm them to the idea of making a purchase
Send follow-up messages requesting videos of them using the products or links to submit a review

Few email programs have mass appeal to a mass audience. You might get a couple of clicks, but if you’re trying to maximize the ROI of your email campaigns (and who isn’t?) stop blasting out emails to every subscriber and hoping for the best. Instead, fine-tune your strategy by creating emails that are targeted, engaging, relevant, and timely.

How, you ask? Automated drip campaigns, I answer. This is a game changer. Instead of creating a single version of your email message for your entire list, or a few different versions if you’re segmenting, you create a series of messages designed to lead each person down a specific path based on where he or she is in the sales cycle.

The premise is simple: Subscribers kick off the email campaign through a specific action, such as subscribing to your list, clicking a link in a message, making a purchase, viewing a particular product, or reading a review. Once the campaign is triggered, emails are automatically delivered on a predetermined schedule — a steady “drip,” if you will — until the series ends or the subscriber opts out of the conversation. Drip conversations allow you to communicate with your subscribers on a one-to-one basis, and because the emails are more relevant, targeted, and timely, they have much higher conversion rates than mass emails.

While drip campaigns might contain conditional branching to send subscribers down different conversation paths, they differ from behaviorally triggered campaigns in purpose and complexity. The purpose of a drip campaign is to maintain regular, continual contact with subscribers in an effort to keep your brand top of mind, increase engagement, and accelerate the sales process.

Drip campaigns don’t have to be super complex to work either. Here are some ideas that you can try:

1. Welcome series
It’s no secret that subscribers are most engaged when they first opt in to your list. If you’re just sending a generic welcome message, you’re missing a huge opportunity, not only in potential sales but also in building brand loyalty. A welcome series, made up of three, five, or more messages, capitalizes on the engagement levels of subscribers and helps build brand advocates, turning one-time buyers into long-term customers.

Your welcome messages could be segmented based on subscription entry point or profiling attributes. And by all means, test the cadence to ensure the messages are delivered at the right time.

2. Promotional offers
Let’s face it: Not every subscriber will be interested in every sale or special offer. But you can maximize the ROI of your offer campaigns by implementing a drip strategy. For example, maybe you have a limited edition of a particular product, so you send an initial email announcing the product. A second email might give a special offer to purchase that product. And the third might let customers know that quantities are running low.

3. Product or brand education
Nurture your non-customer audience with drip campaigns around different actions. If a subscriber clicks on a link in your email to read a product review, send a follow-up email with a product video, a product comparison, a coupon for a special discount on the product, or other materials related to the product. With each email you send, the subscriber learns more and more about the product, and you warm them up to the idea of making a purchase.

4. Post purchase
Marketers know that customer relationships don’t end at the point of purchase. But if you continue to send the same types of emails that you send to non-customers, you won’t build strong, lasting relationships or promote customer advocacy.

Your customers are special and need to feel appreciated. After a sale, send follow-up messages requesting videos of them using the products or links to submit a review, ask them to share their experiences with their networks, and, above all, let them know how valuable this information is to you.

5. Cross- and up-sell
When a customer makes a purchase, you can begin a value-added cross-sell campaign offering related or complementary products. You can also offer unrelated products that were purchased by other customers, such as “customers who purchased X also purchased Y.” And, if you know your product’s shelf-life, you can follow up with a replenishable campaign when it’s time for the subscriber to reorder the product. These campaigns keep your brand top of mind and make it easy for customers to purchase, so there is no excuse not to implement them.

One important thing to remember when creating your drip campaigns is to keep the email creative fresh. Don’t fall for the old “set-it-and-forget-it” adage because if you do, you’ll be sending out old, irrelevant messages. As you build your automated drip campaigns, be sure to include quarterly email updates (or more) so your emails remain fresh and relevant.

Ross Kramer is the CEO and co-founder of Listrak.

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Posted in Email Marketing

Tagged ceo info, email drip campaign, email marketing, west coast marketing