Capturing Expressed "Intent to Purchase" Online


Consumers have a number of reasons to utilize the internet to engage in online shopping activities such as conducting price comparisons, seeking product information, reviews, advice and more. With increased accessibility to the internet via mobile devices and tablets, these activities and conversations are growing at exponential rates. The internet, thus, has become a fundamental tool for brand marketers and online retailers to communicate clear, concise, sophisticated levels of communication, catering to the expressed needs of online social consumers.

On a daily basis, people are becoming more avid in sharing their purchasing intents and experiences within their social networks. This online trend is creating valuable opportunities for marketers to engage directly with their consumers, allowing them to understand and influence their buying behaviors. Social media and online communities can be a goldmine of intelligence and opportunity for brands given that they are able to effectively understand what their consumers are saying, what it all means, and what they can be doing about it.

In a recent case study I worked on (via Mashwork) titled “Android Showdown: Bionic vs Galaxy S II” we put this theory to work with a goal of understanding how individuals online were expressing intent to purchase a particular phone. In the study from April 1-June 21, 2011, we found 14,838 online conversations expressing explicit intent or seeking advice on whether to purchase either phone. By analyzing this data set, over ten times larger then leading market research firms, we were able to then effectively organize and make sense of the organic, unsolicited conversation across the social web. (Read more about the results of the study here.)

Seeking intelligence around consumer buying behaviors through the use of focus groups and surveys is time consuming and expensive. By utilizing social media listening services, companies are now able to organize thousands of conversations to inform, adjust and shape their online marketing initiatives.

AHHHHHHHH!!


Fear, it's something we've all experienced. It makes our palms sweat, our knees shake and our words harddd to-to-to come byyyy. Sometimes, it even causes us to put on our best Macaulay Culkin AHHHH face. Many of us cling to certain fears our entire life because it's part of who we are. We assume that we cannot change it because we feel we have little control. The beautiful thing about fear though, is that it can easily be overcome, and it's actually really fun!

When we think about things that scare us, it's usually because we assume the WTWTCH (what's the worst that can happen) senario. Say you're afraid of public speaking and you're standing on stage. Imagine that the worst thing that could happen is that everyone laughs at you. So what, who cares? Some people spend their entire lives trying to get people to laugh at them. Life goes on!

Fear is nothing but an obstacle created by your own imagination. Don't let it keep you from getting what you want. 

Make a list of things (today!!) that scare the living shit out of you (or at least make you a little nervous) and over the course of the next few months, figure out how to face every single one of them head on. What could be more exciting then the rush of fear followed by the overwhelming feeling of accomplishment and relief? After all, "life is either a daring adventure, or nothing at all."

Wanted: Problems.

Solving problems. It's what keeps me up at night and gets me going in the morning. Even if there isn't an obvious or pertinent problem to be solved, it's the finding of new opportunities that breathes inspiration into my every waking hour.

So what exactly is a problem? According to Google, a problem is...

1. A matter or situation regarded as unwelcome or harmful and needing to be dealt with and overcome.
2. A thing difficult to achieve or accomplish.

But...let's just ignore that actually because I don't find those definitions representational at all. In fact, I have a major problem with them, let's define problem as 'an opportunity for improvement' instead.

When you think about it, we as human beings spend almost every waking hour solving problems. No matter who you are or what you do, you're solving them in one way or another. Some are BIG and others really small. Some take milli-seconds to solve while others take a lifetime.

Typically in approaching medium to big sized problems, many of us turn on our "Ohhh noo a problem!!" attitude and quickly turn to the help desk, physics, friends, even prayer to have someone/something deliver the solution for us. Instead of running from problems though, what we really need to be doing is running towards them, embracing them like the opportunities they are.

If we can consciously make ourselves aware of problems, changing the way we approach them, we'll be able to tap into our creative minds to find an endless array of opportunities instead. They just may be the stroke of luck or knock on the door we've been waiting for. Be a problem seeker not an avoider and amazing things are sure to come!

Uncovering Hidden Connections


The possibilities are unparalleled when it comes to organizing and managing information about individuals based on their social media profiles and habits. Over the past decade, we’ve been essentially uploading our identities to the internet. Every time we share something online, including the things we “like”, the words we use, and things we “tweet”; we are creating an”online identity” which can be effectively managed to bring us closer to others that share similar interests.

A company I came across in May that is doing an amazing job of promoting this social connectedness is Sonar.  After downloading the application to your phone, you are then prompted to sign in with your Twitter and/or Facebook account. The ultra savvy networking app then analyzes your profile to let you know how other people in the room are connected to you based on the interests and friends that you share.

This application is leading the way in terms of showing us how we’re REALLY connected. As I checked-in to “Heatpocolypse NYC” today on Foursquare, Sonar kindly let me know that another user (let’s just call him “Jake P”) was checked in to the room and also likes “Rafael Nadal”. Now, if Heatpocolypse were an actual location, say a lounge, I might just have walked over to Jake P. to discuss Nadal’s recent victory at the French Open and I also might have made a new friend. The beauty of social networking can be uncovered by showing us how we’re all connected.

Thank you Sonar for making it easier to find new friends!

Simplicty: A Strategy Guide


There’s no denying that the social ecosphere is becoming more and more complex as companies strive to develop new ways to engage and interact with their core audience. So with all this information and engagement happening, how does a brand “keep it simple” to get the real message across?

Rule #1: Offer a clear, consistent, voice and value. Before you hit “GO” on your social media campaign, take time to develop the objectives of your online presence. Be sure to identify the value you bring through engaging with your core audience, and create a “content schedule” that will allow you to offer clear, consistent messaging. Use these strategies to marry both your offline and online initiatives, with an end goal of prompting a behavior.


Rule #2: Provide content that your audience cares about. A great starting place for developing your “content schedule” is through understanding what your audience cares about and driving conversation around that. Typically, consumers will choose to engage with you because of the value you have to offer them. Being able to create and share content that lines up with the interests of your audience is key.

Rule #3: Create simple, low friction experiences that consumers want to share. Creating simple, sharable content is key. In other words, don’t make your audience think. Keep it simple and valuable and it’s more likely to be engaged with, thus getting more impressions across the social graph. Always be armed with clear, sticky CTAs.

How to #FollowFriday


#FollowFriday has become an international event! Every Friday across the globe millions of people on Twitter use the #FF hashtag to recognize their favorite tweople. It’s a fun way to share and find awesome new people to follow on Twitter.

It works well for a few main reasons:

1. It helps you find interesting people to follow. By using the search function on Twitter, you can search #FF and browse thousands of recommendations. Also, you can follow the trusted recommendations of your friends.

2. It feels good. There’s no denying that getting a #FF from a fellow user, along with sharing your own favorites, promotes a positive feeling across the twittersphere. It’s a great way to say “Thank you for being awesome!” and “You should follow this person!”

3. It’s easy and you don’t have to be a Twitter expert to participate. #FollowFriday enables you to share as many or as little #FF’s as you’d like, in one tweet or twenty. Keep in mind however, you don’t want to overwhelm your followers with dozens of #FF’s. In this case, it’s more about quality than quantity.

A great resource we came across to see who is endorsing who is the website Top Follow Friday. The algorithm used on this site analyzes the number of times someone is #FollowFriday’d. As of today, the “Queen Elizabeth” Twitter handle @queen_UK (with 300k followers) is ranked #8 and @dalailama (with nearly 3M followers) is #17! Check it out to find some great new people to follow!

Happy #FF @everyone!!!