What is the value of a “Like”?

Posted

What is the Value of a “Like”?

by Brad Stewart, CEO
Now that we are squarely in the dawn of a new media revolution, everyone is asking the same question:

Question 1: How much does it cost?

In other words: How much should we be spending on Facebook page likes? What is a reasonable targeted cost-per-click? How much is a Facebook fan worth? How much should I spend on creating a YouTube video? How do I get views? How much should I spend? And the absolute holy-grail of all social media ROI questions:

Question 2: What is it all worth?

This very difficult question absolutely needs to be put into the proper context in order to arrive at a realistic answer for your agency, company or charity. Here are the factors that should be taken into account in order to come up with a realistic and practical answer.

The Type of Business

One of the challenges of coming to a one-size-fits-all price matrix for social media is that we are comparing grains of rice to solar systems. A family restaurant has more competitors, a smaller budget, and different requirements than a large brand like Coca-Cola. Companies with huge budgets typically target entire countries with campaigns. As you would expect, it’s more expensive to attract a fan from a pool of 10,000 people than it is to attract a fan from a pool of 300 million.

On the other hand, a small business fan might arguably be worth more from a lifetime value perspective than a fan of a consumer packaged good product.

Fan Intention

This is another extremely important consideration for a social media ROI calculation, and with social media this value ranges from negative to positive. In a recent case involving McDonald’s restaurants, their efforts to get individuals to share stories backfired, and created a string of negative social attention, and an extraordinary amount of negative coverage. “Fans” followed the rules of this campaign (ie. share stories about McDonald’s), but instead shared horror stories about food quality, etc. In this case, the value of social media attention was a big huge integer.

On the other extreme, I had a client who was running for Municipal council. My agency created a Facebook fan page with one single purpose: to remind fans of the exact time and location of voting day. We created an event associated with the fan page, and the councillor won by a larger margin (93%) than any other candidate in any riding in the province. What is the value of those fans? As Mastercard would say, “priceless”.

In the middle of the spectrum there are a lot of fans who “like” pages based on deals, discounts, contests and promotions. These consumers would probably represent the mean value of a fan, as they are conditionally interested in the product or service. However, their value should not be discounted, because if they are handled properly, they can provide tremendous word of mouth value.

Campaign Purpose, Company Profile, and Lifecycle

Know Thyself ~Socrates

Just as important as the intention of a fan in measuring social media impact is the purpose of the specific campaign in question. In the case of the local politician who was unlikely to use social media as anything other than a way to remind fans to vote, it was an all-or-nothing calculus. In the case of a consumer packaged goods company, it’s a much more complicated calculus. Here are some of the considerations that a company, service, brand or charity might take into consideration.

• Are you trying to boost SEO rankings with page-likes?
• Are you simply in the seeding process of moving from 0 to 100 fans, or are you trying to move from fan 10,000 to 20,000?
• Are your fans committed to you unconditionally (like a political candidate), or are they committed only based on deals?
• Are your fans committed positively to you at all? Or are they only there for a give-away or (in the worst case) to hurt you?
• Are your fans likely to share the content you share with them?
• Are you looking for increased sales, or just brand/product/service awareness?
• For charities: are you looking primarily for donation, membership or general awareness/outreach?
• Are you looking primarily for a “share” or primarily for a “like”?
• What industry are you in?

Conclusion

The takeaway here is simple, and typical. Careful planning, and getting to know your prospects is critical to coming up with your personal ROI numbers. This thought process will hopefully also put you in the mindset to creatively and meaningfully connect with them.

Tweet
 

Want To Be ‘Liked’?

Posted

Originally printed on January 25th, 2012 in Mediapost. Mediapost is the largest online trade publication for media and marketing professionals. To see the original article, click here.

by Brad Stewart, CEO Adjoy Inc.

I posted the following status update on Facebook about a month ago:

My son came across a picture of a starving child online, and he asked me “what’s wrong with that boy?” I told him he didn’t have enough to eat. He left the computer, and then came back with a small sandwich bag of money he had collected. “Give that to him, daddy.” The next day, he started looking around the house for more money, “to give to the boy.” You can learn a lot from a three-year-old.

Instantly, I received 34 likes and 8 comments: more than I had ever received on a single status update.

So, what’s to Like?

Facebook has become a fascinating barometer of social preference over the years. This is true on both a micro-scale (say, amongst my own friends), and on a larger scale (examining the collective behavior of Facebook users in general).

The evolution of normative social behavior on the social network is dizzying. In the early days, groups were an instant way to gain a form of democratized consent about social issues: from the mundane to the substantial. Okay, mostly the mundane. People joined groups en- masse to publicly display their disdain or support for politicians, sports teams, and — of course — to protest Facebook changing its user-interface. In these early years, Facebook users were app-crazy, ready to have their voices heard (or “seen,” as the case may be) by manically getting involved. A snapshot of these early years would fool you into thinking that the average person was more concerned about slow-walking people than the environment or social injustice.

Eventually, everyone learned how to create a group, and the splintering soon followed. Groups that would have attracted a few thousand members a month earlier started to attract only a few dozen. A potentially huge problem emerged. People’s opinions to this point were democratically aligned with joining groups. But, with so many groups and the novelty clearly wearing off, Facebook started to feel like a vacuum: noisy and closed.

But then something extraordinary happened. In February 2009, Facebook introduced the “like.” In the blog post that introduces the concept of the like, Facebook itself didn’t seem to anticipate that “liking” could become one of the most important social phenomena of the modern Internet. Eventually, Facebook Connect functionality enabled people to like things that were posted other than on Facebook, and the Internet would never be the same.

Likes themselves went through their own social filter evolution. At first, people liked only things they really enjoyed. Users dipped their toe into the water by liking the usual suspects: the arrival of a new baby, graduation, or an amazing video. But, eventually, users began to realize that “liking” meant “I support” or “I empathize.” Personal losses and even tragedies were “liked,” as users began to realize that “liking” didn’t necessarily mean “yippee, I’m happy,” as Facebook had originally planned.

Users eventually realized that “liking” had social and political connotations, which would follow you onto other news feeds. Like something and be prepared for your inbox to be filled with notifications of every other person that liked, and every comment that ensued.

If you’re a Facebook user, you know what I’m talking about. You casually like a comment about an organic apple pie recipe, and the next thing you know, you’re witness to a heated debate about GMOs, organics, green washing, Obama, pesticides and cholesterol.

What does this mean to green marketers and cause marketers who want to be liked? The answer is a double-edged sword. Users are hungry for content that has personal meaning with no filters, and they are increasingly bored by the mundane or uninteresting. We are beyond that phase where people will like something to show they on your side about a relatively unimportant issue. Now, people need to see a level of genuineness, meaning, and real relevance. This is where marketers need to wake up and realize that to be part of the conversation, they have to offer something of substance.

On the other hand, issues that are too contentious or clearly divisive amongst friends should be avoided. These hot-button subjects vary regionally, so brush up on your state, provincial, and local politics if you want to be part of a productive and positive conversation.

Oh, and by the way: my son’s little sandwich bag is at about $20.

Cause Media Beats Beyoncé

Posted

Originally printed on December 28th, 2011 in Mediapost. Mediapost is the largest online trade publication for media and marketing professionals. To see the original article, click here.

by Brad Stewart, CEO Adjoy Inc.

A rookie hit the biggest ninth-inning grand slam of her fledgling career, single-handedly beating a team that included: Beyoncé; Steve Jobs (making two appearances at bat — once when retiring, once while expiring); the Japanese earthquake/tsunami/nuclear meltdown; and Ashton Kutcher’s unfortunate mis-tweet.

The rookie goes by several names: free-raising, free-action, or — as this reporter likes to call her (in reference to her famous father, mentor and predecessor, cause marketing) — “Cause Media.”

That’s right, folks, Cause Media won the World Series of social media with a single at-bat, beating out a record number of paid, unpaid, human, and robo-tweeters. 2011 was the year that Twitter finally broke the 200 million tweets-per-day mark, so the competitive field was stiffer than ever.

In 2011 there were tweets about earthquakes, tsunamis, nuclear meltdowns, and Obama-led assassinations. One of the greatest entrepreneurs of the modern era died suddenly, and Beyoncé announced that she was pregnant. But, of the billion+ tweets per week, one young rising star supported by a Dublin, Ohio, hamburger chain rose above them all.

“I think I was successful because people basically care about stuff that matters. My coaches always told me to stick to the fundamentals, and that’s just what I did,” she explained humbly when asked how she beat 50 billion or so other tweets with her single 81-character message.

The fundamentals she downplays are enabling other Twitter users to make a small but tangible human difference, based on a simple action, which itself results in further promotion of the campaign. The ensuing ripple effect created the social velocity this young rookie needed to hit the ball over the green monster in the dying moments of the ninth inning.

Linguists and media analysts are studying every syllable, nuance and #hashtag of this now legendary blurb:

“RT for a good cause. Each retweet sends 50¢ to help kids in foster care. #TreatItFwd” @wendys

According to the Twitter representatives, it was a close race with Beyoncé’s sudden pregnancy announcement. The singer won top honors for most-tweets-per-second on the social micro-blogging site, giving her automatic title to 2011 league MVP. Though Cause Media didn’t get league MVP this year, her steady, passionate, and focused efforts did win her a place in the coveted historic spotlight with this year’s top honor: the golden tweet award.

“Next year I’m determined to do better,” Cause Media exclaimed in a typically determined fashion.

Cause Media added that her cousin was a major influence.

“Last year my cousin [Green Media] was so close, but they gave the award to Humor instead,” in reference to the controversial 2010 Golden Tweet award going to comedian Stephen Colbert, who himself claims that his award-clinching tweet was actually not a joke.

in honor of oil-soaked birds, ‘tweets’ are now ‘gurgles’ @StephenAtHome

Humor was not available for comment, according to his representatives, as he was apparently filming a sequel to his extraordinarily successful “he bit me” franchise, with child-star “Charlie.”

Press Release: FuseTalk unites with Adjoy

Posted

FuseTalk™ unites with Adjoy® to bring awareness and funding to forum communities of all types through a revolutionary cause media platform.

Embedded Adjoy video campaigns in FuseTalk forums offer a powerful addition to forum communities. Adjoy provides an emotional way to foster loyalty and raise awareness, while funding important philanthropic organizations.
Ottawa, Ontario (PRWEB) December 12, 2011

FuseTalk is pleased to partner with Adjoy and provide access to a socially-conscious cause based technology that can make a significant difference to awareness and fundraising for a variety of charitable organizations.

FuseTalk’s discussion forum software is a great platform for embedding Adjoy campaigns for a wide variety of users and interests. With Adjoy you are able to tie video views with direct donations from a sponsor to a charity. The GiveGauge™ runs while the video is being viewed. The sponsoring company pays for viewership and the majority of the payment makes its way to the charity that is named in the video campaign. Videos can be whatever you want them to be but they are typically based on the charitable organization and cause, headlined by the supporting business with links to the business and the charity on completion. It can also effectively be used to show informative product or corporate videos, which viewers will be motivated to watch because they can see the GiveGauge is rewarding a charity for their time.

“Beyond the obvious, I love how a forum can be properly used to get the attention of it’s membership on an important topic,” says Greg Waite, President of FuseTalk. “With Adjoy I can link in a video that I believe is important to a forum community and have people motivated to actually watch it and share it because viewership raises money for a charity. We see many applications for every forum which run on FuseTalk. Both internal and external forums are always looking for ways to encourage participation and stickiness.”

Over the last decade, the effectiveness of traditional advertising on forums has diminished. Forums behind the corporate firewall do not generally provide advertising.

“A CEO that wants to get a message out to 100 or 50,000 employees can do that far more successfully on a forum by tying in a commitment to a cause. With Adjoy, the full-viewership rate can be as high as 93%, by simply tying viewership to the right cause,” says Brad Stewart, President of Adjoy. “What CEO would not want to guarantee employee attentiveness and at the same time increase morale with a sense of pride that the organization is funding a cause?”

“Imagine the forum you have now and how you could make it that much more interesting and more highly adopted if you inserted meaningful cause-based video that supports your message, your community, and a cause that your company or community can relate to. It just makes sense,” said Waite.

FuseTalk Inc. is a leading provider of discussion forums, blogging tools, wikis and collaboration solutions. Available in ColdFusion MX and .NET platforms, FuseTalk enables organizations to build an interactive community that can share knowledge, exchange information and views, and help solve problems. FuseTalk brings the power of discussion to your customers, partners, employees, and stakeholders through its fully-featured, secure and customizable web interface. Highly scalable and configurable, FuseTalk accommodates any number of users, and offers an easy-to-use friendly user interface. A single FuseTalk installation can run a thousand different forums – all with different access rights and users. FuseDiligence™ leverages all of the capabilities of FuseTalk and provides powerful, patent and patent pending traits that make FuseDiligence “business essential” Collaborative Business Improvement Software™. Coupled with subject matter expert content, FuseDiligence can greatly assist consultants and channel partners realize benefits in terms of time, money and effectiveness.

Founded in 2006, Adjoy is the world’s first cause media platform. For further information, contact Adjoy, 206-134 York Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 1K8. Phone 1-855-462-3569 or email (Sales) rob(at)adjoy(dot)com or (CEO) brad(at)adjoy(dot)com.

###

CCSR: Here’s To A Better Tomorrow

Posted

Originally printed on November 23rd, 2011 in Mediapost. Mediapost is the largest online trade publication for media and marketing professionals. To see the original article, click here.

by Brad Stewart, CEO Adjoy Inc.

There are villains in every business sector, but this is particularly disconcerting in organizations that claim to be all about doing good. When I was on the board of directors at a Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) almost 20 years ago, there seemed to be a disproportionate number of womanizers and power-obsessed ladder-climbing politicos within the organization. These vocal and visible personalities overshadowed the important work of a majority of committed individuals, and the supererogatory efforts of some rare superstars. Such type-A activists leave a bad taste about the moral genuineness of purportedly ethical institutions.

Despite my belief in the efficacy and importance of the charitable sector and green/cause marketing, I can be a bit cynical about the leadership dysfunction in socially concerned organizations and initiatives. I wear this misanthropic chip on my shoulder when I attend said conferences, which suffer from the added problem of conference-intoxication: the euphoria that occurs when you get 1,000 people in the same room from the same business sector, and the subsequent come-down from the schmooze fest roller-coaster. It can all feel a lot more like a religious gathering than something aimed at substantive social/environmental/business change.

I recently attended a community and corporate social responsibility (CCSR) conference in Canada. Not only was this past-skeptic happily surprised, I was floored. Floored by the brave intelligence of the young up-and-coming leaders. Floored by the self-criticism and “it’s never enough” business veterans who have already invested millions in social programs. Floored by these new pioneers’ business skills. But mostly floored by the genuine goodness of the people I encountered.

Now, don’t get me wrong. We were all drinking ample amounts of our own socially conscious Kool-aid. At one point, I sat around a table with 10 other people, where we were tasked with solving various problems surrounding homelessness, systemic poverty, food literacy, and education: all in under 50 minutes! There was a thoughtful maturity to these focus groups, though, despite the gargantuan tasks at hand. Also, there was a sophistication and humility that lacked in the CSR days of yore.

My conversion was complete after attending a presentation by an innovative entrepreneur, Angie Drascovic, founder of Zoë Alliance. What stood out was an expression she used several times: “desert starts.” These are startups in regions that have virtually no infrastructure or resources. By leveraging 10% of corporate gift budgets, the alliance creates entirely new industries in impoverished regions that suffer from challenges ranging from drought to kidnapping. Her systematic, competent determination is evidence that there are some true leaders in the trenches of the CCSR sector.

One of the keynote speakers (Andreas Souvaliotis, president of Air Mile for Social Change) shares some of my skepticism, and put it bluntly:

“CSR has drastically failed to save the planet. Ten years ago we were in half as much trouble as we are in now.”

But he ended his speech on an optimistic note. According to Souvaliotis, we will make a lot more money by doing good.

This is a common idea, espoused by such business minds as Harvard’s Michael Porter, who is well known for linking competitiveness to CSR. But, the real meat on the bones of such arguments is not in the soundness of the ideals, but in the strength of the execution.

With daring frontlines innovators like Zoë Alliance, it gives me hope that — practically speaking — the ethical and competent leadership is in place to make it happen. As green marketers, and cause marketers we should take a page out these highly creative, but also highly proficient leaders. Here’s to a better tomorrow.

Adjoy Moves to HTML5

Posted

As many of our fans, friends and customers know, the Adjoy player was built initially on Flex and Flash technology. This is a great solution for interactive video, which we leveraged initially to offer customizable pre-roll and post-roll URL’s as well as other functionality.

As time has rolled on, customer demand has led us to adopt the newest standard for web video: HTML5. Our research indicates that the average web user does have the browser requirements for HTML5, and that it is a step that will enable greater viewership for our customers’ videos. The rollout will occur sometime in November, and we will be sure to send emails to all of our customers to communicate any new steps and upcoming best practices, including iframe embedding.

We will also be releasing a valuable whitepaper about web best practices in conjunction with HTML5, video and social media. We hope to be offering the most comprehensive, unambiguous, easy-to-follow instructions on how to leverage social media through video, cause media, and while adhering to various best practices. All of our email subscribers will automatically receive this valuable publication.

Development update: we will be updating the player to serve up both HTML5 or Flash, depending on browsers. According to our research, there are still a fair number of people using older browsers, which only support Flash. For all customers currently using our player, we will contact you to provide instructions on how to embed the new code into your sites. By keeping the old code in your site, your video will still display as usual on the original player.

Join Our Movember Team

Posted

UPDATE: The Adjoy team raised $1,825 this year for prostate cancer research and awareness. Our network raised a total of $8,698. Thank you to everyone who donated their upper lip (and their egos) to this important charity. A very special thanks to all the donors and sponsors, who made this embarrassment all worthwhile!

Moustache Season is upon us, so we’ve registered for Movember to embrace the hair of the wild. We’ve pledged to cultivate genuine 100% face grown moustaches for 30 days to raise awareness and funds for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer. 

Now, we’re on the hunt for trusty and fearless pioneers to join us by signing up for our team. Together we can change the face of men’s health.

Our past experience is that Movember is a lot of fun. Add some silly and some style to the drabbest month of the year. Co-workers, friends, pedestrians and fellow Movemberers will all thank you. Don’t worry: your family will tolerate it.

To join our Movember team go to https://www.movember.com/ca/register/details/team_id/284928

Did you know that 1 in 7 men will develop prostate cancer and 4,100 men will die from it in Canada this year.

As more people become Citizens of Movember, the more lives will be impacted. You can grow a moustache as a Mo Bro, or join as a Mo Sista to show your support and help recruit other Mo growers to the team.

Once registered, Movember will send you all the information you need to start raising awareness and funds for men’s health as part of my Movember team.

If you’d like to find out more about the programs funded by Movember, take a look at the Programs We Fund section on the Movember website: http://ca.movember.com/about

Please join us at https://www.movember.com/ca/register/details/team_id/284928 

Brad Stewart and the Adjoy Team

Moustache Season. Now Open.

The Age of Meaning

Posted

Originally printed on October 26th, 2011 in Mediapost. Mediapost is the largest online trade publication for media and marketing professionals. To see the original article, click here.

by Brad Stewart, CEO Adjoy Inc.

My dad worked as a director for the largest grocery chain in Canada for most of his life. On our morning commute in the early 1990s, he didn’t impose many of his visionary opinions on his impressionable son. Every once and a while though, when he was absolutely confident that he wasn’t leading me astray, he’d look me right in the soul, the way only a father can.

“Quality will be the next big wave. Quality will be everything.”

Retail industry insiders may have been predicting this for eons. But, in my version of the tale, I prefer to think that my dad knew what was coming before everyone else.

What’s arguably visionary about this statement (as opposed to just the romantic narrative of a kid who loves his dad) is that this was a time when Walmart was making its aggressive entrance into Canada, by purchasing 122 Woolco stores.

As it turns out, my dad was bang-on that high quality would eventually become a basic minimum standard for the average consumer. Starbucks turned out to be a raging success, creating the first real competition for Tim Horton’s (a popular coffee chain known more for its 18% milkfat cream than for the coffee itself). Krispy Kreme was a dismal failure in Canada, whereas Whole Foods took off. Apple went from near-bankruptcy to the most valuable company in the world. This is certainly not the world that the suits from the days of the Ford Pinto or Hyundai Pony predicted.

But, what happens when quality is just the minimum qualification for market acceptance? What’s next in the evolution of market consciousness?

In the same spirit that my dad looked me in the eye and said, “It’s all about quality,” I can look my son in the eye today and say, “It will be all about meaning.”

As consumers gain control over media, in an increasingly intimate, transparent and connected world, products, services and brands will survive on quality, but thrive on meaning.

A VP of the one of the largest discount retail chains in Canada once quoted to me: “Marketing is about turning your product into a habit.”

But, in the attention-deficit defined world of online and integrated media, habits can change as quickly as you can … oh, look there’s a squirrel!

So, what’s the practical answer to this problem?

Here’s a test. Try to recall the last time you entered a contest. Now, try to remember the last time something moved you, or you gave money to a charity. The first instance is driven only by powerful shortsighted, self-serving impulse (all great drivers), but also has the psychological lifespan of a gastrotrich.

But, being touched by a lonely abused child, environmental catastrophe, cancer, a suicide, or some other human event, leaves an indelible mark.

We are in a golden window of cause and green marketing. There is still enough unfounded skepticism that your competitors may not be doing it, but the window is open just enough for your brand, service, product or client to make a lasting impression. Oh, and you’ll feel like you actually achieved something…well, meaningful.

Audio Tribute to Steve Jobs

Posted

Today is the first day that the world is without business, software and computer icon, Steve Jobs. In memory of this great pioneer, we have created a fitting audio tribute to this incredible man.

In 1997 when Steve Jobs returned to Apple, he insisted that every computer has a very specific sound. “The good sound”, as he called it, was supposed to be installed on every Macintosh produced from that day on. This sound, more commonly known as The Mac Startup Sound is what the inventor of the sound called “a palate cleanser”: a sound that should not be associated with a crash, but instead associated with a new beginning.

This sound is the perfect basis for our tribute to Mr. Jobs and his legacy at Apple computing.

Steve_Jobs_tribute_Amen M4a

Despite the fact that Mr. Jobs left an incredible legacy, and improved the lives of many people, we also want to send our deepest condolences to his friends and family. Steve was, after all, a human being. As we all celebrate his life and accomplishments, there are many people out there with very real, very deep grief for the passing of a husband, son, father, and friend. Our deepest sympathies to you.

This small and simple song will hopefully remind people that though a great inventor and innovator has passed, the future is only beginning. Steve Jobs was one of the pioneers of the modern digital world’s foundations. A pioneer in the truest sense, in the days when the internet was not yet born. But today marks the first day of a new era. A strong foundation has been created by people like him.

It is up to us: the young, imaginative, creative and brave to build upon this foundation.

Sincerely,

Brad Stewart, CEO/President and the Adjoy Team.

Putting the Social Back into Social Media

Posted

Putting The Social Back Into Social Media