5 dos and 4 don’ts for SXSWi … or any other conference or tradeshow

March 16, 2011 By 2 Comments
My collection of #SXSWi pieces of flair.

My collection of #SXSWi pieces of flair. Click the image to see more SXSWi pics on Facebook!

I was fortunate to represent Bulbstorm at South by Southwest Interactive (SXSWi) this year. I spent my time collecting pieces of flair, tweeting, rocking the orange hoodie, checking in, gazing at name badges, and generally just being a social media douschebag. Oh, and I worked some.

I learned some stuff about conference-going too. So, here are 5 dos and 4 don’ts for SXSWi … or whatever conference you attend next.

Do play with the next big thing (#TWSS). SXSWi catapults shiny objects into public awareness. First, it was Twitter. Then, it was Foursquare and Gowalla. This year, it’s group messaging. On day 1, someone started a Beluga “pod” for Phoenix SXSWi-ers. By day 3, the pod was shrinking. Early adoption. Early abandonment. Hey, at least, Facebook is impressed with Beluga.

Don’t be a wall flower. SXSWi is spring break for geeks. So, go for it! I played in the Lego lounge. I sang karaoke in the Foursquare RV. I collected pins. I got my picture taken with a guy dressed up as a T-Rex. I tweeted way too much. Tally ho!

Do pitch a VC. Everyone has a tech startup, right? I don’t know how many times I overheard some variation of “We just launched in private beta yesterday.” If you have a more compelling story to tell than that, then find a VC and pitch him. I went all Sean Parker on a VC from San Francisco and felt like a million bucks for doing it.

Don’t look too far below the neckline. I like to know who’s walking toward me. Hey, maybe he runs Facebook promotions for a big CPG brand! That’s the point of name badges, right? Yes, but be careful. Badge-gazing is like dropping your eyes too far below the neckline at a meet market. Don’t be that guy. Or, just don’t get caught … as I was.

Do re-charge your iPhone. Bring a charger or sit at a sponsored charging station every day. One night, my phone died while coordinating with my CEO. Oops! Fortunately, there were 15,000 Twitter-ers within a half-mile of me. Thanks to Reid Peifer for helping me let the boss know not to wait up.

Don’t be afraid to couch-surf if necessary. It’s worth it to spend an extra night in Austin. Thanks to Merry Lake and Meghan Skiff for making room!

Do fly 900 miles to hang with people from your hometown. When my CEO was out doing the CEO thing, I flew solo. Fortunately, my Phoenix pod welcomed me in. Big ups to Sitewire-ians for clarifying the pronunciation of pecan, McMurry-ites for showing me to the free ice cream, and Integrum-ers for knowing all the Austin hot spots.

But don’t only hang with your hometown crew. Conferences are a great chance to meet Tweeps who you only know as @whatshisname. Plus, random conversations turn up pretty cool stuff. For example, Deborah Acosta is using a database of Miami Herald readers to help her journalists find sources.

Do plan ahead. I missed scheduled appearances by Rainn Wilson, TV on the Radio, and Jay from 40-Year-Old Virgin because I didn’t plan. SXSWi is too big and too spread out to play it by ear. Luckily, I learned the error of my ways before I started hitting sessions on Days 4 and 5. Oh, and my best celebrity sighting? Rick effing Fox. He was eating a turkey sandwich.

When you play it too loose at SXSWi, you end up walking too much, standing in too many lines, and wondering where the hell your Beluga pod is.

What are your conference and tradeshow dos and don’ts?

Filed Under: All Posts, Featured Posts, Startups

Interview with Social Times Pro, II: Facebook ads cost less, perform better than display ads

March 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Why Facebook's Self-Serve Ad Platform Works

Social Targeting: Why Facebook's Self-Serve Ad Platform Works

I was recently interviewed for the report “Social Targeting: Why Facebook’s Self-Serve Ad Platform Works” from SocialTimes Pro lead analyst Tameka Kee (@geekychic). The full report is available for download to subscribers. Here’s an excerpt:

Case study: Facebook ads cost less, but perform better than display

As with search, it is important for a Facebook campaign to focus on user interests if it’s going to outperform display. But what if a brand isn’t exactly sure what its target audience is interested in?

Research shows that even minimal interest-based targeting can create effective campaigns, and because Facebook ads cost so much less than display, marketers can afford to experiment and optimize.

  • Target audience: Facebook users who saw the brand’s commercial spot
  • Flight time: Eight weeks; Sept/Oct 2010
  • Brands involved: CPG brand
  • Agency/Developer: Bulbstorm
  • Cost: Undisclosed

The CPG brand wanted to support its existing TV campaign with online ads and test the efficacy of Facebook’s targeting platform in the process. The campaign included display ads on Yahoo and other content networks, as well as Facebook ads; all creative drove traffic back to special landing pages.

The TV spots only ran in 12 markets, so that helped to narrow the Facebook target. But according to Matt Simpson, Bulbstorm’s marketing director, the brand only broadly targeted based on “general” interests. “We wanted to get a clean read on the performance vs. display overall,” Simpson said. The results were stellar:

Outcome:

  • Facebook ads generated 12X the impressions
  • Facebook ads generated 4X the CTR
  • Facebook campaign came in at one-fifth the price of display

Why it worked: Simpson attributes some of the Facebook campaign’s over-performance to “banner blindness,” or the idea that most Web users are so accustomed to ordinary display ads that they don’t even acknowledge them on a page.

The other factor was the Facebook ad’s pithy copy, as well as the socially-targeted environment. “Even without intense targeting, the ads only showed up to users that the brand thought had relevant social context.”

Copyright 2011 WebMediaBrands Inc. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted with permission from SocialTimes Pro.

Filed Under: All Posts, Facebook Marketing

Interview with Social Times Pro, I: Facebook advertising for direct response

February 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Why Facebook's Self-Serve Ad Platform Works

Social Targeting: Why Facebook's Self-Serve Ad Platform Works

I was recently interviewed for the report “Social Targeting: Why Facebook’s Self-Serve Ad Platform Works” from Social Times Pro lead analyst Tameka Kee (@geekychic). The full report is available for download to subscribers. Here’s an excerpt:

Case study: Facebook for direct response

Facebook’s self-serve ads may be effective at building brand awareness, and less intent-focused than search, but that doesn’t meant they can’t be used for direct response campaigns. Take coupons, for example.

  • Target audience: “Soccer moms”
  • Brands involved: CPG food brand
  • Agency/Developer: Bulbstorm
  • Flight time: Four weeks; April 2010
  • Cost: $5,000

Bulbstorm’s client wanted to position itself as a “cost-effective, convenient family meal.” The Facebook ad copy asked users to share tips about how they saved money for their families. The ad drove traffic back to the brand’s Facebook page, where users received a coupon after they posted a money-saving tip.

Outcome:

  • 8,000 new fans over the course of four weeks
  • 4,000 family savings tips submitted

Why it worked: First, Bulbstorm targeted the ads using age, gender and marital status. The ad also featured a call-to-action that focused on encouraging users to engage with others, not just promoting the brand. The addition of the coupon added direct response metrics to the “branding” benefits, since the advertiser could track how many Facebook users actually redeemed the unique code.

“We were especially proud of this campaign from a cost standpoint, because $5,000 was relatively inexpensive for such a competitive demographic,” Bulbstorm marketing director Matt Simpson said.

“These moms spend lots of time on Facebook playing games, among other things, and CPGs with huge budgets go after them. It’s difficult for smaller brands to compete, but the combination of smart targeting and compelling content made it possible.”

The campaign would have also been far more expensive if it had run via paid search on Google or Bing, given the competitive landscape.

Copyright 2011 WebMediaBrands Inc. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted with permission from SocialTimes Pro.

Filed Under: All Posts, Facebook Marketing

Mad Men left this in my 1961 kitchen! 10 rules for a happy and successful wife

November 8, 2010 By 2 Comments

NOTE: I do NOT endorse these rules. Don’t shoot the messenger!

As many of you know, my house was built 50 years ago. I bought it from the estate of the son of the original owners three years ago and completely remodeled it. (Here’s video of the remodeling project.)

When we removed the old cabinets, we found some great old stuff that I filed away until a day when I’d have time to review it. That day came today and oh boy! The pile included:

  • A grocery receipt dated to November 17, 1963 – five days before John F. Kennedy’s assassination.
  • A business card for Tempe Camera that predated the switch to the 480 area code (by decades from the looks of it).
  • And a receipt for 5 whole cents off Waxtex sandwich bags “for instant wrapping!” Personally, I’d have distributed the coupon on Facebook.

But the biggest treasure is a 1948 Wife’s Daily Prayer Card featuring the 10 Rules for a Happy and Successful Wife. And here there are:

  1. Avoid arguments. Your husband has his share from other sources.
  2. Don’t nag.
  3. Don’t drink or eat to excess.
  4. If you offend your husband, always ask forgiveness before you retire.
  5. Compliment your husband liberally. It makes him a better husband.
  6. Budget wisely together. Live within your income.
  7. Be sociable and go out with your husband.
  8. Dress neatly and attractively for your husband, and keep your home clean and cheerful.
  9. Keep your household troubles to yourself.
  10. Pray together and stay together.

Please do NOT shoot the messenger on this. Instead, direct your hate mail at the Bishop of Covington, Ky., William T. Mulloy, for distributing this nonsense. Or, since he passed in 1959, you could just leave your thoughts in the comments below. :)

Wife's Daily Prayer

I do not endorse the contents of this card. I just thought it was worth sharing.

Filed Under: All Posts, Just for Fun

Does mass hiring in Q2 mean I’ll be a marketer in Q3? In a startup, only time will tell …

August 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Note: I aim to post quarterly career updates. This update covers Q2 2010.

I’ve owed this blog a quarterly update for over five weeks now. Needless to say, it’s been a busy few months full of exciting growth at Bulbstorm.

Since April, Bulbstorm has more than doubled in size. Fortunately, much of the hiring has been in areas to which I’ve contributed out of necessity rather than skill.

Ugh, how cliche! As Marketing Director for a tech startup, I wear many hats.

Ugh, how cliche. As Marketing Director for a tech startup, I wear many hats.

In theory, I’ll soon focus more on my role as Marketing Director and less on sales, product management, and client execution. Passing the baton has come slowly, but it is coming. Here’s what I’ve been up to:

Media relations: Third-party coverage has been critical to uncovering new business opportunities. Since April, we’ve secured coverage in Inside Facebook, Social Times, PR Week, Jay Baer’s Convince & Convert, CPG Branding, and more. (Check out my Social Times post: 4 Reasons Marketers Should Add Badges to Social Apps.)

Sales support: As interest in our flagship Facebook application grew in Q2, I found myself on the phone – a lot. We needed somewhere to drive prospects seeking more info. So, I scripted and recorded a five-minute demo of our app. If you’re still not sure what we do, the Idea Challenges video demo is a rough but comprehensive intro.

Client execution: Tornados and El Monterey – with a combined 250,000 Facebook fans – are still top priorities for Bulbstorm. They continue to drive serious growth and engagement on Facebook to emerge as leaders in the consumer goods industry. We’ve also added a number of new clients including Intel, which seeks consumer feedback on a new product in the Intel Phone of Tomorrow Challenge.

Oh, and Bulbstorm is not done growing. We’re still looking for talented, management-level teammates in marketing (and elsewhere). If you or someone you know is up for the challenge, please let me know!

So, that’s a quick rundown on the ins and outs of my career in Q2. Be on the lookout for my Q3 update sometime around Christmas!

Filed Under: All Posts, Career Updates
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