THINKing

Social Media Questions

In part 1 of this series we talked about the strategic approach to social media. Now, it’s time to start asking some serious questions about your target audience.

Social Media: Strategic Or Tactical?

A friend asked me recently to come talk with him about social media. He has an international client that still focuses on the traditional methods of reaching influencers, the channel and consumers. He wants to think through whether social media is viable for this brand. So, that got me thinking about the nature of social media. This is the first in a series of posts about social media planning.

Everyman 1, Influentials, 0

Back in the 20th Century, you might remember, PR people were advised to determine who were the influentials in their market and spend the majority of their efforts reaching these elites. The theory was that if you reached these centers of influence – the media or someone who could influence popular culture – you could develop more targeted programs and avoid a mass approach. Approaching influentials was less expensive than mass communications.

Links – 4/24/2009

Here are a few things I’m reading today about journalism and the newspaper industry. Thought you might have some interest:

NY Times Has No Plans To Go Private

The Newspaper Biz: More Poison Please

McClatchy’s Ad Revenues Fall 29.5%

Wikipedia Founder: How To Save Newspapers

Social Media Generates Leads For Mainstream Marketers

More mainstream marketers are jumping on the social media bandwagon. The Center for Media Research reports,

According to a social media study by Michael Stelzner for the Social Media Success Summit 2009, 88% of marketers in a recent survey say they are now using some form of social media to market their business, though 72% of those using it say they have only been at it a few months or less. 

Creative Destruction

It’s happening all around us and has been happening here in America since Europeans hit the shores. It’s the “creative destruction” that economist Joseph Schumpeter borrowed from Nietzsche. According to the 20th Century economist,

Tap Employee Passion

Meriwether Lewis set the stage for the Corps of Discovery’s success before one single “employee” had been hired. From the outset Lewis and Clark engendered a communications culture that brought in the right prospects, then kept morale high and increased the productivity of those eventually hired.

Links – 4/9/2009

Today’s post is for sharing a few things I’ve come across in the past couple of days, and to resurrect a post or two from our dusty archives that speak to job-hunting. Let’s get going:

Even In Recession, There Are Jobs In Media

How Not To Get A Job With Social Networking

Communicating In Tough Times

I didn’t need a new Nielsen study to tell me that a financial institution can improve customer confidence through advertising. It only makes sense. If the bank has the money to advertise, the perception will be, that it has the money to pull through hard times. Could be a totally false perception, but there it is.