Community Guy – Jake McKee

Social Media Marketing – The Next Generation of Business Engagement

It is with extreme pride that I announce Social Media Marketing – The Next Generation of Business Engagement, a book that Dave Evans and I wrote together this year. After tech editing Dave’s first book, Social Media Marketing: An Hour a Day, Dave asked me to co-author the second book and I gladly accepted.

This new book takes a deeper look at how to apply social media principles to change your business. It was a ton of fun to write, and Dave was a great partner and co-author. The book is getting a great launch reception, and we’re hoping it does as well as the first, which is still selling at a fast clip.

Want more info about the book? Check out the book support site or the Facebook page.

So? What are you waiting for? Head over to Amazon and pick up a copy!

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Let me first start this post out by saying that I have loved the Web since the very first time I pulled up a Web site. Literally the very first one. I don’t remember the site (although it’s likely it had a stone background image), but I do remember the rush of ideas, emotions, and potential that flooded over me the first time I pulled up that site.

In the last year or so, I’ve been decidedly harsh in my critique about where the internet has gone in recent memory. In particular, I was incredibly disappointed in this last election, not because of the results (that’s another topic, and if you read my twitter stream you’d probably be surprised why). Actually the reason was that in all the conversation that’s happened around US politics in the last two years, I feel like we’ve largely seen Social Media used as a marketing tool meant to skew reality, not as an ability to create transparency and deeper thought and discussion.

So yeah, I’ve been pretty down on the Internet lately.

But last night I was reminded why I <3 the internet: social community that works. I am learning (or trying to learn) photography. I’m getting there, slowly but surely. But after acquiring a new (and really cool) lens via Craiglist, I was having some problems figuring out why the autofocus never seems to work quite right. I’m less concerned about the physical quality of the lens, it was in great shape. No, I knew I was likely doing something wrong.

So I exported an example image, uploaded it to my new favorite photography community, and asked for help. Hours later a kind soul had responded, giving me some direction in how to address the problem. Why? Because he wanted to help.

This is the information utopia I saw so long ago, and it’s pretty fantastic.

Brand Haiku

Ever the community organizer, Aaron Strout started a conversation amongst a group of social nerds last week and his idea was just too much fun not to participate. The idea? Share a haiku about a brand experience in the last month that’s really impressed us. I’ve been meaning to write about several lately, so what better opportunity?

Without further ado:

Last minute need
And once again they come through
Men’s Wearhouse

New site launch fail
Sorry, a coupon in the mail
Papa John’s w0w

Next up: Tamsen McMahon and more haiku fun!

UPDATE: Check out the full list of #brandhaiku participants!

The crazy standards of TSA

Anyone who travels a lot can tell  you how silly most airport security methods employed by the TSA are. Consider:

• You’re required to show an ID and your boarding pass in order to make sure the names match. What does this really do? And now that I can print out a boarding pass at home, or even use the digital image of one on my iPhone, how much security does that provide? Especially since the form of ID is regularly faked by high school students?
• How many times have you gotten through security, taken your flight, and unpacked at the hotel only to discover some contraband you forgot to take out or throw away?
• Shoes are, apparently, really important to put on the belt rather than in a bin, yet I rarely see that happen in regular practice.
• Flight crews often just have to flash a badge rather than scan it. A uniform and an ID badge (both real or both fake) can breeze you not only through security without scrutiny, but getting to go straight to the front of the line.

There’s an assumption in the TSA guidelines that flight crews are unflinching, background checked protectors of our nation’s air security. Just look at the recent letter from the head of American Airlines’ Pilot’s Union to the TSA:

“Our pilots are highly motivated partners in the effort to protect our nation’s security, with many of us serving as Federal Flight Deck Officers. We are all keenly aware that we may serve as the last line of defense against another terrorist attack on commercial aviation. Rather than being viewed as potential threats, we should be treated commensurate with the authority and responsibility that we are vested with as professional pilots.”

On one hand, I understand this thinking. Many (all?) pilots have been background checked, and many have security clearances. But considering how easy it would be to pass as a pilot, and considering that flight crews and pilots alike have no liquid restrictions going through security, isn’t it foolish to believe that changing the standards without changing the methods of verification is ridiculous?

And yes, I recently watched a flight attendent walk through the metal detector at AUS with a large cup of coffee. When I asked about it with the TSA supervisor, I was told that since they had had a background check, they were able to do things normal passengers weren’t. And besides, he asked, why would I distrust my flight crew? Yeah, I was scared out of my mind for the next few flights. A few years ago, I sat across a table from the TSA Administrator who told me very, very clearly that 3 ounces of liquid is safe when it comes to explosives, and 4 ounces+ is very, very dangerous. And flight attendants or pilots, with barely a glance at their ID can walk through security with unlimited liquids.

I truly understand the pilot’s concerns for significant radiation doses, intrusive pat-down methods, and other problems with the current process, I don’t believe that they should be entitled to alternative screening methods until several things happen:

1. Actual identification verification methods are used consistently across all of our nation’s airports.
2. Crew only lines are moved out of sight of the passenger lines, or clarity and openness about what crew member background check processes are used is shared with the world. If TSA is asking passengers to be vigilant, nothing kills that desire quicker than seeing near unfettered access by flight crews without an understanding of what protections they have that I don’t. After all, Air Marshals don’t take their ankle holsters and pistols off and put them in a bin, right?
3. Non-flight crew citizens have the ability to apply for similar background check methods. After all, there are plenty of military personnel who have security clearance. There are plenty of frequent fliers (myself included) who would happily pay a fee to undergo a background check yearly that grants them privileges like avoiding taking out liquids (or being able to carry on more), skipping the removal of their laptops, or even being able to avoid the scanning metal detectors that broadcast an image under your clothes to some random person doing lord knows what in a room somewhere in the airport or D.C. Certainly if this is the kind of thing that pilots are wanting, expecting to be able to opt out of because of their backgrounds, we can and should be able to apply that to other citizens too, right?

I understand the irritation and concern pilots  are feeling. I’ve probably flown as many flight this year as some pilots have. I get it. But before we go removing restrictions, I’d sure as hell like to feel good about the poor implementation of the ones we already have.

Red Shirt Guy – a great story

If you’ve spent any time in community work, you’ve run into one of “those fans”. A fan of your brand/product/company who has generated so much love for your brand that the love manifests in unreasonable anger at various decisions or a level of depth on issues that even the product’s original developers never intended.

These folks are great, and they are in no small part a big reason a brand turns from great product into beloved experience. You need these folks, you want these folks, and you should love these folks.

But it doesn’t mean they’re always easy to work with. Consider the Red Shirt Guy:

[..] the epic story of Red Shirt Guy, the kid who stood up at Blizzcon and pointed out that Blizzard loremasters had left a secondary NPC (Non Playable Character) out of the expansion, and then, when video of his nervous demeanor went viral, responded calmly, reasonably, and in the same shirt to all the haters.

If you’re the Community Manager at Blizzard, having this kid stand up and ask about this level of minutia when you’re trying to launch an entire game expansion has to be frustrating. Sure, you may appreciate the depth of his enthusiasm, but it’s probably quietly on the inside.

Many community managers let this type of thing get to them and just blow it off. But this story, as Geekosystem rightly points out, went viral. What to do? Embrace it, love it, integrate it.

Don’t worry, it’s a happy ending. In reward for his dedication to the story behind the biggest MMORPG in history, Blizzard has not only fixed the omission of Falstad Wildhammer fromWorld of Warcraft: Cataclysm, but given the dwarven chieftain an addition to his retinue.The Wildhammer Fact Checker currently stands proudly next to his leader in the CataclysmBeta, and, as Blizzard confirmed, he will remain there when the game ships.

And yes, he’s wearing a red shirt.

Two things happen with this story:

1. The team at Blizzard shows that they’re paying attention. This wasn’t a casual brushing off of an otherwise easily dismissed story. They took it and ran.
2. They made themselves “one of the gang” within the fan community. Blizzard is proving that they’re not only listening, but that they’re as interested in the community discussion as anyone in the world.

Relatively speaking, this is a tiny amount of additional work for Blizzard. But it’s a huge win for their community and the conversation they have daily with fans. It’s hard to put this decision into a business case, but the results speak for themselves within the conversation of fans and non-fans alike.

(For what it’s worth, I’m bored to tears by World of Warcraft)

Magnet company smackdown

Live for your viewing pleasure, a smackdown of a grand nature, magnet style:

In this youtubed open letter, a representative from Zen Magnets (small-fry makers of little round powerful magnets you can use to make interesting shapes) replies to a legal threat from Buckyballs (leading makers of little round powerful magnets you can use to make interesting shapes). It starts with a recorded voicemail from Buckyballs CEO Jake Bronstein threatening to sue Zen Magnets for selling a kit containing both Buckyballs and Zen Magnets on eBay with the claim that Zen Magnets are manufactured to a higher tolerance, are stronger, and have a brighter finish. From there, the Zen Magnets rep does a wonderful job illustrating the validity of his claims — and making Buckyballs look like an anti-competitive bully who fights dirty with threats instead of superior products.

In a niche industry like high end magnets, personality is a huge differentiator. In one swift movement, the Buckyballs CEO created a platform for their competitor to own a space that, as a “$20 million company”, they should have been theirs. As you watch this video, you’ll probably notice a nearly uncomfortable amount of snark from the folks at Zen. That approach might not work for your business, but it certainly works for theirs. Snark + data + underdog status = huge win for Zen.

Apple tried this approach during AntennaGate by posting a page on their site called “Apple’s Antenna Design and Test Labs“.

Every smartphone has a cellular antenna. And nearly every smartphone can lose signal strength if you hold it in a certain way. To make sure our antennas work as well as they possibly can, Apple has invested more than $100 million building its advanced labs. Our engineers have logged thousands of hours designing and testing iPhone 4 in these state-of-the-art facilities.

There are several problems here, and there’s a reason why it largely didn’t work to convince people that the antenna problems were just part of using a cell phone.

• It’s bullshit. Seriously, can anyone name a single phone they’ve had in the last 15 years that you could manually drop the call by holding it a certain way? I can’t, and I’ve had something like 30+ cell phones in my life.
• It’s proven true. It’s not bullshit just because we’ve heard a random urban myths. It’s proven, I’ve done it myself. Close friends have told me they’ve replicated it. Multiple times. In many conditions. Industry test labs have proven it.
• It’s a cold approach. Showing me that you’ve spent a ton of money on a testing lab does not necessarily equate to product engineering success. Since I’ve SEEN the antenna problems personally, I know that even great teams with great facilities and tons of time spent can still make big mistakes. Hell, how many hours did it take to plan, code, test, and launch Microsoft Entourage (any version)?? Just because you have the tools, doesn’t mean you are inherently perfect or problem free.
• There’s nothing to believe in. Apple takes Apple’s traditional approach: trust us, what know what we’re doing. You’re not seeing what you are seeing, it’s all your fault. They put up a few bits of nicely designed static content and a video that talks about their process and their equipment. Never do they mention anything specific a regular Joe like me could understand. Never do they say flat out “It’s false and here’s why”. They simply focused on the process and an overview of antenna strength and signal loss. They’re protecting themselves rather than rolling up their sleeves and talking about what they believe.
• They’re acting like 5 year olds. They make some vague “nuh uh!” claims about how all antennas have the same problem. They say that every smartphone has antenna problems, but they’re not ballsy enough to show examples. And like parents of a 5 year old know, when you hear “nuh uh, wadn’t me! He did it! He did it!” you’re pretty clear that your kid was involved.
• It’s bullshit. Did I mention this one already? Oh that’s right, I did. Well, it bears repeating. If it wasn’t an issue at all, why did Apple spent so much money on sending out free iPhone 4 cases to users? Yeah. Because they knew it was a real problem.

I’m not advocating for Apple to approach the problem the same way Zen Magnets did. Startups are absolutely different than large companies. There are all kinds of legal, financial, and marketing/PR reasons why Apple couldn’t be as direct as Zen was in their video. And the scenarios are different, of course: Zen was proving higher product quality, while Apple was trying to play sleight of hand games to draw focus away from the worst iPhone design to date.

There are three takeaways here, and they apply to any company:

1. Don’t be a dick, it always comes back to haunt you… especially these days.
2. Confront challenges directly, and with data.
3. If it’s your fault, work harder to owning up to it.

The democratization of opportunity

When I was a kid, a lot of my friends took piano lessons. Once a week, their parents would shuffle them off to some retired teacher’s house for an hour to learn how to play “Mary had a little lamb” or something similar. Most of my friends were living a comfortable lower middle class life, which meant they didn’t have a piano at home. This meant that their piano access was limited to that once a week visit – no practicing in between sessions unless they hit the local bar with dad. (For the record, it’s not cool to take an 8 year old to a bar)

Last night, I was reminded how much the world has changed thanks to technology.

I was sitting on the couch with my 3 year old daughter watching cartoons. One of the characters was playing piano, her newest interest. She said “Daddy, I want to learn to play the piano”.

My iPad happened to be sitting next to me, so I popped open the App Store, searched for “piano”, found a free piano app and downloaded it. Within less than a minute, we went from interest to action. She banged away on that piano app for 15 minutes; a stunning victory for a 3 year old.

Access is no longer a hinderance.

Netflix stumbles, recovers through honesty

Oh, Netflix….

Netflix Inc. tried to bring a touch of Hollywood to its Canada debut Wednesday only to wind up apologizing for a botched publicity stunt.

Things backfired at a Toronto street celebration after reporters discovered that actors hired by the Netflix had been given written instructions to give media interviews gushing about the video subscription service’s arrival in Canada.

The actors also were urged to fill a variety of stereotypical roles, including “mothers, film buffs, tech geeks, couch potatoes,” according to the one-page handout given to them.

On its surface, this story seems like a cut-and-dry story about a company doing horrendous, non-social marketing. But wait! Take a look at the story that Netflix is pushing as an explanation.

Netflix never intended to mislead reporters, company spokesman Steve Swasey said. He attributed the mix-up to the bureaucratic hoops that Netflix had to jump through to get a permit to close an entire street for Wednesday’s event.

To qualify for the permit, Swasey said Netflix decided to film a fake documentary. That led to the hiring of a handful of actors who were only supposed to help drum up enthusiasm and attract a crowd before CEO Reed Hastings arrived on the scene. Swasey wasn’t sure who decided the actors should give media interviews under false pretenses.

“We are embarrassed,” Swasey said. “We regret that this put on a blemish on what should have been perfect day for Netflix.”

I’m inclined to believe this story, mainly because it’s just too random and detailed to be something you make up as part of PR spin cover. And as such by the time I was done reading this article, I was ready to forgive and forget.

See what happens when you’re honest and own your mistakes?

UPDATE: Carol LeBlanc commented about this post via Facebook. She had a fantastic point:

“because netflix has a history of being honest and customer-focused i found their excuse completely credible”

Exactly.

Book Tour: Cognitive Surplus

A few weeks back, the folks at the TLC book tours, asked me if I was interested in participating in the book tour to support the launch of Clay Shirky’s latest book, Cognitive Surplus. Despite the fact that my calendar looks like someone took a shotgun approach to booking time, and despite the fact that my spare time is absorbed by a cute three year old, and despite the fact that I read books at the pace of a snail, I jumped at the chance.

Cognitive Surplus takes the essay Shirky wrote a while back, “Gin, Television, and Social Surplus”, and turns it into a full book. The essay was a fascinating read, and Part 1 of the book takes a deeper look at his premise.

And to be perfectly honest, I haven’t made it past the first part of the book. It’s incredibly interesting, and I have highlighted the ever loving hell out of those pages. I’ve read the first part of the book twice, and may read it a third time before moving on to the rest of the book.

Shirky has, if his theory can be trusted, clearly shown a social and mental motivation behind the question “Who has time to do that?” When you eliminate millions, if not billions of hours of television watching from our collective schedules, suddenly you have plenty of time to edit wikipedia pages, post LOLcat images, help out in tech support forums, and update your Facebook status every 4 minutes.

This book isn’t a business book, and it’s not technically a history book. At least not yet. But I’m pretty convinced that when my daughter or my grandkids look back to find out how the history of this era unfolded, Cognitive Surplus is going to be one of the books that helps explain that history.

Even though I’m not all the way through the book, I strongly recommend reading. And while I work my way through the rest of the book, you should see what other on the book tour had to say. Here’s a few past and future stops:

Tuesday, June 22nd: Being Peter Kim
Thursday, June 24th: Graywolf’s SEO Blog
Tuesday, June 29th: Convince and Convert
Thursday, July 8th: Social Media Explorer
Wednesday, July 14th: Debbie Weil
Thursday, July 15th: Beth’s Blog
Monday, July 19th: A Whole Lotta Nothing
Wednesday, July 21st: Web Strategy by Jeremiah Owyang
Thursday, July 22nd: Six Pixels of Separation
Monday, July 26th: Community Guy
Wednesday, July 28th: Citizen Marketer 2.1
Thursday, July 29th: Nine By Blue
Tuesday, August 3rd: Socialbrite

Looking for Silicon Valley Based Ants

I know, I know. At this point I should probably put a permanent header on this blog that says: “Ant’s Eye View is hiring, here’s the list of positions”. But yes, we’re hiring. Again.

The Ant Hill is hard at work this summer and is growing. This past spring, we opened our third office, in Silicon Valley, to support a growing roster of clients including Cisco, Intuit, Wells Fargo, EMC, and more.

As we build our Silicon Valley team, we’re looking to hire a seasoned practitioner who’s built and scaled social media, online community, or influencer efforts within large organizations. Our senior consultant in Silicon Valley will be a critical member of the team helping large organizations transform into fully engaged enterprises.

You can find more information about the position. We’d love to hear from you if you think the position is a match. If not, we’d love your help spreading the word about this excellent position.