A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO SOCIAL MEDIA:

BETTY WHITE, FACEBOOK & NBC SNL SHOW

                          

Understanding the synergies, SEO & PR, PPC & SEO is a holistic approach that is crucial in 2010.  A holistic approach includes a series of online relationship among SEO, Affiliate, PR, PPC, Display and Social Media.  If you are still not convinced about the power of social media and what has done to the way we reach consumers today, simply do a reality check on Betty White’s Facebook campaign.

First a quick overview for those of you who may not have heard what happened. In December 2009, the Facebook fan page Betty White To Host SNL (please)? was created.  It was a genuine, sincere fan page of an actor/comedian and it asked a simple, easy to remember question.  Little that we know that millions of millions of funs will still loved and remembered Betty White enough to join. With over 500,000 members after only 3 months, in a display of integrated on and offline marketing, fan numbers got a decided boost after the Snickers commercial starring White from the SuperBowl started airing.


As time went on, the number of fans on the page and how vocal they were about wanting Betty White to host SNL (and yes, I was one of the fans, of course – who doesn’t love Betty White!?) grew at a rapid clip. NBC couldn’t help but notice as the campaign grew, and the question became when to have her on, not if. NBC chose Mother’s Day and invited back some SNL alumna that are moms like Tina Fey, added rapper Jay-Z to the mix, and sat back to watch the reaction from the viewers. The consensus seems to be that it was the best overall SNL since perhaps 1980, and as you can see from the link above, the ratings went through the roof and the topic remained in the top five trending hashtags on Twitter all weekend as #snl and #bettywhite.  But what this crossover campaign can teach or reinforce (for those who already buy into social media?)

1) Legitimacy: Authenticity can’t be faked – it’s too hard to sustain if it isn’t real. This page was started by genuine fans with a good idea, offered a simple plea and a simple call to action, and made it easy for other genuine fans to spread the word like wild fire.  In case, you haven’t noticed, people don’t respond well to that kind of stream spamming on Facebook, Twitter or elsewhere.

2) Mutual Enrichment: By creating a shareable page on a social network and keeping the message short and simple, the Betty White SNL campaign got some nice, willing, cross fertilization that enriched many people across other networks like Twitter and Facebook giving them a sense of unity to fight for a common cause.

3) Social Media Fast Explosion:  In only 3 months, this campaign had an engaged fun base with a clear, simple, achievable goal— to feature Betty White in SNL.  By its 6th month, the facebook fans claimed victory when NBC formally announced the participation of Betty White to host SNL on Mother’s Day weekend.

4) Social Listening: This was a great example of the times we are living.  Whether we like or not, the consumer has its own voice and can do wonders for a brand, if worth it.  At the same time, attention from NBC, SNL and all media venues validated an organic action initiated by the public.  Imagine that!  The public telling us what they want.

5) The Power of Numbers: You will never be able to manufacture a great audience in a form of a large number of fans simply by follower schemes and software programs. A great audience will “organically” grow around a brand if it is worth growing around, meaning that the brand must offer “value.”  Then that audience will be a powerful force behind you and your brand and give you the gift of social leverage to get things done.   Think of Susan Boyle, for example.  Despite initial critics, a fan decided to broadcast her video singing in YouTube and viola! It only took hours for 1 million viewers to make Susan Boyle an international sensation.  Conversely, they will be just as vocal if the brand isn’t working.  With Betty White, many fans across the Millennium Generation look at her as a role model to mirror her youthful optimism despite her age, while Baby Boomers look to mirror her tenacity.   The campaign offer value Focus more on giving value than on getting numbers in a box online and you will do just fine.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER 

But what happens when you are not a Susan Boyle or Betty White?  Then, that means that you may need to do some extra work to achieve reasonable results.   Your efforts need to be on building content that offers value, is unique and make people like it so much that they become your best evangelists by connecting emotionally to your brand.   So as you focus on building content, keep in mind that it should:

  • Be relevant, targeted, and usable
  • Be offered in multiple formats
  • Use stories and sequencing to appeal to emotions and logic
  • Be consistently delivered
  • Guide your visitors to make the best decisions for them
  • Focus on building your true base of fans
  • Move people to personally positive results

When you use these principles in your social media marketing, you’ll be benefiting from the convergence of neuroscience, human psychology and group dynamics, which will call attention to your content. And getting attention is the first step to making anything happen.

Carmen Bracamonte & Market to Flip has done extensive research on Social Media R.O.I following the suggestion of her CEO peers’ concerns about social media.  Follow Carmen on her SEO Chronicles – SEO Made Simple Blog to keep track of her findings.