Jeff Hasen

Lessons Learned From More Than 1,000 Days On Twitter

2010-04-12-tunafishsalad

Mario Schulzke from www.ideamensch asked me to write about my life on Twitter. Here's what I submitted http://ideamensch.com/1000-days-on-twitter-lessons-learned/

What I know and still wonder about more than 1,000 days and 2,500 followers into my @jeffhasen Twitter life:

I’m doing OK if you consider that I’ve consistently been placed on the Top CMOs on Twitter list http://www.smmmagazine.com/exclusives/top-cmos-on-twitter/.

I’m doing lousy if you average out days and followers that seem to indicate that I’m as popular as Christmas music in January.

I spend more and more time on Twitter. To help determine how much versus the rest, I went to Google and put in “time spent on t…” It came back with two choices — time spent on Twitter and time spent on toilet. At least one of those deserves to be kept to oneself.

I realize that I can grow my followers’ list rapidly through all sorts of trickery. But I continue to believe that a smaller list earned is better than one with 3,000 “followers” who have no value to me – nor me to them. By the way, Tweetcounter says it will take me about 535 days to get to 4,000 followers. I give that prediction slightly more than zero credence. I have lots in store for the next 535 days, none of which I’ve shared with Tweetcounter.

I refuse to use Twitter like most use Facebook (and many sadly use LinkedIn). Katie Couric famously said that “no one gives a rat’s ass that I had a tuna fish sandwich for lunch”. The minutiae of my life isn’t especially interesting to even those closest to me.

I see no value in using a Twitter account as an RSS feed. If you provide a link with no context or analysis, I’ve likely seen the news elsewhere. Please tell me what it means to you and to me.

There is no doubt that Twitter has led to business relationships that I could not develop elsewhere. Want to make a sale? Know your target and go where he or she lives. Twitter is full of potential contacts that are only reachable there.

I view Google Plus much like I saw Twitter 1,000 days ago. Approximately 62 million joined Google Plus in the first six months, according to one estimate (Google does not report the number). Consistently I’ve found those I’ve looked up to be mostly inactive. That either speaks to my circle or the tool as a whole. I spent some of the holiday break reading Chris Brogan’s Google Plus For Business: How Google’s Social Network Changes Everything. It’s a book worth a look, but, at this point, the extent of the change is in question.

Don’t be overly concerned by your Klout score or any other tool that claims to measure your influence. If you can grow your business, career or just your mind via what you see and say on Twitter, it’s an experience worth taking.

Forrester analysts say that 6.2 percent of online adults are creating 80 percent of the influence from tweets. The research firm calls these users Mass Connectors, part of the Mass Influencers group. I have no idea if I fit into those categories but I do feel like anyone can have influence if they provide useful insights and consistently put in the effort to contribute.

Mobile Strategy Should Employ Multiple Means of Participation

In Mobile Marketer's new guide for Mobile Advertising, I wrote about the importance of giving consumers choice about how to interact with you via mobile. The article follows:

CTIA reports that mobile phone penetration in the United States is greater than 96 percent with more than 300 million current wireless subscribers, 72.5 million of which are using
smartphones (comScore).

Now let us consider the large number of operating systems – iOS, Android, Microsoft’s Mango, BlackBerry – and the ever-increasing different devices in use.

Savvy brands understand that we are each individuals when it comes to our mobile devices. Leading brands such as Macy’s, MillerCoors and Ford understand this concept, and provide multiple options for mobile engagement.

This has led to a number of successful mobile marketing and advertising programs.

In spring 2011, Macy’s launched its Backstage Pass program, which engages shoppers in-store via multiple calls to action to use a mobile device.

Recognizing that not all its shoppers have QR code readers, the iconic department store added a short code to in-store signage, giving consumers a choice and ensuring that no one is left out.


When the QR code is scanned, or the short code is texted shoppers are forwarded to a backstage look at a video from the designer of their choice including Kenneth Cole, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Tommy Hilfiger, Michael Kors, Rachel Roy, Jessica Simpson and Martha Stewart.

The videos offer design suggestions, style tips and more. Shoppers can even enter a sweepstakes to win Macy’s gift cards.

The program has gained wide acclaim and interaction, sparking Macy’s to implement a second video series for the fall shopping season.

MillerCoors, the second largest beer company in America, recognizes that beer and sports go hand in hand.

The company designated nearly 75 percent of its ad spend to sporting events in 2010.

However, MillerCoors recognizes that there is a substantial opportunity to take these advertisements to the next level. By adding a mobile element to its advertisements, MillerCoors is able to connect with customers and build lasting relationships.

MillerCoors tapped Hipcricket to run a cross-media marketing campaign, leveraging traditional mobile elements, to help increase awareness of the Coors Light brand during Super Bowl XLV and the Miller Lite brand during the 2011 NCAA tournament.These campaigns included QR codes, mobile Web sites, SMS and contesting.

The campaigns resulted in over 159,000 interactions from 86,000 mobile participants and over 60 percent of which fell into one of MillerCoors’ key demographics – the 21-34 age range.

FordDirect, a joint venture between Ford Motor Co. and its dealers, implemented its first mobile program in 2010.

The brand’s goal was to include mobile calls to action in its national print, radio and TV advertisements to give potential customers an opportunity to interact with the car brand on a personal level.

The first phase of FordDirect’s program included adding short codes to its national ads for the Ford Year End event.

The car company was able to generate more than 1,000 leads across 38 regional dealer groups and achieve a 12.5 percent conversion rate.

In 2011, Ford is projected to spend $1.3 billion on advertising, primarily targeted at creating leads that turn into sales.

As part of that effort, FordDirect has now expanded its mobile marketing program to include all of its print and TV advertisements. The program has achieved a 15.4 percent lead conversion rate.

The success of these programs has led to an expanded program which includes QR codes among other mobile channels.

With a myriad of ways for people to consume mobile content on a host of mobile devices, why should a brand’s mobile playbook only have one play?

Why Will Marketers Spend More On Mobile in 2012?

Mobile Marketer asked me to explain the increased spend in mobile marketing expected in 2012.

  Here's what I told the publication:

  “It starts with consumer behavior. Every indicator says mobile activity considerably increased in 2011. The latest was the IBM report that said sales from mobile devices doubled in December 2011 versus December 2010.

  “Even the most stubborn of marketers has had to take note. The smartest ones know that consumers expect brands to have a significant mobile presence – and they are punishing companies that don’t.

  “Many mobile channels will benefit from increased spending. Mobile Web will be one of the winners driven by consumer demand. Another will be SMS because it provides reach to all, including the 50 percent who won’t have smartphones and, when used wisely, leads to permission-based, monetizable databases."

  The full story is here - http://www.mobilemarketer.com/cms/news/strategy/11886.html

Of Cranberry Bread and The Myth of a Generational Technology Divide

My holiday period scorecard?

Thirteen slices of cranberry bread. More sandies than I care to count. Sips (or was it gulps) of Washington wine that brought a calm end to a frenetic year.

And insights that will make me a better marketer in 2012.

What did I learn in those brief moments when I wasn’t stuffing my face?

Cranberry_bread_cr

The fact that the supposed technology divide between generations is bogus. 

My first inkling?

Soon after receiving her first iPad, my mother-in-law downloaded an app and streamed music that filled a room. She shouted out the ingredients for a holiday dinner, then gleefully taught the rest of us the shortcut of using three fingers to zoom in and out on her tablet.

My mother-in-law is 82. Oh, and she has been using a Kindle for three years and in 2010 learned the Microsoft Windows 7 operating system in about three days.

The second sign?

The same sister-in-law who passed off my gadget time as trivial did not let her first smartphone out of her hands, much less her sight. Sure, she was doing many of the activities we were doing in 2007, but gone were the feature phone, triple-tapping, and inability to effectively reach the Internet and all it has to offer.

My sister in law is 55. Her 65-year-old husband says that he is next up for a smartphone.

Judging by the statistics, my focus group of one is representative.

According to Nielsen, we are on the way to 56 percent of U.S. seniors using the Internet in 2015 versus 45 percent in 2010. eMarketer says that 31 percent of seniors accessed social networking sites in 2011, with an estimated 36 percent projected to use them by 2013.

After younger adults, the segment with the second fastest-growing smartphone penetration rate is those aged 55-64. Smartphone penetration among this older group is only 30 percent, but it jumped 5 percent in the third quarter of 2011.

Tablet ownership among those older than 55 climbed from 10 to 19 percent between fall of 2010 and summer of 2011.

For marketers, these behavior changes provide unmatched opportunities to reach Boomers and seniors with personalized campaigns that will move product and drive loyalty. My in-laws each commented on ads they were seeing and were well aware of QR codes.

We’ll look back at 2011 as the Year of Mobile Commerce during the holiday shopping season. Those who purchased in great numbers likely skewed younger, but that may not always be the case as older wireless device owners take advantage of the convenience and knowledge that smartphones and tablets bring.

As for me, my gadgets are the ideal January tools to find weight-loss solutions.

(first posted on imediaconnection.com - http://blogs.imediaconnection.com/blog/2012/01/03/of-cranberry-bread-and-the-...

"Mobilized Marketing" Named One of Top Marketing Books for 2012

Yes, I've been writing a book on mobile marketing. It has been a career highlight, talking to professionals from around the world about what works, what doesn't, and where we're headed. Their insights and lessons will be shared in "Mobilized Marketing: Driving Sales, Engagement and Loyalty Through Mobile Devices".

http://www.amazon.com/Mobilized-Marketing-Driving-Engagement-Loyalty/dp/11182...

Mobilized_marketing_cover

Today, the book made a prestigious list of those most anticipated for 2012. I'm humbled, honored, and thankful.

From TopRank's Online Marketing Blog:

"Jeff Hasen, CMO of mobile marketing forerunner Hipcricket, provides timely mobile strategies and tactics leveraging his experience from more than 130,000 past campaigns. As mobile marketing continues to move to the forefront of the marketing world, the insight Hasen provides into mobile optimization, budgeting, and measurement should prove to be indispensable in 2012."

Wow.

 

Too Much Emphasis On Smartphones?

Mobile Marketer asked me for a 2012 prediction. With all the talk about fancy phones, marketers need to remember those with less sophisticated devices:

"I predict that many marketers will neglect feature phone users as smartphone share tops 50 percent. Sure, we need to provide rich experiences to those with highly-capable devices, but we can't afford to forget the approximate 160 million Americans who will continue to carry simple phones for the foreseeable future. Mobile marketing will continue to be about reach in 2012."

The full article is here: http://www.mobilemarketer.com/cms/news/strategy/11746.html

Mobile's Misses In 2011

Any list of the year’s misses in mobile must include the incorrect predictions that Super Bowl advertisers would include calls to action leading to the creation of massive permission-based databases.

Instead, TV advertisers flubbed the year’s best and biggest opportunity to engage.

This was going to be the year that advertisers embraced mobile. Think of the possibilities:

• Chrysler offers fans an exclusive Eminem download at the end of the “Keep Detroit Beautiful” when they join a mobile affinity club for the new Chrysler 200.

• Verizon Wireless asks mobile users to text in their ZIP codes to learn how its network is superior to AT&T’s. 

• GoDaddy requires users to opt in to watch a special mobile version of their “too hot for TV” commercial.

None of these things happened. 

Total number of mobile calls-to-action: 0

Total number of mobile loyalty clubs launched: 0

I will not miss on this in 2012. I’m staying as far away from the Super Bowl as the Indianapolis Colts.

Other misses in the year in mobile:

RIM has had as bad a year as the Colts. It has failed to innovate, underwhelmed in sales, and has shown no direction worth following. With the likely first pick of the draft, Indianapolis has better prospects for 2012 than does RIM.

It remains to be seen whether the forecast of 50 percent smartphone penetration by the end of 2011 is met. Nielsen listed the third quarter number at 44 percent. The last six points to 50 percent is a large hill to climb, but this is the season of giving and stockings will be ringing across the country.

We missed on predictions of the iPhone 5 on four U.S. carriers. All of us did, including the most dependable of so-called insiders. No fifth generation of the iPhone, no iPhone business at all at T-Mobile, which spent the last six months envisioning a marriage with AT&T that hasn’t made it to the altar. 

Of course, what we got from Apple was Siri, a voice recognition technology that received the fanboy buzz treatment but is already considered a fading novelty by many.

Marketers chased the so-called shiny object but failed to bring home the business results.  Savvy professionals succeed by following behaviors and interest research rather than gambling on something entirely new. 

These marketers know that just because you can do something technically doesn’t mean that you should. The lesson? Know your customers and prospects and market to them in ways that you have the best chance to succeed. 

A major global brand allocates approximately 70 percent of its mobile efforts to reach efforts that include SMS, 20 percent to richer experiences that don’t reach all subscribers, and 10 percent to the shiny object. That is a great example to follow.

And finally, many marketers missed by dictating how consumers would interact with their brands.

Successful mobile campaigns, like the Backstage Pass program at Mobile Marketer’s Marketer of the Year Macy’s, provided multiple ways to engage. By giving options like SMS, QR codes and mobile web sites, marketers prosecuted a reach strategy that was inclusive – and moved product.

(column first published in Mobile Marketer - http://www.mobilemarketer.com/cms/opinion/columns/11739.html)