Archive for the ‘Social Media’ Category

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LinkedIn’s Friday Dressing

Wednesday, August 1st, 2012

f4269_linkedin-logo1-580x385With the big giants like Facebook and Twitter having already received a facelift in the last one year or so, could LinkedIn be left far behind? The world’s leading social networking forum for professionals has recently undergone a cosmetic facelift and it looks quite promising. Let’s take a look at how impressive these changes are.

Lasting Impression:

The first impression is that LinkedIn has definitely geared up to become more engaging. The user interface has seen some dramatic changes while retaining many features almost as it is. The most visible change is doing away with the additional white space that the previous layout had.

Additionally, LinkedIn has introduced a clear demarcation of the various elements of the page into sections for comfortable viewing and ease of access. A dash of blue, black and grey has been added to the menu bar at the top to give the home page a more dynamic look. This menu bar though floats around at the top of the page regardless of wherever one navigates to within the page. This makes navigation simpler and holds the attention of the people on the page longer.

Linkedin

Also, in order to keep the platform dynamism quotient high, the new layout gives the user more updated information through his/her networks with the introduction of a small blue box at the top that keeps a score of updates in the real time; and they don’t stop at that.

Few of the sections to the right wing of the page give out clear numbers and statistics to an individual’s networking circle. The ‘who’s viewed your profile’ is the cue to discovering potential connections based on interest and an option to connect or message them is present, based on the degree of connection one has with that user.

Getting Personal:

The most radical feature that now greets us as we land on to our page is the introduction of LinkedIn Today panel that acts as a storyboard for all the information or news feed that one would require. What this means is, there is more customized flow of information on the news feed that is virtually impossible to miss out. Add to that, the improved graphics and bigger images that utilizes the space with a photograph to supplement each story. What’s more? Just like Twitter, this feature enables user to be in tandem with the hottest trending topics in their professional network with suggestions to follow industries and customize news. We say, it’s a winning move indeed. Although we must add that the photographs of users in the feed could have used some better placement as the left edge has no margin space, which makes it appear to end abruptly on one side.

Linkedin Today

Linkedin’s Caroline Gaffney had to say this about the move behind these changes – “We’ve revamped the entire homepage experience with a new look and feel to make it easier to scan and find the information that matters most to you”.

So long, Twitter:

In extension of the same, another key feature that many experts feel will be instrumental in determining the course of LinkedIn is the much talked about fallout with Twitter. Previously, a lot of content that used to surface on LinkedIn was directed through Twitter and not all of them were relevant to the professional network. Twitter now has limited its API to prevent tweets from automatically posting to LinkedIn’s social network, which means the amount of effort and time that goes into sharing information across platform will go up. Such a move can be viewed with a double lens. It can either mean that people will get to LinkedIn and post content which would mean more relevant and platform centric posts. Or it could see a drop in engagement as not many would like to take this much of effort. The jury is still out on that.

What is your initial reaction to the changed layout of LinkedIn? Is it a better shift than what Facebook and Twitter underwent? Share with us your feedback in the comments section below. We are always happy to hear from you.

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Posted in Brand Promotion, Social Media, Social Media Marketing | 3 Comments »

When money matters, grow social

Friday, July 27th, 2012

Social-Media-SalesPuzzled by the all invasive barrage of social media around you? If you’re working in the finance sector, chances are high that you have more reasons to feel the urge to decipher this behemoth of a tool that marketers all around are raving about. If you are still wondering as to what an organization could do to strengthen their brand’s appeal in the minds of its audience and how, look no further. A comprehensive workshop devised specifically for officials in the finance sector is set to iron out the creases and get the ball rolling.

Belief of the past:

Banking, insurance and other financial services have been traditionally known to be relying on mainline advertising to reach out to their target audiences. Primarily, perhaps, because of the general perception that diverting marketing expenses to social media (which was until recently considered to be at a nascent stage) would not reflect highly on the ROI. Although there is a constant fear lurking in the minds of most, if cautious and well measured steps are taken, this perception could be used to turnaround the perception of an industry that is previously known to be non-marketing savvy.

Happenings of the present:

Today, a large segment of these institutions are waking up to the proven potential of social media in engaging audience on a one-on-one basis. Internationally, companies operating in the finance sector have already identified social media as a crucial element in the marketing mix. Campaigns are either exclusively being run on social media or in confluence with the traditional media. Needless to say, the very nature of a financial service institution is such that it requires a personal touch in addressing the wants, requirements and scopes of an individual”s monetary needs. Social media enables such brands to bridge the gap in remarkable ways. To gain a deeper insight into how social media can benefit financial institutions, click here.

Scope of the future:

We at Windchimes Communications have explored various facets of how an organisation in this sector can utilise social media to its optimum mark and establish a chord of connect between self and the target audience.

Keeping the same in mind, a workshop service has been introduced to help financial institutions stay abreast with an in-depth knowledge and application of social media. It essentially will, initially, help the brands to generate leads and enquiries both organically and inorganically through social media. In the long run, it will help build the financial brand stability of the firm and get the products endorsed by the influencers of purchase decision. So, if you think you are ready to take the leap and set marketing benchmarks for your organization, you know where to head this August.

Digital and Social Media Workshops:

Click here to know more about Digital and Social Media workshops.

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Posted in Brand Promotion, Social Media, Social Media Marketing, Windchimes Comm | No Comments »

A Social Learning Experience

Monday, July 16th, 2012

The use of social media in primary education has been debated over a lot by the likes of social media experts, teachers and parents in recent years. While traditionalists say that allowing children to access social networks in schools would distract them from the very purpose of discipline and education, some argue that there are unseen and unfelt benefits of the same for students which outweigh the risks.

We think, if used with care, established social media platforms could be leveraged to build schools reputation and can also, on a microscopic basis, provide a sound education to students through involvement of teachers and parents. Of course it goes without saying that all the activities that a student undertakes on the social platform is under a teacher/parent’s able guidance.

A new book

It is surprising that a platform as popular as Facebook has yet not been an active provider in the education sector. What is more surprising is the fact that there are host of features that a student can capitalize to broaden their knowledge base or simply assist them in the process of learning.

For instance, a class can be divided into groups based on interests, subjects, extra-curricular activities etc. and students could be provided with access to Facebook groups under the teacher’s guidance at school and the parents at home. The groups could turn out to be quite an ideal platform to share assignments, homework, ideas and learning within the members. It can also be used as a collaborative platform for project work and assignments.

Also, features such as notes can be used to come up with feature writing on a particular topic. Teachers can use the page to:

  • Upload questions
  • Do polls
  • Use photos to educate
  • Quizzes
  • Notes

On a broader level, a school can run its own page. This would be a more universal display of talent and activities happening in a school. Not just that, the Facebook page can be used innovatively to live stream events/lectures etc. to a whole set of audience anywhere in the world. This would give collaborative learning a whole new meaning. Schools can work together on global projects. World history, for example, would become so much more fun if students of a country would explain their country’s past to a logged in global audience.

School PostAlso, the page could be a true notice board for parents. If used properly and correctly, the page could be a source of information for parents to regularly log back to see the calendar of events of a school. Pinning important events and notice to the page can help them communicate the news effectively.

One opportunity lies in the Discussions tab on the Facebook Page. A school can create a discussion about a specific topic and allow members of the community to share their thoughts within the thread. Page admins can engage with parents to understand their concerns and help the school address those concerns.

Bringing education to life

Information that involves more senses is known to be absorbed in a whole lot better than that which involves just one. It is always easier for students to learn new things if they see and hear things at the same time.

YouTubeThis is where a platform like YouTube can come in very handy. Not a lot of people know that YouTube has a dedicated YouTube for school service. YouTube for Schools gives you access to the hundreds of thousands of educational videos on YouTube EDU. This includes short lessons from top teachers around the world, full courses from the world’s best universities, professional development from fellow educators, and inspiring videos from thought leaders.

Teachers can log in and watch any video, but students cannot log in and can only watch YouTube EDU videos and videos their school has added on their school channel. All comments and related videos are disabled and search is limited to YouTube EDU videos.

Teachers can now use YouTube videos to:

  • Enrich classroom lessons
  • Spark a conversation
  • Make theory come to life
  • Tap into the mind of the visual learner

The universal encyclopedia

The biggest collaborative knowledge pool that is out there on the internet, Wikipedia, is a constant source of updated information. Teachers along with students can jointly set up internal wikis where they can add, edit, create and develop a learning theme.

Furthermore, incentivizing it with shares, likes, comments on other platforms only gives a boost to a student’s moral. Needless to say, when learning can be this fun, more students would be actively engaged in learning and sharing knowledge.

Answering the inquisitive minds

The question and answer platform, Quora, serves as a repository and knowledge pool that’s there on the internet. It is strictly a place for those who need accurate answers to questions related to a specific subject. Could it appeal to the students in schools? It mostly definitely will, we add.

QuoraStudents can create boards on the basis of a group of batch mates with similar interest areas after inviting them to the forum. After this it is pretty much creating a ready pool of discussions, problems, solutions in most of the recognised streams.

The summary section lets an individual collate the important points from all the posted answer and write one perfect answer that can be used by students. It is almost like a collaborative construction of an answer to a question.

A lot of schools in India have already started using these platforms. MIT Vishwashanti Gurukul, Rajbaug, Pune is a good example of such a start. We would love to see more such initiatives. After all, of what use is technology if not used for the enrichment of the mind?

What do you think about usage of social media in schools? Do you think this could be a sound platform for improved education system? Share your views with us. We would love to hear from you.

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Posted in Facebook, Social Media, Social Media Marketing | No Comments »

Growing Facebook Interactions

Tuesday, July 10th, 2012

FG-LogoBrands on Facebook have always tried to increase their engagement levels so as to keep the audience of the page glued. Sports has, for ages, kept people glued to the television screen. From a late night football match to an early morning cricket contest, sports keeps people coming back for more.

Considering that the months of June, July and August are heavy on sports, Future Generali Life Insurance brought about a change in its communication plan on social media to leverage this opportunity.

With predominantly male audience on page that was hooked to French Open, Euro 2012, Wimbledon and now waiting for Olympics, Future Generali went sporty. Updates on FG’s Facebook page were crafted around major sports events and matches that were being played.spain -fg

The brand also launched a contest around sports called the ‘Friday Famous Faces’ that required the fans to identify a popular sporting personality. 3 winners each week stood a chance to win backpacks and other goodies. The brand garnered 90 fans in a span of just 3 days via the contest. Not bad, wouldn’t you say?

The communication plan also incorporated:

· Live tweeting during matches (@Future_Generali)

· Events stats on Facebook page

· Trivia about the events

 

 

 

 

fedex -fgTo drive home the message, the ‘Worry Not Wednesday’ updates served as a unique property where quick trivia and links were shared with the fans.

Avinash Janjire, Deputy General Manager – Brand & Corporate Communication at Future Generali India Life Insurance Company, adds “We wanted to break the clutter by creating share-worthy engagement around sports like Tennis, Football and Formula 1 which are gaining wide acceptance in a cricket crazy nation. The response we got was amazing. It only shows that if you give people interesting content it will have the viral affect, which is the biggest advantage of social media from a brand’s point of view.”

The result so far has been gratifying to say the least. Interaction on the page has jumped by 49% during the campaign. This is shear indication that people have liked the communication put out by the brand.

Also organic fan growth through these campaigns has been observed. 102 fans were added on the Facebook page. We believe that a brand has to be smart and willing to engage with its audience on topics that the audience wants to engage in. Future Generali showed a willingness to give people what it wanted. And thus, they are reaping the benefit of the same.

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Having said that, we would love to hear what you think about the above mentioned campaigns. How important do you think is engaging on current and relevant topics in order to increase interactions? Do share your views about the same.

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Posted in Brand Promotion, Social Media, Social Media Marketing | No Comments »

The Facebook Ad Debate

Monday, July 2nd, 2012

Fb ADSWhen the Cannes Lions were being announced earlier this month, one campaign made for a very interesting watch. Not only because it was a well planned and executed campaign, as you would expect from any shortlisted campaign, but also for a very different reason.

Dove Ad Makeover campaign was a mission in driving home the brand’s key message, ‘Be your beautiful self.’ The route it took was interestingly different. Using Facebook Advertising APIs, it allowed users to make ads and then place them on the network.

The user, mainly female audience, was invited to create ads that spoke about being happy with the shape and size that one was in and then used these user generated ads to replace all the ads that were targeting insecurities such as overweight, breast size and skin tone.

In order to do this, Dove went all out and doubled the ad bid for keywords used by the insecurity targeting ads. The campaign enabled women to flood Facebook with the positive messages that they had created. The campaign provoked a global debate, fundamentally challenging how advertisers use online media.Dove Video Captioned

The campaign walked away with silver at Cannes, but more importantly left us wondering about the route brands should take – the route taken by Dove to invest heavily in Facebook ads or go the GM Motors USA way and pull out from it?

To give a brief idea about GM pull out, just before the Facebook IPO listing was due, GM withdrew $10 million worth of advertising revenue from Facebook. They stated that the ads were not working for them. Well, GM also stated that they may skip the super bowl, the biggest advertising platform in the American market. What one makes of it is something only GM can explain but one thing is for sure that GM is looking at every possible way of cutting it ad spends by $2 billion as it had stated. Facebook sadly could just be one of the channels to face the axe.

What also needs to be noted is that $10 million that GM pulled out was just a small amount from the $3 billion that it spends on overall advertising. In fact, GM spends $30 million alone of creating content and engagement on its Facebook pages.

So why would they say the ads were not working for them? Is it possible that they have not understood the idea of Facebook advertising for big brands?

This brings us back to the Dove campaign. Here is a brand that is ready to spend almost double of what its secondary competitors are spending on Facebook advertising to gain an advantage. And what drives them to doing this? Engagement.

Unlike GM, Dove is not looking to sell products through its campaigns. It wants to engage with its audience. It even wants to encourage co-creation of communication through its ad campaign. The platform was all about engagement and conversations. And Dove has just extended the same concept to its advertising on Facebook.

Quite possibly, GM has missed a trick. As great as it may be in its ad campaign on other platform, it seems they may have not understood the platform that is Facebook. And this in not just a plain statement. Compared to Ford, GM’s major competition, which has more than 10 million fans globally with 4 million supporting Mustang page alone, GM has just about 383,000 Likes with Chevrolet adding another 1.2 million.

Ford CaptionedLike Dove, Ford to has managed its Facebook operation with engagement as its basic idea. Speaking to Brain Solis, Scott Monty Ford’s Global Digital Communications stated that “Ford is accelerating our efforts in Facebook and other social platforms. It’s all down to execution. We’ve found Facebook ads to be very effective when strategically combined with engagement, great content and innovative ways of storytelling, rather than treating them as a straight media buy.”

The ‘Reveal’ campaign that Ford ran for its Explorer 2011 model, outperform a traditional Super Bowl advertisement for a fraction of the cost. This only leads to believing that if the understanding of the platform is arrived at before the launch of a campaign, great things can be achieved. Read here how different types of Facebook advertising campaigns can be created.

Many would still debate if GM is right or wrong in doing what it did. What many might not be looking at is did GM base its Facebook campaign on its learning from other campaign? And if so, is that the right way to go?

What do you think about it? Do share your thoughts and opinions with us.

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Posted in Facebook, Social Media, Social Media Marketing | 3 Comments »

Social Media Case Study: Pond’s Perfect Match

Saturday, June 30th, 2012

PONDS NEW LOGOAfter researching with over 20,000 genes, the Pond’s Institute identified a specific gene that significantly affects melanin production. Through this discovery, they created their most effective skin lightening formulation containing the revolutionary GenWhite™ formula. With so much work going in the product, the next challenge was to promote this product on social media platforms.

The idea that was identified was using the gene technology that the product uses to form a perfect match with your skin. This ‘Perfect Match’ concept was represented through Facebook applications and Twitter hash tag. A dedicated campaign featuring actor Rannvijay Singha was launched.

We share with you, how the application and the hash tag helped Pond’s India add 11,482 fans on its Facebook page and trend for almost 31 hours in India.

Do share your feedback with us. We would love to hear your opinion and thoughts about this campaign and in general as well.

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Posted in Case Study, Social Media, Social Media Marketing | No Comments »

A Social Getaway

Friday, June 8th, 2012

hotel-social-media-reviewproEnough has been said and written about how brands from across industries have taken to Social Media to have a greater acceptance in their audience’s mind. Needless to say, hotels and resorts from around the world have utilized this goldmine of a medium to grab their share of the pie too.

Here’s presenting some of the best award winning Social Media campaigns that have been carried out by these swanky establishments in the recent times.

Grand Geneva Resort:

Among many campaigns that were carried out by the Grand Geneva Resort, this one is particularly catchy. The resort launched a program where all marketing, advertising, PR and events were driven through Social Media. Some of the other campaigns that were promoted via Facebook are as under.

– A custom Facebook tab was created that allowed fans of the resort to print free lift ticket vouchers

– The Social Buzz: A tab that lets visitors read up on reviews from various online travel experts like tripadvisor, yelp, orbitz, etc. and the buzz generated by some of the esteemed guests

– Marcus Rewards: A tab that entitles the primary members to enroll for reward points by filling up a simple form and signing up for e-mails regarding discounts and updates

– Grand Geneva Ski: A tab that promotes one of their flagship services, skiing. Fans are encouraged to submit their photographs from the mountain top to be shared with all and call for making bookings for the same

– Fan Exclusive: A tab that informs fans of deals that they can avail on a timely basis

– Events: This tab is a ready reckoner of sorts for all events that are scheduled to take place at the property along with other handy details

grand geneva- events
Facebook page ‘Events’ tab

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Facebook ‘Share the Skiing Experience’ tab

grand geneva- fan exclusive
Fan Offers on a dedicated tab

grand geneva- social buzz
Reviews tab

To push engagement, a series of videos were also posted on to Facebook and YouTube. For the ‘free lift ticket voucher’ campaign, the resort also won a 2010 PRSA paragon Award and was selected by Marcus Corporation as the company’s best social media program across 20 hotels.

Starwood Hotels and Resorts:

Starwood’s biggest brand, Sheraton gave away 2100 free nights at 86 new or newly renovated hotels in October 2009. Simultaneously, it also launched a whole new Social Media platform – ‘Sheraton Shared Moments’. Through various other existing social networks like Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, blogs and e-mail, users shared their travel experiences with friends and family and public to win a chance a holiday at a predetermined Sheraton property.

sheraton shared moments
Sheraton’s Shared Moments social networking site

Besides this, the iconic hotel group also has a ‘SPG- Starwood preferred guest’ as a dedicated campaign running on Facebook and Twitter that give away points to collect for a guest after they check-in with any of their properties. The services and the offers are enlisted on tabs and keep changing like a slide on the tab.

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‘Starwood Preferred Guest’ tab on the Hotel’s Facebook Page

Langham Place Hotels:

This property benchmarks its standards by giving the ‘My way My place’ experience to its patrons. It is primarily selling its 3 most prime services: The club, the spa and the room. With the same purpose on mind, a campaign was launched to shoot 3 two-minute films for each of the property with an iPhone 4s, staying true to its innovative positioning. Not just this, in fact even a ‘making of’ the videos were shot and shared through various sites like YouTube, youku, Facebook, weibo etc. to give prospective customers a behind the scenes look at the components that went into making of the same.

the spa

langham
Langham Place Hotels – Facebook Contest tab for the 3 videos released

ITC Hotels:

To have a buzz built around cricket in a country like India is fairly easy. To have it integrated with a Social Media to drive engagement with customers a tad bit difficult. Regardless of what would have ideally appeared as a tough nut to crack, ITC hotels nailed it.

In 2011, when the ICC cricket world cup was is progress, the hotel rolled out a campaign ‘cricket eLounge’ wherein ardent fans were asked to post their messages on Twitter and Facebook with a mandatory #TCcricketspeak. The messages were then displayed live on screens installed at various locations within the hotels.

Weekly prizes were doled out for best messages that included a meal for 2 any signature outlet at two at two predetermined properties. To up the ante, a grand prize to the most ardent supporter was handed out to one which consisted of a Welcomebreak at any of the properties across the country. Regular check-in through foursquare also unlocked a beeline of offer.

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Cricket eLounge campaign on ITC hotel’s Facebook page

Club Mahindra:

The Chennai Based Resort chain launched a ‘Verse-a-tile’ contest with a thought of spreading holiday happiness. The campaign aimed at bringing poets and holiday enthusiasts together and put together a line at a time to create a poem. This particular campaign is what is referred to as user-generated content and at the same time highly engaging. A big thumbs up to them.

club mahindra
The ‘Verse-a-tile Effect’ campaign results as seen on the Resort’s Facebook page

Ginger Hotels:

A campaign that created a dedicated property on each Thursday says enough for a brand like Ginger hotels. The ‘Traveller’s Thursday’ quiz that goes live every Thursday on their Facebook page requires fans to identify the location of a given photograph. Each week a new photograph is shared and new winners are announced. A couple stay for 2 nights and 3 days at any of their properties nationwide is surely a big incentive that drives fans to put in their best foot forward. Not surprisingly, this initiative proved to be quite a hit by adding about 30-40 odd fans to the brand’s Facebook page.

Travellers-Thursday-Final
The weekly ‘Traveller’s Thursday’ campaign on Ginger Hotel’s Facebook Tab

How social is the stay in the times to come:

Hotels and Resorts have always been symbolic of a getaway, indulgence and relaxation. In a quest towards attracting customers and showcasing their range of services, almost every single player in this industry by now has already fathomed the potential of Social Media. Although, the functional aspect of the service is a common ground for all to play fair and square, the key differentiator will be how one leverages one’s presence on the Social Media that will set them apart from the rest.

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Posted in Brand Promotion, Social Media, Social Media Marketing | No Comments »

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