Story Telling

"Eat at Java Street Cafe and pay what you think is a fair price." This creates a story and experience that people will share with their friends. It's innovative, unique, simple, and has the marketing built right in.

It's spreadable.

What kind of story are you telling? Are you creating products and services with the marketing built in, or are you creating confusing or frustrating stories that never take off?

Social Web Starter Kit: How to Avoid Reputation Desperation

Anyone notice how the Web 3.0 world (microblogging/blogging integration) is making brands (We’re all brands!) so desperate for attention? Time and time again, we at Daily Axioms have fallen into the trap of seeming too commercial and not enough personal—in order to build up buzz for our blog. In keeping aligned and keeping people’s interest within social networks, it’s important to know several things about building a socially Web-acceptable reputation.

1) Think self-disclosure
I’m very tired of trying to reach 1,000+ followers inappropriately on Twitter, hoping they’ll @ me by a “That’s cool” response. I managed to get @armano's attention by tweeting about something we had in common: we both like sour stuff. All relationships online, at the core, are personal—because self-disclosure is easier online. If I met @armano on the street, would “I like sour candy” be the first thing out of my mouth? No. We’d probably talk about the weather or sports.

Moral: When you say things that strike a chord with someone personally on Twitter, trust me, they’ll tweet you back.

2) I actually read your post. Here are my thoughts.
On blogs, brands don’t try hard enough. Moreover, the PR agencies representing them don’t really know this blog editor at all, and a simple “Great post. You should check out this new product from…” is a great way to let the commenters know you’re a selfish spammer. Some might think a post with massive comments= strong opportunity to get the word out, but if you don’t read the post and the comments pertaining to the post first, you don’t know the context.

Moral: Know the context to determine if your product/service/event really suits the situation.

3) Check your motive
This really sums up the first two, but this needs a category all its own. In an effort to get ahead or standout, we act very selfish. We won’t acknowledge others in the space and we’ll only speak to the author or moderator. When I see comments or replies on Ustream or Twitter hashtag events like this, it indicates a person doesn’t want to be social; rather, they’re in it for themselves, and if applicable, their client. Moderators and blog writers can see through this and dismiss the deceptiveness by blocking you. (Trust me, it can happen)

Moral: Engage with the community you are now a part of (You didn't just hop in).

4) Listen. Welcome feedback.
Has it ever occurred to you that your subscribers or fans will give you answers to your unsaid questions as to why you’re not getting more traffic, or why this product isn’t selling as well as you thought it would the ‘beta time around’? Your community wants to hear from you, so if you’re not reaching out to them and welcoming feedback, how are they going to know if you’re actually listening and making the necessary adjustments?

Moral: Say the unsaid so you can get the answers needed

5) Now you’re ready to build a networking plan!

• Make a list of all the people you’d like to know online that are also within your professional network offline. These are the people you see at pro events and social media conferences—within your region.

• Make a list of all the people you’d like to know online that are miles away from you. These are the people that you can have a long distance relationship with by simply being an active community member on their blog, discussion forum, LinkedIn Q&A, or Twitter feed.

• Engage with your key members of your new community 2-3 times a week—whether close by or long-distance.

• Provide your community with some helpful info you’ve read about recently that pertains to what was discussed on their blogs, Twitter feed, etc. You can do this by simply commenting on their blog or e-mailing them the info. You know it will appeal, or your community will at least acknowledge-- if it pertains to what’s been on their minds lately.

• Beyond your pro network, reach out to niche-specific audiences that align with your interests and your client’s interests. Consider the steps above before making a list and making the contact.

Moral: A crowded space will bury you and it’s important to stand out by offering something the community can chew on—something that’s beneficial to all.

And that, my friends, is how people will start talking about you and your contributions to online communities appropriately.

Hungry? Why Wait? Because Brand Image Is Important

The most recent social media candy controversy revolves around an online campaign for Snickers. In the attempt to go hand-in-hand with Snickers most recent campaign, "Learn To Speak Snacklish," the creative company, Poke created a site in which users could generate their own Snicker's-styled text to use on social networks online. After Snickers threatened to sue them for unauthorized use of their logo and brand image, Poke was forced to take down the site and posted a blog response saying that Mars overreacted and is now alienating and angering fans.

While some may be upset, I would have to agree with the decision Mars made. Mars has to control their brand image. Anything could be typed into the text generator, including messages that would be inconsistent with their brand messaging and image (such as swearing). This is very similar to the outcome of Skittles decision to make their homepage a live Twitter stream. Mars cannot have people hijacking their brand to be used in immature or crude ways.

What's your take on Mars decision to shut down this campaign?

Life's Greatest Moments Know No Bounds on Twitter

Last year, we watched Twitter feeds with the RT of the first guy proposing on Twitter, and then the second guy, and then the third. (Then there apparently was somebody who proposed using Nintendo DS. I dunno-- ask this guy). But never before have we seen something like this: an unborn child on Twitter.

'Its' name is KermitKeliher and 'it' is the evolving fetus of the proud parents of Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. Keliher, and Mr. Keliher is quick to point out, “We can’t call it ‘It’ for nine months, can we?” So alas, a famous Frog moniker was brought to life again.

Though it's not terribly interactive, I e-mailed Mr. Keliher (let’s keep it formal for the sake of the occasion:) to ask him a couple questions about Kermit and stepping into fatherhood. Here’s what he had to say:

DA: When is the baby due?
MK: Due August 7, 2009

DA: What made you decide to put a fetus on Twitter?
MK: Why? Why not?! I thought it'd be a fun way to break the news to a certain group of my friends, and I did it the day before an SMBMSP event, so my timing was right on.

DA: (I definitely agree with that point. Timing is everything in the world of buzz building).
If it's a boy, will you name the baby Kermit-- to offer real-life personification for the micro buzz?
MK: If it's a boy, family tradition dictates he be named Thomas, after my father. If it's a girl, we have yet to decide, but I promise it will not be Kermit.

DA: Do you think Twitter is the next best thing for Baby Books? Perhaps Baby Book 3.0?
MK: Twitter is only "the new baby book" if you have zero respect for your child. At least go with Flickr, for god's sake!

DA: (You prove a good point. It kind of reminds me of that funeral procession tweeted last year; an example of 'zero respect' for the dead). Are you going to TwitPic the ultrasound updates? (I'm hoping so :)
MK: I've never really been into the whole TwitPic thing, but I do have the first ultrasound photo on Flickr. I used it in Kermit's introductory blog post and it's Kermit's Twitter profile pic. We have another ultrasound coming up soon, and I'm sure I'll share that, too.

When Mr. Keliher isn't at home prepping to be a daddy, he works at this company and maintains a strong following through his PR blog and Twitter account. Mr. Keliher's got quite the sense of humor and you can find him among the #SMBMSP crowd.

Let's all congratulate Mr. and Mrs. Keliher in welcoming this new arrival into their lives and on Twitter! And that brings up my next thought... what other "blessings" have you seen unfold on Twitter?

Hello, My Name is Drew, and Who Are You?

Once a social media community has gotten rolling a bit, it can be tough to keep track of who all is actually following you on Twitter, who reads what you are writing on your blog, and what kinds of people make up your community. It's like a party - you may be having a conversation with a few people on one side of the room while a few new people come in the back door unnoticed. While it can be tough to keep up, it is so important! Google Analytics can only tell you so much.

I want to take this opportunity to reintroduce myself and ask you a few questions. My name is Drew and I work at Axiom Marketing Communications in Minneapolis. We work with a variety of clients on marketing, event promotion, brand management, and social media tactics as well as writing this daily social media blog. In my free time, I enjoy reading, playing broomball during winter, discovering and listening to new music, and digging into LOST. I still have a lot to learn about social media and marketing, but reading and writing blogs as well as engaging in the online community have taught me a lot.

Now about you. Here are a few questions you could answer (any or all):

- What's your name, where are you from, where do you work?
- Favorite hobbies, current projects?
- Favorite blogs or books that you would recommend to others?
- How can we improve Daily Axioms for you? What would you like to see us write about more? Less?

The community at Daily Axioms is so important to us and we truly want to engage and get to know each one of you. Think of it like a party where we can all get to know each other a little more.