Alison Driscoll

By now, a lot of businesses have figured out that there are a ton of social media tools that can boost business tremendously. Using social media at all will make you look like you “get it;” using social media effectively can help gain you more clients, better employees and a bigger brand.

So where should a potentially social media savvy business start? Facebook is relatively easy to learn, so I’d recommend starting there. However, to create and maintain a good business profile or page you need a few other things first. So, uh, I guess you really need to start somewhere else.

Start a company blog. And use it. There’s not a whole lot left to say about blogs; if you’re reading this you know what they are, so I’m sure you know all the benefits as well. The only advice I have is to make sure you know what you’re talking about before you start; a bad blog is worse than no blog.

Set up a Twitter account. Use that, too. Twitter is great for reputation management, seeing what people are saying about your brand, product, company, CEO–whatever. Use a tool like TweetScan to see who’s talking about you and what they’re saying: the good, the bad and the blah. If you want to be really adventurous you can respond as well. It can also be used as a recruiting tool if you’re looking for new hires.

Of course, you can set up a Facebook account without either of those, but my must-have apps integrate both of these things so… My point is your profile, and therefore your image online, will look a little sparse if you don’t do more than slap a generic Fbook profile up.

Assuming you have a blog and a Twitter account in place, set up a Facebook profile AND a business page, then add these:

• Twitter App You can set this to automatically pull your Tweets into your Facebook status, and it puts a cute little Twitter-themed box on your profile, so everyone knows you’re cool enough to be on Twitter. Also saves you time in updating AND ensures profile activity to keep you relevant. 243,450 total users; 4,869 daily.
  
• Blog RSS Feed Reader I tried a ton of blog and RSS apps out and I found this one offered more functionality, better customization (you can pick an image to make your Facebook mini-blog look like more your actual blog) and a greater sense of control. 28,350 total users; 567 daily.
  
• TwitterSync App Works pretty much like the real Twitter app, which I prefer, but has one advantage over Twitter; you can add it to your page, whereas the Twitter-sponsored app only works with profiles. You can also specify your own propend verb so your status says “is twittering:___.” 14,300 total users; 429 daily.
  
• 30 Boxes Really, any decent calendar app will do, but I found this the easiest to use. If you have (or set up) a 30 boxes account you can sync the two to update the app with all your actual events, as well as any Facebook event invites. Very handy if you host or attend a lot of business events. 222,000 total users; 2,220 daily.
  
• Something fun Add some personality to your profile with a fun or silly application that shows you’re not all work and no play. Facebook is about connecting with your audience, so make your profile look like a real person’s, someone that other users would want to friend.
  

Once you’ve got all that set up, you just need to monitor and maintain everything. It doesn’t need to take a tremendous amount of time, but it does need to be done; you can’t just set these up and let them go. If you can’t manage them and you’re lucky enough to have an intern, see if they can help. Or hire a freelance social media person. I know of at least one

Anyone else noticed the recent upswing in celebrity “voice overs” or narration or whatever you want to call it? So far I’ve heard:

• Kevin Spacey for Honda
• John Corbett (Aidan on Sex and the City) for AppleBee’s (Way less annoying than Wanda Sykes, thank you!)
• David Duchovny for Purina (Which no one believed for a long time…probably ‘cuz most non X-philes don’t know who he is.)
• Patrick Dempsey for StateFarm (Swoon, I’m sold, but he is wasted behind the camera…put him on screen!)
• Stanley Tucci for ATT
• Gene Hackman for Lowe’s
• John Goodman for Dunkin Donuts (The worst ads I have ever seen. I love Hill Holiday but they need to start over. There’s no saving this campaign.)

So what’s the deal with all these talented actors going behind the camera to do voice work? I’ve always thought of that as something you start with and work your way out of, not back to. These may not all be huge stars or timeless actors, but they’re all fairly recognizable names. Kevin Spacey and Gene Hackman each have two Oscar wins, Goodman’s got a Globe and an Emmy, Tucci’s got a Tony nod…the list goes on.

My first thought was “writers’ strike,” but some of the campaigns started running before the strike began. Are they just that hard up? I doubt Gene Hackman needs to do commercials at this point in his career; he could surely find a role he likes, and if not, he’s probably not strapped for cash.

For the celeb, a commercial is easy money for easy work, and they can command more than a voice actor. They also get the chance to lend their vocal chords to a product they love or a cause they support. It’s something different for them, and I’m guessing an ego boost to be asked to be “the voice” of something.

As for the companies hiring stars for their famous phrasing? First, they can afford a bigger star for voice work than they could as an on-screen spokesperson. But the real power in using a famous voice is the “inside joke” it sets up with viewers. If you can correctly identify your favorite celebrity in a commercial, you establish a bond with that product.

I would never give State Farm a second thought if it weren’t for Patrick Dempsey. But the instant I heard his voice, they became the “cooler” (at least in my head) insurance company. State Farm also made me cooler, because I was in on the joke. Where some “less cool” viewers just heard a commercial, I heard a brand being built.

Heard any other celebrity commercials? Let me know who, or better yet, leave a link so I can check it out. Also love to hear more theories on why they do this, or the effect it has on you.

UPDATE: Michael Clarke Duncan for Quizno’s

‘Cuz I can totally see someone, hammered, having this incredible revelation that “we should advertise on the moon!” And then sobering it into Rolling Rock’s Moonvertising promotion.

I drove by the Boston Moonvertising billboard several times (it’s on my way to work) before I remembered to Google the term. I’ll admit I was duped into thinking some ridiculously cheesy advertising/technology company was going to try to buy/sell ad space on the moon. Yep, look up “gullible” and you’ll find my picture. In my defense, I drive too fast and don’t have the greatest eyesight, so I couldn’t really make out the logo.

But I did go to the site eventually, so their old-school outdoor ad worked. Kind of.

The Moonvertising site dropped the ball, in a lot of ways. It’s slow, kind of confusing, and not nearly as cool as I’d hoped. A lot of hype, not a lot of hip. I like where they’re going with the full moon parties, but they’re only in 3 states (I think; the scrolling action was really bad) and I’m not driving to Jersey for a beer I don’t really have any affinity for.

But, I love the Rolling Rock brand for trying, so I stayed on the site and hoped it delivered the cool factor I so desperately was waiting for. It didn’t. Just a few not-so-funny videos and the amusing realization that people think they are actually going to try to beam their logo onto the moon. With lasers. (Insert Austin Powers joke here.)

I love them for trying, and the creativity is great, but the website is disappointing, to say the least. They obviously wanted to create a viral campaign that would get people talking (there’s a lot of uncertainty about whether they will attempt a Moonvertisement on March 21st; my guess is no).

I realized I’ve started analyzing TV rather than watching it, which has totally changed my viewing behavior. I’m all about the TV/internet integration/cross promotion (apologies for the excess slashing) a la (anyone know how to do accents in WordPress?) QuarterLife, Lost and Greek. I also am loving/scrutinizing LipStick Jungle, but not for the internet bit as much.

I’m still on the fence about QuarterLife, ‘cuz the main character, Dylan, is super annoying, at least to me. Totally think her Pilot Ep opener was one of the major reasons the show tanked on NBC and got pulled after that one episode. Watch it and try to tell me that doesn’t make you want to change the channel. Online you can skip or jump around; on TV, you’re stuck cringing (unless you had the forethought to DVR the show) or changing the channel. And that was a death sentence for QuarterLife. Bye-bye internet-TV crossover.

I don’t actually watch Lost, but they do some cool stuff with the internet, including fictional sites that pretend Oceanic 815 is a real plane (and airline), provide clues and further the show. There’s also a Lostpedia and an Alternate Reality Game (ARG), stuff that’s way over my head but reminds me of my brief obsession with LonelyGirl15.

Greek is a cheesy ABC Family show that I forgot to watch after one or two episodes. However, it’s back for Season 2 so I guess they didn’t need my viewership. It’s of interest to me not so much for the quality of the program (Scott Michael Foster is a cutie though, and very lovable on QuarterLife) but its internet tie-in, VirtualRush, where you can “rush” online and interact with the show.

LipStick Jungle is my only “must-see-TV” right now, but not for any great internet relevance, more on the marketing side. Maybelline is doing an old-school sponsorship promotion (”presented by” and all that) and plugging their new products–hard–in the most flagrant product placement I’ve ever seen. However, I think LipStick Jungle has huge potential in this niche, if they can just tone it down a little. Nearly everything mentioned in Sex & the City took off; at least a little of that magic must be left.

Coincidently, Quarterlife is doing some great product placement with Toyota Scions. Moral of this post? Everything can be traced back to QuarterLife? Not quite, but I respect what the creators are trying to do. And if you can make me watch despite wanting to smack your main character, that’s saying something.

So I’m driving to the 9-to-5er this morning, flipping through the radio stations ‘cuz I haven’t updated my iPod in a while when I hear Ramiro from Jam’n 94.5 talking about reputation management. Like, what?!? So of course I had to call in and explain how it works, that it’s not hacking, it doesn’t exactly erase stuff but replaces, it’s not illegal, etc.

My roommate thinks this is one of the coolest parts of my job, but his parents were horrified when I tried to explain the concept to them. I suppose to successfully execute a reputation management program requires a certain moral flexibility (which, like it or not, I have most certainly developed over the past year), and some people can’t really get past that. It’s kind of become a game to me now; I love checking up on reputation management clients, searching for their name and feeling a sick sense of accomplishment that I’ve hidden their misdeeds.

Online reputation management is only going to become a bigger and more competitive facet of the internet. Admit it: you Google your blind date, potential hire, prospective employer, babysitter, professor. Everyone does; “googling” has become a necessity in the professional world, and a guilty pleasure on the personal side.

The internet is an amazing resource and a valuable tool, but it can quickly turn on you if you have a less than squeaky-clean past or a slanderous opponent. However, if you know what you’re doing (or can find someone who does), the internet can quickly be swung back to your side and used to your advantage. It’s really all about who, and what, you know.

Happy <3 Day!

Haha, for those of you who know me offline, in the real world, that is not a greeting that usually escapes my lips (or my fingers). But I’m trying not to be such a cynical V-day Scrooge (and I’ve gotten some cute and, uh, creative holiday wishes from the coworkers-and the S.O.), so here are a few less traditional, more palatable expressions of love and devotion. Only, not really, which is why I can stand them.

• Send a cupcake on Facebook. It’s not as cheesy as a Valentine, not as fattening as a depression-chasing pastry. Orgive the naughty gift that keeps on giving-it’ll look good no matter how many virtual cupcakes you receive. For the financially challenged, Facebook is offering one of their usual $1 Valentine gifts for the low, low price of…nothing! Ah yes, nothing says “I love you” like a free Facebook balloon.
• Heart someone on Twitter (someone like me who wants more followers). It’s cute; they can heart you back and tweet the world with your love. Send a Twitter Valentine Tweet by typing “@username <3″ (the web-geek heart symbol, of course). Very short and sweet, very internet.
• Spread the sarcasm with SomeECards. The perfect solution to sappy, mushy-gushy, lovey-dovey, vomit-inducing Valentine’s Day cards. And eCards. ‘Cuz really? You’re not getting in my pants with a free internet greeting. At least a generic Hallmark card involves a modicum of effort.

UPDATE: Just saw this list of the meanest “love” songs today…some of my favorite tunes made the cut. Coincidence? I think not. Better luck next year Cupid.

Isn’t this what AOL did back in the day when they were the ISP, like, 10 years ago?

Everyone had AOL when I was in 7th and 8th grade, and real, postal email boxes were always filled with CDs boasting “1500 hours of AOL-FREE!” AOL and Time Warner merged in 2000, but Time Warner apparently forgot to get their facts straight and thinks they have this groundbreaking internet billing system based on usage. Yes, paying for what you use is a truly innovative idea. What’s next in technological advances, rotary cell phones?

Maybe they’re trying to appeal to older people who are less likely to use the internet, like my grandmother who loves her pre-paid cell phone. Or they could be trying to cut down usage. You know, like how you put on a sweater when you have to pay for heat?

Most likely, they’re looking for a way to make more money. ‘Cuz for every Scrooge who turns off all the lights the second they leave a room, there are a couple hundred colege kids who are online 24-7, guzzling more bandwidth than beer.

Unless the internet suddenly became another precious resource we’re wasting, Time Warner is trying to cash in on the round-the-clock internet addiction that social networks have elevated to an art. AIM made us want to stay online all night so everyone could see what we were doing; social networks made us want to stay awake and see what everyone else was doing too.

Definitely “lol”ed when I saw this commercial the other night. However, once my Julie Roberts-esque cackling subsided, I started to think about the subtext of the ad (as I am wont to do), and my brain was off and running. Watch the 15 second clip, then finish reading while you wait for your pizza to arrive.

Domino’s and CP + B are helping to further my theory that advertising is more sexist to men these days than to women. I alluded to that in this post and I’ve become increasingly aware and convinced of this shift since. Traditionally sexist ads and images of women are being turned around to make fun of themselves and old stereotypes, so men have become the new fall guy used to inject laughter into otherwise humorless ads.

Women can laugh at this average joe’s misguided attempt at romance. Tip: greasy pizza and rushed sex does not an orgasm make, my friend. Men will laugh at the guy’s expense, ‘cuz who wants to be that two-pump-chump?

What I think is really funny is the expression on the woman’s face. She’s so earnest and sincere; she doesn’t mock her man, but asks very honestly and seriously what they will do for the other 28 minutes. This is where the real humor could have come from in this ad, if they had taken it a step further and had some great sarcastic line for her. Or gone the over-the-top, macho route and had him demanding a blow job (or something TV appropriate) from the couch while dialing Domino’s.

I could be wrong, and while my versions of the ad demonstrate why I am not working in TV commercials and am best suited for the internet, somewhere in that sex crazed text above is a valid point. Men can’t take a joke the way women can, even to sell more pizza. Or beer. Or whatever will make them money. So their egos are doomed to remain larger than their…wallets.

Yep, that’s right, Merry Christmas. Not Happy Holidays or Season’s Greetings. ‘Cuz you know what? Tomorrow is Christmas, not Hanukkah or Kwanzaa or any other Wintery holiday. So Merry Christmas to all.

For whatever reason, I didn’t really get into the Christmas spirit much this year; I really think the internet has taken a toll on my festive-ness. I did a lot more shopping online and consequently was waaaaaay more annoyed by the mall than in past years, when mall shopping was almost guaranteed to put me in a merry mood. I also started thinking about how much of this holiday really is just about advertising…but more on that once Christmas is officially over, I don’t want to be the Scrooge in my family.

Then, there are all the Christmas vs. Holiday debates. I’ve been annoyed by the PC-ness of this issue in the past, but never noticed its full extent until I became more active in the blogosphere.

I also broke my wrist (and yes, my cast is pink), which makes shopping and baking, my two most favorite Christmas activities, very difficult. Even online shopping; I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to type with a cast on but, it is a biznatch, let me tell you. And as of yet, I’ve not discovered online baking, so there goes my other creative Christmas outlet.

In short, the internet has Grinched me this year. The etailers have isolated me from the masses, and the blogosphere has educated me on the horridly money-driven consumerism we dress up as Christmas. Then, to make matters worse, even this all-powerful network could not bake me a batch of Christmas cookies.

So, unless mommy dearest has been keeping up with my blog and got me some USB bling, I’ve lost my faith in the internet. I’m going back to Santa; he never left me spam.

Finally, someone is in my corner, defending the recently legal drinkers in the work force…OK, so they called us “the young” and it’s Advertising Age, a print publication that is traditional media-centric and still trying to get the hang of this new-fangled internet ‘thang…but still. At last, some “authority” came out and admitted that “the young aren’t stupid.”

I was super excited when I first read this post, as I deal with pig-headed clients who refuse to listen to or accept my advice once they’ve met me and realized how old I am. I’ve also been told I don’t “look smart.” It was meant as a compliment, but who knows.

Anyway, my point is, Advertising Age, a somewhat stodgy and “the man” of old-school advertising, had to tell people we are a force to be reckoned with. My issue is not with the blog post, but with the fact that it warranted being written.

As the youngest member of the BU faculty, Jonathon Feit undoubtedly has dealt with much more ageism than I could ever encounter. I understand his frustrations with present day dinosaurs, and I applaud him for finding a way to make people sit up and listen, ‘cuz hey, I’m doing the same thing right here. What upsets me is where it ran.

I’m assuming Feit, or some editor somewhere, thought the only way to grab the ageists’ attention was to get it in “their” press. Good thinking, except you used the blog, not the print magazine, which is what the very people you’re targeting put more stock in. Strike one.

Now, as much as I enjoyed reading the post (which is my next problem with it, but we’ll get there), I’m not the one being convinced. To really convince the target demographic, I think an author in the same age bracket as the target would have been more effective. Strike two.

Unless, of course, Feit wanted to direct it towards the old dogs to disguise a simple self-congratulatory pat-on-the-back post. I know I liked it, but I’m the choir; does he really think he’s going to get these old dogs turning tricks? Strike three, you’re out.

Definitely read “The Young Aren’t Stupid-but They Are Changing Your World” if you already believe that. Chances are, if you’re here, you figured that out on your own. If not, check out some amazing young’uns I only sometimes dare to compare myself to, like Amanda Gravel and Dan Zarrella. They truly demonstrate just how, like, not stupid we totally aren’t.