In a previous post I mentioned the HootSuite dashboard, and what it has to offer. Recently they added new gadgets to the dashboard, and upgraded the interface. I am pretty excited about these new and improved features, because they consolidate several routine activities, and provide new capabilities for social media activites. The new features include Geo-Searchable tool, Themes, Google Analytics, Re-tweets, and Language preferences.

The Geo-Searchable tool allows users to filter the search and information by your geographic location. For example- say you want to find out what people are tweeting about in your industry or particular area of interest, in your geographic area. The search box pops up with all of your results; from here you can follow them, re-tweet, add to favorites, reply, or send a direct message. I find this new tool to be very useful when it comes to looking for specific topics that are currently hot or trending to the top discussions. 

HootSuite is beefing up its language options, having recently added the Japanese language as an option, with many more to come! While I prefer the English option for my posting, I think it is great to add language options because HootSuite will be a tool that anyone can use.

The re-tweet (RT) option has also been upgraded to allow you to automatically re-tweet, which saves you time. You can still use the old RT method, but I much prefer the automatic re-tweet button, because you waste characters on the RT, and it’s just easier to use.

HootSuite created new themes for your dashboard to mix it up a little. The new themes include blue steel, classic and magnum. I prefer the magnum theme, it’s bold and everything stands out on my dashboard.

The new feature that I benefit from the most is integration of Google Analytics within the dashboard. Now within the Stats tab I can access my Google Analytics along with the summary and individual messages. I really like this new feature! I can view analytics quickly within the same dashboard that I do everything else. And if you have multiple Google Analytics accounts, you can link all accounts into HootSuite’s dashboard. This is sweet!

Clearly HootSuite is on the move to build out their product. So far, they are on the right track by expanding features that combine activities and resources to combine a series of related and routine activities into a single dashboard, which is a real time saver. I hope to see more work on their integration with Facebook. I’ll keep you posted.

Alexandra Talucci
Marketing Associate
RedZebraWorks

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There are many tools available to use for social media and for Twitter in particular. One tool that I use on a daily basis is HootSuite. HootSuite is a dashboard that allows you to monitor multiple profiles at once. I simply login to one dashboard and manage multiple accounts in one space, which is great since I constantly have ten plus tabs open on my computer.

HootSuite allows you to monitor keywords, statistics, schedule messages to be sent out, use a URL shortening tool, and monitor conversations of the people you are following.

The social media accounts that you can link through HootSuite include Twitter, Facebook, Facebook Page, LinkedIn, Ping.fm, WordPress, MySpace, and Foursquare. Within these accounts you can link multiple Twitter accounts such as a personal account and multiple client accounts, along with pages such as a personal Facebook and a company Facebook Page.

So in one place you are able to manage all of these accounts and you post to them all at once.

I really like the shortening tool. It’s convenient and makes it easy to keep your posts within the 140 characters of a Twitter post. This is a practical tool for me, because I don’t have to be logged into each Twitter account to make a post. Talk about a time saver!

One of my favorite discoveries is that HootSuite’s shortening tool also tracks the metrics of my posts through the HootSuite shortening tool. This allows me to view how many people clicked on the link and on which specific date. This is a quick way to see how people are responding to the material that you are posting. Unfortunately this feature only tracks Twitter metrics right now.

If you find that you’re constantly logging in and out of accounts to post content, then sign up today for a free account with HootSuite. You can get off to a quick start by watching this useful webinar.

Alexandra Talucci
Marketing Associate
RedZebraWorks

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In an increasingly competitive setting for landing employment, social media provides a useful tool for prospective interviewees gaining information about their possible employers.  Mashable.com shares an article that gives useful tips for interview preparation moving beyond a corporation’s website by analyzing blogs, Twitter pages, and LinkedIn.  Do any of these tactics cross the line between company research and invasion of employee privacy?

From each section, I’ve pinpointed some of the most important takeaways:

LinkedIn

A company’s LinkedIn profile offers information, such as new hires, specialties, and related companies where past employees may have previously worked.  Research of the LinkedIn profile helps interviewees develop more insightful questions to rise during the interview, along with possible personal connections to the company that one may not have realized existed.  Helpful questions to ask oneself when exploring a firm’s LinkedIn page include,

“How long do most people stay with the company?  Where do they go after?  Do all current employees share similar credentials?”

Corporate Blogs, Facebook, and Twitter

Companies may have news releases and relevant information on their website, but how do they directly communicate with their audience?  Many firms share their progression on campaigns, events they plan to attend, and articles or news on topics they find interesting and significant through Facebook and Twitter accounts.  Corporate blogs offer a more detailed view into common thoughts and opinions the firm wants its followers to consider.  Contemplate the objective of a company’s blog: Does it focus on its own accomplishments and events, or does it communicate information that relates to a certain subject that isn’t the company itself? 

Employee Blogs and Social Networking Accounts

Employees are the key drivers of an organization, so their personal blogs and social networking accounts provide insight about the way they may go about handling their work.  This information can be especially useful for determining how well one may fit with the company, but should not be plunged into too deep during the interview, as it may be unsettling for interviewers to discuss their personal life in a business setting. 

While it may be beneficial to follow executives of an organization, I feel it is almost an invasion of privacy to track down employees from a site, like LinkedIn, and then access their personal thoughts through Twitter or Facebook.  It’s certainly important to understand a firm’s general environment to determine fit, but it becomes eerie when an applicant finds themselves walking into an interview recognizing and knowing the employees, when the knowledge is not reciprocal.  There is a part of me that doesn’t want to understand the company too much more than they understand me, especially on a personal level.  Think about the opposite side of these tips; a firm can now search its applicants on Facebook and Twitter, tapping straight into their personal lives.

With companies using resources like Facebook and Twitter for corporate promotion, it only makes sense to dig a little deeper and find more information.  Competition is fierce, and it will be interesting to see the way that individuals fare through gained knowledge from these sights, as well as the way firms will manipulate them to attract the best applicants.

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In my last post regarding affiliate marketing, I brought up the question of whether an affiliate marketer can make a full living off of affiliate models.  The people behind The Third Tribe, who offer an affiliate marketing program, do not believe affiliate marketing is successful without incorporation into a larger strategy pipeline.  In a phone seminar between Johnny Truant and Sophie Simone, they highlight the difficulties that are not so apparent when “Average Joe” signs up for an affiliate program.  Some topics of their conversation include,

• Johnny’s irritation with Google Adsense: Affiliate marketers often make a number of cents for each sale or click that comes from their site.  Google Adsense does not pay marketers until they have reached $100, which took Johnny nine months.
• The products to promote are the ones with personal meaning.  Knowing a product’s creator and having used the product yourself, it’s easiest to communicate genuinely about the usefulness and benefits of the product.  Readers can tell the different between a sincere suggestion and phony sales pitches.  A connection to the product results in an earnest description and more clicks and sales from viewers.
• Communicating genuinely to readers builds trusts and causes them to become loyal to your site.   Loyal readers are more likely to click links from your site that you recommend, rather than the ones that simply interest them, because they trust your knowledge.  They will also recommend your site to their peers, resulting in a growing base of loyal followers.

Without a relationship as the connective tissue between a product and readers, affiliate marketers find that generating sales is much harder than anticipated.  Some most basic affiliate models, such as the Barnes and Noble or Tea Forte models in my previous post, allow an affiliate to choose links to set up on their site, but if they don’t have a true understanding and fondness for the product, they will not generate revenue and will ultimately abandon the product.

Does it seem like The Third Tribe is hypocritical with its criticism of affiliate marketing when it has its own affiliate model?  Its model is different enough that it’s their form of an improvement of the models they describe.  Third Tribe’s affiliate model is not built for affiliates to generate revenue; it’s a tool to bring down monthly costs to maintain a Third Tribe membership by referencing friends.

I think Third Tribe gets it right when they place strategy at the center of affiliate marketing. It also seems to me that a healthy dose of skepticism and distance from your own approach is a good thing, opening doors for improvements and innovation that can lead to greater success. In this regard, I think Third Tribe’s exploration is insightful and useful to anyone considering “cashing in” on affiliate marketing.

Tina Walsh
Marketing Coordinator
RedZebraWorks

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Networking may seem like a difficult idea for some people to grasp. It may be scary for others. However, it doesn’t need to be either. Networking should be easy and natural. It is not about making a sale or signing on a new client, it is about building a relationship. Various events for networking allow you to connect with people you may have otherwise not met or encountered.  You might learn of a new job, a new opportunity, find a business partner, a new friend, or an idea for a new business venture.

“Networking is the process of building and maintaining relationships. Networking isn’t sales and sales isn’t networking. It’s a lifestyle, not a work style. The best networkers don’t know that they’re networking, because for them it’s a way of life.” – Susan RoAne

Recently I attended The Ultimate Networking Event, held at Chima Brazilian Steakhouse, in Philadelphia. I expected there to be a customary setup of tables and chairs, along with a stage area for the speaker. None of these items were present. It was more of an informal space, the only tables that were available were for the bar area, the appetizers, and various pamphlet giveaways. Because there were no tables or chairs, people had not choice but to mix and mingle. This set up clearly forced some individuals out of their comfort zones.

Although the economy has been tough, over 100 individuals were out there networking, connecting, and attempting to build new relationships. At the beginning, we were told to relax, don’t expect to make a sale here and get to know people, which helped to level the playing field of expectations for everyone. The atmosphere was great for easily opening up new conversations with the person standing next to you. On the other hand, there were moments when it felt like there wasn’t enough space and the in your face aspect felt intense. There are no tables to escape to either. When I thought I might get a break by munching on some veggies, someone was there, ready to connect.

I met a photographer looking for opportunities to provide executive photos, and an executive coaching service ready to help develop the next business leader. I met insurance brokers, investment advisors, event managers, and credit advisors. It was a diverse group and infinitely fascinating to watch and learn the art of listening and learning, from one conversation to the next.

Networking is always important, but maybe even more so in this economy. Making an introduction is the first step. Swapping a business card is easy and quick at a networking event, but making a real connection and building relationships takes time. Events like these can help break the ice and pave the way for something unexpectedly good in the future.

Quick Tips and Resources

There are plenty of resources and tips out there to help people get better at networking and to enjoy it more. Here are a few that resonated with me:

Read Never Eat Alone for insight and advice on how to build a lifelong network and community of friendships and colleagues, by Keith Ferrazzi (with Tahl Raz).

• Don’t keep score: It’s never simply about getting what you want. It’s about getting what you want and making sure that the people who are important to you get what they want, too.
• Ping constantly: The ins and outs of reaching out to those in your circle of contacts all the time- not just when you need something.
• Don’t sell while networking. No one likes being sold. They want to connect and know that someone is listening.
• Acknowledge the people who help you.
• Help connect others.

Some Tips for Networking at Events

1. Go to an event with a goal in mind. Reward yourself when you reach it.
2. Be prepared and bring ample amount of business cards.
3. Look your best.  Dress with professional attire in mind and ask yourself, are you making a significant and memorable impression?
4. Listen. This is key in order to build a strong relationship with someone, and don’t expect to come away from the event with a sale or new client.
5. Take notes on the back of the business card you were just given. It shows you are listening and care about the conversation you are having.
6. Follow up in 1-2 days after the event. For everyday that goes by, you lose momentum.
7. Stay connected. Continue to correspond with the connections you made.

Learn other tips, tools, and more from The Training Resource Group.

Alexandra Talucci
Marketing Associate
RedZebraWorks

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Recently I’ve been researching revenue sharing, specifically affiliate marketing- a concept where a business rewards its partners (affiliates) with money depending on clicks, leads, or sales generated.  Many average Internet users see affiliate marketing as a way to make easy money.

A blogger or Web site owner simply has to partner up with a business, create a landing page or set up banner ads, add in the right key words to attract interested users, and wait for the cash to roll in.  This new profit model has dawned a new group of “average Joe” marketers, making a profit for themselves along with prospects for businesses.

Businesses create their own models of affiliate programs to best suit their objectives for the marketing scheme:

Barnes and Noble (B&N) offers a 6% sales commission on a variety of products that affiliate marketers may choose to advertise on their sites.  Affiliates simply follow the steps to apply banner ads to their page, receive their monthly commission in increments of $100 from Google Adsense.  B&N targets the authors of books as a way to promote their pieces through their Web sites and generate company revenue.

Tea Forte offers affiliates a 10% commission on all sales, providing banner ads, product choices, and links to include in their Web sites.  Their program is more neutral than B&N or Third Tribe (which I discuss below) in their use of LinkShare, a provider of online marketing solutions that creates and manages an affiliate program to meet the needs of the company.

The Third Tribe offers 33% commission per month for each (active) referral membership.  Third Tribe uses affiliate marketing as a way for members to reduce their own monthly membership fee and earn additional income; in order to successfully gain a profit, affiliates would need at least four new or recurring referred members each month.

The varying models of business to consumer affiliate marketing stir a number of questions:

How does affiliate marketing generate new sales (in addition to passive income), rather than redirecting interested customers through different channels to purchase?

Can an affiliate marketer make a full living off of these models?

How does affiliate marketing fit into a business’s sales pipeline?

Questions or thoughts? Let me know what you think.

Tina Walsh
Marketing Coordinator
RedZebraWorks

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Today I was reading an article on Mashable.com about a WTFJeans, an innovative style of jeans made to hold all of your gadgets. The target audience is “geeks”, as they put it on the website. But I think the creators are underestimating the amount of consumers who would buy these. Right now they only have one style for men and one style for women. I wouldn’t be surprised if WTFJeans starts expanding the collection after these are all sold because they are so practical for everyone.

The jeans feature a pocket to hold your iPhone or iPod Touch and a hidden pocket to carry a memory stick. Not only do they have a pocket to protect your iPhone, there is micro-fiber lining the pocket to clean your phone when you take it out. They’re making a limited amount that you can order online in 3 stages. The BETA version is the first 100 sold in March. The Early Bird sale starts right after the BETA, only 400 pairs available. The last set of WTFJeans doesn’t come out until August or September apparently, and people can only order whatever sizes are left.

They are only promoting the jeans online, because that’s where their customers are, obviously. There’re using a combination of blogging, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube to show everyone the creative process of making the jeans.

It’s very interesting how fashion and technology are becoming integrated. Obviously technology is a huge part of a lot of peoples’ lives, and that’s not going to change anytime soon. I know I’m not the only one who feels disconnected from the world when I forget my cell phone. These jeans make carrying your phone or iPod a lot more convenient. I don’t know how many times I was going somewhere and had to carry a purse just because my phone doesn’t fit in my pockets.

I’m curious to see if features like this will start popping up in other clothing pieces. Have you seen any other companies creating clothes with technology in mind? Did you or do you plan on buying WTFJeans?

Julie Novak
Marketing Coordinator
RedZebraWorks

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What do they have in common? Besides the fact that their music is played in my house on a regular basis, they are experts in their business.

Around Grammy time I read an article about Lady Gaga, and just last week I posted a link on my dad’s Facebook about the Grateful Dead. Now, I know everyone’s been hearing about Lady Gaga, but you may be asking yourself, what can a business today learn from the Grateful Dead?

Social media in the business sense is all about conversing with your customers, making them feel important, and in return generating sales and leads. Here’s how both of these artists do exactly that.

Connect with Customers (or Fans)

Lady Gaga: She goes where they go. Online. She debuted one of her latest singles, Bad Romance, on her own website, not on TV.

Grateful Dead: Before a public announcement was made about an upcoming tour, the Grateful Dead’s most loyal fans received a phone call from their hotline alerting them of the upcoming shows.

Build a Relationship with Fans

Lady Gaga: She has nearly 3 million followers on Twitter, updates her status regularly, and even has a pet name for her fans that she tattooed on her arm, she calls them her Little Monsters.

Grateful Dead: Die-hard fans, referred to as Deadheads, became a sort of social community. The band reserved the best tickets for their fans, but made sure to cap the prices for their 4 hour long shows. Deadheads were actually allowed to tape the shows because the band believed that sharing the tapes would increase their fan base.

Generate Sales

Lady Gaga: Album sales have reached at least 8 million and digital single sales surpassed 20 million. She just became the creative director for Polaroid and is a spokeswoman for Viva Glam lipstick (proceeds go to Mac’s AIDS fund).

Grateful Dead: All of the special treatment and focus on community encouraged Deadheads to buy merchandise. They are one of the most profitable bands of all time.

Social Media isn’t just about putting as much content online as you possibly can, and being on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Foursquare, Buzz, and any other number of sites. Fundamentally, treat your customers and fans well and they will treat you as well as they do Lady Gaga and the Grateful Dead.

Julie Novak
Marketing Coordinator
RedZebraWorks

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I started to notice that my energy was diminishing over the course of a workday. I wasn’t sure why I was feeling so tired, but then I realized that when I have gym time planned into my busy day, it seems I’m more productive in everything I do.

I started my Monday off knowing that I have spinning class with my triathlon coach at 7 in the morning, work, and then yoga class. After my spin class, I got ready for work and felt like I could accomplish anything. When I got to work I realized I need to write a blog post. So here I am, feeling wide awake ready to get things done and I come across an article on Entrepreneur.com called Physical Fitness Is Good for Business: Use these lessons from triathlon training to improve your work performance.

Perfect. This is exactly how I’m feeling today, so I just want to summarize the article and relate it to the work we do at RedZebraWorks.

Some analogies between entrepreneurship and endurance sports:

• Strategic Planning: How do I approach the race, event, or marketing campaign?
• Competition: Who are my rivals? How can I beat them? What qualities do I have that they don’t?
• Measurements: Am I improving my times, stroke efficiency, product sales, or brand awareness?
• Transition Management: How efficiently do I move between race segments, projects steps, and how is my site’s optimization?
• Financial Investments: How much should I spend on race gear? How much of my resources should I allocate to social media or eMarketing?
• Contingency Plan: What’s plan B if I fall on my face or our marketing strategies don’t get the results we hoped for?

The author, Aaron Kwittken, also gives a list of tips to achieve your Game Plan (or Marketing Plan):

• Look for inspiration: Subscribe to a magazine or email newsletter that relates to your industry.
• Start out with a small goal: Allow for more reliable growth by starting small and building up. An Ironman doesn’t start off competing in an Ironman.
• Set Goals: Always set performance based goals, something that is measurable. Always attempt to be better.
• Never become a Did Not Finish: No matter what setbacks you encounter, you always need to finish. Even if you fall off course, just keep picturing that finish line.

This article left me feeling like I am making good choices in my life, both personally and professionally. What do you do to stay motivated at work?

Julie Novak
Marketing Coordinator
RedZebraWorks

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On CNN Money the other day was an article about more experienced workers having to take hourly paid jobs that typically go to younger people who have no experience. This means the jobs that teenagers and college students typically qualify for are being taken by over- qualified people. The article claims that the unemployment rate for 16-24 year olds peaked in October at 19.2%.

One thing the article mentions that I never thought of is that because the younger workers are not getting the experience in these hourly paid jobs, they are missing out on building those basic work skills, such as communication skills, responsibility, and time management. This could be bad news for their career development. If people my age don’t have this, what are they going to put on their resume when they are looking for a job?

I remember my first hourly job was when I was 14 at the local ski resort. I haven’t been without a job since then, and I’m thankful for the experiences I’ve had. I worked for hourly paid jobs in everything from fast food, ice cream scooping, and even stacking wood. These are jobs that I included on my first resumes because I learned valuable skills that relate to any career path.

I decided to go to Drexel University for college because of the co-op program- I’ll have 1.5 years of work experience related to my major but the time I graduate in 2012. Again, I feel lucky that I’m having this experience of working, when people in my age group are experiencing a high unemployment rate.

If you’re in the group of 16-24 year olds is having a hard time finding hourly wage jobs, consider getting more involved in school. If you’re currently in high school or college, getting involved in organizations and groups is a great way to get experience. You can develop leadership skills, take on responsibility, and gain knowledge in an area you’re interested in.

I know getting involved in clubs and organizations usually doesn’t pay, but there is the added benefit of meeting awesome new people. Plus, if you take on an active role, it’s something that will stand out on your resume.

Julie Novak
Marketing Coordinator
RedZebraWorks

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