MEGO: My Eyes Glaze Over

Social Media Marketing Best Practices

Aug 30, 2008 Blogs, Marketing & Communication, Social Media, social networks

Mitch Joel of Six Pixels of Separation is spearheading an initiative to collect the Best Practices for Social Media Marketing. And, what good would a search for best practices in social media be if the search weren’t social itself – so Mitch is asking other bloggers to contribute.

Shortly after reading the Six Pixels’ post I came across a “viral” video. I use quotes because I am unsure at what point something becomes “viral” – 500 views? 300,000? 1 million? maybe 2 million views? Or, is something automatically called “viral” if it was created to be just that? Or is just something so entertaining, or captivating that it makes “enough” people want to share it! I suppose defining what makes something viral could be a post on its own…so I digress!

This is the video:

Cute video. Great tune. Important message. I admit I have a phobia of bees. I got stung once and so I am one of those people who runs around waving her arms when I see a bee or wasp (not the right thing to do, I know).  Despite the phobia – I understand how important bees are. So I bite, visit the website. The web URL “helpthehoneybees” makes me think that the video has been done by a charity or association for saving the bees.  I reach the site only to discover that the site is compliments of Haagan-Daz Ice Cream. I am immediately soured to the experience, feeling tricked by the brand.

Why did Haagan-Daz choose not to identify themselves with the video? After the controversy surrounding Wal-mart’s “Wal-marting Across America” and the Unilver “Wigg Out” video – you would think a brand would choose to be open and transparent. Don’t they want people to know about the good work they are doing? Perhaps, build the brand awareness around their “social responsibility” efforts? I wouldn’t feel any less compelled to save bees if I knew it was Haagan Daz behind the video! It wouldn’t stop me from sharing the video with friends. And, I still would have visited the website for more information. In fact, I suspect I would feel all “warm-and-fuzzy” about Haagan-Daz knowing they were taking on a caring approach to something very relevant to their brand. Instead, as a consumer I feel tricked into visiting Haagan-Daz’s site. And, as a marketer I learn from their mistake!

My Social Media Marketing Best Practice is be honest, identify your brand, and of course be transparent. Whether you are posting a video on You Tube, creating a blog for your brand, answering questions on forums, or discussing your brand on Twitter- openly identify yourself with your brand. In this way you build relationships and awareness with customers, something you can’t do by hiding behind unclaimed cute videos and fluffy blog posts.

You can suggest your Social Media Marketing Best Practices for Mitch Joel. Here are the instructions (simplified by Chris Brogan)

1. Blog it.
2. Link to Mitch’s blog
3. Tag it “social media marketing best practices”
4. And then tag someone else with the meme.

I will tag two people.

One: Mom on the Run, not a marketer by occupation but a mom who spends a lot of her limited free time using social media tools.

Two: Jen, founder of a fantastic online community – Urbanmoms.ca. She does a great job integrating brands into the community.

Technorati Tags: social media marketing best practices,Six Pixels of Separation,Mitch Joel,Social Media,MEGO,Mom on the Run,Urbanmoms.ca,marketing,blogging,haagan-daz,bees,you tube

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