Talking within the Groundswell

(My second reading response post)

There always seems to be someone talking in the groundswell.

“@ThelegendaryKB just had an amazing workout”

“@TheeQueenB522 is tired of slipping on ice #ineedboots #LLBean”

“@PrettyKathy91 looks so awesome in these new jeans #imawesome”

Awesome, but what is this accomplishing?

As a business, creating a steady flow of conversation between customers and the business is a vital aspect to success.  But in the groundswell, conversation is changing.

Instead of speaking with a representative on the phone or speaking face to face (which in some cases is not even an option), customers are sparking conversations about products and services within the groundswell.

This means that businesses need to listen to the conversations that have already started and start their own conversations via social media platforms.

Companies already spend copious amounts of time trying to engage with customers via broadcast television advertisements and print adds.  Li and Bernoff of Groundswell refer to this as shouting at the public, not speaking with them.

I don’t know about you, but I cannot stand being shouted at.

{Now, I realize that we are almost finished with the book, but I really found this chapter interesting… please indulge me in this slight backtrack}

In chapter six of the text, Li and Bernoff focus on how to successfully talk within the groundswell.  They begin with saying that the marketing funnel (“a venerable metaphor that describes how consumers march down the path from awareness to purchase and loyalty”) is broken.  Today people are not as susceptible to the  “shouting” that takes place in the beginning; it is the conversations and connections that are formed in the middle that lead consumers to become customers.

Given that the real action is taking place within the middle, Li and Bernoff have recommended four of the most common and the most effective strategies for talking within the groundswell.

1.YouTube.

First, let’s take a minute and remember that YouTube is not even 10 years old. It  hasn’t even been around for a decade and has already significantly impacted the world of marketing and PR.

Li and Bernoff give the example of Blendtec’s “Will it Blend?” series on YouTube.  This video caught the public’s attention and went viral in a matter of days… sales also increased a whopping 20%.

My example of a company that utilized YouTube well is Old Spice.  In 2010, sales spike 107% after the release of the YouTube videos with the manly old spice man doing seemingly manly things.  Even the products that were slipping in sales saw spikes one actor Isaiah Mustafa showed them on in the TV and Internet adds.  WOW.

2.  Facebook (and other user-generated content sites)

“Creating a personality within social networking sites such as facebook and twitter is one of the simplest ways to extend your brand reach”, says Li and Bernoff.  One of my favorite brands of athletic wear, Lululemon Athletica has a facebook page that I follow.  They are constantly posting photos of new apparel and events they are having.  However, turning these posts into conversation can be hard…

Though I love the brand, they do not necessarily succeed in conversing with customers.  In this example, some customers are expressing negative feelings towards the new Out and About jacket, but Lululemon fails to respond to them.

The original Post

The string of comments

A more successful approach would be to acknowledge the problem and try to address it.  This is a clear attempt at starting conversation, but the people behind the athletic wear company do not follow through.  Their approach of avoiding the issue is an example of what NOT to do in the groundswell.

3.  Blog.

Li and Bernoff also suggest for people within a business to keep a blog as a way of stimulating communication with the public.  To me, Southwest airline’s blog, Nuts About Southwest, is a great example of a successful business blog.

Clearly the blog’s goal is to build a relationship between the customer and the brand.  They combine text, photos, surveys, and other multimedia to keep folks interested and engaged in their brand.  They make Southwest seem like a family brand… way to go!

4. Finally, Create a Community.

The final point Li and Bernoff give us to create a place online where a business can engage with customers.  I loved the example presented in Groundswell of beinggirl.com.  Proctor and Gamble took a clear risk by creating this page, but it definitely paid off.  This website acted as a forum for teenage girls to ask questions about anything in a safe, non-judgmental environment.  P&G successfully created a community where girls can interact with a brand that they can connect too… and then become customers.  By adding subtle advertising and providing free samples to girls, P&G scored big by creating a dialogue within a community that it had previously been excluded from.

The message here is pretty clear- business need to LISTEN and then TALK within the groundswell in order to be successful today.  Li and Bernoff end the chapter with this quote:

            “If we can leave you with one thought about talking with the groundswell, it’s this: the conversation will evolve continuously.  Even as the technologies change, the basic conversational nature of those technologies will remain central.”

Social Action on Social Media: One Billion Rising.

{For my second original blog post, I will be focusing on how the non profit V-Day has organized an uprising against violence called One Billion Rising.}

The moth of February has a lot of particular meaning to me.

Not because it marks a slow transition to the “end of winter.”

Or because it gives “legitimate” reasoning for single people to indulge in copious amounts of chocolate.
Or because it gives my boyfriend and I to reason to go on a romantic rock climbing date the 14^th.

No, it's for none of these reasons.

The month of February is particularly meaningful because it promotes advocacy and education about violence against women. 

There is plenty I could say about the importance of this issue…but there are others who have already made it their mission to do so.

Eve Ensler, the founder of V-Day, a global non-profit movement to end violence against women, has already made her sentiments known across the globe about how she wishes to end violence against women.  Primarily through annual performances of her play The Vagina Monologues on college campuses nationwide, Eve has helped educate and encourage people every where to take a stand in regards to this important, sometimes overlooked issue. 

 Before I continue though, I bet you are wondering why is this important or even relevant to our class on social media marketing?  Why, aside from my clear passion to educate and advocate for an end to violence, would I bring this up on my blog?

A Message from Eve

Because without social media, V-Day wouldn't be nearly as visible or strong as it is right now.

In other words, Social Media gives the V-Day non-profit a brilliant way to market themselves to the global community.

Here is a brilliant example: Take their newest initiative planned for the 15^th anniversary of V-Day: One Billion Rising. In short, One Billion Rising is an invitation to one billion women and those who love them to rise up, walk out, dance, and demand an end to violence. 

The V-Day Twitter Account home

The campaign, however, has primarily taken place within the groundswell.  From the One Billion Rising blog (which you should really check out if you are interested!), the facebook and twitter pages, to posting amateur and PR created videos on YouTube, it has been every day people who have put this campaign together and spread it like wildfire through social media platforms. PEOPLE are the ones who are driving this campaign, not necessarily traditional PR.

Break the Chain Dance performed by the New Light Girls

Why Rosario Dawson will Rise

A One Billion Rising Flashmob that was posted to YouTube

Through social media, people are able to communicate and plan “risings” in their own communities by downloading the official took kit and making their event official.  Online community members can also post when their risings will be held on the facebook page, or even share stories about their thoughts and experiences with violence.  This creation of GLOBAL connections is what has made One Billion Rising as huge as it is. 

The pink V's all represents scheduled risings for this February 14, all of which was planned through the internet and "broadcast" via social media platforms... AMAZING!

Interaction on the One Billion Rising facebook page

Their approach however is not flawless, as I am sure that there are some of you who have not heard of either V-Day or One Billion Rising.
Perhaps the people working in the marketing communications sector of V-Day need to take some tips from Li and Bernoff for working within the groundswell.  For instance, they could refer back to chapter four of Groundswell and re-evaluate their strategy within the groundswell; do they want to energize people, send a more specific message, or encourage online participation in their events?  Maybe they could even benefit from including even more traditional PR-like messages?  (See the video below for an exmaple)

Nevertheless, I feel that One Billion Rising is still an excellent example of how a non-profit has utilized the groundswell to actively educate as well as encourage participation in their 15th anniversary rising.

The official Call to Arms.

Note: this video clip may be upsetting or disturbing to some.  Everyone has a sort of “call to arms” or something they believe in fighting for.  Mine is violence against women.

I hope that with this blog post I have showed you a non-profit truly worth believing in and a snap shot of successful social media marketing strategies… But more importantly, I hope that I have encouraged you to “rise up” this Valentine’s Day and stand up to violence.

Take a line from Taylor Swifts song "Holy Ground" and dance!