♥ The Modern World of Online Dating

If you watch ‘Californication’ or ‘Sex and the City’ for example, characters seem to find sexual partners wherever they turn, from a bar to a cemetery, to the DMV.  That (apparently) was so 2011.  Today, there's an array of digital tools and devices to help find love in places just as unlikely. 

The phenomenal growth of online dating has dramatically changed our concept of finding a partner, and what was a stigma ten years ago is now a thriving business worth over $3.15 billion (USD) worldwide. It is also business-like in itself, with online daters finding increasingly methodical or niche platforms to refine the search.

It is instant and mobile too. Geo-location apps such as MeetMoi and Sonar mean daters can theoretically find a prospective partner in real-time, anywhere.

With the Wedding Crashers app this could even include the wedding of complete strangers. Inspired by the film of the same name, the app locates nearby nuptials, as well as details on dress code and guests. With weddings anecdotally being one of the top places to meet a partner, it'd be a great story for the grand-kids.

For travelers, KLM's 'meet and seat' service lets travelers add a social media profile to their check-in information, allowing other passengers on the same flight to pick a seat mate of interest. 

Meanwhile, Swedish dating site Restdejting provides a dinner date with a difference. Members find partners to dine on their shared leftovers by listing the ingredients they have and what they are missing. The users then choose a date based on how well their ingredients go together. As well as a perfect solution to dining alone (not to mention waste management), it is also an interesting way of presenting yourself. In this environment, are you what you eat?

Scouting for partners through existing groups rather than a sole-purpose group (a dating website) suggests just how sophisticated the process of online dating now is, and how it can be seamlessly integrated into existing communities. Hitch Me, for example, has combined networking with romance through the launch of a dating service specifically for Linked-In users.

As such, finding a partner shifts to the status of added benefit, rather than sole objective.  Gaming is a great platform for this. World of Warcraft is just one example where avatars can interact, and within an objective based other-world, let the players get to know each other. Games on Facebook work too. The Words With Friends game is the most recent (of many) to bring about a marriage.

Offline, how about retail space? An IKEA store in Shanghai recently experienced some trouble with a group of senior citizens who began to meet regularly at the furniture store's café for unauthorized matchmaking sessions. The opportunities in what demonstrates a high demand from a particular demographic - the fastest growing client base in the global online dating scene -  are clear.

But for anyone still thinking 'is there anybody out there?', there's an app on the way for you too. The intergalactic dating app allows you to a) search for life outside of earth and b) discover if your soul mate is, in fact, an alien.  Two birds with one stone, really.

So, (as it’s the day before Valentines), we wanted to alert you to the myriad of ways to get your shag on.   Now go forth and multiply. ;)

✔ SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT STRATEGY 101

Content marketing is an umbrella term encompassing all marketing formats that involve the creation and sharing of content in order to engage current and potential consumer bases. Content marketing subscribes to the notion that delivering high-quality, relevant and valuable information to prospects and customers drives profitable consumer action. Content marketing has benefits in terms of retaining reader attention and improving brand loyalty. More - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Content_marketing.  Here are ten steps to improve your content marketing and drive awareness around your brand or product.

1. Determine Organizational Goals

Ask yourself: What is my goal, and how is my content marketing plan going to help me accomplish it? These are things that need to be thought out before determining your content. By doing so, you can tailor your content marketing plan accordingly.  Each goal should be measurable and have a deadline by which you perform this measurement. For example, increase website traffic 25% by Jan. 1, 2013.

2. Identify Target Audiences

The next step is to figure out exactly whom you are targeting. This means researching everything about the audience to whom you will be delivering your content. Ask them questions, research website traffic data and determine their demographic information, including age, gender, education, location, etc.  From there, you need to figure out what your audience is interested in, both online and offline. What are they reading? What are they talking about? What are their likes and dislikes?  In this step, it is helpful to think like one of your clients or customers. Envision that you’re writing for one specific person, and then tune in to his thought process in order to succeed. Above all, listen to what that person wants, which is not necessarily the same as what you want. After all, you want him to be receptive to your content.

3. Develop Key Messages

What exactly does your audience want/need to hear? In general, determine what will differentiate you and your product, as well as what will help you to achieve the goals you have set. The end result should be one to three main messages, each with one to five sub-messages that offer a bit more detail.

4. Decide on Overall Content Marketing Strategies

There are three different types of content marketing strategies: long-form, short-form and conversations (e.g. sharing).  Long-form includes blog posts, articles and press releases — basically, anything longer than a couple of sentences. Short-form includes tweets, Facebook and LinkedIn status updates and graphics. Conversations and sharing includes participating in and driving conversations through blog commenting, link sharing and comments on videos. This type helps to encourage discussions between other thought leaders within your industry.  You can stick to one of these forms of content marketing, or you can use all three. They are each effective on their own, but they are also powerful when used together.

5. Draft an Editorial Calendar

Developing a plan is one of the most important steps to content marketing. However, it should be flexible. After all, things can always change.  This is where an editorial calendar comes in. It should include strategies, specific tactics, suggested headlines, content deadlines and allocated responsibilities. This is a fairly major undertaking, but you’ll be thankful for your hard work once it’s complete — and you’ll save time in the long run.  Not sure where to begin? Check out The Content Grid V2 by Eloqua and JESS3 - http://bit.ly/jJ0vTQ

6. Develop Content

In order to even begin the marketing aspect of a content marketing plan, you need to develop the content you are going to use. It needs to be unique and different. Go back to your key messages and subtly incorporate them into the content without overtly selling your product. Content marketing is about creating trust through education and information, not using traditional sales tactics.  The infographic “Is Your Content King?” (http://visual.ly/your-content-king) is a great visual of how important content is, especially for your marketing plan. 

7. Establish Relationships

It’s time to start building a relationship with your target audience. This means tapping into existing communities by sharing and commenting on their content, as well as establishing your own communities across various social networking platforms. Remember, content marketing isn’t just about you. Like all relationships, you should aim to give more than you receive. Be sure to use the 80/20 principle: 80% of the content you share should be curated (in other words, not your own) and 20% should be your original content.  Find brands that have successfully made a name for themselves, and mimic the steps they’ve taken — but make sure to add your own unique flare.

8. Spread the Word

Determine industry keywords that are not only relevant to your product, but also are going to generate enough buzz. Search engine optimization (SEO) can play a huge role if you research thoroughly. For example, make sure the tags you’re adding to your blog posts are going to generate traffic, since this can help you get found in the first place. I’m a huge fan of both Scribe SEO and InboundWriter to help you accomplish this.  Also, spread the word through Twitter, Facebook, e-newsletters, etc. But be careful not to force your content where it doesn’t belong. It may seem like you’re trying too hard, and in turn, people may not be interested in what you have to say.  Eloque came out with a free ebook (http://slidesha.re/rgsvJ8) ‘The Grande Guide to B2B Content Marketing’, a helpful read when it comes to content marketing. Plus, it’s useful for deciding which platforms you should employ and how to effectively use them.

9. Measure Effectiveness

Although this is one of the last steps, it’s one of the most important. By measuring the effectiveness of your content, you can determine whether or not your plan needs to be altered, or whether it’s working in the first place.  Keep an eye on pageviews, retweets, Likes, +1’s, shares and so on. Anything your audience can take action on is something, you need to pay attention to. Figure out how well everything is working — or why it’s not working at all.

10. Rinse and Repeat - Change the Plan As Needed

If something isn’t working, change it up. Be sure to pay attention to results, and then use them to your advantage.  The most important thing to remember about content marketing: It’s all about building connections and improving your audience’s product loyalty.  One of your goals should therefore be for people to recognize your product based off of the content you’ve been placing both online and off. For a more in-depth look into how to create your content marketing plan, check out Heather R. Huhman’s "Content Marketing For Dummies" Cheat Sheet (http://bit.ly/jZhtY9).

Lastly, if you’d like some help developing a content strategy for your brand or product, Goodbuzz can help.  Contact us today for more info at info@goodbuzz.ca

♔ Social Media Case Studies (GB_V.69)

During the Super Bowl, Coca-Cola will be live-streaming their polar bear characters' reactions to the game, while simultaneously interacting with game-watchers on Facebook and Twitter -  Social Fresh

Cisco Systems became the first company to launch a targeted video campaign by delivering messages to LinkedIn users' social mailboxes -  BizReport

Valentines Day is right around the corner. If you don’t have a date lined up yet – no worries - the Heineken 'Serenade' Facebook (made by Perfect Fools) lets you ask a Facebook friend out on a date via a personalized serenade - http://bit.ly/wjYXhc

Gesture-based Recognition with contact-microphones - Although this may not being the most interesting execution, imagine how this innovation may be added to POP or OOH/ Experiential displays to amplify the brand experience – Video

Scandinavian Airlines, KLM, and Delta Air Lines are looking to social media applications to put a new twist on their customers' flight experiences -  Creativity

Industry leaders like GE, PepsiCo, Ford, IBM, and Allianz are using social media to make their core business more sustainable -  Ad Age

LEGO has launched their own social network where fans aged 13 and up can upload their own creations and projects, share them, and comment on others they discover -  PSFK

During the Super Bowl, Amazon used their @AmazonMP3 handle to tweet links to every song heard on the broadcast -  Storify

'Hiriko' MIT’s Folding Car  - The tiny vehicle resembles a sleeker, runtier version of a Smart Car. However, this runt has the ability to fold in on itself for an upright, space-saving parking maneuver that appears to be directly out of a sci-fi novel - Video

Letters of Note - David Ogilvy - The fascinating letter below, written by Ogilvy in 1955 to a Mr. Ray Calt, offers a rare glimpse of David Ogilvy's creative process – Article

Reuters' newsroom has launched a new social media dashboard for journalists and readers called "Social Pulse." - Technorati

The Home Depot's shares how they created an authentic voice and connection with their customers through their How-To Community -  Vimeo

Zen and the Art of Facebook Advertising – Article 

Lonely Planet shares how they differentiate their content strategies depending on which social media platform they're using -  eMarketer

Lands' End, Condé Nast, Levi's, and Ford are finding better engagement on niche social media sites such as Empire Avenue, Flipboard, Foodspotting, and more -  Simply Zesty

To help make their commercial go viral, Kia Motors chose celebrities with the most impressive social graphs -  Ad Age

Here's another unusual invitation stunt from DDB Stockholm for the Stockholm Contemporary Art Gallery 'Bonniers Konsthall'. To generate goodbuzz, people were invited to an event via Facebook - BUT were told that if more than 99 people agreed to come by 9pm, the event would be cancelled. Yep. The sign-up started at 9am, and the first 99 to respond got the incentive of a silkscreen-printed t-shirt (which they also forfeited if the event was cancelled). Social experiment 101 – Video

Augmented Reality (AR) Showreel by Total Immersion - through its patented D'Fusion® technology, Total Immersion blurs the line between the virtual world and the real world by integrating real time interactive 3D graphics into a live video stream – Showreel

Google's Chrome, Smartwater, and Tipp-Ex are finding success using YouTube to engage with fans in new ways -  Social Fresh

Subaru's "Dog Tested. Dog Approved." campaign is back on Facebook with apps to track details of your daily dog walks, sharable videos, and Dogbook -- a Facebook hub for especially for dog lovers -  Facebook

Developed by Definition 6 in collaboration with Facebook - 'Timeline Movie Maker' generates a movie based on your greatest hits, attempting to capture the highlights of your Facebook experience through the years by surfacing pieces of content with high levels of engagement - http://www.timelinemoviemaker.com

The Sesame Street #AR platform lets users place the characters in a room and interact with objects like Cookie Monster, a TV, a car or a jukebox. This is the first time we’ve seen objects ‘aware’ of other AR objects as a part of the experience – Video

The Evolution of a new Social, Organizational, and Economic model – Article

Procter & Gamble's Eukanuba brand is encouraging fans to submit photos of their dog on Facebook for a chance to be a part of their exclusive 2013 calendar -  Promo Magazine

Swarovski is launching a Valentine's Day digital campaign that will assist fans with gift ideas and restaurant suggestions via Facebook and Google Places -  PSFK

‘Bear 71’ is the true story (an interactive, multi-user documentary experience and installation) of a female grizzly bear monitored by wildlife conservation officers from 2001-2009. Visit website - http://bear71.nfb.ca/#/bear71 - Case Sudy 

How Nokia, PepsiCo, and Coach celebrated the Chinese New Year with fans through social media -  ClickZ

Net-A-Porter's Augmented Reality (#AR) App - Fashionistas download an app and view the enhanced collection via their iPads and iPhones.  They can scan product images for a chance to win the products (or buy them) and search for silhouettes of Lagerfeld to win a chance to spend one thousand pounds – Video

Brands Winning on Tumblr + Instagram – Coke, Levi’s, Tiffany’s + Aldo Case Studies – Article

"Liking" things gets a real-world spin with this prototype out of Deeplocal. "Like Belt" uses near-field communication technology to register "likes" when you are walking around. "Liking" things gets a real-world spin with this NFC prototype out of Deeplocal – Video

Papa John's is letting their reward members make the "heads or tails" call for this year's Super Bowl on Facebook and Twitter for a chance to win a large, one-topping pizza -  Restaurant Magazine

 NCR Corporation shares how they are launching a social effort for BtoB financial services -  Vimeo

About 6 in 10 Facebook users have "liked" a corporate or brand Facebook page in the past six months, according to an eVoc Insights study. About half of those who had done so said they were at least somewhat more likely to buy products or services from brands whose Facebook pages they had "liked" - eMarketer

NOTE:  FOR MORE ARTICLES AND POSTS FROM THE LAST WEEK PLEASE VISIT US ON TWITTER @GOODBUZZ.  IF YOU HAVE INFO, ARTICLES, CASE STUDIES, OR OTHER EXAMPLES OF (TTL) PARTICIPATORY MARKETING BLISS - PLEASE FEEL FREE TO EITHER POST VIA FACEBOOK OR SEND VIA E-MAIL AND WE’LL TAKE CARE OF IT FOR YOU. ;) PLEASE IDENTIFY IF YOU FIND A DEAD LINK (AS THEY WERE ALL LIVE AT THE TIME OF THIS POSTING)

EMAIL US  | FOLLOW US ON TWITTER  | BECOME A FAN ON FACEBOOK 

♔ Social Media Case Studies (GB_V.68)

To drive the highest ROI today, brands really need to entice users across all platforms (i.e. transmedia storytelling).  It's sound logic as online users have multiple paths to a brand or product offering today.  A good example of this methodology is AKQA's Dance*Cam Mobile App which extends the Dance Central franchise in a way that's bound to engage new users and steward them to the franchise - Video

Marriott International, Google, Novo Nordisk, Capital One, and Intuit are among the top-rated companies that use social media to keep their employees happy -  CNN Money

A hidden camera captures would-be thieves trying to break in. What better way to prove the strength of 3M glass then to use it as the only barrier between pedestrians and cold hard cash!  From Vancouver, Canada - (See picture below)

Your inner-nerd will love this. LEGO have now launched 'ReBrick' - a platform for LEGO lovers to post, share, recommend (and retweet) their creations online. The tribe now has a permanent home and the welcome mat is out - Website

IKEA demonstrated its innovative marketing pedigree (that has helped it become one of the most famous furniture stores in the world) by building an entire apartment in a confined space of just 581 square feet in the Auber Metro Station in Paris. A corresponding Facebook campaign featured a contest where those who 'liked' the brand had a chance to win an evening in the apartment - Article

Variér Furniture's Neuromarketing Experiment – Ever wonder what the intersection of marketing and technology looks like? Here's yet another break-through experiment (from rock-stars B-Reel) for Scandinavian furniture brand Varier that creates fabric designs from human brain waves. It employs three children, ample doses of innovation and Mindwave headsets from Neurosky. All we can say is 'wow' – Website

A 'Burns' supper is a celebration of the life and poetry of Robert Burns - Scotland's favourite son. This website (by Scotland.org) let's you upload your picture and give the 'Address to a Haggis'. It's a simple way to showcase traditions and export them to the world (just like Scotch) - Website

Ticketmaster is using Facebook's new Open Graph application to further personalize fans' online social experience -  All Things Digital 

Consumer Psychology and Perceived Invulnerability - Often, consumers don’t buy products because, even though they recognize a risk exists - they don’t think they will be victims.  The belief may be irrational, but most of us see ourselves as invulnerable – Article

Chobani discuss their best practices for engaging fans on Pinterest that has led them to become the top yogurt brand on the social sharing site -  Fast Company

GE, Tiffany & Co., Levi's, Marc Jacobs, and Puma are forging more personal relationships with their customers through photo-sharing on Instagram -  Ad Age

The Girl Guide's "Cookie Locator" app (by Little Brownie Bakers) uses your geographic location to track and alert you to when and where cookies will be sold in your hood. Users can also identify their cookie personality and share it on Facebook and Twitter. There have been 10,000+ downloads so far, but reviews are mixed. Unlike the website, the app doesn't provide a countdown or date for when all cookie sales begin - App

Certainly anyone can post a hyperlink or product photo. The attached "Spheres of Social Media Expertise" deconstructs the levels of engagement - adeptly demonstrating there's a significant gap between simply 'being' in the game and 'winning' the game (see image below)

Wheat Thins is taking their "Do-Minatrix" character to Facebook and Twitter to coach and inspire fans to achieve their life goals -  MediaPost

Mercedes-Benz is installing Facebook in their cars using a new in-vehicle telematics system that's designed to locate friends and businesses for drivers -  Reuters

Hershey's share how they juggle all of their brands on social media by sticking to three key pillars: awareness, content, and agility -  Ragan

 

General Mills' Cheerios brand and Meredith Corp.'s Fitness magazine have teamed up to create an online weight-loss program that's being promoted across Facebook and Twitter -  MediaPost

Sam Adams is putting their Facebook fans in charge of brewing their next beer for SXSW. The beer with the most votes will be created and sold in select Austin bars during the festival -  TNW

Coca-Cola discuss their new Tumblr designed to share happy content with teen bloggers - ClickZ

NOTE:  FOR MORE ARTICLES AND POSTS FROM THE LAST WEEK PLEASE VISIT US ON TWITTER @GOODBUZZ.  IF YOU HAVE INFO, ARTICLES, CASE STUDIES, OR OTHER EXAMPLES OF (TTL) PARTICIPATORY MARKETING BLISS - PLEASE FEEL FREE TO EITHER POST VIA FACEBOOK OR SEND VIA E-MAIL AND WE’LL TAKE CARE OF IT FOR YOU. ;) PLEASE IDENTIFY IF YOU FIND A DEAD LINK (AS THEY WERE ALL LIVE AT THE TIME OF THIS POSTING)

EMAIL US  | FOLLOW US ON TWITTER  | BECOME A FAN ON FACEBOOK 

 

♔ Social Media Case Studies (GB_V.67)

Budweiser, Old Spice, Pizza Hut, and more demonstrate qualities of successful social media viral sweepstakes -  Social Media Examiner

During the Presidential campaign, NBC is using Foursquare to track check-ins from the candidates and their teams -  Lost Remote

GE, Lands' End, and Rolling Stone are exploring beyond traditional Facebook marketing and connecting with fans using Instagram, Pinterest, and Spotify -  Promo Magazine

Jeep's 'Jeep-in' Promotion - Using geolocalization, Leo Burnett (Warsaw) created an interactive game for Jeep in Poland, encouraging players to hunt for rewards in remote places and check in, or 'Jeep in', for a chance to win a Jeep Grand Cherokee – Video

Coca-Cola share how they monitored conversations about their brand on a global scale across the web -  Vimeo 

'Slavery Footprint' (by our friends at mtzhf.com) guides users through an 11-question survey to unveil the truth about forced labor. It was entirely created in HTML5 to be platform agnostic (and integrates seamlessly with Facebook and Twitter) – Website

Using the new Pinned Tweets feature, Dell, GE, and Intel featured videos on their Twitter stream that appealed to their BtoB customers -  Social Media B2B

Warner Bros. is launching a new social media site called "Out My Window" that will focus on photo sharing through various platforms -  Simply Zesty

Toyota is giving fans the chance to record personalized music videos which will then be performed by cartoon rappers on Facebook and YouTube -  PSFK

Lucasfilm's forthcoming movie ‘Red Tails’ website (by Dojo) lets you dogfight with a P-51 fighter. You can also enhance (and personalize) your experience by logging on using Facebook Connect – Website

Scandinavian Airlines: QR Code Video Offers - 'Couple Up to Buckle Up' (by Crispin Porter + Bogusky) therefore requires two QR codes to redeem the special offer via YouTube – Video

Schweppes ‘Unexpected Future’ (via Red Urban, Amsterdam) is the latest brand to leverage the Facebook Timeline. The app takes you on a trip through your 'unexpected future' - revealing what could happen in your career, romance and more – Facebook

To drive traffic to Daffy's in New York City's Times Square outlet, a Times Square staple from its more sordid days was brought back – ‘The Peep Show’. A 3-D holographic model strips down – up to 80% off her clothing - while an accompanying neon sign keeps pace with each percentage-off increment – Video

After being deadlocked over the extension of a payroll tax cut, the White House turned to Twitter to gain public support -  The Realtime Report

GM, Zipcar, and Toyota are using social media in unique ways to engage with the next generation of auto customers -  ClickZ

Hershey's three pillars of Facebook engagement - Awareness, content, and agility are crucial to getting Facebook users to check out your brand or, in Hershey's case, brands – Article

 

In anticipation of the upcoming Grammys, PepsiCo and Pandora have teamed up to make a mixtape for fans to share online -  Giant Step
 

A QB telepresence robot that allows you to roam the halls of your empire and bark orders - no matter where you are!? Awesome. The self-balancing robot is controlled from a web interface and runs about $15,000 - Website

Want to build a brand that stands the test of time?  Take a page from organized religion. Notable brands and religions have a lot more in common then you’d think – Article

Need to send someone a password or a private link but don't want to have copies of it lingering around? This 'Share a Secret' website lets you create a one-time link that self-destructs after a single use - Website 

Twine lets you listen to your world - A cool new product from Supermechanical connects to your stuff -- refrigerators, car doors, whatever -- so they can communicate with you. Twine is a wireless module that connects to the internet. It comes built in with two sensors (temperature and speed) but you have the opportunity to add more. You set rules to trigger messages - Video 

Sam Adams is letting Facebook fans created their own brew in a crowdsourcing experiment, with an app called the CrowdCraft project. Facebook fans can help determine its color, clarity, body, hops and malt - those with the most votes will be incorporated into the beer, to be brewed next month – Facebook App 

MINI's live streaming ‘social’ installation (by TBWA) at the Brussels Motor Show featured a MINI ‘Countryman’ perched on a slope, suspended only by a thick rope. Add a Facebook app where your “Like” triggers a burst of flame on the rope (in real time) - and you’ve got some entertainment (and a chance at setting the actual MINI Countryman.) Love the mechanics - Video 

'On The Brink' mini-documentary discusses the past, present and future of connectivity with some notable speakers.  If you’re wondering where all this tech innovation leads - this is well worth the watch – Video 

The 'Headz Up' Mobile App May Save Your Life - You're part of generation 'connect' - online -all the time, where ever you are. But this connectivity comes at a price. WorldTel's Mobile App sends you real-time instant messages about what's in front of your face – Video (and below)

The Nike+ FuelBand is designed for anyone who wants to be more active. It measures your daily activity and turns it all into NikeFuel - Video 

Rodolfo.se aptly demonstrates how to raise awareness, peak interest and prompt engagement with the 'Air China' brand in Sweden? No small feat I think you'd agree. ;) This is the simple, 'bottom-up' on-premise social activation we love - Video

NOTE:  FOR MORE ARTICLES AND POSTS FROM THE LAST WEEK PLEASE VISIT US ON TWITTER @GOODBUZZ.  IF YOU HAVE INFO, ARTICLES, CASE STUDIES, OR OTHER EXAMPLES OF (TTL) PARTICIPATORY MARKETING BLISS - PLEASE FEEL FREE TO EITHER POST VIA FACEBOOK OR SEND VIA E-MAIL AND WE’LL TAKE CARE OF IT FOR YOU. ;) PLEASE IDENTIFY IF YOU FIND A DEAD LINK (AS THEY WERE ALL LIVE AT THE TIME OF THIS POSTING)

EMAIL US  | FOLLOW US ON TWITTER  | BECOME A FAN ON FACEBOOK