There is so much information available today. I could seriously read for hours on end and still have more to read.

I’m reading, well maybe scanning, over 100 blogs a day as part of my job. I do learn a lot.
The challenge is I’m spending so much time consuming content that I don’t take time to create content.

I need to be selfishly generous and guard my creation time.

Some ideas I have to be more selfish:

• Wait to check email, blogs, and Twitter until I write something
• Block my time better–If I was planning on 30 minutes of blog reading or Twitter checking, stay in that time block
• Music. I sometimes create better with music. Put the plugs in and make something.
• Practice. Plan on 30 minutes every day to write something whether I share it or not. Just do it.

Other resources here and here.

How do handle the information firehouse today? Does your blog miss you? Are you being selfish?

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There are a lot of companies and organizations listening online. Everyone seems to have tools pointed at the web, mining data on their brand and customers. All of this adds up to a lot of information and some good business results. Look at Dell or Starbucks.

So, in all of this listening are customers really being heard?

Listening has the intent of gathering information, connecting, and paying attention.
Hearing is about comprehension, understanding, and perception.

Semantics? Maybe. My point is there are two sides of this online equation. If companies listen. Hopefully customers are heard.

Okay, so not every customer will be heard. But what should a business do?
Here are a few ideas:

• Simply ask. Ask customers publicly or privately if they felt heard.
• Notice customer transformations. Do you see negatives turned to positives in interactions?
• Look for advocacy. If you move beyond paying attention and customers are heard, they become advocates. Are customers acting as your ambassadors, answering questions before you respond, and defending your organization?

Hearing Example:
I wrote this post, mildly griping about AT&T and their customer data. A few days later, someone from AT&T follows me on Twitter. We have an interaction and I get a response.

I feel heard. Closed loop.

How are you tracking Social Hearing?

Photo credit: BL4d3RuNr

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Have you seen the recent Old Spice marketing campaign? Who hasn’t is more like it. If not, take a look. Yes the numbers were huge. Really big.

[Adweek Source]

Was any of that possible though without the brand using traditional interruptive media?

 
I would say no. Further, I would argue that this campaign was not fundamentally social. Old Spice absolutely used social media channels. They also activated the whole "I’m on a horse" idea into mass media long before the real-time YouTube component. Right? Social media was one part of a bigger campaign that was reliant on traditional advertising.

I think the core elements of social media are sharing and conversation. It is a two-way channel. Old Spice for the most part broadcasted and then interacted in a very planned fashion. They extended their reach in a huge way through social media. But remember, this started with a lot of mass media first. Yes sharing happened. Yes some conversation happened, but it was directed from their brilliant agency.

Will they sell more body wash and deodorant? Heck yeah. Is there only one way to use social media? Heck no. I just don’t think Old Spice was aiming for more two-way conversation. They wanted a big splash and they did that by spending a lot of money and using all channels.

What will happen next for them as a brand? How will others try to copy this model of mass media + social media? [Some are calling this trans-media] Was this innovation?

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There is this big company that just started offering "Real Fruit Smoothies." Except their main business is burgers.

Another company, Jamba Juice, maker of real fruit smoothies, recently announced a Cheeseburger Chill Smoothie.

Take a look:

Okay, Jamba Juice is not really making smoothies from cheeseburgers. But they are being creative in reacting to a potential new competitor.

Let’s break down their responsive marketing:

• Humorous video to counter the competitor
• Microsite with messaging that reinforces their brand identity
• Promotional coupon on the mircosite to get consumers to take action

• Shareability on the site to the usual social media suspects

I think it’s an integrated campaign. They are building awareness and driving people to buy more smoothies, the real kind.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHECK-UP:
Facebook: Good (lots of likes)
Twitter: Fair - looks like it could use more engagement.
Email:  Not sure. Could reach out to fans, share the video, and build more loyalty.

What else would you add? Would you take action based on this campaign?

Hat tip to Andy Sernovitz for pointing this one out!

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The buzz today in business is engagement and listening. Social media tools have made it easier for companies to listen to what customers and prospects are saying. Listening helps business monitor complaints, find fans, track competition, and stay in touch with industry trends.

This is great information to have at our fingertips, right?

Here’s the deal though, having spent some time using free and pro listening tools, I see a few problems.

1. Data overload- Yes tools are getting better at helping find data that matters, but there is still a lot of information that needs a set of human eyes
2. Time shortage- Unless you have a huge budget and FTE’s dedicated to online monitoring, you will have extra work on your hands doing this listening work
3. Hearing-impaired- Are we really hearing people on the other side? Or is this like a game of telephone?

We need tools that cut through the data to find meaning. We need technology that helps us connect with relevant conversations. We need deliberate practices that help the human touch come through all of this monitoring, collecting, and tracking.

I’ve yet to find the perfect tool to help a business really hear, unless you count sitting across from a real person.

Any suggestions?

Image credit: dno1967

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