Today's blog post is part three of a seven-part series of key planning questions everyone should ask themselves when developing a social media strategy. In Part 2 of our Social Media Strategy blog series, we explored the importance of selecting the right social media tools for your audience, as different groups adopt various social media tools at different rates. The next step is to determine how View more

Today's blog post is part three of a seven-part series of key planning questions everyone should ask themselves when developing a social media strategy. In Part 2 of our Social Media Strategy blog series, we explored the importance of selecting the right social media tools for your audience, as different groups adopt various social media tools at different rates. The next step is to determine how to drive traffic to your social media program. Oftentimes this is one step in planning that many marketers forget about or pay less attention to, instead focusing on the shiny, fun stuff like site design or app functionality. Just because you build it doesn't mean they will come. Any social media initiative, whether it be creating a Twitter or Facebook profile, or launching a UGC contest or a custom brand community, should be tightly integrated with your other marketing programs and have its own mini go-to-market plan. You may be thinking, "Oh gosh, more marketing programs to support my social media program." Isn't social media supposed to support my marketing efforts?? Sure, but think synergistically versus silo. Driving traffic to your social media program could be as easy as including "Follow Us" links in your weekly newsletter or a pod on your website advertising your new contest. Take time to plan out how you'll address the announcement of your new program and how you'll continue to drive traffic back to it through viral features, new content or other social activities. Once the ball gets rolling, and you have a social program that is relevant and well-executed, your customers' social networks will take over, sending new and repeat visits to your social media program.Click here for sample questions on how to drive traffic to you social media program and check out our new and free Strategy Guide: Getting Started with Social Media. It includes seven additional planning questions you should ask yourself before launching into your social media initiative. Good luck! Subscribe to our email newsletter and receive practical tips and how-to’s on social media programs.  View less

Type the keyword acapella into YouTube and you'll find over 160,000 video clips of people reinterpreting a popular song. Type video mashup and you find millions of clips where people have mashed two or more videos into one. What's hot in the UGC video world lately is the next generation of user generated content: remixing other people's content to create new original content. For some of us, thisView more

Type the keyword acapella into YouTube and you'll find over 160,000 video clips of people reinterpreting a popular song. Type video mashup and you find millions of clips where people have mashed two or more videos into one. What's hot in the UGC video world lately is the next generation of user generated content: remixing other people's content to create new original content. For some of us, this is not a new concept. But given that user generated content as it relates to the world of social media is only about five years old – the first video sharing sites launched mid-2005 – remixed video content as UGC is relatively in its infancy. Where is this generation headed? Remixing video, online. Over the last year, we've seen the adoption of online video editing take off. Tools that were once only available to professionals in a studio are now accessible online to the average user and are much simpler to use. Add the fact that it's easier than ever to distribute videos and go viral these days and you have the equation for some innovative and fun social marketing tools that get really capture people's attention. Early adopters MTV, Pepsi, Hyundai and the NFL have all executed successful campaigns involving video mashups and remixers in the past couple of years, enabling their fans to edit and reimagine branded and licensed content and even inject user generated content into the mix. These projects were immersive environments that did a great job of deepening user engagement with branded content in the guise of fun, innovative video remix contests and campaigns. Our Adobe Premiere Express Service product, developed exclusively in joint with Adobe, gives users access to Adobe's video remixing tools in on online community environment powered by Reality Digital's social media platform which manages the ingest, publishing and social sharing of user remixed content. To learn more about video mashup solutions go to: www.realitydigital.com/video-mashups.html. Subscribe to our email newsletter and receive practical tips and how-to's on social media programs. View less

Today’s blog post is part two of a seven-part series of key planning questions everyone should ask themselves when developing a social media strategy. 10px;="" alt="Search Globe" src="/scontents/lmak/blogposts/search_globe.png" align="left" height="100" width="100" />In Part 1 of our Social Media Strategy blog series, we explored the importance of connecting your social media initiative to your ovView more

Today’s blog post is part two of a seven-part series of key planning questions everyone should ask themselves when developing a social media strategy. 10px;="" alt="Search Globe" src="/scontents/lmak/blogposts/search_globe.png" align="left" height="100" width="100" />In Part 1 of our Social Media Strategy blog series, we explored the importance of connecting your social media initiative to your overall business goals. The next step is to determine who your social media program will target. “Well, my social media program’s target audience is the same as my target customers, right?” Yes, but there are nuances. Not everyone uses social media in the same way, nor do they always use the same tools. Your audience may be active on Twitter, but not on Facebook. Or your customers may prefer to read news about your company versus watching a video clip about your latest product. Different social media tools attract different audiences as well. Twitter users engage in short, brief, 140-character bursts while members of a niche community site tend to consume longer-form content like blogs and video. It’s important to gather intelligence on your audience and put on a lens that filters for social media habits. This data will guide you as you decide what social media tools to put resources behind and will increase rates of success and adoption. For sample questions to help you dive deeper into your audience analysis, check out our new and free Strategy Guide: Getting Started with Social Media. It also includes six additional planning questions you should ask yourself before launching into your social media initiative. Good luck! Subscribe to our email newsletter and receive practical tips and how-to’s on social media programs.  View less

Whether you decide to to use Twitter, Facebook, a blog, an online community or any combination of these to connect with your customers, your social media presence becomes a significant part of the face and voice of your company. Through communications and marketing, businesses can position themselves as the friendly and helpful local hardware store or the cool insider who has access to all the deaView more

Whether you decide to to use Twitter, Facebook, a blog, an online community or any combination of these to connect with your customers, your social media presence becomes a significant part of the face and voice of your company. Through communications and marketing, businesses can position themselves as the friendly and helpful local hardware store or the cool insider who has access to all the deals and discounts. It's the same with social media but even more apparent as social media interactions happen in near real-time. It's important to develop a style and stick to that persona from the onset of your social media initiative as you engage with your users. But what engagement styles are there and what fits your company's persona and business goals? Here are a few question to get your brain going:- What is your company culture and how does that affect what tone you take in social media communications? - How much time and resource can and will you put into the program?- What level of transparency and accessibility are you comfortable with? Once you have a good idea of what makes sense for your situation, take a look at this excellent Mashable article, HOW TO: Pick the Right Social Media Engagement Style. The author explores five distinct personas ranging from "The Beehive" to "The Friend" and tactical examples of how to bring those communication styles alive in your social media interactions. These personas should cover most situations, but there are others and hybrids. Pick one and really try to stick with it. In doing so you'll build trust and a sense of accessibility with your audience. Here at Reality Digital, we strive to take on "The Resource" persona by sharing relevant information from the industry and our own experience with our customers and followers. Check this blog weekly for more social media how-to's and follow us on Twitter (@realitydigital) where we share articles on the latest in the social media industry.  View less

Today’s blog post is part one of a seven-part series of key planning questions everyone should ask themselves when developing a social media strategy. Social media continues to be a hot topic and is quickly becoming a mandatory piece of the marketing mix for B2B and B2C companies in all industries. In order to remain relevant in the eyes of your customers and stay competitive in your sector, you sView more

Today’s blog post is part one of a seven-part series of key planning questions everyone should ask themselves when developing a social media strategy. Social media continues to be a hot topic and is quickly becoming a mandatory piece of the marketing mix for B2B and B2C companies in all industries. In order to remain relevant in the eyes of your customers and stay competitive in your sector, you should plan your social media strategy carefully. Social media as a marketing program must be tightly integrated with other marketing efforts in order to reach maximum ROI. And as with all marketing initiatives, it should tie back to your greater business goals for the company. Revisit those goals first and then determine how social media tools can effect them. You may be thinking, “Okay, that makes sense, but which social media tools do I tie to what specific business goals?” There’s no set answer to this because different social media tools provide different results and routes to success. Some tools are more geared towards brand awareness and interest while others can impact buying decisions more directly. Some provide both and it may time a bit more digging and thinking to determine the best approach. Check out our new and free Strategy Guide: Getting Started with Social Media for examples of tying social strategies to business goals and six additional planning questions you should ask yourself before launching into your social media initiative. Good luck! Subscribe to our email newsletter and receive practical tips and how-to’s on social media programs.  View less

When you think about social media, what type of media content first comes to mind?Did you answer video or text? Fair answer. Text was the primary means of communication in "primitive" social networking and now online video is the current darling of social media enthusiasts everywhere. Audio content, however, has been around for forever and it's something you should consider when figuring out the mView more

When you think about social media, what type of media content first comes to mind?Did you answer video or text? Fair answer. Text was the primary means of communication in "primitive" social networking and now online video is the current darling of social media enthusiasts everywhere. Audio content, however, has been around for forever and it's something you should consider when figuring out the mix of digital content you'll distribute through your social media program.What counts as audio content? Music, mashups, podcasts, audiobooks, audio recordings of presentations, mix tapes… Okay, well maybe not the last one in this particular application (or maybe it would in your situation), but you get the picture. As a business or brand, you create content in multiple formats today and that includes audio. It's important to remember that people consume content differently as well, given their situation, access to technology, and so on. Integrating Audio with Social MediaAs a technology company dedicated to putting the "media" back into social media, we define the idiom "social media" as the socialization of media. "Media" encompasses any digital content – including video, audio, images and documents – that can be shared across the Web and used as a means of communication between peers. When thinking of integrating audio content into your social media mix, treat it as you would video and make sure it resonates with your target audience. Here are three ideas:1. Online Radio Station Whether it be music, podcasts or audiobooks, an online radio station is a great way to stream your audio content to audiences in a protected format. You can even monetize your content by running advertising or charging subscription fees for access to your station. 2. Vocal Contest Host a talent search for the best karaoke singer or voiceover actor. You can then publish the entries to your website where users can listen and vote for their favorites. 3. Music Sharing Community Music is an easy one to socialize. People love listening and sharing the latest hits, "liking" their favorites and leaving comments. You can publish original music or allow users to upload their own tracks to an online radio station. It doesn't necessarily need to be around music though. Business can share podcasts or HR departments can distribute audio training, too. Yesterday we announced support for MP3 audio streaming on our Spotlight online video platform. This new capability enables you to publish and stream music, audiobooks, podcasts and other audio files to websites, blogs and intranets. It's also easy to add commenting and ratings to the custom player. Take it for a test run at http://spotlight.realitydigital.com. The free 30-day trial is a perfect way to see how MP3 streaming might work for you. Subscribe to our email newsletter and receive practical tips and how-to's on social media programs. View less

Twitter has become a popular social media tool amongst marketers over the past couple of years. Whether it's a global brand keeping its consumers engaged in its brand and products, a customer service department monitoring customer sentiment, or even a mobile food truck broadcasting its menu and whereabouts that day, businesses have found real ways of integrating Twitter's social network into theirView more

Twitter has become a popular social media tool amongst marketers over the past couple of years. Whether it's a global brand keeping its consumers engaged in its brand and products, a customer service department monitoring customer sentiment, or even a mobile food truck broadcasting its menu and whereabouts that day, businesses have found real ways of integrating Twitter's social network into their marketing strategy. If you're considering adding Twitter to the mix, here are some basic things to think about:Is Twitter right for my business? Ask this first. Is your customer or fan base even using Twitter? Do a bit of research to see if it even makes sense to start a Twitter account. While wildly popular, not all demographics are on Twitter and active. It may not be worth the work of building up your following if there just isn't enough volume there in the first place.Ask yourself why you want a Twitter account. Doing it just because everyone else is has one is not a good enough answer. Figure out what business objective you're trying to achieve and how tweeting impacts that. Also ask whether or not you can apply adequate resources to the program. Depending on your objective and the size of your company and your audience, one person managing the program an hour a day may be enough. As your following grows, more content is generated and the time and effort that person needs to adequately monitor and respond will increase quickly.What content would I tweet? What content is most appropriate for your following? This goes back to your original objective. Whatever your reason, craft tweets that will give them a reason to follow you, interact with you, and introduce you to their network of followers.Content can be as simple as the standard 140-character tweet to links to branded videos, images, articles, blog posts, contests, microsites... you name it. As long as it's relevant to your audience and objectives.Some other considerations around content. Is this a branding exercise? Post content that positions you as a thought leader or innovator in your industry. Looking to keep your company top of mind with customers? Tweet content that keeps followers entertained or engaged. Want to be seen as the resource for your community? Post and repost articles that are educational and relevant to your audience. How do I build my following?As in many things social media, just because you build it does not mean they will come. You'll need to come up with a mini-marketing plan for acquiring and retaining followers and actively manage your account in order to see growth.  Start by adding a Twitter link to all communication channels where it makes sense to do so. Your website, newsletters and email signatures are all great venues to increase exposure for your Twitter handle. While people start to follow you, look at following others to expand your network. Build relationships with those you follow by commenting on and reposting their tweets to your network to build relationships. It will all come full circle in time. Soon you'll have an expanding network of people who act as influencers, spreading your content to their networks. Remember, this social media tool only works if your customers are on Twitter and if you actively participate and engage with them. Once you have a significant following, you can use Twitter as a communication channel to drive traffic back to your social media community, corporate website, or social contest. If you're looking for online video and social media solutions that syndicate to Twitter, Reality Digital can help. Visit www.realitydigital.com to learn more about our social media platform and unique social media solutions.Subscribe to our email newsletter and receive practical tips and how-to's on social media programs. View less

While social media contests can be very effective at driving traffic to your site and engaging audiences with your brand, not all contests are equally successful. Here are four rules to remember when you start planning your next social media contest:1. It needs to be compelling!Whether it’s for a big prize, a charitable reason to support, or 15 minutes of fame, what you’re asking people to do mustView more

While social media contests can be very effective at driving traffic to your site and engaging audiences with your brand, not all contests are equally successful. Here are four rules to remember when you start planning your next social media contest:1. It needs to be compelling!Whether it’s for a big prize, a charitable reason to support, or 15 minutes of fame, what you’re asking people to do must be compelling enough for them to take action. We've seen many UGC (user generated content) initiatives fail because there just wasn’t a compelling reason to participate. 2. It needs to be easy! Keep it simple. If your contest requires too many steps, or too much preparation, most people won’t do it. They won’t have the time. And if there isn’t a compelling reason to do it in the first place, this will definitely turn them off. Remember to remove roadblocks to entry. If you're requiring users to register, keep data collection to a minimum. Keep it to less than 2 minutes.Also, don’t set approval standards too high. What’s the point of a UGC contest if no one makes the cut? The videos that go viral are the slightly-off, funny, interesting ones. Don’t make the mistake of cutting these out.3. It needs to be legal!Contest and sweepstakes rules can be different from state to state, let alone country to country. If you're running a contest on a public social network such as Facebook or YouTube, you may also run into some restrictions. Make sure to check and adhere to any guidelines set by local government or site policies, then post these rules to your contest on a Rules & Regulations page. 4. You Need to Promote It! Just because you announce it does not mean they will come and participate. Promote before launch, at launch, and keep promoting afterwards. Consider seeding the campaign with content so your audience gets a feel for what you're looking for. Take advantage of cross-promotion on other marketing and social media channels to maximize reach and potential engagement. And just like any other marketing program, collect data and do a post-mortem afterwards to see what worked and what didn’t. Use that data to improve the next iteration of your campaign. If you’re looking to launch a social media contest, Reality Digital can help. Visit www.realitydigital.com/social-media-contest.html to learn more about our social media platform and unique UGC campaign and contest solutions. View less