Chirpup is a Chicago based interactive marketing firm which began operations earlier this year. Co-Founders Mark Bradford and Rob Lambert combined efforts to give a 90 min presentation on social media this morning as part of a co-branded Tektite workshop (the first of many such educational events). After watching the presentation, it became clear that the company could not have a better tagline than “Be heard online”, as that is the core focus of their consulting business.
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Main points and applications:
- · For marketers, social media is just another type of media that exists. The same marketing principles that apply in traditional media outlets, such as frequency, reach, and impression also apply on social media. One of the core themes of the presentation is that the technology is often the easiest part of the process. When you learn how to develop the right “marketing machine”, a lot of these things can be automated. The execution of the campaign then becomes a challenge.
- · Mark and Rob define the term “marketing machine” as the combination of social tools which are used in coordination with each other to communicate a message to your ideal audience.
- · At the center of the machine is a blog which is your content hub and presence online. Wordpress was the recommended platform because of the amount of plugins and the link ability of the content. Blogs are supported by Twitter and Facebook to communicate the core message and are critical because Google will zero in one sites with frequent updates and cross referenced links. This is the essence of the “holy grail” known as search engine optimization or SEO. The way that Mark Bradford describes this concept is that the blog is constantly waving an imaginary hand at Google saying “look at me”! If you think you have nothing to say on a blog, you aren’t trying hard enough. The importance of using this tool cannot be overstated.
- · It was surprising for me to learn that Twitter is actually the #1 driver of traffic to the Chirpup site. The site receives over 1.5 million hits in the month of March alone, and it is not a tool that can be ignored. Think of Twitter as a bullhorn that is used to project the company brand; there are tools which can be plugged in to make the tool more effective (Tweetdeck and Monittor). A good strategy discussed on Twitter is to “follow your market” and generate valuable content, inspiring others to want to create a relationship with you/your brand.
- · When considering the right content to use, make sure you choose something that is the right for what you are attempting to do. If video works for you, then get a YouTube channel, but you do not need to have a presence on all social media sites to be effective, the key is the way that you integrate these tools.
In reference to the last key bullet, my next blog will be published to address what I like to call “Social Media Overload”. One of questions asked was how to eliminate inbox clutter, and I have been a master of this strategy from my experience with social media. Stay tuned!
In summary:
Overall, I found Mark Bradford and Rob Lambert to be highly knowledgeable and well organized presenters. Mark acknowledged that he needs to become a better speller due to a few errors in his PowerPoint deck, but other than that, the presentation illustrated the link ability of these tools well. The marketing industry as a whole is still trying to grasp the return on investment of using social media, but it is clear that these are not merely “trends” being discussed. If time and competency are factors from presenting you from learning these skills, then look into the possibility of hiring outside help specifically to manage this content. The ROI is there, but it may not always be self-evident. Ignorance is not bliss as it pertains to social media.
Workshop turnout was lower than I expected, but that was a plus given the small size of the room at Wells Fargo because it would not have been able to fit even 2-3 more people. The location above Union Station and the time of the event made it absolutely perfect for commuters like me to take the morning off and attend without missing a day in the office. I wish that the workshop lasted longer, as it was impossible to cram this much information into a 90 min presentation. I would like to share both of the presenter’s contact details with their permission as they are happy to discuss specifics and work with individuals/companies looking to be heard online!
Mark Bradford
Rob Lambert
312.401.8152
Photo courtesy of Google
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