OffCampus Media Blog

Reaching Out to the Millenial Generation

Wednesday, August 25

Now that I am becoming more socially and politically aware, I am acknowledging what it means to be part of the largest generation in American history, the Millennials. Recently, I came across an independent group called Generation We that has began a campaign to raise awareness of the issues in our country that will eventually become my generation’s responsibility.

Generation WE’s campaign has largely been spread through social media, including a YouTube campaign that has generated over 2 million views since its inception two years ago. (Click Here for the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vknHKTy1MLY)

The Generation WE YouTube campaign is a great example of communicating a message to a specific demographic, in this case, the millenials.  The video highlights some of the problems in our country, and Generation WE creates a powerful message by relaying the content in a way that caters to everyone in the millennial generation. This YouTube campaign is a great illustration of how social media can be a viral way of spreading a message.

Here are three key reasons why their campaign has capturing the millennial generation’s attention:

Constant Change

The millennial generation that struggles stay focused on one thing at at time.  In a generation where multitasking is a must, Generation WE’s YouTube campaign successfully attracted the attention of their target demographic with constant change throughout the video. Short clips of people put together to relay an entire message is more captivating than the same person speaking in a monotone. The constant change brings life to the video and attracts gen-Y.

Include Everyone

The short video clips feature many demographics. The campaign includes people of all ages and races within in the millennial generation. The campaign also succeeded at portraying people in a way that the average person can relate to. Many of the people were captured while participating in an activity, and each activity creates a character for the particular person, thus drawing the viewer’s attention.

Delivering the Message

A campaign is not just about having and spreading a message.  A large part of a successful campaign is the delivery of that important message. Generation WE communicated their message in way that left a lasting memory. The facts and statistics used able to created an alarming perspective about to the future of our country which immediately draws attention to their cause and was not easily forgotten.

Posted By david.kanoff | Posted in Blog | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

Why brands should engage in managing Foursquare accounts!

Monday, August 23

 

I just recently created my personal Foursquare account and am excited every time I get to check-in to a new venue.   When I check-in upon arriving, I often face questions from friends regarding Foursquare.  I take this opportunity to tell them about the positive effects of getting involved with the new network and the thrill of it being a competition among consumers.

 Foursquare automatically sets up accounts for venues, but often venues do not actively manage their accounts.  This is unfortunate for customers because in order for a discount to be activated, the business must get involved.

 So why is NOW the best time?

If consumers are now learning about Foursquare, companies need to be actively maintaining their Foursquare presence.  Businesses can encourage involvement among users and compete to be the most ‘checked-in’ hot spot.

 What can this do for your venue?

As consumers compete to be the most loyal customer at your business, you can reward them for their loyalty.  For example, award “The Mayor” (customer who has checked-in the most) with a free appetizer on Fridays or a free side of fries with their meal.  Use incentives like this to create competition among users and encourage visits to your business.

 Now, Take action.

Heard about ‘Foursquare + Your Business’?  This is a free program developed by Foursquare to record the statistics of customers checking in to your venue.  It sends messages with information about your most loyal customers and allows you to set and manage the special offers you create.  Check it out: http://foursquare.com/businesses/

Don’t miss this opportunity to be actively engaged with your customers. The fun in this is the competition, so keep those specials rolling and the most loyal customers will never let you down!

Posted By elizabeth.martin | Posted in Blog | Comments (0)

Which Social Media Network is Right For You?

Wednesday, August 4

The exact future of Social Media may be unknown, but one this is for sure, it has definite advantages for your business. Deciding which sites to begin using depends on your specific business.   I recently read Zachary Sniderman’s article on Mashable.com which provides great insight as to which networks go best with certain business types and target markets.

Here’s a breakdown:

LinkedIn

Explanation: With the emphasis on current and past work data, LinkedIn works well for B2B companies and other business related ventures. The information available in LinkedIn is valuable for pre-qualifying possible prospects.

Example: A software development could use LinkedIn to sort by people in that industry and find good leads.

Facebook

Explanation: When Facebook changed how users input profile information, it became much easier for businesses to target a specific type of consumer. Facebook also allows businesses to create mutual value between them and consumers by creating interaction and awareness.

Example: A Spanish restaurant posts a sangria recipe to provide value to the customer while also communicating the restaurant’s Spanish-centric brand.

Twitter

Explanation: Creating a large, loyal following can translate to creating a large, loyal customer base, and many of the techniques employed on Twitter easily cross over to other methods of marketing.

Example: Just as you would instruct your employees to tell customers about a current special or discount, you can communicate the same message on Twitter, but to hundreds more people.

Foursquare

Explanation: While it’s one of the newest to hit the social media scene, Foursquare definitely has potential. With its emphasis on geo-location, Foursquare leverages the mobile phone community as a marketing tool. Customers check in on their phones and tell all of their friends about their experience at a business immediately via email, Facebook, and Twitter.

Example: A restaurant offers a special on Foursquare for checking in to the venue.  As a result, the customer receives a % off the total or a discounted menu item.

The best part about social media sites is that they are not mutually exclusive, and it is likely that your business can benefit from several different sites.  So get active now, before too much time passes!  Worried about having the time to dedicate to social media?  Many marketing companies are now offering social media management and marketing as a service!

Posted By jj.gotlieb | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

Lessons From Old Spice

Friday, July 23

After spending part of last week engrossed in Old Spice’s tremendously successful social media campaign, I took a step back to think about the specific elements that contributed to the campaign’s popularity. In case you missed it, the viral crusade consisted of Old Spice’s “Man Your Man Could Smell Like” character telling the world that for the next few days he would be responding to Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube comments, and then doing just that. After crafting over 180 humorous video responses to celebrities and normal people alike, the campaign ended , but the buzz had just begun.  Why was Old Spice able to garner so much popular attention? These were the first things that popped into my head:

  1. Old Spice’s spokesman, while a bit over the top, is legitimately likeable and funny.
  2. The administrators kept track of comments from followers and fans, and quickly responded with personalized video content.
  3. The Old Spice brand itself wasn’t pushed incessantly. The presence of a person associated with the brand was enough to create awareness without being pushy.
  4. The Old Spice character quickly engaged common users and celebrities alike.

    Sadly, not everyone has an already likeable mascot, nor do they have the resources to make so many video responses in such a short time. So how can small businesses learn from Old Spice?

    1. Even if you don’t have a likeable mascot, your tweets, blogs, and general content should be presented in the most friendly, engaging, and likeable manner possible.
    2. Quick responses are key. Respond to people who comment on your site in a timely fashion, and reach out to people or companies who inspire you
    3. Don’t make everything about your company or your product. Instead, provide valuable, helpful information you have learned while working in your field.  After all, you’re the expert.
      Posted By sam.barnes | Posted in Blog | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

      Linkedin: The Job Search Revolution

      Friday, July 16

      As I approach the latter half of my years as a college student, I am reaching the time in my life when the real world becomes a reality. I just moved into my first apartment, I’m paying my own bills, and I’m taking on responsibilities that force me to “grow up.” Soon I will join those who have already graduated in the daunting task of finding a job.

      As a college student, social media is a large part of my life. Now, thanks to social networking, I have another tool to aid my job search. LinkedIn is quickly becoming a popular site for the job hunt. According to an article from Fortune – How LinkedIn Will Fire Up Your Career, The company Accenture plans to hire 50,000 employees in 2010, and hopes to find 40% of their hires over the next few years from social media sites such as LinkedIn. LinkedIn is becoming the future of recruiting for many companies because It allows college students, and other job searchers, to post their resumes and promote themselves to employers.

      As a college student LinkedIn, may be a great way to locate a job. With over 500,000 groups based on companies, schools and similar interests, LinkedIn connects you to networks of people with similarities that may not have found you otherwise. I suggest starting early to build up a LinkedIn profile as it is well on its way to the future of recruiting.

      Here are three ways Linkedin can be effective in the job hunt:

      1. Advertise Yourself—Linkedin is a great way to expand beyond your resume. It allows you to give more detail than a few bullet points, permitting you to show your personality and show what your passionate about. In doing so, it allows an employer to gain a better insight to your background and can separate your profile from the long list of resumes that are all seemingly comparable.

      2. Contact In an Informal Setting—Linkedin has a feature that allows you to ask and answer questions with anyone in your extended network. Answering questions is a great way to build up your reputation and gain trust in other Linkedin users. The feature to be able to ask and answer questions allows you to come in contact with other high level employers in an informal setting. It allows them to see your insights and get a better idea of the skills sets you posses.

      3. Networking—Linkedin’s networking is unlike that of most social networking sites. When you have a direct contact on Linkedin, you also have access to have access to their contacts  and can see the profiles of anyone they know. Even further, you can see the profiles of those people they know, in a sense; you can have a very small contact list but have access to thousands of other contacts. This makes it very easy for people to find you and view your profile freely.

      The article referenced in this blog, How LinkedIn Will Fire Up Your Career, can be found by clicking the link below:

      http://bit.ly/dhJ0wx

      Posted By david.kanoff | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

      Don’t Forget About the Little Guys

      Thursday, July 8

      As social media continues growing at an unprecedented rate, most people focus their attention on the giants- Facebook and Twitter. Although these sites are the biggest by far, small businesses can be easily intimidated by their sheer size. But smaller, niche social media sites can be used just as effectively to spread the word to your target consumers, and in turn drive traffic to your Facebook and Twitter pages. Here is an example of how this can happen:

      You are a small web design business that is struggling with gaining followers on your Twitter and Facebook accounts. Rather than agonizing over why you are not reaching your target market effectively, try going a different route.

      1. You strategize to get a post to the front page of Dzone, a social media site for web development.
      2. This in turn brings a lot of views on Delicious, and subsequently you make it to the Delicious front page.
      3. Utilizing these two smaller social media sites, it is likely you have connected with people who have a shared interest with your company and have hopefully checked out your Facebook and Twitter pages.
      4. This not only increases the traffic to your Facebook and Twitter pages, but also strengthens the quality of these followers because you have created a shared value between you and your consumer.

      Although this example is somewhat specific, it exemplifies one of the many strategies you can implement to reach more people via social media. Because your business is different unique in its own way, the social media strategy you use will be different and unique too. The bottom line is that social media is a tool that can be used to reach many potential customers in a simple and straightforward manner. Although this route may take more time and patience initially, it is likely to pay off in the long run.

      Posted By jj.gotlieb | Posted in Blog | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

      Use your personal social media life tricks for business

      Friday, July 2

      For the past few months, my mother has been asking for help with developing her social media network.  Facebook is new to her, and she needed my guidance; however, initially I did not want to develop her social media personality along with mine because I hadn’t realized the unique importance of it in business. Recently, I’ve taken a different approach.

      My mom is a real estate agent whose clients are mostly summer homebuyers, and she could use social media to attract new clients and showcase her featured listings.  After realizing the importance of developing her social network, I’ve done my best to explain the diverse markets she can address through Facebook and Twitter.

      As you may expect, my mother is of the Baby Boomer generation, and all social media is a new phenomenon to her.  What’s surprising to me is that although her generation is known to be the highest growing demographic on Facebook these days, many Boomers are just realizing the potential of using social media for business.

      Social media users have found the easiest way to stay connected is keeping up with recent pictures posted and replying with quick comments on each other’s pages.  In my work with Off Campus Media, I’ve been working on the social media campaigns for a variety of clients, and I’ve learned many tactics that can be utilized for various markets.

      After reflecting on my work with my mom and OCM, I think a good question to ask is how can Boomers switch those “keeping in touch” tricks to business practices?

      Constantly updating your personal profile for others to read?

      Why not update your business profile just as often and attract more followers to your page? Post recent blogs pertaining to your business or events that will attract followers of your organization.

      Spying on your old classmates or kids?

      Do the same thing for your business by checking out the Facebook and Twitter pages of your competitors. Make your posts more exciting and timely.

      Catch yourself clicking through friends’ most recent photos?

      Followers love pictures! Post recent pictures of your business from coworkers having fun in the office to customers who are enjoying your service to showcase the uniqueness of you company.

      Posted By elizabeth.martin | Posted in Blog | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (0)