Why you should want to work in social media!

(Live draft)

I work at a terrific advertising agency. My job is to develop and integrate social media marketing into the ad agency model. Introducing all these new social media marketing “tools” internally and externally can be a challenge. It is like drinking from the fire hose; so much new information to understand and digest. How can I introduce these new tools to my company while still making it exciting (and relevant) to learn?

We are trying to integrate social media marketing into the culture of our agency. How is this best accomplished? Obviously, forcing information down someone’s throat usually does not yield positive results. Plus, how do you overcome presentation/information fatigue? These are lessons learned from my experience building and integrating interactive marketing services into an ad agency model. So, why not make it fun? Because it actually is!

So, this weird notion came to me in a dream. Why would anyone not want to work in social media? Therefore I decided to post my thoughts to my blog. I may post my full strategy/plan on this blog down the road. I would love feedback, etc.

Spend all day playing on Twitter

I am sure a lot of people that read this blog are familiar with Twitter. If not, Twitter is a microblog/community where you post “tweets” about what you are currently doing, links to cool web sites/ videos, etc. It is an interesting mix of personal and professional communications. I have become a Twitterholic.

Am I on Twitter a lot? Yes. Am I really screwing around? No. I use Twitter to talk to my peers in social/interactive marketing. It keeps me current on how our industry is changing, current best practices, thoughts from respected gurus, case studies (good and bad) and much more. I am actually going to finish a post about why I love Twitter so much. I have also met a ton of great people in Kansas City and throughout the nation that I would not otherwise have connected with.

Social media peeps are social

Social media professionals tend to be offline social creatures as well. Via social media channels, I have been introduced to a number of super-cool people that I have met in person. There is some kind of strange and intimate bond that I have experienced when talking to people in my social network. In my experience, early adopters of social media are very forward thinking, progressive, friendly, willing to help you in any way possible, and actually care about people in their community, etc. Finally, there is little to no negativity. It is a near utopia (at least for now – hope it stays that way).

Be a trend setter

Social media marketing is truly relationship marketing (one to one) and will not only impact marketing, but the way human communications continue to evolve. How cool is that? There can be only so many ad formats (ads on buses, buildings, etc) so their will be a revolution from the status quo (frequency, frequency, frequency) to less frequency and more relevant engagements. As many have said before me, “as marketers we need to quite talking ‘at’ our target audiences and start talking ‘with’ them.” For me, I find nearly all mass media message intrusive and non-relevant.

Do not need formal training, just passion

IMHO, immersion is one of the most important aspects of being a social media professional. You have to live and breathe this stuff; it is the only way to really learn. The skies the limit! People like @garyvee and others have parlayed their social media presence literally into fame and wealth. You could be next! It is much like programming, if you do not love it, than you should find another calling.

Forward looking

The way humans communicate is rapidly changing and evolving. How cool (and scary)! Soon, the Web and TV (and mobile for that matter) will all be mashed up. This means web widgets (like Twitter) will be on your TV and vice versa. I can only image the changes coming in the next decade, let alone in the next few years. It is our job to stay at the forefront of trends and even help create them! How will this impact the world of social media and marketing in general.

Several opportunities

There are a number of different jobs within social media and a variety of companies that will utilize your skills. You can work in technology, on the client side or work with an advertising/marketing agency. Specific job functions include: strategic planning, project managing, copywriting, web development, e-marketing, graphic design, application development, market research and much more. Does that sound palatable to you? I will expand on social media opportunities in a future blog post.

You could be a billionaire

Well it is a possibility, but not likely. However, this frontier is wide open. You can chart your own path and create opportunity. The cost of entry is low along with the risk; but, the reward can be potentially huge. There are a number of social media start-ups which seem similar to all the new Web ideas in the late 1990’s through the early 2000’s. Where will your path in social media lead you?

Your thoughts?

I encourage and appreciate your thoughts on this subject.  DM me on Twitter if you want (@chriskovac)

My tips for achieving great SEO/SEM

Full disclosure:  I responded to a HARO per “tips to succeed in SEO/SEM.”  I probably run the risk of ruining the HARO (I have not heard back yet) but I took several hours to think through and answer the questions.  Plus,  SEO/SEM is a passion of mine since 1996.   So, I will go ahead and post.  I am happy to take down if the story is a go.  Cheers.  Chris Kovac

Your “claim to fame” in a short sentence.

Professional online and search engine marketing since 1996.

What are your top five tips to achieve great SEO?
1) Networking – Search engines often change the rules (or algorithms) on how they rank a Web site. It is important to network with fellow search marketers to keep up on how the industry is changing. There are a number of discussion forums, blogs and other sites where you can engage your fellow search marketers. My networking tool of choice is Twitter, because you can engage your peers on a 1:1 basis.

2) Attend conferences – There are a number of quality search marketing conferences. I recommend Search Engine Strategies (SES) and SMX. Usually the speakers and panelists are the leading thought leaders within search marketing and provide timely information and advice that can help you achieve great SEO results. Attendees are usually willing to share their thoughts and experiences and most everyone is approachable. It is also a great way to connect informally with your peers at the social events.

3) Test your theories – I encourage search marketers to test and retest your search marketing theories. Part of search marketing is experimenting and then focusing on what is working. With advancements in tracking capabilities, it is easy to set up a simple tracking code to test the results of your search marketing campaigns. I often start with a “shotgun” approach and then refine the campaign to a targeted, “rifle” approach.

4) Stay white-hat – Don’t give into the temptation to try to “spoof” the search engines with link baiting or other “black-hat” tactics. More often than not, you will succeed in generating high rankings until your site/s gets blacklisted and removed entirely from the search engines.

5) Track your campaigns – Before the campaign starts, develop campaign objectives that are measureable and that you can test against. There are a number of ways to track a search marketing campaign. The best practice is to use a tag-based analytics provider. Then you can not only track the visitors to your site, you can also track their behavior and ROI.

What are the three biggest mistakes in terms of their SEO activities?

The three biggest mistakes I see SMEs make include:

1) Beginning a SEO initiative in the middle (or near the end) of a Web site development project. This means significantly more work to: revise the copy after the fact to ensure it is search engine friendly, rename the URLs with relevant keywords, create SEO-friendly Header tags, create relevant Alt text and most importantly, increase the link relevancy or Page Rank on Google.

2) Failure to stay current with SEO best practices. As previously mentioned, it is important to stay current with SEO best practices and how the search engines are changing the way they rank a Web site. This mistake is easy to resolve by subscribing to enewsletters, going to conferences and talking with your peers in search marketing.

3) Finally, not tracking the success or ROI of the search engine campaign still seems to be somewhat common. There are a number of ways to set up campaign analytics. One of the best known (and free) tools is Google Analytics.

How would you explain SEO and SEM to somone who has never encountered either before?

I explain to clients and internal staff that SEO and SEM are just tools in the marketing toolbox. SEM (aka paid search) is a cost-per-click model, meaning you only pay when a user actually clicks on your search engine text ad. SEM is best for driving specific actions, like a purchase or signing up for an enewsletter.

SEO is a longer process to make a Web site achieve high rankings in the search engines for free or “organic” listings. SEO is a good strategy to increase awareness and drive qualified traffic to your Web site, even if they are in the information gathering stage of the sales cycle.

How should business people identify and choose their search advisors/consultants?

I recommend utilizing referrals when trying to find a solid, professional search adviser/consultant. There are so many companies that say they are search experts, but I have found that most are far from being proficient. I would also ask prospective search professionals to provide examples of successful campaigns, case studies and the methodology for developing a search campaign. Finally, previous experience in the industry/category is also a big plus, as this will reduce the learning curve.

What can search really do for a business? Do you have any examples?

Integrated search marketing can be one of the most powerful marketing tools for a number of reasons. The primary benefit is the ability to drive qualified traffic to your Web site that results in an action by the end user. That action can be a lead, sale or even drive call center volume. Often times a solid search engine campaign will produce ROI that will rival any other marketing tactic.

We have a number of successful SEO case studies. I am more than willing to share the results.

What’s in store for search in the near future?

I think in the near-future we will see “virtual personal assistants” that will understand how we search for information and will facilitate that search. The “assistant” will remember every search term we have ever searched for, the Web pages we have visited and the formats of information that we are most interested in. Specifically, those formats could include: text, audio/video and photos. I also think the search assistant will be integrated into our computers, mobile telephones, car navigation and even our home appliances.

Which search resources would you recommend that business people read/follow about SEO/SEM?

There are a number of resources that business professionals can follow to stay at the forefront of SEO/SEM. I recommend sites like: Searchenginewatch.com, Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization – SEMPO.com, Searchengineland.com, MarketingProfs.com and blogs by Danny Sullivan.

DM me on Twitter (@chriskovac) if you are interested in discussing.

NK Announces Digital Offensive in B-to-B Marketplace

This release is the culmination of about 6 months of work for me.  This is phase I of a suite of 10 different social media marketing services.  Please click on the release for more info.  Thanks!

NK Announces Digital Offensive in B-to-B Marketplace
Proprietary Process Underpins Social Media Savvy Suite of Services: Nicholson Kovac Inc., one of the nation’s leading independent marketing communications agencies, today introduced a suite of proprietary social media services designed specifically for B-to-B clients.

read more | digg story

Poker Hand Analysis – $5/10 No Limit Holdem Poker

OK
I went to play a poker tournament at a private club on a Wednesday night.  It was a small game, 22 players and the buy-in was $25.  The group of guys were very cool and it was a lot of fun. I drank my fair share and busted out of the tourney after being early chip leader.  Take it from me, drinking and poker do not mix at all.  I thought it best to go home and play some online poker.  I did vow to play smart and only play one table (I usually play 4-6).  Long story short, I played 1:15 and played awesome.  Played a complete pro style 17/13/5.  That means I entered 17% of all pots, raised pre-flop 13% and I was very aggressive.  We played a full-ring 9 seat cash game @ $5/10 No Limit Hold’em.  There was also at least 2 professionals and everyone had a full buy-in or more. Fun!

Here are the hands:
http://www.pokerhand.org/?3382063 – 3-barreling with garbage on $5/10 NL
This is an interesting hand.  I am in the cutoff (right before the button).  The action opens to a raise under-the-gun raise (a very strong raise) and it folds around to me.  I have 5c5h and I opt to call and set-mine.  I have position and this is an easy call with any pair.  Everyone folds (table has been tight, unusual fir these stakes) and the flop comes 10,10,8 rainbow.  Opponent is first to act and fires a $61 bet into $85 pot.  That is a typical continuation bet, on that flop he will fire with any two cards, especially at the mid-high stakes.  Knowing this, I put him on 22-99 and some A high suited hands and maybe down to 10,9s.  He is a good player and he is also aggressive.  He raises 17% of all hands and that is high, therefore his range is somewhat large.  This means there is no way he hit this flop and I have position (the most impt thing in poker).  I decided to float him and call.  I am playing his cards and betting style, not mine.

Turn:
Turn comes 6, so the board is 8,10,10,6 rainbow.  He checks, as I expected.  He must be concerned, because my call looks very strong.  That brings up another point.  I could have raised the flop on his $61 bet.  But, on that board it looks very suspicious.  If he calls my raise, say to $169, I cannot put any more money in the pot and basically loose no matter what to a good player and that’s a huge loss.  So he checks the turn and I bet big $155 into a $205 pot.  That is a large, it means business bet.  He calls, which makes my heart sink (love online poker). BTW, if he bets out on the turn, I fold nearly all of the time.

River:
The river is a 6 and the board = 8,10,10,6,6 – lol.   My hand (5,5) is dead, I can only play the board.  He checks again.  I think about it and because he checked the turn, a huge sign of weakness after he raised pre-flop.  That is an 80-90% obvious sign that he will not call a big river bet, even after check-calling the turn.  I believe he wants me to check down the river and his Ax or pair of 77s can show down.  I opt to fire a third bullet betting $380 into $520 pot.  That looks very strong to a good player.  If I bet $450 or overbet $575 he would call with A high in a lot of cases or like 77,99,JJ.  My bet screams that I have a 10 and was betting for value the whole time.  He thought about it (as I was kicking myself for loosing $600 on one hand with garbage) and he folded, giving me the pot.  I think I played it correctly, although I could have also folded to his flop bet.

I think given my opponents line, this move (player dependent) works about 80-90% of the time.  So if you bet $380 to win $520 and win 75% your EV = very high and profitable.  Note:  at lower stakes ($10-200 buy-ins), my play would have never worked.  Its easy to call with an A high for $8 or $35, but $380 is different.  Low stakes players typically think everyone is bluffing (most often they are not) and call with the worst hands ever.  Like calling all in pre-flop with J9s and beating KK, it’s sick and wrong and happens all the time.

http://www.pokerhand.org/?3382064 – Continuation betting with nothing after 3b (rereaising) preflop @ $5/10 NL

I had been playing fairly aggressive, but not out of line.  I had AKo in the small blind.  There was a mid position open for a raise.  It folded around to me.  His raise is standard and he’s a good player that will open (first to act) raise with a very wide range of hands; maybe down to like 6,7s or worse.  This is a tough spot with an unmade hand.  Calling here is really the wrong move, because you have absolutely no idea where you stand in the hand and you are out of position.  I make a standard 3bet (reraise) and he calls.  I’ll take a fold there every time.  His call means he has prob any 55-AA, AKs-AQo, a narrow range.

Flop:

Flop 55Q two diamonds.  I am first to act.  Because I reraised, I control the hand.  I absolutely have to bet a good sized bet here.  I also have to bet on most flops, no matter what.  If I fold, I loose the hand every time as he bets and I have to fold with nothing.  I fired $205 into $250 (80% is a stronger than usually bet) pot.  Luckily he folded. Given his narrow range discussed above, the only hands I am afraid of were AQ, KK, AA, Ax diamonds.  He has no 5 expect for 55 equaling quads.  My preflop reraise range in the SB is typically 10,10-A,A through AQs-AKo.  I sometimes raise here with 56s and up and that is how you win, you throw people completely off.  My reraise is very strong and most players that open raise (if they are somewhat loose) will fold to a preflop reraise.

This is a spot that will get you into a lot of trouble.  Though, odds are (high) that he did not make a hand.  That board nullifies all his pocket pairs 22-JJ and AK, AJ and he simply cannot call.  If he does, we most likely will be playing for stacks in his mind.  You have to be careful here.  If he calls my bet, I am done, even if I hit a lucky A or K.  Usually, if he checks that flop (a sign of strength given how this hand plays out) and you hit on the turn he has you soooo beat (like he has KQ, better 2 pair) and you loose all your money.

Good Luck at the tables!

Chris

Chris Kovac – BMA Lunch and Learn – October 16th

This program should be exciting!  Click here for more details:  http://bmakc.org/Event/Event.asp?IdS=0000FD-741CFD0&Id=59

Chris Kovac, the BMA (Business Marketing Association) Programs co-chair, announces an exciting BMA Lunch and Learn — Social Media Monitoring and Engagement. The lunch is scheduled for noon (people begin arriving around 11:30 am) on Thursday, October 16th.

Chris will be moderating a discussion that includes Justin Gardner (Social Media for AMC – @jpgardner), Adam Coomes (President of Infegy, creator of Social Radar – @adamcoomes) and Valerie Jennings (Jennings Public Relations & Advertising). Each speaker will have approx 10 minutes to discuss their thoughts per their respective disciplines. The final 30 minutes of the lunch will be open to questions from the audience.

The lunch will explore social media monitoring and engagements from three different perspectives: technology, client side and agency side. It would be awesome to get your thoughts on what is most relevant to you and your organization.

I appreciate any thoughts/comments you may have.

Cheers,

Chris Kovac
@chriskovac (Twitter)
http://www.linkedin.com/in/chriskovac (LinkedIn)

Thoughts on Vegas

Regardless of what I did in Vegas, I happened to meet a wicked awesome individual though a mutual friend.  In the small amount of time we spent together, the impact was significant.  She is smart and beautiful and inspiring.  I hope to see her again soon.  Even in a worse case scenario (I don’t have the opportunity to see her — she lives on a different continent) I will treasure our time spent together.  But, I hope to see her in a couple of months.

As far as Vegas, a bunch of shit happened.  I could probably write two or three books.  But that was not the important part.

Chris Kovac – Everything is on the record

I find it interesting that all Web based communications are going to be on the record for eternity.  Google and other sites are already indexing and archeiving all online communications, whether it is a Web page, blog, Twitter, YouTube.com or any other online vehicle.

This is relevant for a number of reasons.  Never before, in human history, has so much data been gathered around intra-personal communications.  It would be like if a phone company stored every phone call you ever made.

This is relevant, to me Chris Kovac, because it is changing the way we communicate, both offline and online.

October 4th 33rd Birthday Bash – Vegas/LA

A 33rd Birthday party in Vegas and LA the weekend of October 4th is on! The stars aligned and I get to see GOGOL BORDELLO in concert, back to back nights in Vegas and the LA before they start their Euro tour. I am stoked. I don’t even care to play poker or gamble there.

Inform yourself on Google Bordello (even NPR thinks they’re the best)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMuCVOM0mvw (Harlem in Tuscany)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZOnw2EXAaQ&feature=related (with Madonna, strange but great)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbgC3qw_OlM&feature=related (Think Locally, F Globally)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQSaYgAp2lw&feature=related (60 Revolutions – more mainstream, but great)