Groundswell

Group: Better Networker Book Club!!

Written by Elaine Garrett on Dec 15, 2008 1:47 pm

Read More: Marketing | Social Networking

Groundswell by Josh Bernhoff and Charlene Li has probably influenced my online marketing efforts more than any other publication I’ve read this year.

The authors offer many examples of best practices using social media (blogs, social sites, video, etc.). They analyze missteps that have backfired when arrogance and caginess get in the way of authenticity.

At the heart of their book is their Technographics Profile http://www.forrester.com/Groundswell/profile_tool.html a free tool that lets any marketer predict the results he can expect from social network marketing.

As you know, the key to social sites and blogs is to encourage two-way conversation. Unlike an article posted to a website, readers have the option of adding their opinions and reactions to an article, video or podcast on a social media site.

If your key audience isn’t going to join in the conversation, no amount of content or prizes is going to encourage their participation.

Their Technographics Profile tool works hand-in-hand with MSN’s Demographics Prediction tool that you can find at http://adlab.msn.com/Demographics-Prediction/ Using product keywords from your company’s promotional publications, the MSN prediction tool lets you know the age, sex and income of your target audience.

Once you have the results of these quick market research results, you will have a better idea whether social media is the right venue for you.