The rise of social media has changed how we connect, share information, and do business. Even though 10% of Facebook’s accounts are fake, there are still almost 900 million global users of the popular social network, which means brands are itching to connect with them and spread their message. However, in the rush to get on social media, brands have had many missteps and that wound up hurting their reputation and message. Here 5 ways you can blow your brand and look like a moron on social media.

Abercombie & Fitch’s CEO is facing strong backlash from his comments about his ideal customers.

1. Maintain the idea that your product is so elite that it can or should exclude ANYONE.

As of May 2013, the exclusionary and elitist remarks of Mike Jeffries, the CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, have created and fueled a firestorm of protest and brand-bashing from some influential people who weren’t necessarily on the “A list” at the high school lunch tables. And they are absolutely right. You don’t get to pick who admires your brand and you certainly don’t get to SAY who your brand is for. Every person who feels insulted, belittled, or just left out will go out of their way to turn the lights out on your business.

2. Maintain that your social media presence is all about you.

Ever spend any time engaging with a brand whose main message seems to be: “Save the planet, save the rain forest, now, like, go buy our new and improved widget; it’s on sale for only $19.95. Yay!” Us neither. Enough said.

3. Rely on half-hearted, comparative, or cliche concepts.

“One percent of all net profits go to save global warming,” “We will get your pizza there ten minutes sooner than that other guy,” “The other politician was seen in public with an alleged mobster, so vote for me instead,” “I suck less than the next guy,” and other vague promises to do vague things. If you are going to make a stand on an issue, make it matter, make it your own, and make it worthwhile. Believe, the rest of the world has been there and done that, believe me! They are not going to get behind any bozo marketing tactics…capiche?

4. Become crude in order to get some conversation

Granted some of us can see the humor in a photo of a nun in the process of an unspeakable act illustrating a point about not paying to much for a product, but many can’t. If you can’t share a post with your mother, banker, or teenage child, then don’t do it! That simple.

5. Defend your brand from angry customers by pointing out their shortcomings.

Customer: I’m having trouble getting my widget to work.

You: Did you read the instructions?

Customer: I skimmed them, but one would think it would be easier than this to get the damn widget to work.

You: The instructions are there for a reason, read them and follow them and you should be fine.

Customer: Yeah whatever! I’ll figure it out. Thanks…

Here is what the customer didn’t write in this exchange: “Yeah, I’ll figure it out. I’ll figure out where the receipt is and I’ll return this damn widget because not only does it not work, but some fool that works for the company couldn’t be bothered to help me. I’ll have a new widget just like it delivered to my door from Amazon tomorrow morning.”

Here is the bottom line: the new customer has a voice, an internet connection, and an opinion. He or she is willing and able to use all three. If you are involved in the building of a brand (which means just about anybody who works for money), just internalize this fact: anything you say or do (and I mean anything) has the potential to affect your business in a huge way. Simply, do good things.

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It’s no secret that mobile devices are changing the way people of all ages shop, work, and live. The mobile revolution has also affected the way we go out and eat, highlighted by the widespread use of apps like Yelp, Foursquare, and Foodspotting. However, the effect on the restaurant industry runs deeper than just app use; customer behavior is drastically changing as they are becoming more dependent on using mobile devices to decide where to go, what to eat, and how to share their experience.

According to a recent study, the restaurant industry is the most often searched by mobile phone users. The study, conducted by research firm Chadwick Martin Bailey and SinglePlatform at Constant Contact, found that within the last six months, 81 percent of survey respondents had searched restaurant information through a mobile site and 92 percent had reviewed restaurant information through a web browser.

This makes it more important than ever for a restaurant to have an online presence that can be easily found through Google. As smartphone usage continues to grow, more people are searching  from their smartphones when they’re out looking for a place to eat. To capitalize on these customer behaviors, it’s important that customers find your business and other relevant information they’re looking for.

The study also reports that 75 percent of those who searched for restaurant information said that their final decision of where to dine was based on the results returned for their search. This news could have significant implications for the restaurant industry; restaurants that ignore their online and mobile presence do so at the risk of having their restaurant fall behind the competition and lose out on customers.

Every restaurant that is interested in attracting business needs to have a mobile-optimized site that is submitted to local directories. Since 80 percent of consumers believe that looking at the menu before choosing where to dine is important, restaurants that do not have an up-to-date menu available for viewing online are at a competitive disadvantage. 84 percent of those polled stated that they will generally look at the websites of more than one restaurant before making their final decision. If they cannot read the menu of the restaurant on a mobile device, 64% of respondents said that they would be less likely to choose that restaurant.

It is important for restaurants to also have a social network presence so that pertinent information about the restaurant can be found through the customers’ favorite sites. Individuals who use their smartphones to access information about restaurants also tend to share their location and activities with their friends over social networks. Having a strong social network presence allows the business to join in on any conversation regarding their business and help further spread the word-of-mouth.

The digital and mobile age have changed how people interact with each other and with businesses. For restaurants in particular, attracting customers means conveniently delivering information about your restaurant on the channel they’re searching. This means that a strong mobile and social presence are a must for restaurants to thrive in today’s age.

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Working in the heart of NYC, one wonders if the two-dozen or more restaurants that we consistently order from know the importance of customer service. I’m simply shocked that no one takes the time to do anything extra for their customers, not even for those that order day in and day out.

Going Above and Beyond

We have about 30 people in our office whom all work long hours, which result in about 5-8 deliveries a day. Not a single restaurant, cheap or pricey, fancy or fast food, has once gone out of their way to impress us. No one makes the extra effort that makes me want to tell my 3,500-or-so friends that I had a remarkable experience. It’s that rare case of “above and beyond” that can transform any company from great to amazing.

The Small Things Count

The lack of extra effort by these local restaurants makes it seem that they are content with losing customers, whether new or old. From my previous experience of selling products online, we found that taking a small step goes a long way. We were able to reduce our returns by 27% by sending a “thank you” note with a chocolate chip cookie. All it took to satisfy our customers was a simple, “thank you, you mean something; we are happy that you are a customer,” along with, “here is a cookie because we care.”

It could have been anything as simple as a handwritten card, cookie, or free taste of a new item that would’ve started a conversation and won my loyalty and voice. Hopefully I’ll find a restaurant that’ll show me that I’m appreciated as a customer. As soon as it happens, I’ll make sure everyone knows of the their outstanding customer service.

 Open Letter to the Restaurants in My Neighborhood

Delivering remarkable customer experience doesn’t need to be anything fancy or expensive. Here are 3 simple pointers that can win over my loyalty:

1) Take an interest in me and I’ll likely take an interest in you.

2) Ask me for feedback and I’ll likely give it.

3) Focus on the needs, quirks, and desires of customers such as myself and your odds of making it long term will skyrocket!

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The Weekly  Advertising NYC Highlight

Customer Acquisition |New York Deals | New York City  | 2013

“Sign up for NY Deals and Get a Free Cupcake” sprang from the screen and right into my lunch break plans. What did I do? I forwarded it to 6 friends and 4 employees. Was I trying to be nice? Sure. But I’ve been trying to nail down 2 of these friends to go over a business deal and the employees all work hard for my company. I get to be a nice guy, I get some business done, NY Deals gets some new subscribers (You need to sign up for new York deals to get the free cupcake).  This is how business SHOULD work. Advertising where everyone wins

Advertising that people WANT to forward on. NY Deals gets some new subscribers, Thousands probably. I know I am not the only one doing the forwarding.

Crumbs Bake Shop, the bakery doing the cupcake promo gets some new customers, probably buying things beyond the free cupcake they came for.

And I get to be the guy with the cupcakes…

Where are the examples of and opportunities for this kind of advertising in your world?

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The Washington Post recently reported on an interesting story about a case of Virginia, one that can have far-reaching consequences long after it’s decided. A woman who was unhappy with the job her contractor did for her home wound up leaving a scathing review in which she accused the contractor of damaging her house, falsely billing her, and then stealing jewelry from her home. The contractor responded with a $750,000 defamation of character lawsuit against the woman. As more business are hurt by bad reviews, it’s important to find the line between Free Speech and intentional harming someone’s reputation.

Yelp reviews have become more important than ever which has given customers a louder voice than ever before. While a customer is entitled to their opinion of how the service was performed, as protected by Free Speech, it’s important to understand that slander and false accusation can also be frowned upon in the court of law, which can be an issues given that the customer and contractor knew each other in high school. We’ve discussed how a business can garner positive reviews but there is little a business can do to fix a negative review. While most users are discerning enough to question one bad review out of 30 good reviews, it gets harder for a business to handle one bad review if their business doesn’t get as many reviews, especially for a someone like a home contractor.

As Yelp, and user-reviews in general, continue to grow in reach and popularity, it’ll become more important than ever for the sense of credibility to remain. Yelp already has to deal with the growing number of fake positive reviews. It must now figure out how to get customers to not leave reviews containing are baseless accusations, because those things shouldn’t be said in a public forum. These are all important issues going forward for Yelp to maintain its reputation, because they don’t want their service to become a battleground of lawsuits against fake positie reviews, and slanderous negative ones.

Whatever the result of this case will be, it’s clear that it’s important than ever for a business to monitor their reputation online and continue providing exceptional service to avoid these types of crises.

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Linked has never gotten the same publicity that the more popular networks such as Facebook and Twitter have gotten. However, LinkedIn has steadily grown and is expected to have tremendous profits in the coming years.

LinkedIn has done well to differentiate itself from the other social networks by appealing to a function of society that gets little attention – namely hiring, recruiting, and professional development (and no, Facebook’s Branchout doesn’t count). LinkedIn has focused on connecting thought leaders, CEOs, employees, and candidates together on one network. Their focus is singular and they have pursued their vision for years, slowly connecting professionals and forming valuable networks.

Recently LinkedIn introduced a feature that would allow people to follow thought leaders on the social network. As a a result, entrepreneur Richard Bronson took first place as the most followed person on LinkedIn with over a million followers in the last few months.

This brings us to an important point about what the most popular user on a given social network symbolizes for said network.

The other social network’s leading users are all musicians who have gained popularity in the last decade. Richard Branson has been an important business figure way before Lady Gaga even got her first hit single. Networks like Twitter and Facebook appeal to popularity, which isn’t inherently bad or good. It does mean, however, that the popularity and interest  of the users the are predicated upon ever-changing tastes and whims. LinkedIn is poised to remain strong and relevant for years to come.

The top user can represent the network itself. And if I had to invest my money into someone’s long-term relevancy staying-power, I’d invest it in Richard Branson.

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http://storify.com/XVIO/supermayor-cory-booker-shows-how-to-do-politics-an

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A few weeks ago Hurricane Sandy devastated the East Coast. Parts of New Jersey and New York City were destroyed, millions were without heat, water, and electricity, and thousands of homes were destroyed. As the city is slowly but surely recovering, it’s most important to thank the firefighters, police officers, nurses, doctors, sanitation workers, and countless others who helped and saved thousands of people throughout the city with their actions. Without their bravery, this great city would have been hurt a lot worse by this terrible storm. In addition to their service, this storm had help from an unlikely source: social media.

Social media has been steadily penetrating many aspects of society, and the Hurricane Sandy hitting the East Coast has been no different. Even before the storm hit, Twitter has been used extensively by New York City’s Mayor’s Office to spread vital information to help prepare the city for the hurricane, from announcing school closings, evacuation information, shelter locations, and transit closings. Social media allowed for the information to be spread and shared, ensuring that many people received information quickly.

The Mayor’s Office used Twitter extensively to deliver vital information to NYC residents

We here at XVIO recognized the importance of keeping New Yorkers connected and informed, so we started a Facebook page dedicated to Hurricane Sandy news. Originally the page focused on updating Sandy’s path towards the East Coast. People all across the Eastern seaboard were messaging and asking about the severity of the storm and when it would hit. People’s instinct to keep themselves and their families safe led them to our page looking for information.

As the storm made landfall, we began posting pictures of the damage to show the rest of the world what the area was going through. People saw the damage and were showing support and sending us prayers from all over the world, including Japan, Australia, Ireland, and Dubai. People were horrified to see what the storm was doing to the city. Many people across the affected areas were inside their homes trying to keep safe, so the page was their look into what the other people were going through.

As the storm was peaking, the community page became something even more vital. The Mayor’s Office and FDNY were sending news and updates about the storm and happenings across various neighborhoods around the city. We were able to bring all that information to one place and make sure everyone knew what was going on.

People began using the page as a community for help and support. With 911 completely overwhelmed with calls – at one point they were getting more than 20,000 calls per hour – people needed a way to ask for help. We had a few residents begging to deliver help to their neighbors whose houses were getting flooded and destroyed. After we relayed the call for help on our page – and called 911 ourselves – the support was amazing. There were dozens of people calling 911 to help that family. In the end, fortunately they were saved when first respondents finally arrived to a devastated part of Staten Island.

After the storm was over, the most important function of the page was beginning. People began messaging with volunteer outreach, offering their support, food, and clothing. We let our fans know how they can help and give donations. There was support from all over the nation, people wanting to help. With telephone service mostly gone across the city, we had people messaging us asking if their loved ones were safe because they could not reach them. Our Hurricanes Sandy Updates page served as a place for people to connect and show support.

A sample of people reaching out to our page from all over the world – whether asking for help, sending prayers, or asking how they can help

As with any disaster, awareness is key and we were able to let the rest of the region know how badly New York was hit. We showed people in need, and helped bring out volunteers and supplies. When city officials were overwhelmed, we were able to step in and deliver the message, like many other organizations who were using social media to spread the message. Our page, and social media in general, can never prevent disaster; but what we did was make sure the people remained as safe and informed as possible. During the peak of the storm, we had over 100,000 fans, with 570,000 talking about us, and a reach of 6.5 million. As the dust settled, we were able deliver information to tens of thousands of New Yorkers in need and we continue promoting volunteer and relief efforts around the city.

During the storm, we had a viral reach of almost 7 million, and had 600K people talking about the page.

The creation of the page was an effort of the XVIO Social Media team, with myself, Gene Mikhov, and Michael Julian finding content and engaging users through the storm. We hope you and your family was safe throughout the storm. Share your stories of social media and Hurricane Sandy in the comments. Find the page here.

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Pinterest, a social media site primarily focused on images, is continuing to grow in popularity and has recently cracked the top 50 web sites in the US. As more users join, it’s important for the network to maintain its edge by innovating and introducing new features. Yesterday Pinterest introduced a new feature that allows users to create secret boards. What does this added functionality mean for Pinterest and the user?

Pinterest thrives by giving people the ability to quickly and conveniently curate, share, and display pictures on the user’s boards. These boards are often centered around the idea of planning, whether it’s a dream wedding, a dream vacation, or a dream home, and bookmarking.

Pinterest’s recent introduction of Secret Boards expands its functionality by giving users the ability to work in private. Much like Facebook’s messaging and Twitter’s Direct Message, Pinterest users are no longer limited to only public activity. This can allow them to find ideas for secret events, like surprise parties, or personal events, like designing the new baby room. It also allows you to explore and bookmark images privately. Even if the images aren’t questionable, some people prefer to have privacy and not make their hobbies or interest public. The Secret Boards feature will be very appealing to those users.

In addition, Pinterest allows multiple users to collaborate on one board. This lets multiple users easily work on a shared project together on one convenient platform. Collaborators can bookmark and share images much more conveniently than emailing or messaging them back and forth. Planning trips or gift ideas can all be easily done on one board, with users pinning pictures there and communicating through the comments.

Moving forward, it’s important for Pinterest to not over-complicate things. So far they have done a good job of keeping the platform simple, and it’s important to maintain that simplicity and ease-of-use.

The lack of secret boards did not hinder Pinterest since it was growing quickly even before the introduction. However, secret boards give users more personal and meaningful ways to interact with Pinterest.

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