I have talked about the importance of developing and implementing social media policies within organizations previously on this blog. These policies not only protect the company, but go a long way to educating its employees on what the implications and ramifications are of engaging in social channels.

I've seen a number of instances where seemingly harmless information is posted on blogs, Facebook, Twitter, etc. and that person was not aware of the connectivity of the medium. Soon, people find out what they said and share it. In an age when the "delete" button means nothing (everything is stored forever in most cases even if you do delete) it's crucial to have informed employees.

In college, I had a professor who suggested that when making a tough decision that we look in the mirror and see if we believe what we're saying. Here are the five guidelines that I think are the core of social engagement when you are working within a company. They are my mirror test.

Five guidelines/questions before posting:

1. Assume your Mom reads/sees everything that you post
   
2. Assume your boss reads/sees everything that you post
   
3. Assume your biggest client reads/sees everything that you post
   
4. Assume your biggest competitor reads/sees everything that you post
   
5. Assume your children will read/see everything that you post
   

I run through these filters myself when I post things as a final checklist. If something doesn't pass, then it's out the window.

What guidelines would you add to the list? How do you make content decisions?

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Technorati Tags: Marketing, Matt Dickman, Social Media, Guidelines, Policies, Corporate

I have talked about the importance of developing and implementing social media policies within organizations previously on this blog. These policies not only protect the company, but go a long way to educating its employees on what the implications and ramifications are of engaging in social channels.

I've seen a number of instances where seemingly harmless information is posted on blogs, Facebook, Twitter, etc. and that person was not aware of the connectivity of the medium. Soon, people find out what they said and share it. In an age when the "delete" button means nothing (everything is stored forever in most cases even if you do delete) it's crucial to have informed employees.

In college, I had a professor who suggested that when making a tough decision that we look in the mirror and see if we believe what we're saying. Here are the five guidelines that I think are the core of social engagement when you are working within a company. They are my mirror test.

Five guidelines/questions before posting:

1. Assume your Mom reads/sees everything that you post
   
2. Assume your boss reads/sees everything that you post
   
3. Assume your biggest client reads/sees everything that you post
   
4. Assume your biggest competitor reads/sees everything that you post
   
5. Assume your children will read/see everything that you post
   

I run through these filters myself when I post things as a final checklist. If something doesn't pass, then it's out the window.

What guidelines would you add to the list? How do you make content decisions?

If you liked this post, you can subscribe to the Techno//Marketer RSS feed in your reader or sign up to get updates FREE by email.

Technorati Tags: Marketing, Matt Dickman, Social Media, Guidelines, Policies, Corporate

You have undoubtedly heard about Google and Bing announcing partnerships with Twitter/Facebook/et. al. to include real time social media results into their search indexes. However, even if you did hear about it, I think few people have seen what it looks like in Google's environment, so I recorded this short video for the search term "Copenhagen". Have a look. (Bing takes a slightly different, segmented approach.)

Key Takeaways:

• These results are pulled into the first page of Google, there are substantial reputation issues to consider
  
• These updates are not listed like other webpages/fan pages/primary Twitter accounts, they are in a separate area on the page (fairly contained...for now)
  
• The searcher will see what is hot at that point in time
  
• It seems like this would be very susceptible to fraud and Tweet bombing, would love to get your opinion on that
  

What does this mean for you and your brand(s)? How are you preparing/sharing and engaging around this? One of the keys to social media gaining the traction it has is its uncanny way of tapping into the power of search and this is taking that to the next level.

Let me know what you think.

[UPDATE 12/11]: It seems that Yahoo has also added in-line Tweets to search results. This model pulls in three recent (not sure the exact algorithm here) Tweets to the bottom of the result page. Screenshot below.

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Technorati Tags:
Matt Dickman, Search, Google, Social Media, SEO

You have undoubtedly heard about Google and Bing announcing partnerships with Twitter/Facebook/et. al. to include real time social media results into their search indexes. However, even if you did hear about it, I think few people have seen what it looks like in Google's environment, so I recorded this short video for the search term "Copenhagen". Have a look. (Bing takes a slightly different, segmented approach.)

Key Takeaways:

• These results are pulled into the first page of Google, there are substantial reputation issues to consider
  
• These updates are not listed like other webpages/fan pages/primary Twitter accounts, they are in a separate area on the page (fairly contained...for now)
  
• The searcher will see what is hot at that point in time
  
• It seems like this would be very susceptible to fraud and Tweet bombing, would love to get your opinion on that
  

What does this mean for you and your brand(s)? How are you preparing/sharing and engaging around this? One of the keys to social media gaining the traction it has is its uncanny way of tapping into the power of search and this is taking that to the next level.

Let me know what you think.

[UPDATE 12/11]: It seems that Yahoo has also added in-line Tweets to search results. This model pulls in three recent (not sure the exact algorithm here) Tweets to the bottom of the result page. Screenshot below.

If you liked this post, you can subscribe to the Techno//Marketer RSS feed in your reader or sign up to get updates FREE by email.

Technorati Tags:
Matt Dickman, Search, Google, Social Media, SEO

I was reading through a post today on the Ad Age Digital Next blog by my colleague Allison Mooney and wanted to share it with you. The post is on Google's support of QR code technology through a program called Favorite Places.

In short, Google is tapping into their local search data to find the top local establishments. They then send them a sticker for their door which has a QR code printed on it and takes the person to that business' listing on Google. It's an interesting way to tie live search data to a physical location and then back to search again.

The trick here, as noted by Allison, is that the QR reader software is an add-on to devices. There are some free versions around, but many people will have to pay for it, not to mention the level of education that needs to happen around this to make it successful.

Here is a quick video overview that Google produced to explain the program:

(Does anyone else find it weird that they used the iPhone throughout the video and not a Google Android device? Oh well.)

If you're interested, here is more information on QR codes from a previous post I did.

So what does this mean? Not much at this point. It's great to have a giant like Google throw their weight into it, but there is a lot of education that needs to happen first. If and when device manufacturers start installing a reader standard on all handsets (Nokia does on some handsets) we can talk more about it as a solid marketing option.

If you liked this post, you can subscribe to the Techno//Marketer RSS feed in your reader or sign up to get updates FREE by email.

Technorati Tags: Matt Dickman, QR, Marketing, Technology, Search

I was reading through a post today on the Ad Age Digital Next blog by my colleague Allison Mooney and wanted to share it with you. The post is on Google's support of QR code technology through a program called Favorite Places.

In short, Google is tapping into their local search data to find the top local establishments. They then send them a sticker for their door which has a QR code printed on it and takes the person to that business' listing on Google. It's an interesting way to tie live search data to a physical location and then back to search again.

The trick here, as noted by Allison, is that the QR reader software is an add-on to devices. There are some free versions around, but many people will have to pay for it, not to mention the level of education that needs to happen around this to make it successful.

Here is a quick video overview that Google produced to explain the program:

(Does anyone else find it weird that they used the iPhone throughout the video and not a Google Android device? Oh well.)

If you're interested, here is more information on QR codes from a previous post I did.

So what does this mean? Not much at this point. It's great to have a giant like Google throw their weight into it, but there is a lot of education that needs to happen first. If and when device manufacturers start installing a reader standard on all handsets (Nokia does on some handsets) we can talk more about it as a solid marketing option.

If you liked this post, you can subscribe to the Techno//Marketer RSS feed in your reader or sign up to get updates FREE by email.

Technorati Tags: Matt Dickman, QR, Marketing, Technology, Search

So, there it is. Over the past couple of months I am sure that you have noticed the fact that I have all but disappeared from speaking, blogging and Tweeting. I've had a lot going on and I have needed the time to get my legs under me and dedicate the necessary time to this blog before jumping back in. Nonetheless, there are a lot of updates to give you, so let me start from the top.

On Dallas:

A couple of months ago an incredible opportunity came open with Fleishman-Hillard here in Dallas to lead the digital team for the Southwest region. Some phenomenal FH colleagues here had the faith in me to do this job and I haven't looked back. I've been working across the region (Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio) and floating back and forth to Cleveland.

I am very lucky to have a great, growing team of individuals here who make this job fun and very rewarding. We're firmly concentrated on digital marketing, advancing social media thinking and tapping mobile to deliver killer brand experiences. Yes, this is a PR agency...well maybe.

If you're in Texas and want to meet up, drop me an email. I'd love to get together and learn more about what you do. Also drop me a line if you're looking to join one of the best digital agency teams anywhere.

On Cleveland:

To all of my fellow Clevelanders, I will miss you guys a lot, but it's an opportunity I could not pass up. But, hey, this is the digital age. I am just a Skype call, IM, text or phone call away from you. Cleveland is an amazing, underrated city filled with extremely talented, passionate people. I am an advocate and always will be.

On the Future:

During my brief hiatus I've done a lot of work in the space, done some heavy thinking on its future and how digital/social/mobile will go next and what that means for marketers. Look for the same multimedia content you've come to expect here, but also look out for even more thought pieces on what this means and where we're going.

Thank you for reading!

If you liked this post, you can subscribe to the Techno//Marketer RSS feed in your reader or sign up to get updates FREE by email.

Technorati Tags: Matt Dickman

So, there it is. Over the past couple of months I am sure that you have noticed the fact that I have all but disappeared from speaking, blogging and Tweeting. I've had a lot going on and I have needed the time to get my legs under me and dedicate the necessary time to this blog before jumping back in. Nonetheless, there are a lot of updates to give you, so let me start from the top.

On Dallas:
A couple of months ago an incredible opportunity came open with Fleishman-Hillard here in Dallas to lead the digital team for the Southwest region. Some phenomenal FH colleagues here had the faith in me to do this job and I haven't looked back. I've been working across the region (Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio) and floating back and forth to Cleveland.

I am very lucky to have a great, growing team of individuals here who make this job fun and very rewarding. We're firmly concentrated on digital marketing, advancing social media thinking and tapping mobile to deliver killer brand experiences. Yes, this is a PR agency...well maybe.

If you're in Texas and want to meet up, drop me an email. I'd love to get together and learn more about what you do. Also drop me a line if you're looking to join one of the best digital agency teams anywhere.

On Cleveland:
To all of my fellow Clevelanders, I will miss you guys a lot, but it's an opportunity I could not pass up. But, hey, this is the digital age. I am just a Skype call, IM, text or phone call away from you. Cleveland is an amazing, underrated city filled with extremely talented, passionate people. I am an advocate and always will be.

On the Future:
During my brief hiatus I've done a lot of work in the space, done some heavy thinking on its future and how digital/social/mobile will go next and what that means for marketers. Look for the same multimedia content you've come to expect here, but also look out for even more thought pieces on what this means and where we're going.

Thank you for reading!

If you liked this post, you can subscribe to the Techno//Marketer RSS feed in your reader or sign up to get updates FREE by email.

Technorati Tags: Matt Dickman

A number of you have noticed that I have been scarcely around the blog and Twittersphere over the past couple of months. I have a lot going on and wanted to step back and gather my thoughts. I just wanted you to know that I am not gone, I am just on a short hiatus. I have a couple of big announcements coming up as well as a little branding overhaul for Techno//Marketer.

Long story short, I'm going to be back soon, better than ever (I hope), so thank you for reading and I'll be back in the conversation with you very soon.

If you liked this post, you can subscribe to the Techno//Marketer RSS feed in your reader or sign up to get updates FREE by email.

Technorati Tags: Matt Dickman

A number of you have noticed that I have been scarcely around the blog and Twittersphere over the past couple of months. I have a lot going on and wanted to step back and gather my thoughts. I just wanted you to know that I am not gone, I am just on a short hiatus. I have a couple of big announcements coming up as well as a little branding overhaul for Techno//Marketer.

Long story short, I'm going to be back soon, better than ever (I hope), so thank you for reading and I'll be back in the conversation with you very soon.

If you liked this post, you can subscribe to the Techno//Marketer RSS feed in your reader or sign up to get updates FREE by email.

Technorati Tags: Matt Dickman

If you love strategic planning as much as I do then I am sure that one of your biggest pet peeves is when people jump to tactics straight away in a planning meeting. Despite your most desperate attempts to steer things back on course, and define what the overall strategy looks like, you die a little when someone blurts out "Let's set up a YouTube channel and Tweet about it!".

How do you get around this? Here is what I have started doing in my initial planning sessions and it seems to be working well so far. I've banned what I consider the seven dirty words of digital strategy. They are:

1. Twitter
   
2. Facebook
   
3. YouTube
   
4. MySpace
   
5. LinkedIn
   
6. Flickr
   
7. Ning
   

Why are they so bad? Because it allows people to jump to a tactic without thinking about brand essence, audience, voice, etc. It also takes attention away from a more integrated digital approach (email, loyalty programs, SEM, etc.). The pure hype behind these seven words has turned mass media and corporate boardrooms on their heads trying to figure out how to best leverage them.

So, the next time you walk into a planning meeting, lay out your list of dirty words and create a penalty for anyone who mentions them. You'll be surprised how quickly your discussions turn to audience, engagement and how fast you come up with more creative, innovative solutions. Once you have that, you can see talk about these platforms if, and when, they are determined to be the right tools to be most effective in reaching your audience.

Oh, there are more dirty words like Friendfeed and Delicious, even more general terms like blog and wiki, but removing those seven from your planning vocabulary will help you reach a new strategic mindset and come up with better solutions for your clients.

What are your seven dirty words? Let me know how this works for you!

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Technorati Tags: LinkedIn, marketing, Matt Dickman, social media, strategy, trends, Twitter, YouTube, seven dirty words

If you love strategic planning as much as I do then I am sure that one of your biggest pet peeves is when people jump to tactics straight away in a planning meeting. Despite your most desperate attempts to steer things back on course, and define what the overall strategy looks like, you die a little when someone blurts out "Let's set up a YouTube channel and Tweet about it!".

How do you get around this? Here is what I have started doing in my initial planning sessions and it seems to be working well so far. I've banned what I consider the seven dirty words of digital strategy. They are:

1. Twitter
   
2. Facebook
   
3. YouTube
   
4. MySpace
   
5. LinkedIn
   
6. Flickr
   
7. Ning
   

Why are they so bad? Because it allows people to jump to a tactic without thinking about brand essence, audience, voice, etc. It also takes attention away from a more integrated digital approach (email, loyalty programs, SEM, etc.). The pure hype behind these seven words has turned mass media and corporate boardrooms on their heads trying to figure out how to best leverage them.

So, the next time you walk into a planning meeting, lay out your list of dirty words and create a penalty for anyone who mentions them. You'll be surprised how quickly your discussions turn to audience, engagement and how fast you come up with more creative, innovative solutions. Once you have that, you can see talk about these platforms if, and when, they are determined to be the right tools to be most effective in reaching your audience.

Oh, there are more dirty words like Friendfeed and Delicious, even more general terms like blog and wiki, but removing those seven from your planning vocabulary will help you reach a new strategic mindset and come up with better solutions for your clients.

What are your seven dirty words? Let me know how this works for you!

If you liked this post, you can subscribe to the Techno//Marketer RSS feed in your reader or sign up to get updates FREE by email.

Technorati Tags: LinkedIn, marketing, Matt Dickman, social media, strategy, trends, Twitter, YouTube, seven dirty words

In my career working in the digital marketing space, I have worked on hundreds of projects for clients in practically any industry you can think of. In that time, I have had the pleasure of working on a number of e-commerce sites that provided me a fantastic perspective on designing with conversion in mind.

One of my key takeaways in doing business online is that no matter how you execute (basic website, social media engagement, search engine marketing, etc.) and no matter what industry you are in, you MUST treat your content as commerce.

I cannot tell you how many meetings I had been in where people say, "We are not an e-commerce site, how can we measure ROI?". That's a bad point of view to have and this post will hopefully work to change your mind.

So, what do I mean by content as commerce? There are a couple of steps in this process. First, you have to do the little things right from the start. Usability is, as in e-commerce, a key to making sure that users can find what they are looking for quickly.

Second, map out your site and weight content that is a priority, then compare it to your actual traffic. See a difference? Here is a good model that I have used before to help with this mapping. This is from a guest post that I did for Drew McLellan back in 2007.

	Draw a map of your current site. You can use Visio, Word, pen and paper or anything else you have at your disposal. Just treat each page/object/action as a block and show them in their hierarchy.
	Now, create a copy of the map and color code each page so that is aligns with your business goals. For this example we'll say red is a top tier page that generates revenue, orange is a second tier support page, yellow is a third tier information page and blue is non-essential.
	Now, create a copy of the color-coded map and roughly scale each section as it relates to your page view metrics so that pages with more views are larger and less views are smaller. Try to keep them in proportion. This is where people go on your site compared with your business goals. In our example, we need to create tactics that shift more views to the red blocks and less to the blue. (Note: you could also scale based on time spent on each page or other key metric)

Third, we need to assign values to content in order to get some more concrete numbers. For example, you could assign a value of $5/5 points when a consumer downloads a PDF or $25 when they sign up for your email newsletter or $30 when they become a fan on Facebook. The more you roll these numbers up across all of the channels you participate in the better. This is obviously behind the scenes, so you can try it in your own time.

How do you get those numbers? You can obviously make them up, but this has more impact when the numbers are real and when they have executive buy-in. Another way is to use some old school comparisons like impressions or cost-per-acquisition. Ideally you can get to a place where you start to see the metrics take shape and the more that shape is printed in dollars, the more successful you will be. (You wouldn't spend time and money promoting something useless would you?)

Keys to succeeding with content-driven sites:

• Create a clear interface for your users
  
• Rank content in the order it is valuable to the business, weigh that with the value to the consumer (these should ideally be aligned)
  
• Visualize your traffic to see where it is going and shift it to the content you value
  
• Adapt over time. You can A/B test content, tease it with advertising or promote it in email to see what works. This makes the rest of your marketing better as well.
  
• Assign values for specific actions and track it over time.
  

What are your thoughts? What would you add to this list?

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Technorati Tags: marketing, measurement, strategy, trends, Usability