Tip #1: Use visibly defined rules.

Don’t use the About information field on a Facebook page to talk about your brand or to present your tagline. Use it first and foremost to direct fans and visitors to the rules of engagement for this space. Click on the Aeroplan screenshot below for a best-in-class example.

If we’ve learned anything about Facebook Pages, it’s that organizations need clearly visible and posted rules, so that when moderation needs to happen, the fan base is far less likely to get up in arms. It can also keep moderation from having to happen.

Tip #2: Open up your Wall!

The Aeroplan example is a good example on how to configure your Wall for maximizing engagement with your fans. They have configured their Wall to show their posts and the posts of their fans equally. Please note that this is not the default setting. The default only shows your official posts.

Many brands struggle with this. And if you have millions of fans, then I can potentially see the argument of a Wall that defaults to only showing the brand’s posts.

I think that the reason many brands struggle with this is because of how people from the brand interact with Facebook versus how our audiences use Facebook.

Every time that we, as representatives of the brand, log in to Facebook, we see the interactions on the Wall. And it’s only a matter of time until someone complains that all of our posts have been pushed down “below the fold” by these dang fans.  Where are our promotions? Call the agency! Circle the wagons!

First, you have to try and calm these people down. Then  we need to remember where and how our fans see our posts.

They do NOT see them on the brand’s Facebook page in the majority of scenarios.

They see fan page messages in their feed.

This is why I recommend using a tab to collate and collect special offers, so anyone looking to find them that does visit our Fan Page can still do so easily.

If the goal is to increase engagement and reach, then having a Wall where anyone can start a post will drastically increase the engagement and reach you get from your fans. And every time someone does visit your page and starts a conversation there, you gain increased reach from all of their friends’ feed views.

Tip #3: If you moderate, tell the group.

Don’t start with moderation unless the issue is severe.  With minor infractions, it’s always best to remind members of the Facebook page of the rules and purpose of the space and warn of moderation first.

Tip #4: Be upfront about deletions.

If you do have to moderate (delete a comment), be sure to leave a post or comment that notifies everyone that you did indeed moderate.

I’ve seen too many clients get into trouble because they tried to hide the fact that they deleted something.

Or worse, someone from Marketing deleted something because it didn’t look good.

Tip #5: Obey your own rules.

If you post the rules of the space (see Tip #1) you need to abide by them, to the letter.  You will be found out if you don’t.  Someone will still have it in their cache or on their screen, and it will come back sooner or later as a screenshot.

(Many thanks to Skitch for their Mac screenshot and annotation tool. Couldn’t have done this without it!)

Reality is that social interactions are anything but simple. How a group will react to something we say or do is beyond difficult to predict partially because the number of factors involved verges on the side of unknowable. This places social phenomenon as beyond complicated or complex and into the realm of chaotic. Things in the chaotic realm are extremely difficult (some might say impossible) to predict and thus require a different model for how we work to create change or impact behavior. [Anyone academically inclined may want to check out the CYNEFIN model.]
Motrin recently had to pull an ad because of the reactions of a small few. Walmart has had a series of run-ins with bloggers. The number of first forays into social media that actually upset the digital denizens they mean to engage with are growing too numerous to count.
Why is this? One thing the Cynefin model proposes about the chaotic realm is that we can no longer analyze the situation, design the campaign and measure the responses. We have to engage differently. We have to Act, then Listen (Sense) and finally Respond.
Act first? The phrase, “Shoot, Ready, Aim.” comes to mind and aptly so. It’s not to say one shouldn’t plan up front. It is more that we can no longer plan with the idea of predicting the actions that will match the desired outcomes. We have to take risks (starting small), sense how they are being received and then respond quickly and appropriately before beginning the cycle again.
We are learning to be social using digital tools. This requires us to have access to digital tools that enable us to act, listen and respond quickly. I call the act and the spaces where this occurs “being MESSY”.
What is “being MESSY?”

• A space in which we can explore, test and evaluate the social impact of our actions.
• Hands on Learning. It is time for us to get our fingers dirty.
• A visual design verging on simple or non-existent so we don’t worry about “breaking the site”.
• Access to tools that enable us to control this space in real time.

Let’s be very clear. Anything involving a phone call to your IT department or agency is anything BUT messy. The idea is that we have a space where we don’t have to call ANYONE. It becomes our place where we can explore and interact with our audiences online.

“Hi, is this John in IT? You know that javascript I just emailed you? It’s the wrong color. Yes, I realize that email text is always black. I meant the color of the widget that it will build. Oh, you have to check to see if widgets are authorized? But it’s already on our site!! Okay. Fine. I realize this is my fourth call today. Yes, I know this has to be tested and run through the change management process. I was just hoping you could throw that email away and I could send you a new one. Hello? Hello?”

I’ve had a few instances where clients have surprised me by adding widgets to their web pages or joined new services that I didn’t even know existed yet. And by the time we sit down to review what they’ve done, these clients already have feedback from their communities about whether these additions are good, bad or indifferent. The tide quickly shifts where they begin educating me on what is of interest and value to their constituents and we become partners in expanding the number and size of efforts underway.
Many marketers blanch visibly when I first speak of embed tags and widgets. All I can say is that it’s not as bad as it sounds. If a ten year old can figure this stuff out, so can the rest of us. It just may take us a bit longer and our friends may not be quite so interested in sharing our excitement when we do figure some of it out.
So how does one start getting Messy? My first recommendation is often to start a blog.
Here are two places I recommend for starting a blog:
- blogger (free)
- typepad (I prefer this service, but there is a small fee per month)
Some of you will already have a blog which is awesome. Can you create a page that is yours to mess up, hack and change in real-time? If not, forget about that blog and start a new one. A new place where you can muddle through while exploring what works socially with your potential audiences and communities.
[Image source: Stuck in Customs]

Apple TV crosses boundaries inside Apple in some rather unusual ways. Something that more and more companies will be facing as they adopt new digital outreach approaches. In this particular case, it crosses three silos: hardware, software and the iTunes store. Based on my recent experience, it appears that no one has really looked at the entire process from the outside-in.

I had a movie fail to play. This is bound to happen sooner or later because, well, shit happens. Here’s a quick breakdown of what occurred that leads us to the bigger issue:
1. I was refused phone support unless I purchased an apple care extended warranty. If I refused I would have to get support via email. Annoying, sure, but no big deal. So I paid the $60 as I was assured this would allow them to help me via the phone. And so they started helping me.
2. But this isn’t easy for them. There is no way to get inside the guts on the Apple TV and no way for them to remotely access the device. So after we prove that I have internet access and the device is working, then we basically have no recourse but to download the video again. But here is where it gets good.
3. The people at Apple support are unable to help you with anything that touches the iTunes store. This gave me pause. The primary purpose of the Apple TV device is to purchase and rent TV shows and movies. And where are these purchased/downloaded from? The iTunes Store.
4. I am then directed to a webpage where I can submit a ticket to request that I be able to re-download the movie.
5. I asked how long this would take and was informed that the iTunes store responds to all requests within 24 to 48 hours.
The above process shows a lack of awareness for the context or experience the user (me) is going through. Let me paint the context of my experience (outside-in thinking.)
1. I get up in the morning of my big HD movie party and purchase a couple titles. I ensure that everything is downloading okay and then head off to work.
2. I bug my partner to check on it every once in a while and make sure the movies downloaded and that we didn’t lose internet, power or upset the latency gods in any way.
3. I send out a reminder email to my friends teasing them with the hot new HD titles we will be watching tonight over popcorn, sake and beer.
4. I arrive home from work early and make sure everything is ready to go. The movies are downloaded and I don’t think twice about it as they’ve always played fine in the past.
5. People arrive, the party gets kicked off, we all assemble to watch the first movie and blammo. It refuses to authorize.
This is the point in the story when I would contact support. It’s also the point in the story where the current silo’s and the process thinking inside Apple fail to map to an adequate solution.
If Apple wants to play in this space, they have to recognize that 24-48 hours may be fine for a song I downloaded and won’t play but certainly not adequate when my friends are gathered and waiting to watch a show. I’m sure Apple TV is a very tiny share of purchases at this stage. And so these issues are likely not even appearing on the radar. (Note: it ended up taking over 4 days. Oy.)
Apple is anything but alone here. Almost every company on the planet is organized by internal disciplines that quickly become silos. To enter a new space that crosses silos, it’s imperative we think of the context for the user and then map our interactions against this context with the aim to build our processes around the emerging insights. It’s about mapping us to them. This approach allows us to re-think and re-prioritize across silos and position us for success by focusing on a positive experience for the audience.
How can you learn from this? How can you tell if your campaign, approach or solution is risking a bad experience?

• Create a story of how someone would use the experience you are creating. It doesn’t matter if it’s a new campaign site, product or online service.
• Write a story (or series of stories) in the first person, identifying key points of interaction along the way.
• Identify what can go wrong at each point of interaction (website is down, download fails, user is lost, etc.) Clearly identify factors both in and out of your control. Use this to identify a contingency and response plan.
• Now imagine that something goes wrong and the user contacts your organization through the worst possible channel. What has to happen for the experience to be rescued?

Where do you have no ability to save the situation? Where are you not in control? These are what I would counsel are the biggest risk points. And there are the areas where you are going to have to tell your story internally and start to bust down some silo walls.
NOTE: I was speaking with a good friend who used to be the chief technology officer of an agency we worked at together. He pointed out that it appears to be a very poor DRM (Digital Rights Management) implementation. If the system knows we purchased the item, it should allow us to download it as many times as required as long as the rules haven’t been violated. ie: If there’s a problem, we shouldn’t have to go through the iTunes store.
TAKEAWAY:

Frankly, the Apple TV is ahead of it’s time – both from a technology point of view, and more importantly, from Apple’s inability to support it adequately. The good news is both can be improved and fixed. Let’s see what Apple does.
I’m not alone. Here’s a couple other points of view:

1. My article on craphammer
2. Dvorak Uncensored, “5 reason’s why the Apple TV sucks”
3. Article on gizmodo

Image source: niallkennedy

In a world gone crazy over events, there is one challenge facing everyone, regardless of the venue or format. Namely, how to break through the clutter, get the word out and build both credibility and attendance.
And while PR, advertising, promotions and direct mail all play an important role, for more and more companies bloggers are becoming a key part of the outreach and promotions strategy. This generally involves giving a “press pass” to a blogger in return for their covering your event.
The real benefit of engaging a social media maven, blogger or industry evangelist lies in the longer term relationships you are able to form.

• stronger relationships with industry influencers and insiders
• pertinent insight and feedback
• reach, exposure and search engine credibility (over time)

Let’s take an overly simplified Maslow Hierarchy of needs to highlight the opportunity a bit better.

Inspiration: Chip Conley, Founder/CEO, Joie de Vivre, Adaptive Path MX Conference 2008

The idea is that we define our relationships with bloggers around the intrinsic benefits for both parties. Each blogger outreach program would start at the bottom of the triangle. We invite a “Blogger” to our event and we work our way up to them being a respected insider and finally to a collaborator in helping us create amazing industry events. To the right of the triangle, I attempt to capture some of the outcomes or benefits that can be realized from this growing relationship.
Who to Invite?
Imagine a relationship with someone who is extremely well respected in the industry and with whom you have developed a close, two-way relationship of respect and value. Now picture this person as a blogger who attends your events and shares both insight and credibility…
Who to look for?

• industry insiders
• people with insight into the niche you are targeting
• someone you respect / trust
• those who publish sources you personally follow

A better question might be “who do we not want?”
I would suggest that paid bloggers be minimized or even avoided. Or rather, if we choose to use such services, we recognize that it is somewhat at odds with reaching the top of the pyramid.
How to Reach Out?
Do not send anything resembling a form email or letter. Odds are that the person you are approaching is already inundated with requests like these.
Start by commenting ON THEIR BLOG. Take the time to reply in context to one or more of their posts. Develop a relationship based on their writing and Test out the waters a bit. If things are going well, email them and just ask them directly if they would be interested in attending and covering your event.
Be Clear About Expectations
Everyone assumes that a blogger will make blog posts. And the odds are certainly in your favor in this regard. But a blog is only one of an almost limitless number of services available for covering an event. Which raises the challenge of how to determine which platforms to use.
A good strategy is to utilize as wide a range of platforms and tools as is appropriate for your audience. This expands your credibility with sources like Google while also greatly expanding your potential for increased exposure.
By selecting influential and established bloggers, you are gaining access to people who are familiar and experienced with communicating, sharing, and conversing within their particular communities of interest. They can identify not just what information to share, but how to frame the information and which tools to use.
Here are some of the methods that I generally find to be of value in covering an event.

• my blog
• commenting and conversing on other people’s blogs
• micro blogging via twitter
• real-time chat like Skype, MSN or Facebook
• posts on community sites of interest (Ning, Wikis, etc.)
• video post on youtube, vimeo or other video service
• activity on digg.com or another news identification service

I recommend an open discussion of any expectations you have. Be sure to also ask about any expectations or special needs they may have. If you are trying to gain exposure in advance of the event, work to provide something of value to them. Can you arrange for interviews with big names who will be speaking at your event?
Maintaining Control
You have no control. In most cases, you are asking an individual to attend and publish an article on their property to their readers as they see best. At the same time, there are next to no costs for you to incur.
There is a risk that an individual will choose to publish something that is less than flattering to your organization or event. This is a risk and the reason why I recommend so strongly for building individual relationships with the invididuals you invite. It’s important to note that you are not the only person at risk. Bloggers are being asked to open up access to their network, their platforms and even their properties.
A free press pass is not payment. So short of having someone removed from the facilities by security, there is little one can do to stop a bad or unexpected review. And frankly, having someone removed forcefully is likely to become fodder for publishing and lots of viral pickup online.
CAUTION: Based on a recent experience, I counsel very strongly against using a third party, professional or otherwise, to bring a number of unpaid bloggers to your event. The relationship at play is between the third party and the individual bloggers and you become quite removed from the process. This limits the long term benefits (direct relationship) while also severely removing you from contact and the opportunity for realizing the intangible benefits and also destorying any influence you may have had. When this third party is further compensated to bring unpaid bloggers to the table, a conflict of interest can develop between these parties and the results benefit no-one involved.
Measurement
What and how to measure a blogger outreach program? There are a number of instrumental value elements:

• How many stories are being written online about your event?
• How many links are there to your event?
• Authority and ranking in Google organic search
• Awareness and conversations on different channels

But as is likely clear from this article, I think there is much to be gained from the intrinsic value of stronger relationships with key insiders and leading thinkers in the field.
Wrap Up
It’s media relations 101 applied to the blogosphere.

1. Identify bloggers, mavens or others whom you respect both their writing and their audience
2. Reach out and begin developing direct relationships
3. Be clear about expectations and open to input and suggestions
4. Work up the relationship triangle
5. Actively monitor and participate in conversations as they happen online