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Where does Google+ Fit In?

January 9, 2012 Leave a Comment

Have you asked people whether they have set up their Google+ account yet? Working within social media as a component of our overall communications expertise, we know that our colleagues within the industry typically respond with, “of course, you want to hangout?”

However, when we leave the office and go home, talk with our family, go out to dinner with our friends, and perhaps bring up the topic of social media, the Google+ question is often met with a different response:

“Ugh, another social media site? I still haven’t uploaded myvacation pictures to Facebook or canceled my mySpace account.”

In December, we posted on our Twitter page something that we deemed to potentially be the statistic of 2012…if it happens: Google+ will grow to 400 million users by the end of 2012 (right now, it still remains our Prediction of the Year).

The reason it is an amazing statistic / prediction is because as of the end of December, Google+ had 62 million users which−while a tremendous accomplishment −still leaves them well behind the more established social media sites (and as for social media traffic, Google+ was barely over 1% as of the end of last year).

So, the story is over, right? Wrong. Despite having to increase six-fold, we aren’t counting Google+ out yet because, to date, they have already done a number of things right:

They made the capability to create a page temporarily exclusive.
They added the ability to create Brand Pages at a perfect time after enough individual pages were created.
They have gotten celebrity buy-in.
They have integrated their platform with other media.

And, perhaps most importantly, they have integrated the other Google products as well. As VentureBeat put it in a recent article:

“…One major strategic move has helped Google achieve steady growth: Google+ has been slowly integrated with other Google mobile and web applications, starting with Google Reader’s integration back in October. Now, you’ll find G+ features in Gmail, Google Apps, Blogger and more.”

However, the next step is up to us: The Public. Those of a certain demographic and / job description have created their pages already because that is how they stay plugged in. However, the people that will determine Google+’s true success are those that were forced or guilted into creating a Facebook page in the first place. People that check their page almost by accident if they are in front of their computer and don’t care if their Facebook URL is customized. If Google+ converts these people into joining, then it has a chance at 400 million in 360 more days.

Working with clients in various industry sectors, we have been asked the Google+ question a lot since its launch over the summer, specifically as it relates to Facebook or LinkedIn Company Pages. We know what our answer is, but we want to hear from you first.

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Direct Choice Inc. is a full-service direct marketing agency that has worked with national and regional brands in a wide variety of vertical markets. In addition to this blog, you can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.

Filed under Social Media Marketing Tagged with 400 million users, Facebook pages, Google + Branded Pages, Google Plus, Google+, Google+ Success, internet marketing, LinkedIn Company Pages, marketing, social media marketing, social media tools, Twitter

Can Social Media Replace Polling in Presidential Primaries?

January 3, 2012 Leave a Comment

Direct Choice, as a company, does not take political stances. Our opinion is similar to Michael Jordan’s view of taking sides politically. However, we also wouldn’t be doing our job as experts in communications if we didn’t recognize the presidential campaign season is now in full-swing, and that marketing a candidate as an entity is the ultimate example of a branding case study.

There are plenty of sides to examine as wall-to-wall news coverage has taken place for much of the year, but our focus today will be on the role of social media.

Barack Obama’s Presidential campaign of 2008 represented the premier example of how to use social media to gain traction and momentum in creating a popular, robust, grassroots-without-the-grass-or-roots campaign online. However, it was the best example four years ago because it was almost the only example four years ago, and those in the social media industry believed that with nearly half a decade to develop and hone a social media strategy, today’s candidates would be fully ready to embrace the medium.

So who has done it best thus far?

In a recent study by consultancy Sociagility, the organization analyzed popularity, receptiveness, interaction, network and trust of candidates and their communications platforms, and determined that Texas Congressman Ron Paul is the apparent leader among the Republican candidates when it comes to effectively using social media channels (former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich finished in second place). This is not a surprise because Congressman Paul’s unique, against-the-grain messaging resonates with people (both positively and negatively), causing it to be easy to react to and comment on.

In their press release, Sociagility dubbed the Iowa Caucuses (and subsequent primaries) as the first ‘social’ Presidential primaries, insinuating a linkage between social media chatter and its ability to be used to conduct straw polling.

As a marketing organization, we believe social media is an amazing equalizer for some candidates, especially those that have less money in their war chest, Through these channels – FREE channels – candidates can easily communicate to their base and swing voters on events and messages without the need for an ad-buy or editorial board meeting. However, using it as an accurate polling mechanism is a bit beyond the medium’s means thus far. Where social media’s weak point lies is its ability to judge true engagement beyond the computer screen. Is the person writing, responding, reacting, etc. on social media actually going to visit their voting precinct?

Social media will continue to be a huge influencer in this and future campaigns, but to put unproven reliance on it and labeling it as anything other than a powerful tool to use in the full body of campaign outreach is dangerous at this point.

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Filed under Case Studies Tagged with branding a candidate, Branding Best Practices, marketing, marketing a candidate, marketing best practices, presidential candidates social media, presidential caucuses, presidential primaries, primaries social media, social media case study, social media engagement primaries, social media marketing, social media polling, social media presidential primaries, straw polling

Increasing Brand Share: A Case Study (Part 2)

November 13, 2010 Leave a Comment

Direct Choice, Inc. has had the benefit of working with companies throughout the healthcare industry and our experience has created best practices in developing marketing strategies that work. Our client list represents a who’s-who of organizations in the field, and our ability to work with this level of organization comes from a reputation for making even the strongest products and projects stronger.

Previously, we discussed how a Blue Cross Blue Shield organization approached Direct Choice to help improve their brand share in the “65 +” individual products market. Between the complex federal guidelines and an ROI through DRTV that delivered a non-sustainable cost per lead result, a different, lower-cost media solution was needed to attract the demographic. Through research and experience, Direct Choice developed the following model:

Scenario #3: Increasing Brand Share

The Solution

Direct Choice created a Guaranteed Lead Machine that was customized but, more importantly, not dependent on DRTV. It consisted of:

Newer, more responsive lead data and analysis
New lists and less costly lists
Breakthrough new direct mail creative testing, utilizing a variety of high-performing and flexible formats
Innovative birthday program
Low-cost rollouts

The Result

While this is an ongoing project – now in its fourth year – it continues to generate results,with an acquisition response rate that has been driven as high as 5%.

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Direct Choice Inc. is a full-service direct marketing agency that has worked with national and regional brands in a wide variety of vertical markets. In addition to this blog, you can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.