This is a huge reason for bloggers and content owners out there to start using the rel=author meta tag. What this tag does is essentially tell the Google Bot who the author of the page is and allows the Google bot to categorise it along with other content written by the same author.

Blog authors must just note that the rel=author tag must point to a page on the same domain. In other words http://example.com/content/webmaster_tips could have a link to the author page : http://example.com/authors/jonathanhouston

Knowledge Graph will be using these bits of information to create a contextually relevant image of who you are. This is critical if you are embarking on an Expert Positioning strategy. You need to build up a collective image of your work and who you are.

From an online reputation point of view, this is also incredibly helpful for the same reasons – you are building up an image of yourself with a weight of healthy articles that you have written.

Authors must be more vigilant than ever to ensure that they are not scraping content from other websites and passing it off as their own. The rel=author tag shows that you accept this content as your own and could have some serious legal ramifications down the line if the original author finds your scraped content.

Who owns the online community manager?

Let’s unpack this role a little more first. Essentially an online community manager is there to ensure that the company that they work for is engaged in the discussions that the target market is having on a daily basis. They then need to glean critical information from these conversations as to gauge the sentiment of their target audience as well as any product development that can be done in this space.

The community manager is also responsible for seeding conversations by placing relevant and topical editorial in to the areas where the target market spends most of their time online. This editorial is there to spark conversation and to position the product or service within the mind of the target.

Lastly, the community manager is there are a brand evangelist! They are there to ensure that the message or the brand is conveyed at all times in a way in which will resonate throughout the communications cycle.

With the above three paragraphs, you can begin to understand why I am curious about who “owns” the community manager… There elements of marketing; sales and customer service.

Help me answer this by filling in the online poll.

Trend or Permanent?

I believe the community manager role – especially the online community manager role is here to stay. This is especially true if those filling the role are able to adequately and succinctly communicate the value that their role offers and then demonstrate the value that they are bringing to the business.

This is arguably the most difficult aspect of the role as many “legacy” managers simply do not believe firstly in the benefits of digital marketing; and much less in the necessity of a salary to manage the community forming around it.

The thing is that with digital marketing being able to literally let you deliver a campaign to a handful of people; demographics are no longer specific enough to keep pace. Your target market is no longer comprosed of “South African females, aged 30 – to 45, matric and some secondary education, no children, who work in the financial services industry. As specific as this once was, it is now far too general for today’s demanding audience.

So what should marketers be doing to ensure they have a clear picture of their audience in mind?! Marketers need to be creating Buying Personae. By creating a persona of who it is that you are trying to target you can be far more specific in ensuring that you are talking the exact language that they are ready to hear because you can empathise with a persona – where you cannot with a demographic!

A buying Persona needs to be tick four main boxes in order for it to truly revolutionise the way you are targeting your audience :

1. It Needs to be TRUE : You can’t make this stuff up. Go and ask your current clients who they really are.

2. Be specific : A customer profile can be relatively generic, surface characteristics. But a buyer persona needs to be to the bone; what makes this person tick; what are their fears, their ambitions, their needs and why they come to work every day!

3. A Buyer Persona is a translation of goals : Understanding what makes your target tick and what hurts them in their job daily, means that you can play on these points to highlight where and how you can make their lives less painful!

4. Test them in the real world : Your sales staff are the best place to internally gather as much data as possible to start creating your buying persona; but you HAVE to ask your actual target audience! After all they know themselves the best of anyone.

A buying persona helps you tell a story about your target audience and through doing so; you can ensure that your organisations positioning statement and value proposition are all pin point accurate at reaching that exclusive group of people that you want to hear your message!

Digital marketers can use this conflict to position the new technology to do two things, first they can further entrench the idea with the early adopters and then they can ease the fears of those who are not willing to change and show them how something like cloud computing can make their lives easier!

There are 2 sides to this coin though; because cloud computing can have massive benefits for digital marketers as well; but let’s look at what cloud computing is first :

Cloud computing is the convergence of internet enabled technologies, virtualisation and the standardisation of IT. It provides users with a solution that is scalable and flexible in terms of both cost and resource availability. Arguably this is the next definitive step in the the evolution of IT services.

There are numerous areas of the business that are effected by utilising a cloud computing solution.

• End-users can self serve – this means that a process no longer needs to be run manually by paid for staff; but rather by a client who can complete the process in their own time.
• No Location dependence – the service is on as long as their is an internet connection meaning that your business can transact at any hour.
• Flexible performance and load – the ability to scale both up and down as and when needed.
• Flexible pricing and contract terms – the ability of subscribers to buy services as they are needed and terminate them when they are not.

Cloud Computing may be the greatest gift to digital marketers as they (we) are now able to  market and evangelise every part of the value chain that the customer would interact with..

What’s more, given the nature of an online environment, those self same customers will be sure to make use of their social circles and share their experience of each step of the process – digital marketers are then urged to listen to what is being said and feed this information back into the business to further improve the processes and the experience of the user.

Products and services are all commodities. It is the users experience that is going to differentiate business now and in the future. Cloud computing allows the user experience to be traced and tracked every step of the way for improvement.

This however is not what I want to write about; I would rather like to talk about the stroke of guerrilla marketing mastery from Virgin Active.

Their offer broke on Twitter :

This tweet was sent out short ly after breakfast and encouraged non-Virgin Active clients the opportunity to take advantage of a free workout at any Virgin Active (bar Classic Clubs) and work off the extra calories they just took in with the free breakfast.

This is sheer brilliance because of the following :

1. It cost Virgin Active NOTHING.
2. When non-members go to a Virgin Active club, they need to sign in and give their phone and email details – thus making a FREE list to which Virgin Active can market.
3. It piggy backed on a lot of FREE exposure that Wimpy had paved the way for. There was a lot of buzz about the free breakfast and Virgin Active slid in right on top of that.

The only criticism that I have is that Virgin Active could have used this opportunity far more than they did. The Virgin Active tweet went out on the 19th of January – the same day as the Wimpy special. Wimpy started making noise about their special a few days before the special and had a few media punting it. (This memeburn article highlights which media they used.)

I feel that Virgin Active ran their response as a quick fire way to jump on the bandwagon and failed to realise how powerful it could have been for them.

I would be really interested to hear from Virgin Active if they have any Online Mention tracking in place to see how far their tweet went and then further to that see how many receipts were handed in from the free Wimpy breakfast!

The story goes like this.

Last week Tuesday I needed to get a R 100 Christmas present for a friend of mine as we were having a get together Christmas party on Saturday evening. I started scouring the internet to look for ideas and the thought struck me to try Woolworths. I had seen their offline ads about their shopping portal and how super simple it was to use. I had also seen the Woolworths SA twitter profile @Woolworths_SA making a lot of noise. So I gave it a shot.

I went online and looked around at the men’s section. I browsed until I was blue in the face and eventually found something that I thought my friend would like. He likes hats; so I found him a hat!

I hit the equivalent of “add to cart”; filled in my delivery address and selected my method of payment. I indicated my delivery time for Saturday morning between 10:00 and 13:00. It was smooth; it was almost nirvana! I proudly sat back thinking, “wow, when online shops like this work, it makes it so much easier – I will be back to do this again!”

I went and spoke to a colleague who was also looking for something and told her to go and order from Woolworths – which she did!

Shattered dreams!

Now the reason why I included the screenshot of the product I was going to buy; and please note that this screenshot was taken on the morning of writing this article, not 4 days prior – when the following transpired.

Friday afternoon at about 16:20; I was sitting in traffic when my cellphone rings with an unknown number. I hesitate before I answer thinking it is going to be someone selling me another cellphone contract; nevertheless I answer.

The gent on the other end of the phone proudly announces that he is calling me from Woolworths EASTGATE (my first suspicion something is about to go wrong). I miss his name as he mumbles it out before plunging in to tell me that the item I ordered from the store is not in stock.He continues to tell me that they cannot source another cap for me as there will be no time to do this before my requested delivery time. My blissful Woolworths dream is about to come crashing down.

After further interrogation; I tell him to cancel my order as if Woolworths cannot supply what I ordered; then I do not wish to proceed with anything further. After a few uhms, he says that he will get the call center to call me and officially cancel my order; after which he promptly puts the phone down (without saying good bye).

Being a proponent on online and social media; I decided to Tweet Woolworths to alert them of my dissatisfaction.

 To date I have not heard anything from them in response to this Tweet.

The plot thickens.

I didn’t think terribly much of this until earlier this afternoon. I was speaking to a colleague (the same one who also placed an order last week) and was telling them about my misfortune with my online order. To my shock and horror on Friday afternoon she also received a call and was told that her order could not be fulfilled! Surely this cannot be a coincidence? Two separate orders both getting the same response?

The only difference with her dealings with the call center agent is that she received an email confirming her order cancellation (something I am still waiting for).

I love the quip in brackets about them hoping it was not something that they did!

What went wrong?

For my money there a few things that have gone wrong here :

1. The online brand promise is not being fulfilled by offline promises.
2. There seems to be a supply chain issue if the Eastgate store is calling me about an order when my closest store (which I indicated) is Fourways Mall.
3. Staff monitoring the Woolworths online social presence are not properly trained in dealing with all their mentions or their monitoring techniques need some revising.
4. The stock control for their online store is not sufficiently updated in real time with the in store POS (point of sale). (i do realise the complexities here and understand how difficult this point is to get right).

This particular blog is going to move away from my usual writing for a little while and talk about a social issue, which can tenuously link back to social media as well. For the most part though, this is truly just a social commentary tainted with my own social thoughts and ideals…

So here is the deal… While walking through the shops, I took note of a few things :

Now I realize that there are a lot of generalizations in this article, and I realize that it is completely tainted with my own bias – but that is what makes an opinion!

I believe that we are very quickly coming to a point where our very humanity is coming under threat. I use the term flippantly, but where the very thought of “Ubuntu” is foreign in whatever language you phrase it.

We, particularly the current generation of “up and comers” are so lost in our own self importance that we forget that there is a world that lives and breathes in spite of us and not because of us.

With the technological developments of the recent years, the “always on” lifestyle, and the access to an audience of eagerly listening followers, who would not get an overly inflated ego?!

But at what cost have these developments come? What have we had to give up and lose in the process? I am not asking that we go back to a time when we could not connect with peers in distant lands, where we were forced to listen to what “the Powers” told us to listen to…

Having an opinion is excellent… Having a voice is brilliant… But merely having a view on something does not automatically make your view the right one…

I am certain of the fact that we can all stand to learn an inordinate amount from being connected through social media and from each other in that way; but I am equally certain of the fact that we need to be incredibly careful that we do not forget what brought us here in the first place.

Steve Jobs, Donald Trump, Richard Branson, Barack Obama; these are all great men who have achieved extra-ordinary heights in their own personal lives and in the community at large. They grew up with values and ideals that do not date. Honesty, hard work, respect, loyalty and trust are no less important today than they were when these leaders of men were still at school.

This is the crux of what I am trying to say here. We must not allow access to a voice to share our opinion to change who we are as people, to forget what it is that makes us human, and how those were not as privileged as we are today learnt the value of hard work and earning the right to be heard…

That’s where video blogging can become your best friend.

What is video blogging?

Video blogging – vlogging – is essentially taking what would have been a written article, and presenting it as you would to an audience. It’s speaking into a camera and connecting with the world. And it’s flexible; you can use video, images, cartoons, graphics or nothing more than your pretty chatting mug. The trick is to be as clear and compelling as possible with the message you want to get across and then illustrate it with verbal imagery that your audience will connect with and remember.

Who is doing it?

Everyone! From tea-cozy wearing hippy herbalists to tie-toting industry emperors. Vlogging works really well for a range of users.

As an entrepreneur, you can use it to bolster awareness of your brand, product or service. You Tube’s advertising model assists exceptionally well with this. Bloggers fit into this category as well, as they are trying to position themselves as experts in their specific fields. Vlogging gives you a platform to work on your personal brand. It can also be a powerful sales tool.

What should I be doing?

Here are some principles and guidelines for getting started:

1. Have a reason.

You need to have a reason for creating your vlog. There needs to be some value that you want your audience to see and take note of. Simply put: you must have something to say and they must get something out of watching you.

Granted, some of the most shared videos have content that is asinine and of no real value to the audience, but that stuff doesn’t build businesses. The real value in the medium lies in sharing great content that is of benefit to your target market, and which will build your brand and entice people to your offering.

2. Prepare your content.

This is the most vital part of your entire YouTube strategy. The look of your channel is important, but the content that you put together is paramount. This is why people are coming to your channel; not to see you but to benefit from your ideas; and it is what will ultimately make them decide to use your services or not.

Here’s where the magic of social media comes into play: If your content is good; really good; your audience is going to want to share it and comment on it. The more thought you put into making it worth sharing, the more successful your vlog will be.

This engagement and sharing is what marketers all over the word are striving towards. Engagement is incredibly important because it allows your audience to give you feedback on, quite literally, what they want. The sharing that goes on among your viewers is important because it replicates your messages, sometimes exponentially.

Always take note of the feedback your target audience gives you, because you need that input to make changes to your offering and improve it.

3. Name your vlog.

The same rules that you would usually use when naming an article, a product or a child still apply here! The name needs to be catchy. Vlad the Impaler lives on in history. Neil the Impaler just wouldn’t have cut it.

You should also factor good Search Engine Optimisation methodologies into your name. Simply put, it needs to feature the keywords that your audience would be searching for when looking for what you have to say. For instance, “Ways to make the audience take notice of you,” would not be found in a search for “public speaking tips”. A better idea would be to name the video: “Public speaking tips to make your audience take notice of you!”

Always ask yourself what keywords people would logically search to get to your type of content. You will get the opportunity to add these keywords to it when you load your vlog onto www.youtube.com.

4. Got the look?

Your outfit and the background determine the marketing tone of your vlog. Fortunately, vlogs can be relatively informal. You don’t need a film crew (the camera on your computer will do), and the background can quite acceptably be your study. Just bear in mind that a gym vest, a barking dog and a clock hanging skew won’t serve your brand well. Put some thought into what your target market will ultimately see; it informs their first impression of you.

One simple tip is to turn on the houselights, even during the day, for a rich, well-lit look.

Simply put, remember that there needs to be some syncronisation between the real you and the vlog you. Ultimately, you want these people to meet you in real life; and if there is no sync; trust and repeat business will be thrown out the window.

5. All the usual communication rules apply

Top of the list: You have to be interesting. Sure, a vlog is essentially a way of marketing yourself or your offering, but always put the value up front and the advertising at the end. You should aim to hook interest early (in the first 10 seconds), hold their attention with solid content, outline your ideas with brevity and impact, and then conclude before it gets boring. Your personal energy in the delivery also helps.

Leave them hanging and wanting more; this will start to breed a following for your vlog.

6. Doing your first one

Film it on your PC (or a camera, if you’d like to go a little higher quality). Save it on your computer. Open a YouTube account, and click on ‘Upload.’ Then follow the prompts. When you upload the video, it will give you the opportunity to add ‘tags,’ such as ‘Public Speaking,’ or ‘Leadership,’ or whatever will logically drive viewers in your direction.

You can get fancier with editing equipment if you’d like, but some very successful vlogs are simply an expert talking to an online audience about a topic that interests them.

7. Keep it up!

If vlogging is part of your strategy for being found, then you need to take a long term view. It will work if you keep at it. The more content you have, the more you can be found, and the more likely it is that your videos will have longevity and translate into business.

This means that you might consider dividing your points into a series of vlogs, and rather do ten individual vlogs of one minute each than a single ten minute info dump.

That said, there’s no real time-limit to a vlog (apart from YouTube’s 15 minute maximum for standard channels). If you’re interesting, they’ll keep watching. If you’re not, they won’t. But short, sharp and snappy tends to work most effectively.

8. The most important part?

Start! Start today. Vlogging is not the kind of thing that takes months of preparation and over-thinking. Search for some vlogs according to keywords that interest you, watch them, and evaluate what you do and do not enjoy. Don’t copy them. But ask yourself what works for you and try it out.

Here is an example of one of our vlogs, on the topic of Positioning Yourself as an Expert:

Remember: positioning yourself as an industry expert is a combination of knowledge, personality and sustained publicity. Keep your quality high. Use your personality to make it engaging. Keep it up!

Now go try it for yourself.

Happy vlogging!

Follow Jonathan on Twitter: @jingo27. Follow Douglas on Twitter: @Douglaskruger, or see his motivational speeches and skills-development articles at: www.douglaskruger.co.za

Face value decisions.

Every day when we are faced with two opposing products, we very often make a snap decision and choose the one that looks the best. We, as consumers, forget to look past the marketing hype upfront and delve into the real detailed comparison of the features and benefits of each product.

This highlights how important it is for marketers to get involved in product development. While features and benefits are very important to all consumers, very often a good looking product will fly off the shelf faster.

Make it look good!

Let’s use my buddy’s example of a well written piece of software. Their software package is literally head and shoulders (not the shampoo) above their competitors; it is simple to understand and does twice as much as you really need it to at the end of the day. The price is extremely competitive, but they have fallen behind in making sure that their GUI looks as good as their competitors. Unfortunately it looks like it was built by a developer, and not by a designer.

The User Experience with a piece of software is especially important! Think about when you are giving a demo on a software package. If you are not showing how simple to understand and use your program is, then you are losing the war no matter how much better the software is.

The graphic above basically shows how and where the user experience can be influenced as the human brain and eye do not look at each element individually, but rather as part of the whole. This means that every element from programming, to interface design, graphic design and finally language all influence how the user will perceive your product.

Real world example

There are a multitude of tablets on the market at the moment; from Apple to Samsung to Motorola and everyone in between. Now there are those who will agree with the following example, and there are those that definitely won’t (but that illustrates my point even further)!

The Apple iPad is not the best tablet on the market in terms of features and functionality. In terms of design and user experience however, it is! The devise itself is pleasing to the eye as well as to touch; the OS is smooth and incredibly easy to use and that is what makes it an absolute winner with its market. Yes there are glitches and small bugs and the issue that it can’t play flash, or that there is no USB port, but users are very willing to overlook that because it is beautiful and beautifully designed.

The Apple brand does play a major role there are well; and Apple’s market is incredibly loyal and passionate about the brand; but the base line is always the same.

Apple products are impeccably designed because it matters!

In the early days of Klout, and indeed up until a few days ago, Klout seemed largely to be a measure of how much noise a person made online. There was a slight bonus as it let you know what the user was most vocal about and had a few metrics in place to measure how often conversations about certain topics were had as well as measuring how often messages were retweeted or shared, but largely the more you spoke, the higher your Klout score.

So what’s new?

Klout have started rolling out a new aspect to the much talked about platform. Now you can easily identify who is influential on a specific topic. This new dimension to Klout indicates that they are beginning to get to grips with some additional aspects of social marketing and online reputation management.

Essentially, now you can identify users of the popular platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Google+ who you should be following as they are influential on the topic that you are interested in.

Klout have called these new features “Topic Pages” and they allow you to also see content that has been shared frequently.

Essentially their measure of influence now has a purpose which goes a little further than just small bragging rights!

Whatever your opinion of Klout, I think that as The platform continues to develop, it is going to become one of the many platforms that “experts” are judged on when their peers as well as potential clients look at exactly how recognized their opinion really is; not to mention the potential for recruiters looking at finding that special new employee.