The Social Media Marketing & Communications guide for Natural Health and Wellness insiders.

Social Media: Hype and Adoption Cycles

When I stumbled across the infographic below (read the source post here) my jaw slacked a little. It sums up perfectly what I believe I have been observing over the past few years. I think it’s insightful enough to share with you here:

Notice the peak of the hype cycle. That’s the wishful thinking stage: “Twitter and facebook will give us the edge that finally tips our business success! We can reach millions of people for free!”

Then the plunge down into the trough of disillusionment: “No one is commenting or retweeting. Is anybody out there? This sure takes a lot of time. There’s been no spike in sales. This isn’t free after all…”

The bootstraps get hoisted: “This takes work and money, but we’ve learned a lot and had a few wins. There’s some light at the end of the tunnel.”

The real work begins: “The game has changed. We’re in this for the long haul. Let’s see how we can realistically incorporate social media into our business.”

Looking at this chart, where are you now?

It’s become painfully apparent that social media is NOT a stand alone marketing strategy. It’s unlikely to save your flailing business or magically launch you to success. But social spaces ARE inhabited by people that matter to your business. The tools DO have useful applications for you. I’m personally very glad to move past the social media hype peak, through the disillusionment and into the “plateau of productivity.”

As Esteban Kolsky says in his original post that I pilfered (with permission of course) for this one:

… no technology is what we think it is, and it takes time to figure it out and even more to do it right after learning the lessons of those who failed before us…

Read his original post here: The Best is Yet to Come in Social.

Would love to hear your feedback and comments.

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Shit Marketers Say: Trend-jacking and the S-Bomb

Unless you live in an offline puritan bubble, you’ve probably at least seen a link for the latest viral video on YouTube “Shit Girls Say.”

• 7,704,212 views in under a month
• 7,495 comments
• 53,730 likes

David Meerman Scott talks about news-jacking: piggybacking your message on a popular current news topic. My immediate thought when I saw this video was “Wow, this is brilliant. Who’s going to jack it first?” (Shit Girls Say isn’t exactly news, so I’m going to suggest the term “trend-jacking.”)

Laughing it up around the living room with my family over the holidays we predictably started riffing on lines for “Shit Guys Say.” (Two highlights: “How big is Cujo?” “BROWNIES!”)

Then I saw Shit Boys Say (note the Budlight.com logo).

Then came Shit Vegans Say and perhaps most notably Shit Yogis Say.

Shit Yogis Say is notable because it’s an example of trend-jacking by Lululemon. And because they say shit. Can brands say shit? Apparently Lululemon thinks so. The video was just posted yesterday and yes, there’s been some backlash. It’s edgy. It’s risky. I think it’s funny as hell. I bet it hits a million views by the end of the weekend.

Earned Media: How To Use Blogger PR to Promote Your Brand and Products

Smart marketers know that earned media is more valuable than bought advertising. That’s why companies pay PR firms big bucks to pitch story ideas to print, television and radio media. Getting your brand or product featured in a review, story or editorial is a major win.

The same is true online. Natural health bloggers and online journalists review products and report on innovations and ideas that directly support your brand. But how do you achieve this outcome? How do you get featured in online media?

1. Know WHO to pitch.
Make a list of the bloggers and online journalists that are likely to be interested in your company’s products and news. Use google search, twitter and other online networks and resources to find the influential writers in your niche.

2. Know HOW to pitch.
Just like traditional media, bloggers are interested in providing content that their audience cares about. To successfully pitch them, you need to understand their style, their audience and their needs. Be respectful of their time and of the value they provide you. Look for ways to bring value to them. The crucial mistake that PR people make when trying to reach out to journalists (online or offline) is one of relevance. Your pitch needs to fit the needs of the publisher. They’re not there to do you favours. They have their own priorities. Do your research before you reach out. Read their blog. Know their name. Customize your pitch.

3. Follow up.
It takes perseverance to get results. Keep careful records of who you contacted and how/when you followed up. Don’t be pushy, but don’t be shy. These folks are just as busy as you are. Ideas, even good ones, often slip through the cracks. They often appreciate your follow-up efforts.

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Are Groupon and Other Social Deals a Good Investment For Natural Health Businesses?

I got this excellent question on my facebook wall this morning:

Hey Justice, what do you think about Social Shopper? It is similar to groupon. Do you think a business would be wise to spend their advertising dollars with them?

Bottom line: I think Groupon and similar social deal sites can provide opportunities for generating new customers, but the model won’t suit every business.

How it works:

Where’s the “Occupy Your Health” Campaign From the Natural Health Sector?

One of the smartest pros in the real-time PR arena (David Meerman Scott) just released a book called “Newsjacking.” The idea is that you tie your message to a current news item to get attention.

Along similar lines, it occurred to me this morning that I’ve seen just about everything (and anything) tied to the “Occupy” movement now. Dozens of Occupy this and Occupy that photos have come across my facebook news feed. (An important note about facebook photos in a moment.) Some are cute. Some are profound. But nothing so far about natural health.

So I grabbed a couple free images from a stock photo site and created two “Occupy Your Health” pics. It took me about 15 minutes. Obviously I’m not a graphic designer, but hopefully you get the idea.

My recent article from Contact Canada’s Natural Health Products Canada Industry Guide 2012

Note: This is a reprint of my recent article in Contact Canada’s Natural Health Products Canada Industry Guide 2012

When Fred Haynes asked me to write a piece on social media for this publication, I thought hard about an angle. Curious, I googled ‘social media expert.’ 23,600,000 results came up. Seems like everyone wants to tell you how to do social media these days. The problem is, I can say without hesitation that just like every other aspect of business there is no social media manual that will guarantee success. So rather than another social media booster article or 101 instructional, I decided to share some ideas, see if I can poke some holes to let the light in, and hopefully inspire you toward some worthwhile action. Consider the following:

It’s all social now. Forget about your twitter or facebook page being separate from your website, your brand and your reputation. It’s all connected in this new social web. When someone searches for you online there’s no guarantee that your carefully crafted company website from 2005 is going to be the only thing on the page. A Yelp review, google places page, facebook post or blog post from god-knows-who could all show up, defining who you are in the eyes of the beholder. And it’s all sharable. You can’t control this, but you can influence it. One of my favourite quotes: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is today.” Better to start managing your online reputation sooner than later.

Social media strategy: One massive step to get you over the hurdle

This post is for natural health business people who -

1. Are still wondering how to use facebook, twitter and the rest of the social web to help grow their business.

2. Have started social media accounts but need ideas for using them.

It’s great to get ideas from other businesses and from marketing gurus, but for the most valuable insight you need to look at your own business.

It’s like one of my favourite parables – the Indian one about the blind men describing the elephant. To a sales person, social media is about sales. To a customer service department, social media is about customer service. And so on.

The point is, social media is simply communication. And communication is used in lots of ways. Hence the problem: “How should our company use social media?”

It’s a question that many companies continue to wrestle with.

And here’s the place to start: Assess your real life brand.

Social Media Marketing: FAQ from Natural Health Business Owners and Managers

The same questions are consistently asked by business owners and managers in the natural health industry. Here is a collection of those questions, along with some answers and comments to consider.

Q: Many natural health businesses seem to use social media like free advertising. Is that what social media is – free advertising?

Not in the traditional sense, no. Social media can support your sales cycle in many ways, but advertising or blatant pitching in social spaces is rarely successful and can alienate the people you want to reach. (Paid advertising on social media sites – ie Facebook ads, promoted tweets – is a different topic.)

Q: How can I be sure to get a return on my social media investment?

How Bioclinic Naturals Uses Brand Ambassadors To Create Content

Bioclinic Naturals has an interesting content strategy: They publish articles written by naturopathic medicine students.

Bioclinic Naturals' Student Voices Page

While the Student Voices section of the site might not fit your expectation of what a “blog” is supposed to look like, it basically serves the same function. The articles are well written and support the brand. They’re on-topic and lend a sort of third-person credibility to the site.

Confessions of a (former) Spammer

"Whaaat... you didn't like my email?"

My name is Justice Marshall and I was a spammer.

I didn’t mean to do it. I just didn’t know better. (For the record – I wasn’t one of THOSE spammers. I didn’t pretend to be a Russian businessman with a once in a lifetime opportunity or a bored hottie looking to chat with strangers.)

My intentions were good. I had a product I believed in and I wanted the world to know about it. My mistake was that I didn’t understand the nature of online communications. I thought that “leveraging” the internet meant that I could simply send my message to lots of people quickly, easily and cheaply. Luckily, a colleague set me straight early on before I could do much damage to my reputation.

The technical definition of spam relates to email and can be found here:
http://www.spamhaus.org/definition.html

Spam is putting people on your mailing list without permission or recourse. But it’s also when you misuse permission or get it under false pretense. If you promise a “newsletter” then send out a series of pitches, that’s spam in my books.

And spam isn’t just for email (or the internet for that matter) anymore. All communication can potentially be spammy.

Sweetener Under Fire: How Coconut Bliss Used Social Media to Protect Their Reputation in Real-Time

In early 2010 anti agave syrup sentiment was gaining momentum, led in part by articles by Dr Mercola like this one – viewed 385,958 times at last count.

Mercola article damning agave syrup

Google search “agave dangers” today and you’ll get nearly a million hits.

That could be very bad news if you’re a natural foods dessert company using agave syrup as your sweetener – which is precisely the position Luna and Larry’s Coconut Bliss found themselves in.

You Don’t Need a New Website Design (You Need a Frickin’ Strategy!)

Natural health business owners and managers often tell me they need a new website. “Oh really,” I say. “It’s not doing what you want it to do?”

They usually respond with something like “Well, it’s old. I never really liked it.” Or “It just needs… freshening up.”

When I press them about what their site is designed to DO for the business, I often get quizzical looks or generic answers like “It’s supposed to introduce people to our brand.”

But that barely scratches the surface. Without a web strategy, your company website (and entire online presence) is left without a job description.

Different is Good: Lessons From Le Marche St. George

Baby Lola from Marche St George

True story:

The people who bought our building last year had a vision for the small commercial space attached. A year of work gave way to a much anticipated opening in November. Since then their little neighborhood coffee shop/grocery store has become a word of mouth phenomenon. No exaggeration. Check out the Google results on their name.

Hosting A Twitter Party In 14 Steps: A Guide For Natural Health Brands

Natural health businesses are beginning to use specially designed “Twitter Parties” to spread their message. If you want the benefit of professional expertise and instant access to large networks of health-savvy consumers – Plug in to the easy, affordable sponsorship opportunities available here: Naturally Savvy Twitter Parties.

If you would rather organize your own Twitter Party, use this 14-step outline:

Learning From McDonald’s: Facebook Advertising 101

Q: Why would a health food marketing guy like me share a facebook advertising example from McDonalds? I haven’t touched a McDonald’s product in like, 20 years. (OK, maybe an apple pie in a weak moment.)

A: Because it illustrates a template for getting it right. Sure, you can craft more sophisticated campaigns to suit different kinds of sales cycles, but sometimes simple is best. Here’s the formula:

1. Decide on a specific product, coupon or offer that your market will value. Here’s the McDonald’s facebook ad that appeared on my page:

CHFA Webinar w/ Roy Prevost

Roy Prevost and the Canadian Health Food Association (CHFA) have asked me to co-present a webinar for CHFA members. The webinar will focus on social media marketing approaches for health food businesses.

This complimentary webinar is for CHFA members only.

When: February 23, 2011. 11am PST

Details can be found on the CHFA website:
Complimentary Webinar Featuring Social Media Expert, Justice Marshall

CHFA webinar with Roy Prevost

Estrangement, Engagement, and On-The-Same-Page-Ment: Understanding the 3 Levels of Social Media Interaction

Engage, engage, engage. Everyone and their mother is talking about the value of social media engagement. It’s a bonafide buzzword. And with good reason – truly engaging customers is a lot different (and more valuable) than simply trotting out advertising messages in front of passive eyeballs.

But engagement is a lot easier said than done. A company social media presence is no guarantee of customer engagement. And not all engagement is equal.

Here are three levels of social media participation to consider:

Custom Facebook Landing Pages: Should You Have one?

A B2B client recently got a pitch for custom facebook landing page design. He forwarded it to me for my opinion.

Not sure what a custom facebook landing page is? Here’s one from Whole Foods and another from Genuine Health.

It wasn’t a bad pitch. This agency will design you a custom facebook landing page for around $400. They make some vague suggestions about including a coupon offer as incentive to persuade visitors to “Like” your page.

Here’s the thing:

It’s tempting to design a custom facebook landing page showcasing your logo, products and promotions. (Most companies do LOVE to look at themselves in the mirror.) You’ll be able to show it off to your marketing director or whoever. Everyone can crowd around and say “Wow. That looks really great. It really integrates the brand.” or something like that.

If the goal is to stick your official identity on everything you touch, go for it. But ask yourself… What are you really trying to do with your facebook page? Is it just more advertising? That might not be the most useful approach.

Tweet Links to Drive Clicks (Not To Drive Your Ego)

Twice today I’ve seen natural product brands tweet a link to a media story about their product. Both times the brand ignored the original headline and theme of the story and instead tweeted a headline that was all about them.

For example, say the Globe and Mail just published a story about natural approaches to managing high cholesterol. And hooray – they included a mention of your product!

Their headline: “Natural Health Companies Capitalize On Consumer Safety Concerns About Cholesterol Drugs.”

You might be tempted to start tweeting: “Read about us in the Globe and Mail! <link>!”

Here’s why you need to think twice:

What Place Does The V-Word Have in Your Business?

There’s been a lot of talk about transparency and authenticity in social media over the last couple years, and I’m noticing an equation:

Transparency + Authenticity = Vulnerability

When your natural health business participates in transparent and authentic online (and real-life) interactions… it becomes vulnerable. You open yourself up to hard questions and critical feedback. That’s scary for a lot of businesses, but especially so – I think – for established natural health brands.

The health food/NHP industry has long had to defend itself from detractors of all sorts, and I understand the hesitancy of a business to let down their guard and give the public deeper access to the people, ideas and realities that truly drive the organization.

But denying vulnerability might be a dead-end.

There. What you just read is how far I got with this post when I started it about half a year ago. It’s been sitting in draft form until now.

Two things happened recently that have me typing away on it again.