Allen Mirelessocial media marketing | Allen Mireles

Social Media: Leaving 2011 and Heading Into 2012

Allen Mireles — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 19:44:49 +0000

How will we remember 2011? A year filled with huge change on a global, local and personal level. Social media played an integral part and continues to impact our lives–in ways we don’t always stop to think about. Social media tools are developing and evolving at breakneck speed, presenting incredible opportunity and risk at the same time.

We have seen the rise and fall of social media personalities, the introduction of new platforms and myriad changes to the large and familiar networks like Facebook, Google, Twitter, Youtube and LinkedIn. We scramble to stay abreast of the advances and to understand how they will impact our clients’ efforts to build business. There are so many times when I sit back, frustrated, wondering why the world is moving so fast. And how we can ever keep up.

Social is everywhere.

Social media has played a huge part in the political uprisings across the globe and in our ability to observe and share the stories that resonate. Social tools enable businesses and organizations to market, promote, hire, learn and grow. Social media allows non-profits to communicate with supporters, raise funds and educate the public. Individuals are using social tools in just about every way imaginable and some in ways we might not have imagined.

In Northwest Ohio the use of social media continues to grow and to evolve. 2011 was the year we brought the first Exploring Social Media Business Summit to town, a high level social media and digital marketing training led by industry expert, Jason Falls. It was the year we had our first local TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) conference, with the very successful introduction of TEDxBGSU. The University of Toledo’s Third Annual Internet Marketing Conference included national speakers and experts Christopher Penn and Joe Pulizzi.

In Northwest Ohio, non-profit organizations like Unison Behavioral Health Group, United Way and Food for Thought have incorporated social tactics into their public awareness and volunteer organizing campaigns. Our traditional electronic and print media have embraced Twitter and Facebook in their daily communications. Small businesses across Northwest Ohio have begun to experiment with social networking. New blogs have been introduced and forums created. This is encouraging news for a region that still has many businesses and organizations who lack a basic internet presence.

I love it. I love the ever changing nature of our online social world. I love the excitement of trying to stay abreast of the newest sites, the updates, changes and additions. I am endlessly fascinated by the growth and evolution of the space and the incredible knowledge I gain from the people I connect with in social media. I am equally fascinated and troubled by the dark side of social media and watch it closely as it too evolves and grows.

It is easy to feel overwhelmed by the number of social networks, blogs, monitoring tools and related technology. Learning to understand them, to use them effectively, to be able to explain them to clients and prospects feels like a full time job. Today, social media is just one aspect of our vibrant, growing and interconnected online world. Today’s marketing and PR professionals must be comfortable, if not proficient, in related specialties like search engine optimization, online ad placements in Google and Facebook, working within WordPress, editing video and so much more. New tools are introduced almost daily.

And yet. The world remains unchanged in its dependence on human relationships. On people connecting with other people and sharing the things that matter to them. Social media enhances this immutable fact. So, as we move through the last few hours of 2011, let’s celebrate the close of a turbulent year filled to overflowing with change and excitement. And, let’s look forward to growth we will all enjoy in 2012.

See you in the social space!

#DellCAP 2011 Review: Wowed By Dell’s Social Media Listening

Allen Mireles — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 21:09:06 +0000

#DellCAP Group Photo courtesy of Dell

Last week Dell brought members of its inaugural Consumer Advisory Panel back to Austin to showcase the progress they had made over the past year. Dell formed its Consumer Advisory Panel (DellCAP) last year in response to customer complaints about issues ranging from product quality to customer support–and everything in between. The company hosted 30 Dell customers in Austin for two days. 15 who were unhappy with their Dell experience and 15 who were Dell evangelists. Dell executives met separately with both groups for long days; days filled with complaints, observations and suggestions for improvements.

When Dell approached me about taking part in their first Customer Advisory Panel I almost declined. I had been a Dell evangelist for many years but had had a frustrating experience with an XPS laptop that soured me on the brand. And yet…being able to share my frustrations with Dell directly was compelling. I accepted. So I was flown in to be part of the first group–those with negative Dell experiences.

The meetings could have been rancorous. Ugly even. As it was, it was hard. Hard to see people who obviously cared so much about the Dell brand hearing firsthand from the really frustrated customers. At times the tension mounted. And yet, before long, we had settled into a pattern of give and take. As unhappy as many of us had been before the meeting, as the day wore on we began to work together–offering ideas about how to make things better. At the end of our sessions we felt drained but many of us felt very hopeful. We had met with people who were dedicated and invested in improving the quality of the Dell customer experience. We weren’t certain that Dell would implement the suggestions we made and we weren’t sure that Michael Dell would really support his company’s efforts to rebuild, but we were very encouraged. I was impressed with Dell’s willingness to listen to our complaints and to our suggestions.

Fast forward to last week’s event. Dell flew 13 of last year’s 30 DellCAP participants and three new attendees to Austin and put us up at the Westin hotel. We were greeted with whimsical hats and treated to a smörgåsbord of lovely foods and beverage. (Note: fresh mango mojitos are delicious. Who knew?) Mack Collier, able moderator of last year’s DellCAP days, led us in a live version of #blogchat, a form of discussion typically reserved for Twitter. We were joined by members of the Austin Social Media Club and I was delighted to meet a longtime Twitter, friend, Connie Reece, face to face for the first time. The #blogchat conversation was energetic and at times, passionate, which kept it interesting and entertaining.

DellCAP participants Ed Tittel, Claire Celsi, Allen Mireles and Michelle Brigman., courtesy of Dell

The following day’s session was a combination of discussion and show-and-tell from Dell executives. The entire day was video taped and streamed live online. We were encouraged from the outset to be candid and to share with our networks, using the #DellCAP hashtag. As the day wore on it became clear that not only had Dell been listening, they had implemented many of the suggestions made by DellCAP members the year before.

It was so exciting.

A year ago Dell had a social media team of only ten people. Today, the Dell Social Outreach Services (SOS) team numbers 70 and monitors conversations in eleven languages. The team works out of the Social Media Listening Center, which features a customized Radian6 monitoring system with six different large displays showing global mentions of the Dell brand in real time. I was entranced. It was like seeing into the future.

Dell Social Media Center, courtesy of Marketing Eggspert, Susan Payton

The Dell social media team monitors more than 25 thousand mentions of the brand name each day and directs issues to specific departments or experts as each require. One of the challenges of social media is finding the technology and people to scale effectively and it appears that Dell is doing this successfully now. As my new friend Ed Tittel wrote in his post for ReadWriteWeb, social media messages that request or merit a Dell response receive an acknowledgement or answer of some kind in no more than 24 hours. During the time we spent at the Social Media Center, several groups of executives toured the facility. Judging from their rapt expressions they had reactions not unlike mine. I had trouble concentrating after seeing the Social Media Listening Center and wanted desperately to get closer to the monitoring system and play with it.

We were joined by Michael Dell for 30 minutes of Q and A, which was also videotaped and has been shared online. Michael Dell seemed relaxed and welcoming and gave thoughtful answers to the questions we peppered him with. It became very clear that he not only gets social media, he embraces it and has empowered his executives to act on the company’s behalf in their social networks.

We learned about Dell’s social media training programs, designed to educate Dell team members on its overall social media strategy, governance and principles, according to program director, Amy Fowler-Tennison. I had a chance to watch one of my favorite Dell people, Lionel Menchaca work at his station and then to have a quiet one on one conversation about his love of the work he does for Dell. His comment that he is having more fun than now he has ever had in his career with Dell was echoed by several other Dell employees during the day.

Since the inaugural DellCAP days last year, Dell has hosted DellCAP events in both Germany and China. To its credit it continues to seek and act on customer input about its products and solutions.

We concluded the day with more updates from Dell, more brainstorming and animated conversation and, as another surprise, “elote” (grilled corn on the cob with Mexican seasoning) eaten on a stick. I remember tweeting that I had never eaten corn on the cob in a business meeting before and was hoping the video cameras weren’t recording my stealthy attempts to remove corn bits from my teeth as the discussions continued.

When Mack Collier signaled the end of the day we were all surprised and even disappointed. In contrast to last year’s event where we felt drained and tired, this year we weren’t ready to stop talking. We were energized and excited and having a grand old time.

Dinner that night was on Dell at a delightful Mexican restaurant whose name escapes me. We were joined by the Dell executives we had spent the day with and the conversations continued. At the end of the evening, we regretfully parted ways and headed back to our rooms to pack and get ready to head home the next day.

Mack Collier and me at the end of our DellCAP session last week

Mack Collier’s moderation of the event added just the right touch of friendly, relaxed yet business like direction to the free flowing conversations. Director of Dell’s Social Media Command Center, Michelle Brigman’s, introductions and closing statements hit home in their grace and warmth. I enjoyed reconnecting with friends from last years’ event and meeting new friends at this one. I am not alone in feeling that the DellCAP participants are eager to continue to help Dell share the information about its programs and technology solutions and I look forward with excitement to watching the innovation continue.

Dell did listen. Dell is listening. And taking action.

Exploring Social Media in Toledo–Next Week!

Allen Mireles — Wed, 11 May 2011 17:32:17 +0000

A week from today Toledo will host the inaugural Exploring Social Media Business Summit with Jason Falls and a host of other social media and digital marketing experts. The event, held at the Hilton Toledo from 8:00 AM- 4:30PM, will include breakfast, lunch and networking opportunities. Haven’t registered yet? It’s ok. We’ve saved you a seat. Go ahead and register right here.

I asked Jason why he had chosen Toledo as the location for his first business summit. Jason Falls is a recognized social media A-lister and expert in online marketing. His blog, Social Media Explorer, is popular and highly regarded. His online learning community, ExploringSocialMedia.com, offers educational webinars and events. He is in great demand nationally as a public speaker. His response? He saw Toledo as a city with growing interest in social media and online marketing but no history of having hosted an event with top tier speakers. We were ripe for the picking, so to speak.

Toledo has an active social media community and many business and organizations already using new media effectively. Social Media Breakfast Toledo, The University of Toledo, Toledo MudHens and Toledo Walleyes, Toledo.com The Toledo Free Press, The City Paper, Carruth Studio and Unison Behavioral Group are just a few that come to mind. (Disclosure: Carruth Studio and Unison are both clients of mine.) Not to mention the numerous agencies and small businesses also using new media on a regular basis.

Just up the road, Detroit hosts regular meetings and conferences with A-list speakers from the social media and digital marketing world. It’s an easy trip for us to make and we do it regularly and with great pleasure. Detroit’s new media community is busy and always working on something new. They’ve been good to us.

But we’ve been hungry for a conference of our own. Businesses, organizations and agencies alike have expressed eagerness to learn more than the basics about these powerful tools. Exploring Social Media Business Summit Toledo provides Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan with A-list speakers and high level content focusing on social media and content marketing, email and digital marketing; with emphasis on strategy development, integration and measurement. For us, having access to these resources without paying the travel costs is something to celebrate. And we will.

Oh. And how did I meet Jason Falls? Through social media. I had been a longtime reader of his blog and Twitter follower. We spoke over the phone two years ago when I called to wish him Happy Birthday. I went up to Detroit last year and met him face to face at an event and we started chatting. And, almost a year later, here we are. About to introduce an exciting first time event for the Toledo area.

See you next week! (Wait. You still haven’t registered? You don’t want to miss this. Register here. It won’t hurt.)

Learn Social Media Marketing at Exploring Social Media Business Summit Toledo on May 18

Allen Mireles — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 21:39:26 +0000

National speakers and industry experts Jason Falls and Joe Pulizzi headline the daylong intensive seminar.

On May 18, Toledo will host the first Exploring Social Media Business Summit, led by Jason Falls and boasting a lineup of expert national speakers in social media marketing, content marketing, email marketing, content distribution, and analytics. The event, scheduled from 8:00 AM-4:30PM, will be held at the Hilton Toledo and will include breakfast and lunch.

Northwest Ohio has a thriving social media community with businesses and organizations actively using social media on a regular basis. Yet, many feel the need to improve their skills, understand more, and learn about the most recent online innovations. We are fortunate to be able to learn from the monthly speakers brought in by professional organizations like Ad Club, PRSA, Social Media Breakfast Toledo and others. And, we are just a hop, skip, and a jump, away from Detroit, and its continuous lineup of top notch conferences and events.

And now we have Exploring Social Media Business Summit Toledo. A daylong intensive seminar focusing on social media marketing, strategic planning, content marketing strategies, integration with email marketing and search engine optimization.

Exploring Social Media founder Jason Falls and Content Marketing Institute founder Joe Pulizzi headline the event, which will take attendees through social media marketing, online content marketing, search engine optimization for marketers and email marketing. Toledo area social media marketer and strategist, Allen Mireles, will speak on the importance of taking a strategic approach to social media. The program is ideal for marketing and communications professionals, business owners and entrepreneurs looking for guidance and confidence in using social media channels like blogs, Facebook and Twitter for business purposes. (Read more…)