From Socialnomics09

Define. The first step we take is to identify all of the target audiences possible. Brainstorm every possible person your organization currently contacts, wants to contact and will contact with your plan. Take these audiences and combine them into primary and secondary groups.

Listen. Sometimes we begin to forget that marketing is not all about pushing out information to the public – it is just as vital to take in information.  Talk to your audiences and listen to the common themes they share. Use these themes as answers to your questions and target your communications around what each group needs to know. For example, you wouldn’t send the exact same letter to a loved one as you would to a stranger, so why would you send the same e-blast to people invested in your organization as you do to people you are trying to get to invest.

Research. One motto that we adhere to at Serendipit is that we aren’t afraid to get our hands dirty when it comes to research.  We want to dig deep to find the answers that might have been looked past initially. Whether this means holding focus groups, group and one-on-one interviews with management or conducting surveys, we are committed to finding the true reasons your organization isn’t maximizing its results.

Plan. Finally, after all of the digging, listening and targeting has been completed we set out with a solid plan.  We make sure that all of our bases are covered and our results will be measurable once we complete the tasks at hand.

In marketing there is never just one way to go about a plan.  How does your organization target different demographics than your own?

This is the same question many of our clients here at Serendipit have been asking us.  We think this could be hugely beneficial for your company if implemented correctly also, but since the most recent changes to the Facebook Promotions Guidelines back in December, we all have to be a little more careful about how we market on the social network.

As Caroline McCarthy pointed out in her CNET article, “Facebook just got a little less free.” An approval process to run your business’ contest or promotion through Facebook must be followed and is a new revenue stream for the advertising department.

What exactly are the changes? Here are some important changes and guidelines to follow before going through with a contest or promotion on Facebook:

• Gain written approval from Facebook before beginning a contest. Before running a contest, you must “apply” by filling out a contact form that requests your advertising budget.  In order to run a contest, you must be able to purchase ad space as well.

If you again approval from Facebook:

• Contests must be run on third party applications. Any contests or promotions that require responses, postings or status changes must link to an outside application where fans can post their entry.
• Entry to contest cannot be automatic upon becoming a fan of the page. However, if you make the promotion or contest only viewable to fans of your page, you are able to link to a third party website where fans can enter.
• Access to the promotion must be limited. Users are only able to enter the promotion through the canvas page of an application on Facebook Platform or an application box in a tab on a Fan Page.

Now that guidelines might be a little easier to understand, you can decide if a Facebook contest is right for your business.

Well, here’s a great starting point. A recent study (conducted in December 2009) by MarketingSherpa, indicated that learning about specials and sales was the top motivation of those who friended or followed a brand online. The second most popular motivation to follow brands on Twitter was to learn about new products or services.

Another study, conducted by Razorfish in August 2009, concluded that exclusive deals were the top reason people followed brands on Twitter. It also showed that people who friended a brand on Facebook or Myspace more likely to be a current customer of that brand than those who became of fan of a brand on Twitter.

First off, we have had some amazing things happening with our clients. We’ve had some exciting, hands-on training sessions with Ultimate Student Living (Campus Suites & College Suites) across the country. So far we’ve been working with Murray State, Western Kentucky University, Miami University of Ohio and Purdue University. Tomorrow, we head to South Carolina for training sessions with the University of South Carolina, then back to Tempe for training at Arizona State.

We have also been working on the brand new Trillium Residential website, set to launch in mid-February. For Safeguard Security, we’ve done some great social media training seminars with their team and we’ve gotten tons of media attention. And, our fave tech client, Axosoft, is about to get some huge media attention (we’ll link to those as soon as they are published!).

Plus, we’ve just landed a killer new client, Arizona Spa Girls. We are fortunate enough to be able to help them make their business more successful through marketing, events, PR and sales. We just got started, so watch for big stuff soon.

Most importantly, we’ve hired another Serendipit team member, Katie Huntley. Katie is a killer PR & social media girl, with some great marketing skills as well. She graduated from the PR program at Kent State U (go Flashes!) and has interned with Olson Communications in Scottsdale and The Lavidge Company in Phoenix. She is a mega rockstar and we are so lucky to have her on the Serendipit team.

We also have our fave ASU intern, Jenna Welch, back from break and are pumped to see her take on the many, many challenges that we will hand her.

There is no stopping us in 2010! Watch out world.

With the holidays upon us, it’s sometimes easy to lose focus of business goals. With a struggling economy that has hopefully reached a plateau, if you’re not in the retail business, November and December can be tough months for your company. It’s the end of year and 2010 is right around the corner.
Now is not the time, however, to become complacent and blame your lower revenues on the holidays. You have to continue to think outside the box and even step up your game to end the year with a bang. Here are five ways we’ve come up with to give your company the boost it needs to start 2010 with fireworks!

1. Host a holiday open house! If you’re late on this bandwagon, consider hosting your event after the New Year! As December calendars are most likely already filled with holiday festivities, celebrate 2010 by inviting your customers and clients to enjoy appetizers and drinks and really show case what you’ve got. We, at Serendipit Consulting, can help you plan and invite your attendees to maximize your exposure and introduce yourself to new business opportunities.

2. Send holiday thank you gifts. This can be a simple card to say thank you for your customers’ loyalty throughout the year. Go GREEN with this venture and send an E-card instead! You can also make a donation to a charity that is aligned with your clients’ mission statement.

3. While we’re speaking of charitable donations, invite your clients to give back to your community by promoting volunteerism. Invite your customers to your local food bank and sort donations hand in hand or ask them if they’d like to participate in a holiday food or toy drive. You can do this in a way that will not only show that your company cares, but also build a lasting impression of good will with your clients.

4. Share your goals for 2010 with your clients. Recap the accomplishments you’ve made in 2009 and let them in on what to look forward to in the coming year. Serendipit Consulting can help you create a compelling newsletter (or e-newsletter) to your clients and investors to highlight your company.

5. And finally, don’t forget your employees! Giving back to them this holiday season is an important way to boost morale and send them running full speed ahead into the new year. When holiday bonuses may not be an option, reach out to your partners for industry trades. Present gift certificates and invites for fun (donated) activities to your employees in place of a monetary bonus! They will appreciate the recognition and your efforts will be much appreciated!

We hope that you’re in the midst of a wonderful and festive holiday season and wish you all the best for the holidays! Serendipit Consulting is growing each month and we are looking forward to a plentiful 2010 for you and your own! Happy Holidays!

It’s shocking because, in my opinion, the value and benefits of encouraging the use of social media far exceed the negatives. If your employees are properly trained, they can be increasing your brand awareness, driving traffic to your website and showing company comrade, all through social media.

Of course it’s scary to think about what your employees could say about your company in the social media world if they are frustrated, but as long as you have a social media policy in the place and a solid training program, you can minimize that risk.

If you need help coordinating these classes, feel free to call us! We’re doing it for our clients, and we’d be happy to help you! E-mail us at melissa@serendipitconsulting.com or call 480.250.4315.

So what makes news? As a journalism degree holder, I can tell you that news incorporates seven different qualifiers: timeliness, impact, proximity, controversy, prominence, currency and oddity. You can read more about each qualifier here, an article from the Handbook of Independent Journalism.

You may be saying to yourself, my business doesn’t have enough content to enlighten consumers on a regular basis*. But never fear! I decided to offer a free, all-encompassing brainstorming session of content ideas applicable to a wide range of industries:

How can a brand inform its consumers?

1. (Timeliness) What’s going on in the news in relation to your industry? Relate that back to what your company is doing! How are your employees reacting? How will your company be impacted? How can your consumers affect change? Do your employees have a fun tradition that they enjoy the same time each year – Monday Night Football happy hour, Halloween costume contest or a New Year’s potluck? You get the idea!

2. (Impact) Think about your customers. How is their life affected by your industry? How does your day-to-day business affect them or their neighborhood? Does your company have a green policy that keeps energy costs low, allowing you to pass the savings on to your customers? Does your company have a volunteer program? Explain how your employees are a part of change.

3. (Proximity) What’s going on in your community that involves your industry? Is your company participating in a local event? Will you be sponsoring a fundraiser? Do you support a local/national charity? Are any of your employees volunteers? You could share their account of giving back to the community!

4. (Controversy) Have you or your competitors faced a conflict? What is your reaction? Could that happen to you? What does your company do to prevent situations like that? How are you assuring your customers that your company is strong in the face of the controversy?

5. (Prominence) Has your business seen a celebrity lately? Has a local official or well-known community member endorsed your business? Sure, we don’t all live in Hollywood, where star-sightings are more frequent, but maybe a well-known executive buys coffee and a newspaper each morning from your shop. You can highlight this (with his or her permission of course) and even ask for them to write a blog article for you!

6. (Currency) What is important to your customers? What are they talking about? Are they concerned about the current state of the economy? Listen to what they are saying and you will find a topic that is affecting your business!

7. (Oddity) What makes your brand worth knowing? Everyone loves a good “believe-it-or-not” story. What has your company done lately that is unique or different from your competitors? What service that you offer amazes your customers? Incorporate that in your brand whenever possible!

Finally, as you plan your newsletters, blogs, email blasts and marketing collateral with informative material, do not forget to include photos and videos to make your message stickier! With consistently educational and revealing content, your brand will earn the trust and loyalty of consumers. They will look to you to stay current on the industry. What more could you ask for?

*If after reading this article, you still think your company/brand cannot inform consumers, I challenge you to comment. We, at Serendipit Consulting, will respond will additional brainstorming ideas. There is no industry for which we cannot develop content!