New Study Illuminates Design Ideas for Facebook

New information on how Facebook pages are read was offered today in an article by Sarah Kessler of Mashable.
In a study that tracked eye-movement over the page, the #1 item that got the most attention was "title." Yep, your position in the company where you work.

The other top areas were your profile picture, who you know (your "friends"), and basically the content at the top of your page.

As we progress to better understanding how to use social media in the development and management of our membership marketing programs, these tid-bits help us to best leverage these channels to maximize the impact of our messaging.

I'd be most interested in hearing from any of you as to how you're using FB, LinkedIn or any other social media platform and if you've tested design.

Experts in Membership Marketing is written by Erik Schonher of Marketing General Incorporated.

The inferred power of Twitter!

I'm in Chicago visiting with clients today and tomorrow. After catching the 7:00 AM flight this morning from BWI and a day full of meetings, I was happy to catch dinner and spend some time with my good friend, Dean West, President of Association Labs and one of his associates.

We finished our dinner and began to consume "adult beverages" as we spoke about the days events and philosphized on the association marketplace.

Our waiter, in a hurry to clean our table, spilled an entire glass of red wine on Dean. Simply knocked it over. Now, the wine was Dean's associates, not Dean's. As the waiter went away and quickly returned with a cup of hot water (and I think lemmon), we kidded him saying that "...everything would be ok as long as Dean gets another drink."

The waiter offered "free dry cleaning" and implyed that he couldn't offer a free drink. In fact, he suggested that he should replace his associate's glass of wine as he was 'the damaged party.' Dean immediately produced his i-phone and told the waiter that he was about to be put on Twitter.

Truth of the matter...he never hit record.

Low and behold, Dean received a drink...but no dry cleaning. Oh well, we considered it a win anyway.

Interesting that the threat of social media was necessary to produce what we all (hopefully) would assume to be a natural customer service response.

So the question is, when your members call about a problem or a concern, is your staff solving their problem or do they wish they could pull out their i-phones?

Let me know what you think of this post. 

Experts in Membership Marketing is produced by Erik D Schonher, Vice President for Marketing General Incorporated.  

Email is loosing its effectiveness. So what's going on?

In the past 10 years, the use of email as a marketing tool has grown. But that continued growth is doubtful.

Tony Rossell, a dear friend, mentor and associate here at MGI, recently posted on his blog (http://membershipmarketing.blogspot.com/) some interesting information on email which prompted me to dig a little deeper.

In the April/May, 2011 issue of Chiefmarketer.com, editors stated that: "People were impressed with the idea that email was practically free and that they could communicate with people just by pressing a button. But the reality is that the open rates are steadly decreasing - we're ssing open rates consistently under 10%, and three or four years ago they were in the high 20%'s" (p.22).

The  2010 U.S. Digital Year in Review showed stated that "...email is waning: Total usage of web-based email dropped 9% in 2010 with more precipitous declines occurring among younger age groups, particularly teenagers. It’s clear that communication is shifting not only to other platforms, but to other devices."

Preliminary analysis of the results from the 2011 MGI Membership Marketing Benchmarking Survey indicate that respondents reported only a small increase in using email to build awareness among prospects and little change in using email to engage or onboard new members and support renewal efforts from the previous year.

So, what is happening and where is the budget money being reallocated?

If you have kids, maybe you already know the answer...other online marketing channels. My 17 year-old son does not check his email anymore, nor does he really talk on the phone, nor does he really go to the movies. Its all about FaceBook, YouTube and Skype. These "other online channels" are now the preferred choice over email.

The 2010 U.S. Digital Year in Review Report reports that "In Q4, Facebook widened the lead it took earlier in the year vs. Google and the three major portals, and now accounts for just north of 12% of time online—and it seems to be climbing. Three out of every 10 internet sessions includes a Facebook visit, and Facebook accounts now accounts for 10% of all pageviews in the US. “Facebook” was also the top organic search phrase in 2010 with nearly 2 billion searches on that term–3 times greater than the next most searched for term. In short, it’s a behemoth--and getting bigger."

Interesting point...YouTube is the 2nd largest search engine in the world.
 
The report continues by stating that "Video adoption continues to climb, and online TV is now mainstream: More people watched video, and those that did watched more of it. The video audience grew by 32%, and time spent grew by 12%. The average American watched 14 hours of video in December. Hulu continues to be a big story, attracting twice as much viewing as the Top 5 broadcast sites (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and CW) combined. The proliferation of both publishers and platforms is contributing to changing behavior—creating not only more video users, but more and more ‘cord cutters’ (people who consume TV content solely online.) Based on activity in the back half of the year the rate of change is likely to continue or increase, making video an increasingly important part of the digital experience."

I reported earlier in this blog that:

• 1 out of 8 couples married in the US last year met via Social Media. 
• Years to Reach 50 Million Users: 
• Radio........38 
• TV............13 
• Internet.......4 
• iPod............3 
• FaceBook...9 MONTHS 
• 1 in 6 higher education students are enrolled on-line studies. 
• 25% of search results for world’s top 20 brands are links to user generated content. 
• 80% of companies are using LinkedIn as primary tool to find employees.

So there you have it. The money is moving to other on-line channels.

But is any of this really surprising? I don't think so.

As direct marketers we long ago realized the potential impact of those tools that EMPOWER our prospects.

100 years ago, people who lived in very secluded areas had little choice of stores to buy from. Montgomery Wards and Sears answered this call with their catalogs, EMPOWERING these people by giving them a greater choice in products and services.

10 years ago these catalogs were put on line and no longer did the prospect have to wait 30, 90, 180 or 360 days to get a catalog. They could go on-line to buy their products.

Today, prospects can go on-line to buy their products based upon the recommendations of their FaceBook "friends" and the recommendations of other people who have used the product. AND, if they don't know how to use the product, they can go on-line and find out. EMPOWERMENT!!

More associations are embracing Social Media to not only sell, but to educate and nurture. How are you using it? Do you have a Social Media plan? Let me know.

Use of Social Media in Membership Marketing

We're busy putting together the results of the 2011 MGI Membership Benchmarking Study which will be released at the upcoming ASAE Annual Conference in St. Louis this August. As we take a look at the results I'll post those which I think will provide you with a little "inside information" in anticipation of the study's release. What is real exciting is that, given this is the third year for the study, we can begin comparing results from previous years to get a perspective on practice changes within our community.

In answer to the question of "...what social media is officially used by your association?" here are the results for both 2010 and 2011:

FaceBook, Twitter and YouTube have grown while ALL other social media measured are declining in popularity. Interesting to note is that in 2010, 8% of those associations surveyed indicated "No Social Media" while in 2011 the count dropped to 6%.

When asked which social media has been "...most effective in achieving your membership goals?" 51% said FaceBook, 27% indicated Twitter and 25% marked LinkedIn - Public (versus private).

Erik's Experts in Membership Marketing Blog is written by Erik Schonher, Vice President of Marketing General, Inc. For more information, contact Erik at Erik@marketinggeneral.com

Is it time for your Social Media Audit?

During the past 24 months the utilization of social media and its incorporation into our marketing plans has grown ten-fold. To that point, perhaps now is the time to perform a Social Media Audit to determine if your association is using the tool the best way possible to tell your story and drive your goals?

As we've all performed marketing audits in the past, this kind of thing can be as simple or difficult as you make it. In my mind, the one important question you have to ask is "Are these tactics helping me accomplish my goals?"

Remember that I said it was a simple question.

First, are the results quantifiable? That will certainly answer the question quickly if they are. If not, can they become quantifiable? As I'm a numbers-guy, I always want numbers to help me manage my campaigns, but there are instances when numbers don't really count. If that's the case, bully.

Second, are the tactics/channels you are using keeping within the overall message/brand of the organization? Hopefully you made the decision on this when you developed the campaigns but things do change and upgrades and changes to the programs can sometimes go astray of the brand.

Finally, are you fully utilizing the uniquities of each channel? Video? Text? Messaging? Graphics? Is the copy maximizing the impact? Are the videos engaging and telling the right stories? Are you changing the content enough so it keeps people coming back for more?

These are my simple musings at 4:54 PM on a Friday afternoon. If you have other thoughts, I hope that you'll comment.

Recommended Social Media Platforms Group by Number of Users

Social Media has revolutionized our concept of direct marketing by faciliating the "one-to-one" value that direct mail and other more traditional channels provide to becoming more of a 'conversation.' So instead of simply presenting an offer through, say, direct mail and then waiting for the BRE to return with a check. We now have to present the offer, then respond to a question by the prospect which we need to respond to, which may lead to an observation by the prospect which we need to respond to, which may lead to another question or two by the prospet which we need to respond to, which hopefully will ultimately lead to a purchase.

WOW! What was once a very easy tactical initiative to drive sales with an easily calculated ROI, has now become the proverbial Kraken.

While this is ONLY ONE aspect of Social Media also consider the simple fact that the whole channel is continually changing. What was a good idea yesterday, will become 'old hat' by tomorrow. What is hot today will become so 'last year' in a matter of days.

To me, this is almost like skeet shooting in a cross wind.

The good side is we are an adaptable race. As we become more educated and more comfortable with using Social Media we'll more easily encorporate it into our campaigns and life will go on.

For now, however, if your job includes the monitoring, management and/or promotion of a company's brand through social media, you may want to consider educating yourself about and participating in all the platforms that might matter to your membership organization. The following are my personal recommendations for the average social media marketer to consider, grouped by users:


100 Million+ Users
•Facebook
•Twitter
•LinkedIn
•YouTube
•MySpace (though they're fading)

25 Million+ Users
•Reddit
•Flickr
•Yelp
•Wikipedia

10 Million+ Users
•Tumblr
•StumbleUpon
•Care2
•Slideshare
•Scribd
•DeviantArt
•Digg (fading)
•Delicious (fading)

Up-and-Comers
•Posterous
•StackExchange
•Namesake
•Quora
•FourSquare
•Hunch
•Forrst
•Dribbble

My 17 year old son...another indication that 'social media' may not be the answer?

Sitting here at Rehoboth Beach, DE, part of our summer vacation ritual (for the past 16 years), I'm pondering my son's New Year's resolution...to get rid of his FaceBook account. Yep, a 17 year old, honor society student, heading to college in a year, is getting rid of his social networking link.

Why?

He says its a 'waste of his time.'

Really?

Yes!  It seems he thinks he has better things to do with his leisure time than sitting behind a computer screen for hours at a time and engaging in multiple 'interactions' (my words to represent his sentiment).

His resolution, on the heels of my previous post, may indicate a trend AWAY from social media for our 'student' and 'young professional' prospective members.

This is by no means anything near to being considered 'scientific,' but I think it is interesting that I'm hearing (and somewhat sensing - the same way I felt the dotcom 'boom' was nothing more than a 'thud') this as more and more associations are asking me to develop and implement online awareness campaigns that utilize more and more social media. I think we need to be cautious and realize that, like the dotcom rush, social media is not the great panacea for attracting young members and keeping them engaged.

So, you may want to think twice if you're thinking that you MUST HAVE a social media component to your acquisition programs. It may not produce what you want, you'll have difficulty tracking it, and it may only last until the next big thing.

Are Social Media Platforms the tool to bring in "students" and "young professionals?" Maybe not...

Many associations express their concern about attracting and keeping student and young professional members. To that point, many look to social media to be that 'magic bullet' to attract these members.  But I just attended a program as CESSE that puts brings into question this strategy.

About 10 days ago I was fortunate enough to head to Pittsburgh, PA (check out the architecture and the Andy Wharhol museum if you can - fantastic!) and attended the 2010 CESSE Annual Show. I spoke with a many old friends and made a few new ones. At the show, Mark Crossly moderated a panel session where he invited four student/young-professionals to address the group. I think there may have been well over 40 membership professionals and executive directors in attendance.

While a great deal was discussed, the interesting takeaway was:
1) Separation of personal and business life: don't use Facebook to communicate professionally with us. What about LinkedIn? Maybe, but still not a good idea. What about an association developing their own social networking platform on their website? Most likely won't use it. Twitter...so what. They really didn't seem all that engaged in it.
2) Use direct mail and limited email to communicate with us. WHAT!? That's right, direct mail is still a preferred method of communication. Email if it is used wisely and you get to the point quickly. Txt messaging...better be important. Phone - you can call us as part of the renewal process, but only once.
3) Keep the magazine. That's a 180 degree turn. This panel of scientists and engineers said that they look at computer screens all day and a magazine is a nice change. Will they pay extra for the pub? Most likely not (but then you revise your pricing strategy and raise your dues).

To summarize this...what we've been doing is pretty good. Can it be tweeked? Of course.  But for the most part 'everything old is new again.' For those of you who doubt this, let me point out an observation...WE, as a generation, are developing this new technology and people usually like (love) the new stuff they develop and/or create -- ego, folks.  However, the "kids" don't have that ownership bias and evaluate each of these channels based upon what they deliver to them. Therefore, lets not dismiss this observation based upon our "ownership bias" of new technology. The 'future members' just want the tools they are promised and perhaps many think that a 36 page, 4-color, perfect bound, magazine is better than an e-newsletter -- sometimes.

3 Simple Questions: Developing a Strategy for Social Media

While entertainment companies and a handful of corporations are effectively using social media tools in their marketing, promotions and communications strategies, the majority of associations, our bread-and-butter, still struggle with making the decision "Should we use it and, if so, how?"

First and foremost, lets remember that it is simply a communications channel. Like direct mail, telemarketing, your website, even the corporate water cooler, its a way to communicate your message to someone in a manner and environment that is most conducive to them for listening. I'm reminded of the 'internet craze' of 10 years back when I listen to many people talk about 'social media.' Perhaps, being a one-time dot-comer, I have a jaundiced view. However, it is wise and practical not to base the value of social media (and investment) on what we think it can do.

Taking this approach, we ask 3 simple questions:

1. What communications need is the use of this channel going to satisfy?
2. What is my target market?
3. How are they using social media already?

In answering these very broad questions, remember to think in quantitative, as well as qualitative, terms. Our mantra now is ROI, and as many of us have seen, incorporating social media into your communications and marketing strategies can be costly in both financial as well as human resources.

There is no question that, for a growing number of associations, social media will become an intricate part of their overall membership strategy to increase awareness, drive member acquisition, develop and nurture member engagement, and support member renewal/retention.

But that's not to say it will be for ALL associations.

If you're on the fence, it seems that the best strategy for most is to: see how others are doing it first, then ask your members if they think its important; develop some ideas, then ask your members if they like these ideas or can offer some suggestions on how to make them better; test one or two of the best ideas, then ask you members if they used it and if so when/what/where/why and if not, why; make changes based on their suggestions, then ask your members....

Well, you get my point.

Be Prepared: Your Domain Names May Increase Next Year!

September, 1969, (40 years ago), a group of American teachers sent the first message over the ARPANET, the precursor of today's Internet. Since then America has exercised control over the Internet - primarily in the area of addresses. But this is about to change.

As reported in the 26, September issue of The Economist, a substantial portion of America's influence over ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) will be transferred to oversight committees that "include representatives of foreign governments to conduct regular reviews of ICANN's work in four areas: competition among gereric domains (such as .com and .net), the handling of data on registrants, the security of network and transparency, accountability and the public interest..."

This could mean trouble for many associations: the money spent to establish an online brand could be 'lost;' more addresses means more to keep up with which means spending more time to plan, implement and maintain your on-line marketing and membership campaigns; additional political barriers that must be overcome by associations you want to expand their reach into other countries; new system protocals and equipment to maintain your e-business strategies; and much more.

The saving grace here is that more addresses may also equate to greater revenue opportunities. I could envision new addresses that help us better target potential members and customer. Whatever happens, forewarned is forearmed. Consider this a wake-up call as we go about our 2010+ planning.

Define "Social Media"

In a post dated today, a good friend of mine, Roger Harris, social media consultant and a pretty smart guy, posed the question on his blog Twitter Thoughts: "What is Social Media?"

If you're in need of a definition, a great place to start would be Roger's blog.

http://www.twitterthoughts.com/

Enjoy!