Allen MirelesTwitter | Allen Mireles

Social media marketing is more than Facebook and Twitter.

Guest — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:15:00 +0000

This guest post is written by Michael Dolen, founder and CEO of the popular online forum, CreditCardFroum.com.

What’s social media? Most of us think of Facebook, Twitter, and maybe even LinkedIn. However there’s something else that falls into this category: forums/message boards. Because they’ve been around since the dawn of the internet, they’re not nearly as hyped… but that doesn’t mean you should completely ignore them.

My background

My occupation actually revolves around forums; I founded one where consumers write credit card reviews. Since its launch in 2008, it has grown to become the #1 on the net for credit cards. If you search for terms like “credit card forum” or “credit card message board” it will usually show up at the top. So how does a forum like this fit into PR? Well, here’s the biggest reason why…

Forum posts might be seen for years to come

What’s so great about Twitter and Facebook is that they allow you to interact with customers. Not to mention, they can be a powerful way to spread news of sales and coupon codes. In short, these services are essential for doing business in the present.

But what about the past? A tweet or Facebook wall post probably won’t be seen again after time has passed and it gets buried in the archives. However a post on a forum might show up in the search results for months or even years to come.

For example, I originally wrote this American Express Platinum review in 2009 and it still tends to rank well in the search results, even in 2012. Now of course, I am constantly updating this review every few months since the benefits on the American Express Platinum change periodically, but my point is that it still gets a lot of eyeballs. The same holds true for this conversation about Walmart’s card.

While my review of the AmEx Platinum is positive, the one for the Walmart credit card is not (due to its high interest rates, lackluster rewards program, etc). If you look at Walmart’s Facebook and Twitter they seem to be pretty active on them. Doesn’t it seem like it would also be wise for their social media crew to at least spend a few minutes responding to concerns on my forum and elsewhere? I notice they seem to stay on top of negative FB wall posts by replying quickly, so why completely ignore forum posts like this one?

What can and cannot be done?

Regardless of your business, there will inevitably be those whom are unhappy with your products/services. You can’t please everyone and you certainly can’t stop people from expressing their opinions.

However what you can do is try and give your side of the story, when you see a forum post that isn’t too flattering. Take the Walmart example- If they were to email me and say “we saw the post, do you mind if we share our side of the story?” If I received an offer like that, I definitely would consider including a paragraph or two from them into my credit card review, so the reader could hear both sides. Furthermore, Walmart could also signup on the forum and reply to that post quite easily if they wanted to… but they apparently don’t.

My closing thoughts

Do I think businesses should focus heavily on forum PR? Nope, not at all. I think dealing with the present (i.e. Twitter and Facebook) is far more important than old forum conversations. But regardless, I still think businesses should spend at least a fraction of their time keeping tabs on the message boards and replying to conversations about them, if need be.

In short, it’s important to take a balanced approach rather than only focusing on one or two facets of social media and completely ignoring everything else.

About The Author: Michael is founder and CEO of the web’s leading credit card message board. CreditCardForum.com’s reviews and offers, which are written by both consumers as well as himself, have been cited in a number of major news publications and websites including the Wall Street Journal, Smart Money Magazine, Yahoo Finance, and others. You can catch him blogging almost daily on his site about everything from customer service to cash back on credit cards.

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!

Dell Earns Forrester Research’s Prestigious “Voice of the Customer” Award

Allen Mireles — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 21:59:43 +0000

As a social media consultant I have often cited Dell for its work in social media. Today I use Dell as an example of a corporation using social media to connect with customers; really listen to complaints and suggestions; and begin the work of making changes in its processes. Social media consultant, Mack Collier, predicts that this type of event “…is an example of the next evolution of social media for companies.”

This week, in the same week that Dell earned the prestigious “Voice of the Customer” award from Forrester Research, its social media team released “CAPtivating Conversation: Dell CAP Days Participants Speak Their Mind”; video of the participants in its inaugural Customer Advisory Panel. We were interviewed briefly before and after the panel discussions and the video captures our candid responses.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BkmmVrOXMs&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

The Forrester Research award recognized Dell and two other companies for “…initiatives that enable companies to dramatically improve how they collect, interpret, and react to customer feedback.” The Customer Advisory Panel while not called out in the Forrester press release, certainly falls within that category. In a post on the Direct2Dell.com blog, Gary Fox states that “we understand that our company’s continued success is based on a common theme—putting customers at the heart of everything we do. How customers use their technology to grow and succeed is at the center of why we exist.” I’m glad they feel that way since it bodes well for the future.

As a participant in the panel I was flown in to Austin and treated with great hospitality. I enjoyed meeting members of the Dell social media team and other Dell panel members with shared concerns. Most of us left Austin feeling that the people working within Dell were committed to making changes. As importantly, we felt that they were really listening to us. An valuable trait in today’s marketplace.

That Dell has many issues to address in turning itself around is increasingly clear. That Dell recognizes this and is putting the pieces in place to makes changes now seems equally clear. The follow up from the initial meetings has been solid and the discussion continues on Twitter (#DellCAP) and in the Dell online community forums.

As Gary Fox states in his post, “The Forrester Research Voice of the Customer Award demonstrates that we’re headed in the right direction.” I concur. Congratulations on the award and good luck on the work ahead. We’ll be watching.

Taking social media offline?

Allen Mireles — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 16:28:22 +0000

We often forget (or at least I do) that we can take social media offline–in a phone call, or face-to-face meeting for instance. It is so easy to stay busy with work, to keep contacts at the tweeting, friending, posting, commenting, and emailing level. And yet, reaching out and connecting over the phone, or over coffee or a meal, is a valuable step in getting to know someone better.

And social media is all about building relationships, right?

I just summoned up my courage and called a Facebook friend and Twittermate I have never spoken to before to wish him Happy Birthday. It was nice to hear his smiling voice (and he didn’t hang up on me). Good exercise.

How often do you reach out to social media friends and followers? Have you had success in building stronger business relationships in this manner?