Who Are You on Facebook? A Short List of Users

In thinking about who uses Facebook (and why), I’ve developed this short list of the likely and usual suspects.

1. Gamers. They rarely post updates and news about themselves or reply to others’ wall posts. Instead, they play Farmville, Sorority Life, etc. and answer quizzes. They may join groups, but really Facebook is just another platform for games, albeit perhaps a bit more social. Although they may be any age, both my nephew and niece (a teen and pre-teen) fall into this category, so I wonder if there are any trends/data? Do you and/or your family members fall into this category of Facebook users?

2. Networkers. They have tons of friends and will usually friend-request you after just meeting you, seeing you post to one of their friends’ pages, or even just finding you online. For them, it’s mainly a numbers game, although they can be open and frequent posters. Networkers do seek to engage their Facebook-friends, with links and thought-provoking questions, however.

3. Activists. They primarily post about causes they feel strongly about or policies and politics they object to. They may join or start such groups, as well as send you invites to do so. Activists can be great sources of news and perspectives about our culture by providing such links, especially when they are interesting, multi-faceted people to begin with. Some, however, are single-issue advocates, and their multiple posts about the same thing over and over can create a major tune-out effect, which is exactly the opposite of what they are trying to achieve.

4. Promoters. Internal company marketing, sales, or PR people fall into this category as do independent marketers, PR professionals, and social media companies. Their Facebook use is goal-oriented, primarily to create and maintain a fan page, whereby they promote the company’s products and services, provide important updates, interact with the public, generate special offers, drive traffic to their main website, encourage referrals, create leads, get the word out about events, and the list goes on. In best case scenarios, they are tracking the results of their efforts and are seeing some traction and conversions with respect to key metrics. I’ve mostly seen one-way communications from this group, so don’t expect them to post on your wall or visit your website. They want the love and support of the general public, and their job is to work for it. Facebook is just another means to market something. In cases where Promoters do not have a Fan page, their wall posts may often be related to their company’s successes or newsworthy tidbits. The best of them will reply to you if you write on their wall. As this group grows, it will be interesting to see how the other users react.

5. Shooting Stars. They figure it’s better to be there than not, so they’ll show up from time to time, albeit briefly. They rarely post updates on their wall but may have a ton of friends, like Networkers. They may not log in often nor read everyone’s updates, mainly because they are just too busy to fuss with another application. (Wasn’t LinkedIn enough?) Usually a Shooting Star’s contacts are strictly professional. No games, no groups, no photos, and (for heaven’s sake!) don’t tag them without their approval. Facebook is serious business. If you are a true friend, they’re more likely to email you (through Facebook or not) or call you directly. And they have a good point . . . Facebook doesn’t replace face-time (or voice-time, if distance is an issue).

5. Connectors. These folks joined Facebook primarily to keep in touch with the people they care about (or just used to know!). They keep their Facebook-friend group small, typically, and won’t accept just any invitation (such as from Networkers and Promoters). They may also be reluctant to become a fan of companies and brands unless they know them and/or are passionate about them. Connectors may also dislike Networkers and tune out Gamers, since these types don’t really fit with their goals. They are happy to tell you what they (and their kids) are up to and look forward to reading and commenting on your posts and photos. Connectors may even ask for advice in a post or encourage a discussion. They may take quizzes or participate in activities that are interactive in nature (pokes, birthday gifts, etc.) as a way of connecting/reconnecting with friends. (This happens to varying degrees; I’m a prime example of one who doesn’t do any of that stuff). Facebook is also like an extra email account for Connectors, especially since the Inbox supports an email-type exchange among a group of friends. If they are having a party, they might just use Facebook instead of evite.

6. Newbies. They may have just joined, at someone’s urging perhaps. Usually mid-40s and up. They aren’t sure how they will use Facebook or which type of user they’d like to be. (Maybe this list will help!)

Final Note: Not everyone falls into a single category, of course. Some may be a combination of two or more types. ( I am a Connector/Promoter, for example, which is an odd mix and somewhat conflicting at times.) Feel free to weigh in here about what type(s) you are and/or what you’re seeing within your Facebook circles. Did I miss any types? Did I misunderstand or misrepresent the type that you most identify with? Any reactions to this post are welcomed.

Favorite Email Marketing Resources

Here’s a quick list of resources about email marketing for anyone  planning an email campaign:

E-dialog: Provides the Relevance Trajectory. Their website (www.e-dialog.com) expands on 6 factors (Segmentation, Lifecycle management, Triggers, Personalization, Interactivity, and Testing and Measurement)  to consider when planning your email communications.  A good starting place.

Firedrum: This local (Scottsdale, AZ) provider sent an email with a few holiday tips, such as “Do not flood your subscribers' inboxes with an email every day.” You have to scroll down past the marketing message to get to the tips, though.

Constant Contact: Along with webinars and hints & tips, they provide the first chapter of their book The Constant Contact Guide to Email Marketing for free.  And a recent article looks back and ahead to 2010. 

iContact:  Offers a Holiday Email Marketing Checklist for download.  Some basic stuff but good reminders such as “Plan for January: Don’t forget your long term strategy... Thinking past December can lead to a solid start in 2010.”

Lyris:  Offer a guide 25 Essentials for Exceptional Email Campaigns for download. Among my favorite: Integrate email into your complete marketing mix, Test for correct rendering of emails on all email clients, and Focus on list quality over list size.

Silverpop: Provides webinars and a resource center.  Next topic: Your 3 "Must Dos" for Email Marketing in 2010, which are Leverage the Data, Engage With Customers/Subscribers, and Automate and Optimize. 

That’s all for today, although I know there are several others to watch, such as Experian/Cheetah, Campaigner, Emma . . .  one list of email service providers is available at the Email Sender and Provider Coalition website.  If you have any resources to add, please comment on this post!  To plan your small business marketing efforts for 2010, including your email marketing campaign, download our free tool, The 50 Questions. 

Technorati Tags: iContact,Lyris,Silverpop,Constant Contact,email service provider,email marketing,tips,email newsletters,Scottsdale,AZ,Phoenix,Arziona,small business marketing,e-Dialog,Firedrum,2010 planning

Measuring Your Online Marketing Efforts

Web analytics, we all know, are key to measuring the success of online marketing efforts. And there certainly is plenty to look at! Metrics can be overwhelming, so many small business marketers or micro-business owners turn to outside help. I read a very astute recommendation for those looking to hire a web analytics person from Larry Chase's Web Digest for Marketers. It's a comment from Eric Peterson, founder and CEO of Web Analytics Demystified, Inc.; he says:

"The essential thing is that you need someone who is analytically minded and curious, who will define and follow a process and will keep digging for answers, even beyond the first set of numbers," he said.

Thanks, Larry, for the informative e-mail newsletters (I love getting them!) and for the timely and pertinent interview with Eric T. Peterson.

Praise for a Sign-up Process and Experience: ShopIttoMe.com

It's not everyday that I encounter a site with a sign-up process that is easy to use, branded, and all around fun. In fact, one of my service offerings, the site review, includes testing such processes and finding room for improvement to increase lead generation and sales for small business clients. (You can also check out my handy recommended steps for reviewing your site yourself here.)

So . . . I am happy to post today about a site that does it right--ShopIttoMe.com. Here are some of the highlights (which can be adopted and adapted by your webmasters as well):

1. Users are motivated by a sense of accomplishment from the first step. On the sign-up page, the major heading (see below) reads "Your profile is 25% complete," although the user has done nothing but navigated to that screen. Pretty smart, huh?


2. Users know what they can expect in terms of process from the first step. The call-out box (above) reads: "It's as easy as (1) choose brands, (2) choose sizes, (3) enroll." Preparation and managing expectations are key in the user engagement process.

3. Users are told why certain fields are being required. The savvy addition of pop-ups (see below) that answer the question "Why?" builds trust and confidence for any skeptics and guards against the second-guessing that can lead to increased abandonment and bounce rates.


4. Users are educated about what's next in a simple, branded completion screen. Because a confirmation email is sent, users are directed to check their email (as well as their spam folder) and provided with instructions in case they don't receive an email within--get this!--a specified timeframe of 5 minutes. This language helps ensure complete follow-through at a stage where many can abandon. (No screen shot on this one.)

All in all, ShopIttoMe has a stellar user experience design for the sign-up process. If your processes need a boost,

I'm Coining a Term Today: Frienomenon

Admittedly, I'm not much a social anything (just ask my mother, she will tell you). But I've been lurking in social media long enough to know one thing: Bloggers, bigwigs of subscription-based e-blasts, myspacers, virtual community leaders, message board/chat room moderators, citizen journalists and the like often put themselves--or their personas, who can say?--"out there," create a sense of familiarity with their audience, and are then surprised that people respond to them as colleagues or friends due to a sense of commonality, respect, or connectedness. I call this phenomemon appropriately enough "frienomenon." It's the inability to recognize the inviting and illiciting (soliciting?) of feedback, dialogue, and relationships with strangers via technology and to be accountable for or responsive to those exchanges. To make matters worse, we all have our own rules and expectations and oftentimes the "social contracts" are vague--or worse, unstated. This is a real shame because there's plenty of room on the web to publish your manifesto. "Why should this matter to me," you ask? Here's how "frienomenon" affects you as a small business owner interested in social/online marketing, word of mouth advertising, social networking, etc.: If you are engaging in this activity using technology and/or if other folks are on your behalf (or not), all that's available publicly is an extension of your brand and therefore needs attention. In this wired world, we all have a voice. So if upholding a brand image of I'm-an-industry-god-you're-a-nobody works for you, by all means act that way consistently online--and tell people what rights they'll be relinquishing upfront and how you'll make them pay if they break your rules. In other words, make it a point to act like a jerk publicly and thrill your readers with Schadenfreude. I can think of a design teacher who does this right now, and I applaud his efforts, although he scares me and I wouldn't necessarily advise that path outside the ivory tower. But at least there are no surprises with him! But if you project ponies and rainbows and pots of gold, be prepared to get and respond to requests for magic. Bottom line: truth and consistency in marketing across media and communications should always be the goal.

Building a Customer-Friendly Website with 2.0

Trying to decide which new features to include in your site? Not even sure of your options? Look to your customer demographics to guide you. While all users will require an easy-to-navigate site, here are the key features valued most by demographic based on a recent analyst survey:

• Baby Boomers. Easy does it: Limited content and functionality.
• Boomers on the edge. Keeping up with the Joneses: User ratings, reviews, and price comparisons.
• Gen X. Talk about the passion: Discussion boards and profile creation.
• Gen Y. I like that: Games, quizzes and questions, profile creation, personalizing the site, and uploading content.

Overall, the preferences of Gen Y’ers (18-27) were the least requested functionalities within the study. So while you can’t please all the people all the time, your dollars are best spent incorporating the more mainstream technologies, plus the occasional special offer, if your market consists of multiple demographics and/or if you are unsure.

For best results, implement tools to collect primary market data, if you haven’t already, as this information will be a boon in driving all of your marketing decisions.

In additon to ease of use, consider applicability as a general guideline. Since most Internet users are seeking content—not e-commerce—regardless of your industry you would be wise to include educational/informative materials, even if this is not your primary product. If you are selling services, the production of content that positions you as an expert, including links to online articles you author, would be a good use of your time—and a no-cost marketing strategy to boot.

Social Shopping?

I've just discovered ThisNext.com, "a shopcasting network where you can recommend, share and discover great products," per the "About Us" page. You can make a list (no need to check it twice) of your favorite products related to an activity or even just one product. I've just signed up so will add comments to this post as I join the community. If you're a reader with experience using ThisNext, feel free to chime in. To find any products I recommend, check the useful links at right.

Additional context: The reason I find ThisNext interesting for small businesses is consumers can essentially drive some word-of-mouth marketing by participating--and you don't spend a dime. Ask satisfied tech-savvy customers to join and rave about your product!