Six Tips on Hiring a Social Media Consultant

By Mark Evans in Social Media 7 Comments Tags: , ,

For many companies exploring the idea of social media or taking the plunge into social media, it often makes sense to seek external help. One of the options is hiring a social media consultant, which is no easy task given the number of people who have hung up a shingle recently.

So what should you look for in a social media consultant to ensure the money being spent is well spent? Here are some tips:

1. Communications expertise or experience. As much as social media gets a lot of attention because of the tools involved, it’s a communications medium driven by good content. This makes it important to hire a consultant who understands how to create, pitch and deliver stories to a variety of audiences.

2. Avoid social media “enthusiasts” who call themselves “consultants”: There are too many people who are really into blogging, Facebook or Twitter that decide they can charge for their “expertise”. While they may know how to use social media services, it is a completely different set of skills to counsel companies on how to best to get into social media, the most relevant tools, best practices and how to successfully create social media campaigns.

3. Experience matters. Look for consultants who have a track record. Ask them for examples of campaigns and projects they created, as well as the success their clients have had. It is still early days for social media but enough time has passed that a solid consultant should have some solid real-world experience under their belts.

4. Look for someone with a strong social media presence: It’s one thing to talk the talk but a consultant should also walk the walk. They should have an active and engaged presence on social media – be a blog, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Foursquare, Tumblr or Flickr. It show that they not only use the tools but you can get a sense of who they are and their stature within the social media community. It is always a head scratcher to find a social media consultant who barely uses social media. If you’re not immersed in social media on a regular basis, it is easy to lose track of how the market and the services are evolving.

At the same time, be cautious about people who talk about how many followers they have on Twitter or friends on Facebook as a sign of their social media expertise. Quantity in social media can be a game that can be manipulated.

5. If possible, find someone who has managed or operated a corporate social media program. This offers insight and experience that can be invaluable when creating strategic and tactical plans because it provides a consultant with a tangible sense of what’s involved in making social media happen. It is like hiring a major league baseball manager; it’s better to hire someone who has played professional baseball as opposed to have only coached.

6. Ask a potential consultant what they see on the social media horizon. Although it is difficult to really tell the next hot thing in social media, someone who knows the landscape should be able to offer some perspective about the trends and issues a company should be aware of. This will help make sure any strategic roadmaps take into account the evolving social media landscape.

Disclosure: Part of my business is social media consulting so apologies in advance if this post comes across as self-serving. The points above are things I think are important, regardless of whether people hire me or someone else.

The Blackberry Torch VIP Event: Interesting

By Mark Evans in Wireless, Wireless/Research in Motion 3 Comments Tags: , , , ,

When my mother (aka the person happy to go out every night of the week) comes back from a movie or play that she either doesn’t like or not quite sure what to make of, her go-to description is “Interesting”. In her vocabulary, “interesting” can mean weird, odd, bad, terrible, intriguing or bizarre.

“Interesting” is a good way to describe the Blackberry Torch VIP last night. It was a packed affair that attracted celebs such as Ben Mulroney, Jim Cuddy and the uber-cool George Stroumboulopoulos, as well as a couple hundred other “VIPs”. Of course, free drinks, food and your very own BlackBerry Torch likely encouraged the enthusiastic enthusiastic turnout.

Aside from the free Torch (just being honest!), one of the reasons I wanted to attend was I had never been invited to a BlackBerry event. In fact, I really had not spent much time with RIM for years, even when I was a technology reporter with the National Post. This was a sharp contrast to RIM’s early days when I used to talk to co-CEO Jim Balsillie on a regular basis, and get pretty quick replies to e-mails.

One of the things that struck me about the event, which took place at a nightclub, was how RIM took a low-key approach. After about an hour of networking while the music boomed, RIM’s chief marketing officer gave a very brief speech, before the hordes scrambled upstairs to the outdoor patio to pick up their Torches. All in all, the buzz seemed pretty good. People seemed pretty excited to be there, although free does get people stoked.

At the same time, RIM is an fascinating story right now given the ultra-competitive smartphone marketplace, which includes the iPhone and Google’s Android OS. Despite better-than-expected second-quarter results, RIM still has a lot of work to do that may force it to make some bold strategic choices to remain a top-tier smartphone player.

While I’m curious to check out the Torch, I’m more interested in the RIM’s marketing strategies, and how it appeals to new markets beyond the core corporate users. For example, the focus on younger consumers is interesting given the BlackBerry is not that cool, although the Torch’s touchscreen is nice.

Although younger people may think the BlackBerry is un-cool, a lot of them have BlackBerrys because the keyboard makes it easy to use text-messaging and social media services such as Facebook and Twitter. BlackBerry Messenger is wildly popular among younger users because it’s dirt-cheap compared with SMS. It does make you wonder why Steve Jobs doesn’t unveil a kick-ass messaging service for the iPhone.

The Torch is also a social device, highlighted by an application called Social Feeds that you can configure to work with Facebook, Twitter and social media services, as well as access RSS feeds. Again, something aimed at younger consumers, which probably explains the decision to hold the VIP event at a nightclub.

The question facing RIM is “What next?”. Is really going to introduced an iPad-like device? (Something that likely be a huge mistake) Does RIM keep pushing into new non-corporate markets, particularly the younger demographic? And can RIM stay viable in the face of intense competition?

All of these questions will unfold in the next couple of years. In the meanwhile, most of the VIPs at last night’s event were pretty happy to be there, irregardless of RIM’s uncertain prospects. After all, everyone likes a good party, even on a Monday night.

Review: An Easier Way to Unsubscribe?

By Mark Evans in Product Reviews 1 Comment Tags: , ,

For anyone who subscribes to a lot of newsletters or signs up for new online services that include monthly “updates”, it’s only a matter of time before your inbox becomes crowded and unmanageable with lots of things you don’t want or read.

It means manually unsubscribing, which can be a time-consuming and frustrating process, particularly sites that force you to jump through hoops to escape their mailing lists. Then, there are sites that make the “Unsubscribe” button so small, you need a magnifying glass to find it.

An interesting alternative is Unsubscribe, a new service that promises to eliminate unwanted e-mail with one-click. Unsubscribe plays nice all the major e-mail platforms, including GMail, Outlook, Hotmail, AOL Mail and Yahoo.

Here’s how Unsubscribe works. After downloading an extension for GMail or a plug-in for Outlook, Unsubscribe inserts an icon within your e-mail messages. When you want to unsubscribe from something, just click on it. You can also send unwanted e-mail to mail@unsubscribe.com.

Unsubscribe as a freemium business model. It has a free service that lets you unsubscribe from five e-mails/month, and a $19/year unlimited service.

Bottom line: Although I just started using Unsubscribe, it seems like a pretty solid service, particularly if you’re a heavy online user who signs up for a lot of newsletters and online services.

If I had one complaint about the service, it would be the lack of information on the Web site about the company, the people behind it, and how the service actually works and pricing. It raises questions about what Unsubscribe does with the newsletter sent their way, and whether they have any kind of access to your e-mail account or data.

Sunday Thoughts: RIM, Android, Marilyn Monroe, Weddings

By Mark Evans in Social Media, Wireless No Comments Tags: , , ,

Usually, I write a “Sunday Morning Essay” about a particular issue or company but there’s a number of things on my mind so here’s some “mini-essays”:

- After Research in Motion posted better-than-expected second-quarter results on Thursday, investors and analysts got all excited about how RIM’s troubles had been over-rated. In a blog post, I suggested that good quarter was not enough to jump back on the bandwagon. Even though the BlackBerry Torch appears to be selling, it is impossible to ignore the iPhone4′s popularity and growing impact of Google’s Android OS, which is quickly becoming a dominant force. To ignore these two themes, as well as the fact the Torch is a good but not great device, would be a folly.

Lo and behold, the Financial Post has a large feature story on Android yesterday, along with a sidebar that analysts are taking a sober second look at RIM’s results. One thing that jumped out at me was that RIM “shipped” 12 million BlackBerrys in the second-quarter but only add 4.5 million subscribers. It sounds like there might be an inventory glut so do not be surprised to see carriers off the Torch at low prices in the coming months.

- When you think technology, condos are probably low or non-existent, which is why a story in the Toronto Star about two 50-story condos in suburban Toronto is so eye-catching. In particular, the “Marilyn Monroe” building is as much an architecture feat as a construction technology accomplishment. The building has curve – hence the Monroe reference – that made its construction a lot different than your typical slap ‘em up condo.

- For anyone who’s married or who has paid for a wedding, you’ll know how expensive they can be. In particular, there are many high-cost items that only get used once such as wedding dresses and decoration. And given the high rate of divorce, the money spent is often a bad, short-term investment. This is why SmartBride Boutique seems like such a smart idea. The Toronto-based startup is sort of a like a Craigslist for weddings in which you can buy sell wedding items at significant discounts.

Can RIM Avoid Becoming the Next Nortel?

By Mark Evans in Wireless, Wireless/Research in Motion 2 Comments Tags: , , , , ,

There was likely a collective sign of relief yesterday after Research in Motion unveiled better-than-expected second-quarter results, apparently due to strong sales of its new BlackBerry Torch.

After a slew of bad news that included troubles with governments in the Middle East and India over access to data, the launch of Apple’s iPhone4 and the stunning growth of Google’s Android wireless OS, there was the perception that RIM was on its heels after ruling the smartphone roost for so long.

While the second-quarter results will make everyone feel better about RIM’s prospects, it’s important not to get too carried away. It was one quarter in which expectations were battered down by the wave of negative news, including tepid reviews of the Torch. That said, the Torch seems to be a solid entry into the touch-screen market so while the critics may not be thrilled with it, it may have resonated with consumers, who still love the BlackBerry keyboard.

At the same time, one quarter does not a future make nor does it change the competitive landscape. The iPhone4 has continued to maintain Apple’s stature as the world’s most exciting smartphone maker. Meanwhile, companies such as LG and Samsung have been unveiling some stunning devices using Google Android. I recently used an LG phone that was so good, it made we question about an iPhone. And if Nokia ever gets its smartphone act together, it will make the competitive landscape even more intense.

While the Torch did a solid job of getting RIM’s smartphone mojo back, RIM still has a long way to go to make sure it remains in the first-tier smartphone makers. In some respects, it faces the same challenge Nortel faced trying to stay as a first-tier telecom equipment suppliers. While RIM’s financials are significantly better than Nortel’s, and it has strong leadership, RIM needs a lot more than the Torch to stay with Apple and Android (aka The Killer A’s).

The Torch moved RIM into the touchscreen market but BlackBerry still has its warts. For one, the BlackBerry App World store continues to be a nightmare for users and developers. This is a disaster at a time when consumers are personalizing their smartphones to match their professional and personal lifestyles. And while RIM’s Web browser is improving, it’s still not the fantastic experience that wireless users are coming to expect.

At the same time, RIM seems to be having a personality conflict between serving its core enterprise market and meeting the needs of younger, hipper consumers. The enterprise market pays the bills while the hipster market offers growth and cache. For example, RIM’s current advertising talks about a lot of its messaging features, which is an appeal to younger, instant messaging-crazy youngsters. Meanwhile, the BlackBerry continues to be a mediocre multi-media devices when it comes to music and video. This explains why PushLife, a music start-up, attract so much attention in a recent Financial Post article.

While it would be ill-advised to count RIM out, it’s too soon to jump back on the bandwagon. RIM still faces major challenges that will not go away any time soon. It means RIM needs to continue to bring it, otherwise it risks being the next Nokia in the smartphone market. And then there’s that nasty Nortel scenario of going from first to worst.

Is Social Media Still a Novelty?

By Mark Evans in Social Media 3 Comments Tags: , , ,

As someone who makes part of my living offering social media strategic and tactical services, the market’s growth is definitely a good thing. There’s nothing better than to be fishing where lots of fish are swimming.

But sometimes I wonder whether we’re trying to fool the fish by wrapping social media in sparkly paper. With some spit and polish, social media is sold as the greatest thing since sliced bread, and then butter things up with lots of talks about engagement, relationships and conversations. And the funny thing is, most of this stuff gets eaten up.

Here’s a good example. On Twitter yesterday, I saw a tweet raving about a blog post on four ways a Facebook Page could be successful. Since I’m spending a lot of time creating and customizing Facebook Pages for clients, I checked it out.

If you’re curious about the four steps (drumroll, please), they are:

1. Have a compelling vision
2. Smart branding
3. Strategic inbound marketing
4. Real-time engagement

While the intention isn’t about criticizing the author, this advice is hardly earth-shattering or arguably the secret sauce you might have expected. They’re just commonsense for anyone doing digital marketing. Yet, these kind of posts are still enthusiastically embraced.

I’m not sure whether it suggests social media is still an immature market, or whether we – the social media sellers – are doing an amazing job of marketing social media as something new, different, mysterious and wonderful. It may be a little bit of the former and the latter.

To be honest, I’m somewhat conflicted about social media. On one hand, it’s a new and different way to reach out to consumers and have real interactions. And it has changed how companies communicate, market and sell.

At the same time, social media are tools that can be deployed to communicate, market and sell. They’re tools in the same way radio, television, newspapers, direct mail, billboards and e-mail are tools. Sure, social media is new and perhaps still pretty shiny but we’re still talking about tools.

I don’t want to be seen as someone raining on the social media parade but there still seems to be a lot of breathless enthusiasm out there, fuelled by people lucky enough to be ahead of the curve, at least for now.

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