TheWayoftheWeb

Content and Digital Marketing Specialists

Marketing

The biggest Twitter mistake you can make…

By

I’ve been using Twitter for quite a while (@badgergravling if you’re inclined), and I’ve found it an invaluable place for communication, debate, and refining ideas.

And I’ve also got used to both the concept of following 1000s of people, and combining real conversation, and the growing number of automated blog/website feeds using services like Twitterfeed. But whether you’re Disposable Media or The Guardian, if you’re not responding to direct messages and @ replies, then you’re really missing the point, and not getting the best benefit. Having set up the Disposable Media feed, I’ve been guilty of leaving it too much already, as I’ve concentrated more on my personal endeavours…but even with limited time, everyone is guaranteed a reply eventually – better than The Guardian manages.

Some services – The BBC, The Guardian, etc can offer enough interesting content in specific enough areas to get away with it. Just. But if you’re not a leading news agency etc, you’re better off using Twitter for personal discussion rather than relying on an automated feed to do all the work…

Don’t assume social media solutions are the only answer

By

Out of a long and convoluted debate on Twitter came one important point which is easy to overlook when you’re dealing with social media and buzz marketing. It’s one that other people have alluded to, when they’ve written reminders that social media marketing isn’t the only tool in a digital marketing toolbox, but I haven’t seen it stated clearly…

Some people won’t want to be social.

There, I said it. As a Community Marketing Manager, and a fairly social person, it’s easy for me to think about ways to integrate community into everything I do, and provide research and solutions that show the power community marketing can have.

But a proportion of people just want a clean transaction.

So to prove you really can put community everywhere – in this case it’s about listening and facilitating those members of the community to be able to go straight to the action/transaction and bypass community if they want. And allowing everyone else that wants to engage, to be able to do it on their terms, and be encouraged to do it.

I’d wager those seeking a clean transaction will either be performing a chore – paying a bill for example, and that the clean transaction seekers will be a minority, because industries have been striving to that end for years, and it isn’t working…

A market crying out to engage your brand?

By

Last weekend my willpower collapsed and I bought Xbox 360 blockbuster Halo 3. I’d tried to resist, but when 31 friends are online, and 30 are playing one game, it’s near impossible to hold out.

On Sunday evening, over 900,000 players were online, and numbers have topped 1 million. That’s people online at any one time, and people that have paid not only for the game (Up to around £49.99 for the limited edition version), but have also most likely spent out on buying an Xbox Gold subscription for 12 months of online gaming.

Now imagine if your brand or publication had access to a code to make the main character in Halo3 run faster, take more damage, or even a special character design?

Think the chap that has paid £40 to get a game on release, rather than waiting for a discount, would find it easy to resist? Especially with the peer pressure of 30 of his friends waiting to be impressed by his new skills?

And whatever the brands, there’s a likely game to tie in. Whether it’s a racing game, an adventure game, a sci-fi shooter, or something oddball and cute like Viva Pinata.

Engaging with your audience…

By

Here’s a great example of how to engage with your audience, in a way that works:

Rockstar games has proved itself time and again with the Grand Theft Auto series, and now you can be heard in the next game, according to here.

It’s quick, simple, and doesn’t pretend to be anything other than what it is. And the Privacy Policy and Terms spell out that it’s a promotional/content generating tool by Rockstar.

Next up will be the growing realisation that the internet is available in other places that the United States!

There will always be times when a competition/promotion becomes logistically impossible to run outside one country…but if you can open it up to every country in
the world, why wouldn’t you?

Start growing your business today Contact Us