Can I write anything of relevance using more than 140 characters? (I’m a seasoned Twitter-er.) What if no one reads this?  What if everyone reads this?  Do I have anything important to say?  What if there is criticism, and I‘m attacked by the grammar-hammers?  And, more importantly, what if The Chicks think I suck???  Lot’s of what-if angst…

[insert deep breath here]

In Chick-dom we refer to “The Social Butterfly” as most commonly found between the age range of 15-25 and being big influencers on buying decisions.  Social butterflies “fly” or “flit” from site to site based on popularity or what’s cool amongst their peers – wherever the nectar is the sweetest.

Butterflies are sharing their experiences through sites like YouTube, MySpace and Facebook.  This group has grown up online and is comfortable sharing personal information and interacting with other online users.  I know this from personal experience with having a 15 (going on 25) year-old; as I’m constantly amazed at how they can chat, text, take photo’s and video’s, and put together a Christmas list (with links to the products and their websites) – all at the same time (yet the simple task of cleaning her bedroom is simply overwhelming!).  This is the same kid who put together a Powerpoint presentation at the age of 12 on why she should be allowed to go to a bon-fire party with no parents.

My point being that butterflies are multi-taskers and have a zero-tolerance attention span.  They do their research online and value the opinions of those within their online community through ‘word of mouse‘.  As marketers to said butterflies, we need to go where they are.  Must-haves include the capability for uploading media, personalizing their space and being able to invite their friends to visit; we need to accommodate the thirst and inherent need to socialize.

In January 2010 a Facebook Fan Page for “If you remember the L’OrealKids FISH SHAPED SHAMPOO BOTTLE” was created and to date there are almost 1.2 million fans.  Fans have uploaded pictures of L’Oreal products, and pictures of themselves holding L’Oreal products.

The page does not look like an official L’Oreal page, and the page creator goes by the name “Tanner Be”.  Tanner Be might be just a highly creative teenager with a lot of time on his hands, or he/she might just be a cleverly-disguised digital marketer (hey…we do what we have to) for L’Oreal.

This is a perfect example of a brand “being social”, whether intentional on the brand’s behalf or not.  This also illustrates the glaring fact that you need to brand yourself, or someone else will most certainly do it for you.

Get your butterfly nets out, and remember to have fun along the way!

www.QuickMobile.com/online, updating the Online Revealed Twitter page, and reminding those who could not attend to follow (and join!) the Twitter conversation remotely using a twitter tag #orc09.

Chick Note: adding this tag to a Tweet will allow you to post comments to Twitter which will be added to the ORC chat room like discussion that will ensue when conference attendees post updates to Twitter.com, and those that are following comment. You can also do a Twitter search for Online Revealed to find the updates and follow live throughout the 2 day event.

It is amazing that in just four years this Conference, which will bring together tourism professionals from all across Canada and beyond, has evolved to be a true community both online and offline.  Over 300 attendees this year will meet over the next few days in Niagara Falls to share, debate, learn and educate about marketing online while hundreds more may be learning virtually through online channels such as Twitter and Facebook.

Although I will not be posting live updates to ideahatching.com, I invite you to join us in Niagara Falls over the next few days virtually!

Check out the mobile conference agenda here www.QuickMobile.com/online

For those who are not able to be in Niagara – follow us on Twitter:
www.twitter.com/orcconference - or follow my Twitter posts at www.twitter.com/acoupleofchicks

Follow the Twitter conversation here: http://www.tinker.com/event/online_revealed_canada_3
(the conference Hash Tag is #orc09 – join us!)

And if I have totally confused you and this post looks like it was written in Greek – stay tuned for Online Revealed TV (orctv.com) – we will be releasing workshop segments and discussions on our new online TV platform next month!

[tags] linkedin, social media marketing, marketing online, web marketing conference, tourism, online revealed canada conference, internet marketing community, mobile marketing [/tags]

1. The brand has a strong target market of mostly women ages 18 + who are active and involved in fitness, Yoga and Wellness.
2. They have utilized a channel (Facebook) that appeals to women ages 18+ to generate buzz around a community with common interests.
3. They positioned the group around an event instead of simply a special sale being offered at Lulu retail outlets which gives it an extra tone of exclusivity for the audience.
4.The Warehouse sale is being held in a destination (Niagara Falls, Canada) that does not have a Lululemon retail outlet within a 40 K radius, but is in close proximity to Southern Ontario and New York.

5. The 3 day event in Niagara Falls will allow for the possibility that guest’s can shop more than once during an extended stay in a popular tourist destination.
6.The campaign lives on the brand home website http://www.lululemon.com/niagarafalls/warehousesale but the call to action for the sale is to visit the Facebook page.
7.The Facebook page has virally grown to 779 confirmed guests and 209 Maybe attending with the ability from both the website and the Facebook page to invite more friends to attend.

The Wall posts on the site are active with comments from group fans including “I totally want in, I have to come to see my family anyway”, and “any ideas about how big of a sale this will be?” The target audience is inviting the marketers to give them more! Wow, talk about conversation marketing!

Another reason that this social media marketing exercise will be successful is that the admins are also contributing to the conversation with tidbits like “.. just imagine this: 34,000 square feet of space! Over 500 rolling racks full of clothing! As much product as you’d see in SIX lululemon stores, all in one spot!” They are not forcing the advertising message, but they are seeding the conversation and interacting with their audience.

Seriously, this is a fantastic execution of Social media marketing, looking forward to seeing the results! (and Yes I will be attending the sale).

[tags]lululemon, social media marketing, conversation marketing, online marketing, facebook marketing, internet marketing [/tags]

The most significant part of winning this award is the fact that the tourism industry is so progressive as to name an Internet Marketing firm as supplier of the year.  Especially an Internet Marketing firm with a name like A Couple of Chicks!  We would like to thank our team of “Chicks” and all of our clients and friends who have supported us along the way.  Now it’s time to get back to this thing we do!
 

[tags] hotelier magazine, online marketing, internet marketing, tourism marketing, Kostuch publications, awards, foodservice and hospitality [/tags]
 

The Chicks are taking Online Revealed to San Juan, Puerto Rico this September 17-19 at the Caribe Hilton Hotel.  We are excited to hit the beach and share online marketing best practices with the Caribbean Tourism Community.  We have had great support in producing this event with sponsors and speakers from VFM Interactive, T4G, Travelzoo, Expedia, Marketwire, PowerI and more. 

The two day show will offer content similar to the Online Revealed Canada shows including educational workshops, keynotes and a B2B marketplace with one on one sessions with the experts.  Topics will include online marketing strategy, search engine optimization, how to set up a paid search campaign and Blogging for destinations.

I will post some pics of the event as it unfolds, but this will give you a feel for the what we have planned!  Chicks are heading to the Islands!

[tags]Caribbean tourism conference, tourism internet marketing, search marketing tourism, hospitality, workshops, online marketing training, online revealed, Caribe Hilton Hotel[/tags]     

 

Before you play, develop a strategy by starting with the goals of the campaign:
Are you looking for increased website traffic?
Are you looking simply to generate buzz for the brand or for a specific campaign? 
Are you looking for sign-ups or sales?
How will you measure the success?

Be realistic in your expectations as social media channels are primarily user-generated, and therefore marketers cannot expect to have control over the brand message, or control over how messages are consumed.  Obvious brand control over a Facebook group for example, will not work in this space.  Users will be ok with a brand voice of some kind, but it needs to be legitimate and obvious to the users that there is a marketing purpose.

Let’s review a few examples of effective use of social media channels for marketing:

The Cadbury Guerrilla on Youtube: 

Cadbury chocolate launched a video on YouTube.com and Sky.com – both video sharing websites.  The campaign allowed viewers to edit original video to create spoofs of the hilarious spot,  which have since had the original video and spoofs viewed over 4 million times on YouTube alone!  The result?  The company reported a 5% increase in revenues.   Now that is a Guerrilla marketing tactic if I have ever heard of one!  Check out the Guerrilla – he is hysterical!

The Coors Light Facebook Group:

Molson breweries Coors Light Facebook group is an excellent example of a brand “starting the conversation” within the social media space and then allowing the users to keep it going.

The beer company started a Facebook community which they called “The Coors Light Brewing Company – Proud Sponsor of Things Best Left Unsaid” with the help of their marketing agency Mediaedge:cia.

The Facebook group has over 27,000 to date with 27 different discussion topics and over 900 “Wall posts” (Wall posts are comments that will appear for all group members to see) discussing events that Coors is sponsoring, photos and events.  The brand message is obvious as the main page of the group introduces the group as a place for exclusive offers, event information, photos, games and of course the ability to add membership to your Facebook profile!

This is a brilliant use of social media to communicate with a target audience.  The brand started the conversation and continuously feeds it with offers and brand messages– but the users create the content, talk about the brand and virally distribute the group to all of their friends.  Over 27,000 group members means over 27,000 people actively engaged with the Coors light brand!

In summary, the tides are turning in consumer marketing and customers want to be engaged in conversation, and trust the opinions of like minded communities of people.  Media has truly become “We” Media in comparison to the Mass Media of the past.

At the very least Monitor the Social Media Environment – make it your best Focus Group!

[tags]social media marketing, brand marketing, SEM, online marketing, facebook, youtube marketing, Cadbury Guerrilla campaign, consumer marketing [/tags]

The article also featured www.chicksaway.com – our social media website for women who travel.  And the story of our travels continue as I flew out of Pearson International today, and although I was not “tardy” in getting to the airport on time – I did miss the less expensive parking option (again) - I have got to figure that airport out!

As far as Henrietta’s debut on YouTube – I knew that she had been kind of quiet lately – but I had no idea the trouble that chicken could get into!  Thanks to Tom Wilson from Cape Breton’s Victoria County Tourism, and his partner in crime, Bob (www.goodjobbob.com – great URL Bob!) for this “fluffy” feature.
I must post the intro to this Youtube feature film as I really have no words to describe this!!!
“This film is dedicated to Henrietta, the bravest and most adventurous chicken I’ve ever met. I mean that bird’s fearless…and featherless.

In 2007, she traveled to Victoria County with A Couple of Chicks but instead of flying home…remember…no feathers…she stayed and scooted all around Cape Breton…legends say she might still be here…?!?!! Bob, of www.goodjobbob.ca fame was her fearless tour guide, who sustained a few more injuries than Henrietta during their travels.

She climbed Franey Mountain, a feat that many people can’t accomplish, had a summer romance with Smokey the Bear on the Skyline trail, braved the waves at Black Brook Beach, and Kayaked in Baddeck…to name just a few adventures.

You’ll never know where she’ll turn up next next”
[/tags]a couple of chicks, globe and mail, chicksaway.com, travel article, YouTube, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia travel[tags]

As we wrap up 2007, we have compiled our annual Christmas e-carol for you…enjoy!

 

On the first day of Christmas,
A Couple of Chicks gave to me
A new Website Strategy

On the second day of Christmas,
The “Chicks” gave to me
Two Keyword Hyperlinks,
And a new Website Strategy

On the third day of Christmas,
The “Chicks” gave to me
Three RSS Feeds,
Two Keyword Hyperlinks,
And a new Website Strategy

On the fourth day of Christmas,
The “Chicks” gave to me
Four funny Blog Posts,
Three RSS Feeds,
Two Keyword Hyperlinks,
And a new Website Strategy

On the fifth day of Christmas,
The “Chicks” gave to me
Five Inbound Links!!
Four funny Blog Posts
Three RSS Feeds.
Two Keyword Hyperlinks,
And a new Website Strategy

On the sixth day of Christmas,
The “Chicks” gave to me
Six Facebook apps,
Five Inbound Links!!
Four funny Blog Posts
Three RSS Feeds.
Two Keyword Hyperlinks,
And a new Website Strategy

On the seventh day of Christmas,
The “Chicks” gave to me
Seven Social Media Sites
Six Facebook apps,
Five Inbound Links!!
Four funny Blog Posts
Three RSS Feeds.
Two Keyword Hyperlinks,
And a new Website Strategy

On the eighth day of Christmas,
The “Chicks” gave to me
Eight Yahoo! Anwers
Seven Social Media Sites
Six Facebook apps,
Five Inbound Links!!
Four funny Blog Posts
Three RSS Feeds.
Two Keyword Hyperlinks,
And a new Website Strategy

On the ninth day of Christmas,
The “Chicks” gave to me
Nine Youtube Videos,
Eight Yahoo! Answers,
Seven Social Media Sites
Six Facebook apps,
Five Inbound Links!!
Four funny Blog Posts
Three RSS Feeds.
Two Keyword Hyperlinks,
And a new Website Strategy

On the tenth day of Christmas,
The “Chicks” gave to me
Ten Target Keywords,
Nine Youtube Videos,
Eight Yahoo! Answers,
Seven Social Media Sites
Six Facebook apps,
Five Inbound Links!!
Four funny Blog Posts
Three RSS Feeds.
Two Keyword Hyperlinks,
And a new Website Strategy

On the eleventh day of Christmas,
The “Chicks” gave to me
Eleven Screaming Chickens,
Ten Target Keywords,
Nine Youtube Videos,
Eight Yahoo! Answers,
Seven Social Media Sites
Six Facebook apps,
Five Inbound Links!!
Four funny Blog Posts
Three RSS Feeds.
Two Keyword Hyperlinks,
And a new Website Strategy

On the twelfth day of Christmas,
The “Chicks” gave to me
Twelve First Place Rankings,
Eleven Screaming Chickens,
Ten Target Keywords,
Nine Youtube Videos,
Eight Yahoo! Answers,
Seven Social Media Sites
Six Facebook apps,
Five Inbound Links!!
Four funny Blog Posts
Three RSS Feeds.
Two Keyword Hyperlinks,
And a new Website Strategy

Thanks for a most exciting year… looking forward to more fun in ’08!

[tags]best websites, online marketing, social media, kiva.org, lifehacker, acoupleofchicks, the Hour, emarketing [/tags]