Ant Hill Marketing

The more I dive into social media, the more I start to realize there is an endless amount of information, articles, technologies, case studies, do’s, don’ts… and the list goes on… it starts to become exhausting. I tend to get easily distracted where there are too many sites to visit. I find myself hopping from one place to the next until I can’t remember what I was even searching for. Here are some basic tips for sorting through the clutter and finding the info you need (and still be able to get some work done).

1. Read Groundswell- This book does an excellent job of setting you strait on how to approach social media from a business perspective. It walks you though valuable information on not only the technology but the strategy behind it.  It also has some really powerful case studies that provide real life examples.
2. SmartBrief on Social Media- This daily email has been a quick way to reference the most popular topics in social media of the day.  I find that I can easily skim the email to find the most relevant information.
3. Follow key people on Twitter- Depending on how your using twitter (or if you’re using it at all) it can be a great way to keep up on the recent buzz in social media marketing. Find some interesting people to follow (that also provide valuable information) and check in daily.  (for example, @mashable is a good one) Also, if you are tweeting on behalf of multiple accounts use tools like Splitweet into consolidate your tweeting to one interface.
4. Create a dashboard- If you look at my iGoogle homepage, it somewhat resembles a command central, filled with widgets to keep me posted on all of my social networking sites, mail, blog & twitter feeds, news, docs, etc. This helps me find the information I need w/out visiting multiple sites.
5. Don’t focus too much on the technologies- There will always be another widget, social networking site, etc. It can be really overwhelming. If you put to much emphasis on keeping up with each new technology, you can begin to lose sight of what the purpose for the technology is and how it can help your brand connect with its audiences.

Business leaders listen up. Tough times call for tough love and your organization needs that tough love now more than ever. If you have tightened your belt, frozen spending or even (gasp) cut marketing entirely, that may not be the best strategy to get you through.  Focusing on your organization’s brand promise and delivering on that promise in every internal and external interaction people have with your company should be at the top of your list.

One book that helps link the benefits of aligning business and brand strategies is Building the Brand Driven Business by Davis and Dunn.  The authors detail the importance of brand and offer key steps to build a brand to drive long-term growth.  Companies must live their brand and the CEO leads the charge. Internally, every operational area must commit to the brand and align business and department strategies with the brand.  Employees must embrace the brand so they understand how their day-to-day role fits in to the bigger picture, helping them become brand ambassadors.  And, externally the brand must be delivered consistently through all customer experiences.  Brand consistency – a brand that truly delivers – builds brand evangelists.

This book is a practical overview that will help business leaders and marketing professionals communicate on common ground for brand development that fosters business growth.

Building the Brand Driving Business: Operationalize Your Brand to Drive Profitable Growth by Davis and Dunn.