Social Media and Personal Relationships

Now that more and more companies are using social media to launch a new product, manage customer reviews or anything else the secret is not a secret anymore. Social media works. However some people are still unsure why it does work. The answer is simple and one that has been around for a long time.

SM Creates Personal Relationships With Your Brand

Since the beginning of advertising and marketing, the goal has been to create a bond with the consumer. Now, thanks to social media the bond a company can have with their consumers is very personal, feeling like a one-to-one relationship. And that is why social media works. Some big businesses might be put off by this idea but they should not be. They are afraid that a close bond with your consumer might lead them to find out horrible things about your company. If this is the case, you need to change the way you operate to start. The advantage of this bond is two fold.

Two Huge Benefits

First the customer will feel unique and special to have an influence over their favorite companies. The better they feel about this, the more people they will tell about how wonderful your business is. Second is that you, the company, will begin to treat these consumers more like friends rather than piggy banks. This will be good because you will actually care if Jane from Austin is happy with her new laptop. Thus you will go out of your way to make your customers satisfied. This is the cycle you will enter if you plan on using social media in your business model. It is a great experience and you need to be doing this. Warning! If you are not fully committed to this idea then it could do more harm than good.

Twitter Acquired Summize

Summize was not in business that long. The website that tracked tweets was a helpful tool to find out what people were saying about your business. Now Twitter has acquired Summize. The new site is branded with the Twitter logo and is referred to as Twitter Search.

Good Move for Twitter?

Absolutely! All companies should be monitoring the new Twitter Search for what people are saying, whether it be good or bad. This was a great move for Twitter to acquire this company because now, not only do they have their logo branded on this popular site but they have the engineers who created Summize moving to California to work for Twitter. For all those a bit late to catch on to the acquisition do not fear. The next time you try to access the old Summize, you will be redirected to the new Twitter Search. Other than that, the site works just the same. Tweet that!

Blu-ray and Disney Go Social Media

Blu-ray is using social media to their advantage. Other companies take notice because this is just another example why social media is not a fad but a trend that is changing business models. Disney has teamed up with Blu-ray to use their new app which Blu-ray has labeled BD Live.

BD Live and Social Media

The New York Times reports that the classic movie "Sleeping Beauty" will be the next DVD to have the BD Live app for the 50 year anniversary release of the film. BD Live uses social media to create an interactive environment for movie viewers. Thanks to Blu-ray's technology, viewers can watch movies in tandem with friends in other locations and chat using a laptop, P.D.A. or cellphone and their comments appear on screen. Parents who are not able to watch the film with their children can record a video message that will pop up during a designated scene as the child watches the film and viewers can compete against others on trivia. These social media tools are a great way to fulfill the consumer desire to be interactive.

With DVD sales dropping, this new app is surely to be a big hit for all movie watchers. Look for the BD Live app on new Blu-ray movies. And congrats to Blu-ray for leading the way. The only downside is that the movie with the new app cost more than typical DVDs, but it's worth it.

Social Media is Changing TV

We all know that YouTube has great videos and that some television shows are available to watch online. What you probably do not know is that the struggles of local television networks to create a big hit is providing opportunities for social media to take control.

Social Media Success to Television Hit

If you have not heard of Yo Gabba Gabba! then ask anyone between the ages of 5-15. The new Nick Jr. show is one of the most popular kid's television series in recent years. If your wondering which Nick Jr.'s creative director came up with the idea for the show, your asking the wrong question. Yo Gabba Gabba! started playing episodes on YouTube and after such a high demand for the show, Nick Jr. picked up the series. This is not a fluke or a lucky stroke of genius but social media paving the way for change.

Future of Television

Now I am no fortune teller but I'd bet my life's savings of $37 that this trend will continue. Here is why. Companies, such as Red Bull, are creating interesting Webisodes to air on video social networks like YouTube and Vimeo. Red Bull with the help of MEN7 will be doing a series of shows about extreme athletic tricks. They hope to be picked up just like Yo Gabba Gabba! for a major payday. The future of television shows will be successful Webisodes from social network sites because this system works extremely well for the television networks. Rather than watch a pilot and hope other people will like the show as well, cable and TV networks can pick the most talked about and obsessed shows online as their next big hit. So for all you creators on YouTube, the incentive for making amazing videos just went far beyond selling your own ad space.

Wal-Mart to Change Logo

Wal-Mart is ready to change their logo. After years of criticism the retail superpower is ready to revamp their image. Maybe now consumers will look at Wal-Mart differently. Or will they?

Changing Your Logo Won't Change Your Image

According to the USA Today, Wal-Mart wants to change their logo to reflect their "renewed sense of purpose" towards consumers. Really? It takes you this long to change they way you react to people demanding a change, and all you do is change your logo! Nice try Wal-Mart, perhaps your low costs have come back to hurt your PR department. Your logo change will not fool the millions of Americans that do not shop at Wal-Mart for your savage attitude you have towards employees and small business owners. You need a new strategy. Sorry, my services are not for hire.

Twitter: Love and Hate

Ever since I began using Twitter, I became aware of two things. The first was that there are many great minds using Twitter to share their ideas and second was that this micro blogging site only works about half the time.

So Frustrating

Let's talk today. I have not been able to log-in to my Twitter all morning. I have been trying for four hours and it just wants to deny me my pleasure to chat for as long as it can. This comes just days after the reply app was "under construction" for about four days. Twitter, please use some of that money Amazon invest in your company to function like a website. Right now I hate Twitter, ask me again tomorrow and I will tell you I love them. It is confusing but we all can understand that.

Can You Solve Social Media?

Do not count on this guy coming up with the answer (he's got a lot on his plate) but will you or your company have a solution? Social media is changing the way we communicate with consumers. You will not find out the answer by getting an MBA, trust me on that one, or by reading the latest blogs and news. Hopefully the following will help because I have experience helping businesses with social media and perhaps my advice will shed some light.

Create, Don't Wait

Every second you are waiting for someone to tell you how to use social media to your advantage, you are missing the opportunity. Now I am not saying to dive in heads first without checking how deep the water is, what I am saying is that nobody has a successful generic template they can give you. Therefore as marketers or business leaders you must begin to test which social media avenues work for your brand or company and record those results. Some will work and some will not. But which ones thrive will depend on you.

Finding a Successful Social Media Avenue

The most important factor to accomplishing a social media campaign is to be interactive. You can do this in all avenues but it is more important than you think. Traditionally advertising has been targeted at large segments. This results with consumers feeling undistinguished and unexceptional as part of a large group. With social media you can actually target a single person making them feel valued. A one on one dialogue is central to this campaign and it is not as hard as it sounds. Do this well and you will turn your average consumer to a full out evangelist.

Responding to Crisis

You are bound to make mistakes because you probably have never done this before. Your consumers will at times criticize you and complain. What do you do then? Responding to a mistake or complaint quickly and efficiently will show your consumers you really value them. Just recall your last phone call to your cable company, nothing was solved and it just made you angrier. Do not let this happen, no matter what. Going through this process you will have to make promises you have never made before and follow through with them. Then these consumers will love you and tell all their friends about how a big company did so much just for one person. Get started by assembling your team of social media specialists.

These factors are not all you need but they are important ones. Let me know what other major factors I should have covered or what I missed.