Social Media Marketing | Indian Social Media Landscape - Part 5 Indian Social Media Landscape

Archive for the ‘Social Media Marketing’ Category

QR Codes: Potential Social Media Trend

Friday, March 1st, 2013

QR Codes, also popularly known as quick response codes have come up as an essential marketing trend in these few years. These square designs have been found popping almost everywhere, be it magazines, in stores, direct mail pieces etc. to name a few. QR Codes are computer generated images that help customers to directly connect with websites or online platforms without typing a URL. These codes can be easily scanned with Smartphones directing the users to the online content. The QR Code trend is catching up fast and almost all the industrial sectors, professions and brands are using it.

Today, majority of searches happen online through Smartphones which is another important factor for businesses to provide their brand’s information etc. in a mobile optimized format.

We all have at some point or the other seen QR Codes on posters, business cards, magazines, newspapers and all such places where advertisement is done. These quick response codes are also termed as one of the effective marketing tools. These QR Codes provide the users or viewers with a link to that particular company or brand’s website, services or contact information.

QR Codes facilitate the sharing of targeted information with the audience or people keen to know about your brand or business, instantly.

Businesses can use QR Codes to:

· Provide discounts and offers
· Share the brand video or content
· Make it hassle free for people to join them online
· Get a quick feedback via a short survey or poll

Brand managers and advertisers are not only in search of creative places to put them but also extremely unique methods to put them. In this case, Social Media platforms like Facebook and Twitter are turning out to be the most popular places to put them with amazing content too.

It goes without saying that marketing trends come & go, but QR Codes are positioned in such a way that their use is growing every year. Firstly, the Smartphone users are increasing everyday and secondly, the QR codes direct the users to a content which is not static but one which is relevant and updated. And finally, the most important factor that makes QR Codes stand out is their compatibility with social media tools.

There are more than 200 million active users currently accessing Facebook through their mobile devices. People that use Facebook on their mobile devices are twice more active on Facebook than non-mobile users.

QR Codes can be used at:

· Stores: One can post a signage with QR Code that links to a website that gives full details about the product, offers etc.

· Events: The printed materials can have a QR Code through which customers can access detailed content related to the event.

· On Business Cards: Apart from telling about you, your business cards can direct people to a link that speaks about your business too.

· Print Ads: Along with a call to action, QR Codes on print ads speak more about the brand story beyond what can be placed on small ads. Consumers can be offered rewards on scanning these codes too.

What to do for a perfect incorporation of QR Codes into a Social Media strategy?

Well, when doing so, its better to keep it simple.

One effective approach can be to give a vCard or links to your brand or company’s social media networks such as Linkedin, Facebook and Twitter. If you have a blog or some other content linked to your business, you can also provide links to that as well.

Unlike printed collateral and platforms, the data at the URL which is linked to the QR Code can be regularly updated which can help you to update the content as and when required. Whenever you plan to add the QR Codes to your marketing strategies, ensure teaming up with a QR Code specialist who can render a smooth execution & administration, offering you an ease on managing your QR Code campaign.

Planning to use QR Codes in your Social Media Campaign?

If the answer is yes, then here’s what you need to know. There have been numerous debates on the use of QR Codes. Are people aware of the use of QR Codes? Do they know the how & why of QR Codes? Are people interested to use them? People feel that they are not appealing and have an unattractive feature.

On a positive note, if brands and businesses are planning to integrate the offline with the online marketing campaigns, QR Codes stand out useful. QR Codes have a great power to direct anyone to any corner of a website. For example, if one has a huge URL that further links to some product of some design etc. they can use QR Codes in their ATL marketing to direct them to the same.

Making QR Codes look great on an advert is one thing that should be taken care of with creative and engaging solutions.

In order to enhance the overall exposure of your brand you can direct them to social media websites. As a core part of their marketing strategy, brands are directing or shifting their users to social media platforms. Here, QR Codes can help users get their quickly. Of course with smarter phones!

For a Successful QR Code Marketing Campaign:

· There are a few steps you should keep in your mind before planning a QR Code campaign strategy.

· Plan your QR Code campaign strategy by understanding your target audience, exploring the objectives & providing suitable incentives.

· Produce Quality QR codes and do test them in order to avoid any brand flaws.

· Test the QR Codes with several readers & devices

– For clean codes, use link shorteners

– Use mobile optimized sites to link your QR Codes

· You can track your scans and gather important data with popular code management systems

· Give your codes a value; they can act as a lead generation tool too.

QR Codes are invading the market space and QR Code scanning is growing at a fast pace for Twitter and Facebook interactions. The idea is to access vast information just by scanning them.

QR Codes for social media can be used by implementing a few techniques like:

· Generate QR Code from QR code generators and link them to social media networks like Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin.

· Subscribe to an RSS feed or join a mailing list.

· Share content to praise some consumer experience or special deals & offers along with updated brand information.

· Engagement through polls, surveys and call to action can give useful data on ideas and feedback of users, their behavioural information and link to landing pages & promotions respectively.

· Targeting by finding out from where are people accessing your brand information via QR Codes on certain platforms.

· Offline and online actions by users can be linked to craft communities and raise influence.

QR Code can help a business increase their Facebook ‘Likes’ building large connections with the customers consistently. It can be placed anywhere and it allows people to ‘Share’ any content throughout the platform. One can create a link to a Twitter profile & increase the number of followers. With a QR Code, customers can ‘Tweet’ the content to ‘Followers’. Customers can be linked to the page, boards or maybe directly to the product pictures pinned on the boards. Adding a little dynamism to the print advertisement with a QR Code can direct users directly to a commercial on YouTube. One can also market a coupon which can later be redeemed in person after scanning the QR Code. These coupons can also be shared on social media platforms. Directing users to some app with a QR Code is also a great effort.

One can create Social QR Code for different social media platforms in just a few clicks.

Don’t miss out watch the Blackberry Messenger QR Code Ad.

Instagram also took a step ahead towards QR Codes:

QR codes can direct users to websites, contact information, send SMS texts, and even help businesses and people get Facebook “likes.” To generate a QR code that can be used on a social media profile, it needs to be in a user friendly format (jpeg is a user friendly format) that will be useful when trying to integrate other applications for the QR code.

After uploading the QR code to Facebook, customize your Facebook post.

You need to customize a few components:

· Title: it is the headline which is helpful in grabbing the attention of Facebook Users.

· Description: provide all the important information about your campaign here.

· Image: place the QR Code here.

· Source: to provide the context for the campaign, the brand linked with the social QR Code campaign should host the code.

Followed by this, the campaign can be taken live on the Facebook page.

· Users will be able to view the ad of your business or website with the QR Code.

· They will scan the code and would be provided with a URL to website and an URL to share on Facebook.

· QR Code is then posted to the user’s wall & news feed and they can share it with their friends.

· There are a lot of benefits attached with a social media QR Code campaign. Your content can be shared across the platform amongst tons of users. Therefore, a huge amount of customers get enticed to your brand and business.

QR code traffic is growing in a fast pace. Brand managers can enhance their marketing strategies with these special QR Codes by bringing the online content to the mobile audience.Times ahead with QR Codes & the potential with them is limitless. It would be a really great thing to see how they imbibe the factor of connecting people with technology and rendering them enhanced experience. It is pretty exciting to wonder where these codes will stand in future when the complete content will be embedded in the code. How would you take advantage of the phenomena of QR Codes? How would you like to link it to your social Media strategies?

Tags:Mobile Technology, QR Code Campaigns, QR Codes, QR Codes in Social Media, Social Media
Posted in Blog Content, Blog Visibility, Blogs, Social Media, Social Media Marketing, Social Media Research, Twitter | No Comments »

FMCG Brands Now Powered by Social Media

Tuesday, January 15th, 2013

When we discuss about the FMCG sector, we can see that nowadays consumers are provided with numerous choices in every shelf of every category. Those days have also faded away when there was only one-way communication and are very positively replaced by two-way communication in the social world. This in turn affected the decision making process of the consumers in a great way. The consumer behavior is different now compared to what it was years ago.

Consumers’ today research, review & seek recommendations; analyze the post purchase experience etc. before initiating any purchase. Their will to reach out to the brands directly and with ease has become easy with social media wherein the engagement and interactions lead to purchase decisions.

When leveraging an FMCG firm using social media, one should base it on few parameters like: core consumers, their engagement, tracking the interactions about the brand, measuring the success of the brand in social media and most importantly the challenges faced by FMCG brand managers in the social space.

In order to identify the core consumers, FMCG brands should not think of segmenting their social media audience. Instead, they should try engaging with the existing customers irrespective of whether they are core or not and utilize the social media tools to achieve brand’s goals.

When you are planning out a social media strategy for your FMCG brand, the initial step is listening to what your consumer has to say. Therefore the social journey of your FMCG brand should always begin with social listening. This will build up a lot of possibilities that the brand can utilize to further strengthen the bond with its customers.

Analyzing the interactions will help you gain a deeper insight into your consumer’s minds and their sentiments towards your brand. For a solid measurement of your Return on Investment always keep a consistent eye on your competitor’s activities and structure your activities accordingly.

Social Media facilitated FMCG brands to become more self expressive and stand out amongst the rest as a more challenging one.

When it’s about FMCG brands, they are amongst some of the most innovative and prompt in their Social & Digital media use. What potentially matters are the efforts taken by these brands to stay ahead in the market.

Before moving on, here are a few ways that FMCG brands should take up to market in social media:

· Plan and implement your marketing activities to know what the consumers feel about your brand. Let them not only know about the brand, but understand it, relate to it.

· Engage with your consumers. Try to reach out to their needs and directly connect with them.

· Your marketing activities should be a part of your consumer’s lives. It should reach out to them to wherever they go as they are the ones who will initiate the final purchase.

· Social media is more of a two-way communication. Do remember to ask questions to your consumers and get ideas.

· Last but not the least; do not confuse social media with media. Both have a different approach and strategy.

Challenges for FMCG brands in Social Media

An effort needs to be taken by FMCG firms/brands to not just limit their strategies, thoughts and marketing activities to campaigns in social media, but to think beyond that. They need to structure ways in which the can use the social media tools to engage more consumers persistently.

There is a great potential for FMCG firms to create a mark through social media platforms. Moving ahead, viral videos etc. can be great for an FMCG brand, but they might end up being recalled as a video or some game, but maybe not as a brand. Therefore, a strong consumer engagement through effective social media marketing on a regular basis sees greater prospects for the brand.

What the entrepreneurs need to focus on today is that social & digital media need to be integrated with all the marketing activities effectively for a successful rise of their brands.

Social Media offers the FMCG marketers a direct access to the users of their products. Engagement, of consumer with the brand gives an insight of what people actually want from the brand.

Well, there can be times when an FMCG brand has to face problems such as time consumption and signifying the Return on Investment followed by lower levels of commitment by the consumers more likely occurring due to reduced brand resonance. In order to avoid or overcome these hurdles, FMCG brand managers need to focus on a certain principles to work successfully on social media:

– Set Goals

– Clearly understand the Social Media Tools

– Set up metrics to measure success

– Relate to the consumer

– Discover influencers & Invest in success

– Flexible approach

– Measure social media responses

– Consistent Interactions/Conversations

FMCG firms need to monitor and analyze the insights of their brand’s social media presence on a regular basis. One has to keep a check on what consumers are talking online about their brand and their competitor’s. An essential social media strategy will help a brand to maintain its industry standards and stay on top.

Therefore, the most authentic part of any social media strategy shines when an FMCG brand manager takes care of certain parameters namely:

– Consumer Insights: Examine the conversations happening about your brand and your competitor’s brand and plan your communication based on that.

– Competitive Analysis: Identify what your competitors are doing already and design your strategy to stand out as a stronger brand.

– Customer Service: Interact with your consumers, respond to their queries, enquiries etc.

– Track Trends: Discover the trending topics regularly and track them for a better understanding of your communication strategy

– Category Research: A regular study of your product category will give you a larger picture of your presence in the same.

– Crisis Management: Stay well equipped to identify and respond to potential crisis circumstances.

The marketing of FMCG products on Social Media, as we discussed earlier is not an easy victory that can achieved in a day’s time. One has to be aware of the fact that a consumer nowadays is more concerned about what they feel when they purchase and use a particular product.

FMCG brand marketers therefore stress largely on the feel good factors and factors with which consumers easily relate to.

Have a look at an exciting blend of information on the Social Presence of few of the FMCG brands:

Cadbury

With a focus to make everyday a celebration, Cadbury Dairy Milk went a long way to establish itself socially. When Pappu passed his exam, Cadbury came up with its ‘Kuch Meetha Ho Jaaye’ proposition followed by the ‘Shubh Aarambh’ one. Its doing really well on social platform. check out Cadbury Dairy Milk on Facebook.

Maggi

The lip-smacking noodles delight, Maggi came up with the ‘Meri Maggi’ concept and reached out to the nation widely. Its tonality online is very generic, neutral and simple.

Facebook

YouTube

Nescafe

Nescafe India Facebook page’s communication is based on the “Shake it, Make it” campaign. Although the brand does not involve lot of things that can be spoken about but its online campaign and activities keeps a major consumer base hooked to the page. Nescafe on Pinterest works a lot in creating an interest in consumer’s minds regarding the brand.

Pepsi

Pepsi as a brand is more youthful, fun and exciting. Its presence on Social Media is a well thought marketing strategy that incites the target audience to live the brand. It achieved great responses online which further helped them to structure their marketing strategy.

YouTube

Google+

Pinterest

Facebook

Twitter

There rests a great potential for FMCG brands to explore Social Media platforms and leverage their brand identity. The rising competition in times to come will surely influence and encourage the FMCG sector to create a name in Social Media World.

In the FMCG sector, a desire to be elevated on social media will always prevail with the hits of yesterday transforming to the likes of today. What is essential is how you differentiate your brand and make it unique amid the brand clutter. As Entrepreneurs and Brand managers of FMCG firms, what challenges have you encountered in your social media marketing? How have you structured the social media plan for your FMCG brand? Is your social media strategy strong enough to facilitate a real time return on investment?

Tags:FMCG, FMCG and Social Media, FMCG Brands powered by Social Media, Social Media in FMCG Sector, Social Media Marketing, Social Media tools
Posted in Blog Content, Blog Visibility, Blogs, Social Media, Social Media Marketing | No Comments »

Social Media Powers The Energy Sector

Saturday, December 1st, 2012

Recent developments in the power and energy industry are creating a revolution wherein a need has arisen for this thriving sector to go social. What we hope to see now is a social breakthrough in this segment which has started reflecting faintly in India and a little more across borders.

Through this social step, organisations can augment their reach by communicating with their users on matters pertaining to new developments or launches, pricing, billing and other such customer concerns. Developing an innovative application that utilizes social media platform can be a potential attempt towards sustainable development.

Being a part of Power and Energy sector, an organization can leverage the prospects by pushing this utility sector to utilize social media. This will not only foster brand awareness & brand relationships but also enhance customer service. There are a few companies namely Chevron, Shell, Maersk & General Electric who are using this platform to penetrate the consumer minds and initiate engagement.

Now, a question may arise that maybe this would work for B2C, so what about B2B?

The rules would still be the same because in the end people want to do business with people and social channels allow that path for you to communicate with your stakeholders, including your shareholders or any other groups or businesses you deal with. What matters is the culture shift in the way you work with digital presence that you showcase. Integrating social layers into your existing online presence will help you extend your reach and get closer to your audience.

There are a few major electric utilities nationwide which are active on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter and talking about their business, goals & needs to heighten the rising needs for energy conservation etc.

Let us take you through what some organisations in the energy industry are already doing and shining through Social Media:

Chevron

Chevron, an American multinational energy corporation tried engaging people through Twitter. They used a great number of photos on Twitter and drew people’s attention to it.

Engagement and involvement into the Chevron Twitter page increased as the followers appreciated the collection of pictures used by them.

Shell

Shell, a global group of energy and petrochemicals companies is active on Facebook and Linkedin. In the recent past, they used Facebook timeline to tell about those who researched or showed interest towards the brand Shell.

To get people to visit your page, understand the content, ideas and objectives of your brand it is very essential to incorporate audience specific content on your Facebook page.

Linkedin has also branched out proficiently. Shell’s presence on Linkedin, gives a professional insight of their brand. Hence, it also helps them to connect to the various experts of the industry.

Maersk

Maersk used the Facebook custom apps to increase the interactions. People/followers could check which app meets their interest. Accordingly, one can click on either explore Maersk, jobs, photos or page guidelines and explore the apps.

General Electric

General Electric, India has its social media presence through Twitter. It’s a fairly balanced page where interactions are consistent, carried out with the followers on the page.

Gone are the days when Energy sectors were stung by a newspaper, trying to show the full page ad where its route was controlled by the organization itself. Hence, targeting the target audience through social media platforms will not only mean spreading their business/goals/objectives virally, but also tracking the conversations building up around the same. People view, engage and at the same time interact once they are aware of the turn of events related to their environment, especially when you are talking about reforms in the energy sector or current issues.

With solar plants, wind plants and turbines operating continuously and the demand for energy being on a steady rise in the forthcoming years, there’s a need for this sector to spread the word online, reach out to specific people and build a long term connect.

India is yet to see a great deal of Organisations from the Power and Energy sector integrating Social Media into their marketing goals.

Although certain organisations in the power and energy sector do have a fair presence on platforms like Facebook and Linkedin what do you think of their future social presence? Do you think Social Media will play a significant role when the escalating demand and competition among utilities and consumers regarding this industry and the real time interaction between them rises?

Tags:Chevron, Energy Sector, Leverage Energy Industry, Maersk, petrochemicals, Power & Consumer Energy, Shell
Posted in Brand Promotion, Social Media, Social Media Marketing | No Comments »

Social Reinforcements For Trade Fairs

Thursday, November 15th, 2012

When it comes to trade fairs and/or exhibitions, employing a sturdy social media strategy ensures that the on-ground face-to-face efforts by an organisation goes down smoothly and reflects a desirable quantifiable output. In spite of the proliferation of social media into almost all aspects of business, there are still places like trade shows (a place where the brand comes alive in the physical world for user/customer experience) which leaves an enormous scope for social media to jump right in and augment a favourable impression as a product/service of consumer choice.

Having said that, careful and meticulous planning often goes into effect before the actual booth is setup at the event. Social media strategies are hence, usually prepared well in advance and are devised in three stages; pre-event, at the event and post event. Here we look at some of the ways in which trade fairs/exhibitions are leveraging few of most popular platforms out there on the social network.

Facebook:

The big daddy of social networks is the first platform that comes up in discussions when a social media strategy is being discussed for an upcoming trade fair. Understandably so, Facebook is a platform where it is possible to tap on to a vast reserve of existing as well as potential customers owing singularly to the massive reach and expanse.

Pre-Event:

Setting up an exclusive event page is the first step in creating a presence on the social map. This should ideally happen a few months prior to the actual day of the event. A careful screening of potential attendees, individuals or groups, has to be done prior to event invites being sent out.

Once the page is set up and invites sent out, content pertaining to the event has to be posted from time to time to spark discussions among the attendees. Having compelling content on the page is the one of the key measures to ensure the audience does not lose interest in the event. It could be anything that concerns the trade fair. From fun trivia about the venue, legacy of the event, increasing number of attendees to serious numbers that speak volumes about how such events and exhibitions have benefited brands and companies over time. Besides this, there could be incentive based posts that could be redeemable at the booth on the day of the fair. This would definitely add traction to the event page.

@ The Event:

Continue the pace set during the pre-event by posting pictures, candid moments, interviews etc. on to the event page. At this stage, the focus should be at the happenings at the fair and the booth in particular. A product/service showcase to the customers at the booth and in the venue is the real time experience that is going to drive sales, eventually.

Post-Event:

This is one of the most crucial stages that cannot be overlooked as it is in this stage that one mines out data, information and cues that determines what/how the next trade fair should go down. On the event page, it is important to keep the dialogue and engagement going on. This serves as a goldmine of insights as the page conversations are evaluated for customer likes/dislikes, needs and wants. Not to mention the frequent follow up lets the audience know that they’re valued and their say is taken into consideration by the firm to come up with products/services that are more aligned to their interests.

Twitter:

The rapidly growing real-time social networking and micro-blogging platform is the key to win loyal and potential customers in the long run.

Pre-Event:

Generate ample amount of awareness and anxiety by running tradeshow #hashtag campaigns to feature in trends. While the awareness is in the process of building, follow partners, associates, sponsors, decision makers and key influencers and follow their movements about Twitter. Run contests and sponsored ads or promoted tweets, if the budget permits and engage with the potential audience while answering queries. Share links about the trade shows and practices from the past from time to time along with the brands that are to be present at the fair. This way, participating brands and companies will also gain enough traction besides returning the favour and highlighting their presence at the trade fair.

@ The Event:

Create topics according to the brands present at the fair and host contests while engaging in quick real time plays. Keeping the followers on the move by encouraging them to participate builds up the tempo and lets the tradeshow trend and gain recognition from other similar tradeshows. A plus side to this is that it falls under the non-participating brand scanner and highlights the potential of the tradeshow to provide a ready set of customers at the next installment of the same. Hence, an increased possibility of tie-ups with more brands and companies.

Post-Event:

Tweet links to the happenings at the event. Interviews, customer-engagement with staff, photos of participants of various contests etc. usually let the followers know that they are not forgotten. Engage with them and make new connections based on leads generated at the event. In fact the regularity and frequency of engagement is one of the key ingredients that go into building up the tempo for the next year. Gauge the results of engagement by getting to know exact numbers of followers gained. There are many online analytics available that throw out such data.

Linkedin:

Linkedin is undoubtedly one of the best social networking platforms where the business networkers and professionals of the world get together to chart a dynamic convergence of ideas pertaining to business growth and opportunities. Let’s see how this forum helps in popularising the trade fairs.

Pre-Event:

Trade shows are all about giving a physical facelift to business and professional connections and in the process, expanding the pool of potential customers and brand evangelists. Since it is relatively easier to profile individuals on Linkedin than other forums, the first order connections of the trade fair group should ideally be the first ones to receive invites. Needless to say, invites could be sent out to other similar groups of interest too. Besides this, adequate buzz created well in advance through posts and engagement with brand or other trade show groups would enable a top-of-the-mind recall.

@ The Event:

Update the group profile with grabs from interviews of the brand representatives at the booth; build up on the engagement by tagging brand pages of brands that are hosting a booth at the tradeshow. This increases synergy and the potential customer base that is part of these discussions on groups could even migrate to the tradeshow group for exchange of ideas, contacts and know-how.

Post-Event:

Convert the leads generated during the fair and build up on the newly formed first order connections. Share and welcome ideas and feedback from them. It is also possible to keep the activity on the page abuzz by talking on various topics on brand marketing, product features, customer service etc.

YouTube |Blogs | Pinterest | Foursquare:

Apart from the big three platforms in the social media space, trade fairs could use a combination of few of these prominent channels to maximize their impression in one, two, or across all the three stages. Say for instance, if the fair is showcasing brands that are high on design factor, it makes sense to create boards on Pinterest during the Pre-Event stage. Visual presentation of the booths or products creates a slight spur in the minds of attendees or potential customers and aids in better reception at the event.

Foursquare, the location based geo-targeting social networking platform allows to place the trade fair (venue) on the map. Creating a check-in venue prior to the event and following it up with quick contests keeps the audience on the hook. Give away goodies for check-ins and put out customised badges till the actual day of the event to build buzz, all the while keeping the audience on the hook.

Also, having a dedicated blog and YouTube channel only adds up to the appeal of an event. Blogging early prior to the live fair, sets a voice. This establishes what the trade fair is going to be about, what people could hope to be greeted with, the purpose and all that goes into making it a grand success story. To aid the blog, a micro-site is often set up alongside in order to hold contests, share information, audio-visual links, photo gallery etc. and let people keep a tab on the pulse of the fair. A YouTube channel meanwhile could be used to showcase video clippings of previous years. For the current running of the trade fair, live feed could be telecasted to those who are not physically present at the venue. Interviews with brand managers, representatives at the booth and customer interaction and contests could be uploaded post the event to have a go-to archive at any point in time for reference.

Do you think trade fairs stand to benefit from these strategies? What are some of the ways in which you think trade fairs can use social media better? Although integration and having the right social mix is what must have crossed every social media strategist’s mind, how do you think these platforms stock up in the long run?

Tags:@ The Event, Blogs, brand visibility, customer interation, exhibitions, Facebook, Foursquare, LinkedIn, micro-site, Pinterest, Post-Event, Pre-Event, trade fairs, trade shows, Twitter, YouTube
Posted in Social Media, Social Media Marketing, Social Media Research | No Comments »

The Art Of Social Performance

Thursday, November 1st, 2012

Just like any other business across industries and sectors, art and performance too need a boost when it comes to reaching out to a wider audience and grow. Having a social media presence was and will probably not always ensure direct sale of tickets or contribute to the income of artists. What it will rather do is build engagement and conversations and in the process help people in remembering and recognizing the name and who knows, it might even drive audience in. Let’s look at how social media is pioneering a whole new culture of enhanced audience reach out and increased awareness.

With the explosion of social media came a tech savvy breed of artists, musicians, performers and the likes of other creative individuals and organisations who ushered in the age of dynamism; not just in the ways of personal expression, but also in ways how it is consumed/experienced by the audience.

For the Shutterbugs:

For instance, Andy Adams’ Flak Photo, integrated with Twitter and Facebook and Slideluck Potshow’s extensive use of Ning network (enables users to create custom social network) are unique photography-driven initiatives that sets up a community of photographers who appreciate visual art and furthermore fuel art education. Curators, editors and photography fans throng these portals in search of rich and original visual captures, often lesser heard of in popular circuits. According to Adams, the major benefit of such forums and Facebook is to inspire and encourage international dialogue about the works and artists featured.

Besides these highly customised and type-centric portals, there are blogs, of course, which serve as one of the most affordable and the most feasible platforms to get the word out.

For the lovers of brush and canvas:

Individual artists or art organisations or museums are coming up all over the over the world and a lot of them usually treat social media as their second nature. To serve as an example or two, the Minneapolis’ Walker Art Center offers a platform for art aficionados to connect and join on various discussions, showcases and events with the content put out on the site pertaining to design, education, new initiatives and visual and performing arts. In addition, they publish art history and podcasts are made available through their iTunes U channel. One of their tabs on their Facebook page, At the Center, gives out details of exhibitions and events at their modern and contemporary theatre that is home to performing arts, dance, theatre and music. To keep patrons and enthusiasts hooked in real time, Twitter serves as an ideal medium.

The Brooklyn Museum in Brooklyn, New York, follows a similar approach by employing community tools and integrating various multimedia options to garner and tap on the socially savvy audience. The museum provides and encourages users to explore the museum’s collection online. In addition, an aggregated blog to keep the dialogue live and a regularly updated Facebook and Twitter accounts let people discover the plethora of artists that the museum endorses; all the time ensuring they point to the website/blog for fresh content. For a nominal fee, one can choose to take up the social networked museum membership that allows access to exclusive events and artist-created content.

For most independent artists, a blog usually provides an economical and effective option to exhibit and publicise art works and philosophy. This builds up the steam and in due course a fan page/profile on Facebook or a profile on Twitter augments the artist’s independent online gallery. After a point in time when an artist/ organisation/museum gathers a critical online mass, videos of interviews, concept development, influences, exhibitions, user reviews among others could be posted on YouTube.

For the purveyors of performing arts:

Music, dance, theatre, films and all associated events/festivals globally are increasingly taking to social media to expand their pool of fans and deliver to them an experience unparalleled. To begin with, let’s consider films.

Hollywood launched the Inside Experience sometime last year in collaboration with Toshiba and Intel to create one-of-a-kind social film directed by D.J.Caruso and starring the award winning actor, Emmy Rossum. The huge success that it amassed was primarily driven through social media. The concept was such that Emmy’s character was left stranded in a room with just a laptop and an untraceable internet connection. The promo clip that was shot and released on July 25^th last year acted as a prelude and offered the audience a chance to shape the film. Up till July 20^th, the audience could audition on YouTube for a cameo in the film. The film got aired in short bursts of episodes that later got edited and shown as one whole film.

The concept required the audience who could be Emmy’s friends, family and a world of strangers to offer solutions and help her escape out of the room she was trapped in. They could tweet to her or/and suggest actions on her Facebook timeline. The best answers were weaved together to form a cohesive plot. Well received by the online community, this stands out as a novel way for today’s film makers to identify the right mix and utilise social media in their favour.

Most importantly, the buck doesn’t stop here. Today, social media offers a host of opportunities to anyone ranging from a documentary or a short film to big budget film-makers. Film festivals have suddenly become a rage with the celluloid lovers. How is this made possible? From the much acclaimed Cannes Film Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival to our very own International Film Festival of India (IFFI), everyone is using social media to bite a grab a bite of the global audience.

IFFI, for instance, launched dedicated pages on Facebook and Twitter besides aggressively promoting their cause on blogs, consumer forums and news sites. This was followed by closely monitoring and following the partners, prominent celebrities across the globe, directors, producers and other related film festivals. Grabs from films featured, the schedule, major star attractions and exclusive grabs of interviews along with pictures were circulated through select social networks in the run up to the main event. In a span of a month numbers shot up and garnered a lot of international attention and interest.

The music and the theatre community have soared to great heights in terms of using social media too. Although many musicians, theatre groups, organisations and festivals/events are using Facebook and Twitter extensively, this segment is focusing more on niche social marketing. Companies such as Ning provide an excellent platform for any performing group to launch their own social network and have discussions and interactions with a select batch of patrons/fans who could later on become potential ambassadors for the brand. Meetup is one such community that thrives on gathering talent pool with people who share common interests or hangout or collaborate for projects.

Even music festivals and theatre groups’ closer home are not missing out on an opportunity to capitalize on the potential of social media. Take for instance, the recent success of India’s gradually growing into a wide scale and one-of-a-kind music festival, Bacardi NH7 Weekender. Two years into running and bringing together various acts and gigs at a single venue, it has reached out to a growing niche segment of music aficionados and the glory of open air music festivals. Much of its success is owed to the aggressive use of social media. In a span of less than 2 years its Facebook page already boasts of acquiring close to 50, 000 fans and during the festivals it regularly features in twitter trends. The recently launched Festivapp, integrated with Google Play and downloadable from iTunes, is a definitive mobile app that gives a list of similar festivals/events happening in the country. The feeds are reflected on the user’s Facebook and Twitter feed, should they choose to publish it. Besides this, there is an interactive map, interactive schedule and photo booth (allows user to take photographs themed around the festival) feature also available for exploits.

Individual music groups are already a hit on the social media with fans. From announcing tour dates to candid behind the camera grabs, making of a video to exclusive bites from band members and fan interaction; Facebook, Twitter, Myspace and YouTube have become crucial platforms for the bands/groups to get inspired and grow. From bands like Coldplay, Metallica, DJ Tiesto to individual artists such as John Mayer, Rihanna and even the ones closer home; Parikrama, Indian Ocean, Pentagram and others, they’re all branching out to social platforms where there audience already is.

When it comes to theatre, there still is still a lot to be done as there are only a handful of scattered theatre groups or organisations that have a social media presence. Consider for instance, the Mikron Theatre Company in the UK spends a lot of time (40 years) touring (mostly on an old canal narrow boat). Mikron has a page on Facebook, an account on Twitter, a dedicated YouTube channel that showcases open rehearsals, trailers of plays, tour kick-off exclusives etc. and a blog that is integrated to the website that gives sneak-peaks to backstage activities.

Closer home, Prithvi theatre, one of the most popular and illustrious theatre organisations from Mumbai is gradually catching up with the social media buzz. The Prithvi Theatre Festival that is held annually brings together some of the best known playwrights, directors, actors and theatre groups. Promotion primarily takes place through their website, Facebook and Twitter accounts. Although, they have a channel on YouTube, it is sparingly used and there’s a huge scope to utilise this platform.

In your opinion, what do you think of creative entities using social media to draw in audience and deliver entertainment and learning? Share them in the comments section below.

Tags:Andy Adams, Art and Performance, Brooklyn Museum, Coldplay, Events, Facebook, Festivals, Film, Flickr, museum, Music, Parikrama, Photography, Prithvi, SLideluck Potshow, Theatre, Twitter, Walker Art Center, YouTube
Posted in Social Media, Social Media Marketing | 1 Comment »

Thinking Beyond Marketing

Monday, October 15th, 2012

Enough has been raved about social media in the highest chambers of corporations in the past few years. While some of them are still in their nascent stage and undergoing an induction in terms of understanding of how this platform has to be utilised, others have steered ahead to employ meticulous strategies to augment their organisational objective.

The use of social media by the corporate world has proliferated to great extent in terms of marketing efforts. Having said that, it will indeed be really myopic to limit the scope of social media to just that. With the ultimate objective of growing business and sustaining growth at the back of any organisation’s mind, let’s look at some of the ways in which firms could make the most of social media:

Think beyond core marketing:

Social media is seen by most corporations as a marketing initiative and less of a brand execution strategy. While its role in marketing is critical and undeniable, corporations need to focus more on the delivery of service. Customer service, in this regard, is increasingly gaining more prominence as today’s fans (customers) on the brand page of a platform are expecting prompt assistance. This can only be realised when those in the head of the organisations consider employing social media more as an extension of brand identity rather than a mere marketing platform.

Put your eggs in select baskets:

Although keeping tabs on the customer pulse is important, having a presence on multiple social networking platforms to lap up all-one-can-get is not quite the smartest of moves. Rather, investing more time, money and energy in select channels could prove to be more worthy and effective.

What this means for the company is that it enables them to use their resources in a more focused manner besides letting them exercise more control over the messaging and addressing customer concerns in the process of building on engagement. For instance, most companies would have a Facebook brand page as a primary social network, followed by twitter for real time connection. YouTube provides for a video back-up. Add to this a corporate web log and get the ball rolling. This works just fine for some of the established corporations. For start-ups and small-medium scale enterprises it might not always be a feasible model to pursue. It becomes more so important for such firms to have a limited presence as it offers scope to amplify the roots and processes within a select set of channels.

Specific and not generic:

In order to grow business it is important to identify the areas within the existing social network of platforms that have something collective yet new to offer. Relying on users to share and spread the word about a firm’s product is a norm for most established firms. Due to their popularity in the industry and a known history of customer relationship, it is possible to reach out to a wider base. But, how about the not so established corporations? For them it is advisable to redirect their messaging to parts of conversations that hold that are more specific. Say, have a website or a link to direct customers/fans/networked users to a specific post, update, tab, tweet etc. would yield a much higher impact. This when substantiated with offers and incentives will lead to a higher response rate.

Partnerships beyond the community:

While we all understand that engagement is crucial to most organisation’s well-being and an essential part of the marketing process, it only does constitute an organic growth. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that for many small or small-medium scale enterprises, even in social media, a lot of focus is on inorganic growth and why shouldn’t it be?

Corporations of diverse sizes have to set aside their resources and allot them to new business development rather than only focusing on community management on certain specific social networking sites. It is wise to encourage and build upon partnerships with other entities. With an array of tools and social media platforms available today, to forge a relationship with people and organisations of credible reputation is not that hard either. For starters, small firms could tie up and contribute to bigger firms and gain visibility among the larger audience/customer base. For instance, Linkedin, one of the foremost social networking platform for professionals can give access to other organisations and grants scope to associate and keep an eye on what others, both competition an market leaders are doing in the social space. With time, this will only add to an increased visibility and chances of acquiring a possibly larger customer base.

Mix mechanism for hiring:

That a whole lot of companies are using social media for hiring and recruitment to a certain extent is perhaps not an alien fact. But, due to the delicate nature of the processes involved (screening) it becomes highly volatile for the human resources to tread this path carefully.

Firms, who use social media to hire, need to have a mixed mechanism in place. The initial process of scanning public profiles of prospective candidates needs to be followed up with manual reference checks. Relying solely on social in this area could save a firm from facing legal charges based on discrimination. With sites such as Linkedin and Twitter, the ideal way to create a prospective talent pool is to first get them to follow the company. Once, they show interest it’s easy to target them with messaging that are job centric. In fact this is an ideal opportunity to showcase an organisation as an employer of choice by sharing specific internal news and events.

In your knowledge, how do you think corporations are using social media in their various aspects? Are you aware of any new facet that could have gone unnoticed? Let us know. It is only through mutual sharing that we collectively grow.

Tags:Brand strategy, business development, community, Corporate, corporation, customers, Facebook, Fans, LinkedIn, Marketing, organisation, partnership, social media platform, Twitter
Posted in Social Media, Social Media Marketing, Social Media Research | No Comments »

Social Media Hierarchy

Monday, October 1st, 2012

When the social media landscape was formed, the classification of the audience who took part in it was done on the basis of their characteristics and levels of participation. They were classified as Crowd, Connectors, Customisers, Commentators and Creators. With time though, a new breed began to take shape, one that could not be ignored. And thus emerged what are categorized as ‘Social Collectors’.

Keeping all of these in mind we have formulated the Windchimes 6C Social Evolution Principle.

6C’s of social media in order of decreasing numbers and increasing influence:

· Crowd

· Connectors

· Customisers

· Collectors

· Commentators

· Creators

In the initial stages, an individual is wary of the media and engages in it more as an observer or crowd. This stage allows him to understand the space and the manner in which it functions. Once comfortable with it, he moves on to social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter where he first starts interacting with others, or connecting, by making his/her profile. The use is restricted to sharing pictures, videos and links.

The comfort level with this media shoots up phenomenally after this stage, leading to the next level of becoming a customiser. Here he creates a presence on several social media platforms beyond the basics. Also, he starts using advanced features and applications on his profile. Giving a new look to their profiles, adding features that show their personality becomes a part of the profile.

Every user becomes a collector at some point of time. Collectors are those who use social media platforms for aggregating things that they like on social media and the World Wide Web. They essentially gather things for themselves and also, at some level, invite connectors to appreciate their work. We love collecting things. As kids, we collected coins and stamps. As adults, we collect things that vary in size and cost. Right from pens, sunglasses and watches to cars, antiques and even alcohol. Users collect things with the hope that their collection will grow. In social media space, a collecting site is a place where people would like to gather together all the articles, images and things they discover in the course of time. Just like in real life, the desire to return to the trove, in order to see it grow is a huge part of online world. This is the idea that powers sites like Pinterest.

The fifth layer, commentators, is the intermittent one – a layer which most users cross quickly. The user has moved on to a more active one now and considers himself worthy of critiquing and commenting on what he reads online. The participation levels increase with the comments and votes that he leaves behind on platforms. A sense of belonging that comes with the participation compels him to spend more time on these platforms.

The last stage in this hierarchy is that of a creator where the user really starts contributing to the social media space. He now blogs his views and develops content that will add value online. From here on, the user, if he is consistent with this work, can become an expert in his chosen field. His writing will have followers and very soon, he will move on to becoming an influencer. Becoming an influencer is not included as a stage because we believe it is more about a part of life – it is more attitudinal. It is no more a part of functional learning but it has more to do with discipline. Discipline to write consistently, always creating value, reading the feedback – all attributes that make a successful influencer. Get to know more about top 10 social media writers who are key influencers in our new edition of Social Media e-book.

Tell us which category of social ecosystem do you classify yourself in?
Are you a collector or a creator? Share your work with us. We would love to see it and feature some of the best stuff on our blog.

Tags:Facebook, Pinterest, social ecosystem, Social hierarchy, Twitter, Windchimes 6C's
Posted in Social Media, Social Media Marketing, Social Media Research, Windchimes Comm | No Comments »