#marketing algorithm

Watch the Friendship Algorithm Video

Data can drive anything with the right people to interpret it. I think Sheldon was onto something.

Let’s examine some of his principles and see how they apply.

1. Friendship Deficiencies = Social Media Marketing Challenges

As businesses everywhere try to take action by adopting social media campaigns to engage customers and influence buying decisions, it’s important to look at your industry, what other campaigns are out there, what’s working and what you may be missing with your existing efforts online.

2. Sheldon studies Stu the Cockatoo = Study the Data (ie Analytics)

Your analytics team or agency should be your guide in developing your social strategy. Letting them develop the roadmap or flow chart using their insights and observations into your customer’s behavior online.

3. Sheldon Makes the First Move (Calling his potential new friend) = Reach Out to the Customers You Want

There is more success when you reach out to specific kinds of customers through your social media campaign. Find them on the sites they use every day and let them know you know they’re alive. Sheldon accepts that perhaps he isn’t involved in meaningful interactions because he isn’t offering any concrete suggestions. Similarly, you should have a concrete strategy and calls to action throughout every campaign. There should be purpose and genuine effort to engage your target market. After all why should they choose you, nerdy Sheldon, instead of someone else much cooler? Ie a company that has already gained a huge social audience. Still, even you and Sheldon can make friends…read on.

4. Share a Meal or a Hot Beverage = ENGAGE! When you throw something out to your audience and they don’t want the dish you suggested, recognize quickly that they dont want a whole meal and offer something else like a hot beverage. This would be the idea that if something doesn’t work, move on and quickly. Don’t keep pushing a drawn out and involved social media campaign down people’s throats. Learn quickly from mistakes and offer some yummy prizes or tantalizing content!

5. Sheldon listens to ideas = Listen to Your Customers via Analytics

Track behavior online, track people who tweet, like and follow your brand. Listen to their suggestions. If people are tweeting that there’s too much salt on the fries at your restaurant, make a change! If they suggest staying open later at your beach location, try it out!  These responses to social media help you gain loyalty. Spark questions and ask your followers for ideas.

6.  Sheldon Gets “Stuck in an Infinite Loop” = Don’t Get Stuck on What You CAN’T Do

Sure, not everyone likes horseback riding and there is no way in hell Sheldon will be mounting a creature of such limited brain capacity. Just like you aren’t about to hand out 10,000 free concert tickets for your exclusive Pitbull and Katy Perry in concert live event. Okay, well…

Find the “least objectionable activity” just like Sheldon when he decided rock climbing was completely tolerable. Find a common ground with your customers online.

Want an example of this in real life digital marketing? Target did this when they decided to offer tickets for a big upcoming concert ONLY through their Facebook page and a custom app. Customers still had to purchase tickets, but with this intelligent strategy, the concert sold out within about an hour AND the page gained followers like wildfire. Find that LOA and use it for your social marketing efforts.

Lastly...

7. Sheldon Offers to Foot the Bill = Give Your Customers Incentives!

Not only did Sheldon find out what his potential friend’s interests were, he offered to pay for their first man-date. Don’t just offer your customers annoying coupons and deals they don’t want! Use all the data you can gather to determine what they would want, offer it to them, and if they are interested follow up!

When internet marketing creative nerds watch Big bang Theory…a nerdy but hopefully interesting and applicable blog ensues. Enjoy!

This week I spent the majority of my time in Boston attending the Inbound Marketing Summit (IMS11) as well as the Hubspot User Group (HUGS11).  Saw many a presentation and panel - Some really good (Youngme Moon) and others not so much.  Tremendous information and takeaways along with some good networking opportunities and met some new friends.  But what I am really excited about is this new  concept that I came up with when I was discussing all of my current projects to my Hubspot rep.

My HS rep and I were in the bottom of the Back Bay Social Club Thursday night finishing our sports discussion we drifted into talk about work.  I half expected the conversation to end up here at some point that's why I didn't mind stepping out that night to go to the Club. As I recounted my numerous projects I used the analogy of the Google Algorithm.  I am mixing so many different kinds of projects together - traditional, digital, SEO, PPC, Facebook, Twitter, QR Codes, directories, ... (you get the picture) and at the same time trying to determine how much of what to use.  Was it more SEO, less social media or more social media less PPC, or was it skip the the PPC altogether?  The more I discribed the situation to Chris the more I found the "Marketing Algorithm" analogy to fit. 

So "Marketing Algorithm" is an idea I am going to flesh out - mainly because it is self serving - but in the end I expect to have something that I can re-use and share as a road-map to help others out there that are facing the same kind of opportunity (notice I said opportunity and not problem).

Stick with me this is going to be fun.