By Nichole Devolites

Last week, I had an inconvenience.  I leased an Infiniti about a year and a half ago for two reasons: 1. The incredible design of the car inside and out and 2. It’s customer service.  Next to Lexus, it’s the best automotive customer service in the United States.  Well, I decided to lease for the first time, believing it would be much more of a painless experience than buying the car outright and then having to worry about maintenance costs, etc.  In fact, not having to deal with personal property taxes, tags and registration also seemed like a bonus.  But of course, in a matter of a week, I find out that my now expired tags were never sent to Infiniti, to send to me, and my personal property tax was filed in the wrong county.  Naturally, being the social media maven I am, I took to Twitter to express my displeasure at being stuck at the DMV for an hour, to clear up at least the tags.

Within minutes, Infiniti responded:

We had a conversation through Direct Message and within 24 hours, a representative called me to discuss.  She was incredibly apologetic about the situation and is currently working through the issues that occurred.  She gave me her direct line and her email address.  Today, I was sent another Direct Message by Infiniti Customer Care, to follow up.

This is a prime example of how Twitter isn’t just a marketing tool and when managed effectively, it turns into a free customer service tool that reaches customers on a more intimate level.  Still, many companies feel that assigning one person to social media will do the trick.  Granted, if you’re a small company, that can be good enough.  However, take a company as large as Infiniti.  If you notice, I tagged the USA handle and Customer Care is who responded.  This means that they have an escalation plan, in which they reach out to the appropriate team to respond.

So what best practices can you glean from this example?

1. Actively engage in Twitter and other social media tools – scour the hash tags, see what people are saying, respond.
2. If there is a negative customer experience posted, publicly apologize (it diffuses the situation in most cases) and then privately resolve.  What Infiniti did was spot-on.
3. Have an escalation process if you are a larger company with several divisions.  Make sure that each social media team is in communication with the other.

This brings me to what NOT to do…

A few years ago, I flew Spirit Airlines as part of a cheaper travel package to Mexico.  If you remember, they never really advertised the fact that they had carry-on baggage fees and even went so far, as to charge for water. This was in addition to the advertising all over the inside of their planes.  Granted, you’re flying a budget airline but after all the hidden costs, it would have been just as expensive to stick with my usual airline, United.

So, I took to Twitter.  Although kind of crass, I said I felt like I was flying a big “metro bus” in the sky, and that I couldn’t believe how much I spent on all the “extras” to get there.  (Note: I wasn’t doing this to get anything out of the deal, I feel that criticism can only help a brand improve, which can only help customers in the future.) The reply from the Spirit Airlines’ Twitter manager was rude and defensive, saying this is what I get for flying a budget airline.  My reply was that as a marketing professional, I know all too well what false advertising can do to a business and so far, they’ve had far too much of it for my taste and personally, I will never fly them again, or recommend them to anyone else.  This wasn’t even met with an apology but instead, that they fly millions of people and losing one, one-time customer doesn’t matter.  Of course, you can imagine my amusement.

Losing one customer can lead to several more customers, which can lead to scores of customers pulling away.  And, given the public nature of the response, all of their followers are seeing this in their feed.  Thus, here are a few things NOT to do, when using social media as a customer service tool:

1. Hire someone with zero PROFESSIONAL social media experience.  The industry is far enough along that even adults right out of college can minor in it.  Preferably though, look for someone who has professional experience in creating escalation processes, communication plans and have several examples of how they have diffused situations over social media.
2. Assume that Twitter, Facebook and other social media tools should be taken lightly, as if they are just a fad.  They are, in fact, not.  People and companies crave on-demand information and personal interaction, which has led to the advancement/creation of social tools.  These tools should be taken seriously in a business capacity.  Not only should it be incorporated into your customer service response plan, you should also be working with your marketing and communications team, to make sure you’re aligned.
3. Not have an escalation/communications plan in place.  Letting people respond on their own to potentially negative customers, without any proper messaging/situation handling training can lead to the aforementioned example.

Social media can be your best friend, lead to sales, happy customers and unlimited brand awareness.  Remember that regardless of your industry, it’s here to stay.  If you don’t have a plan in place, or aren’t sure where to start, contact us here.

By Nichole Devolites

Last week, an article came out on Linked In, by Jonah Berger, talking about how when something goes viral, it ultimately creates what’s called Social Currency.  According to Berger, there are many different ways for people to acquire this.  He says,  “One way is to give them a way to look good. Make people feel special, or like insiders, and they’ll tell others—and spread word of mouth about you along the way.”  He goes on to cite an example of a speakeasy that became successful by word of mouth alone.

Social currency is everywhere.  It can be created from virtually anything – the trick is creating the right something, launching it through the right channels and ultimately, giving access to the right people who will be an advocate for your brand.  Below are some examples of how businesses have taken advantage of this, over the decades, to bring additional visibility and popularity to their brand:

1. The “Easter egg” on a website.  No, it doesn’t mean this company LITERALLY put an Easter egg on their site (unless that was the idea).  It means they had a fun little image somewhere on one of their website pages for people to find.  Although they didn’t, you could easily run a contest for people to find it.  Not only does it create additional visibility and higher page views, it also gets people talking.
2. In lieu of number one, look at what Google has done periodically – created a mini skiing game, a mini Ms. Pacman game, Google draw, etc.  They don’t tell anyone they are doing it – people find it and thus, spread the word – and that happens within minutes.
3. Remember the GOOD prizes in Cracker Jack boxes?  When you got the good one, you were popular (for a hot second) as a kid, making kids all over the world want their own boxes, to see if they got the GOOD prize.
4. Have a pop up event and tell major influencers just days before.  I went to a pop-up tasting that unless you knew the chef or stalked the foodie websites, you would never know he was doing these.  Yet, when I walked into the dining room, it was PACKED of people he had let know.  It turns out, these are coveted tastings to partake in.
5. Wanting to open an uber-exclusive bar for uber-exclusive clientele?  Check out what Violet Hour did in Chicago.  Unless you knew HOW to get in, you would have no idea that the graffiti-laden barricade opened up into the most amazing speakeasy I’ve ever seen.  Yet, there’s no marketing of any kind.  And, unless you have reservations, you’re not getting in (think booking a month in advance).

So let’s say you want to target WHO you give social currency to?

I remember when Tavi become an overnight sensation in the fashion world.  She was just a young girl, blogging about fashion.  People of all ages were following her, causing designers and fashion magazine editors to take notice.  She started getting front row invites to fashion week, magazine spreads in some of the top fashion magazines and invites to parties she was too young to attend.  In the fashion world, she had (and still has) more social currency than even some staff magazine writers.

Another example… The tourism department in Australia was holding a contest for six people to work and live in Australia for 6 months (with a max. of 12 months, 6 months of which needs to be at work) with a stellar salary, helping to attract younger tourists to the continent.  This strategy creates social currency through the fact that most people would only dream of going to Australia, much less spending 6-12 months working and touring it.  Those that get the “dream jobs”, are required to blog about it, do interviews and other media activities, designed to inspire others.  Both tourism board and the lucky winners are creating social currency.

A third example… Justin Bieber.  Although I’m not a fan of him myself, created his own social currency through his relentless use of YouTube.  PSY did the same thing with his Gangnam Style video, thus creating an outlet for stars to be born through social media outlets.  In turn, brands started to pay attention to the power of these online sensations, who created their own social currency, wanting to tack onto someone that already generated enough currency that it could only boost theirs.

Now, anyone can be given social currency – it’s making sure you’re using the right channels to do so.   Most people want to identify with a brand – they look for that emotional connection – that bond that makes them feel as though they are a VIP.  It’s why Klout proved to be a successful model.  However, those social influencers with outstanding social currency, are usually a great start.  Find the popular bloggers in your industry and spark conversations, user Twitter as a medium to connect with other people in the industry that might be of value, give media early access to your product. Use those influencers to give others social currency and watch it spread.

So what do you need to focus on when creating a social currency strategy?  Here are some of the many things to focus on:

1. WHO will it impact?  Or, who will I give this social currency to first?

2. WHAT will the experience be that will help drive social currency?  What will be the platforms I’ll use to drive this? What will I expect from the influencers in return?

3. HOW will I get this experience out there?

I’d love to hear some of your strategies that have worked for you.  Feel free to comment on this post or contact me at ndevolites@conversagroup.com.  I’ll pick some of the best ones and post it in my next blog!

Arlington, VA — August 20, 2012 — Nichole Devolites, President and CEO of Conversa Group, has been named to the Host Committee of Becky’s Fund Walk This Way 2012 Runway Show – a non-profit, athlete-studded fashion event that raises funds for domestic violence victims.
Integrated tightly into every aspect of this event, Nichole donated her time to promote, support and enable this incredibly worthy cause.

“I was honored to be asked to sit on this committee, along with so many other notable people in Washington, D.C., who donate their time and resources to this cause,” says Nichole. “To learn that 1 in 3 people are a victim of domestic violence is astounding and the more awareness we can bring to this, the faster we can stop it.”

Nichole is no stranger to donating her time to worthwhile causes. Since 2010, she has made it her mission to support those non-profits, in the greater Washington, D.C. area, that have a proven track record of helping those in need.

This year’s event will take place on October 4, 2012 at Washington Kastles Stadium at the Wharf in Washington, D.C.

For more information on Becky’s Fund: http://www.beckysfund.org

About Conversa Group
Conversa Group, a woman-owned business, is headquartered in Arlington, VA, and provides the services of professionals, passionate about driving marketing success for its clients.  Conversa Group is a leading provider of innovative marketing services and solutions for the IT, federal government, small business, luxury retail and boutique businesses and charitable organizations.

Additional information on Conversa Group can be found at www.conversagroup.com.

Arlington, VA — June 20, 2012 — Nichole Devolites, President and CEO of Conversa Group, has been named to the Host Committee of Heart of Fashion Runway Show 2012 Benefitting St. Jude – an annual fashion event that raises funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Integrated tightly into every aspect of this event, Nichole donated her time to promote, support and enable this incredibly worthy cause.

“Participating in this event touched my heart,” says Nichole.  “I could not possibly imagine the challenges that families face when their child has been diagnosed with cancer, as well as the road that follows that diagnosis.  I support non-profits, such as St. Jude, for providing children the best care, treatment and support possible.”

This year’s event will take place on September 15, 2012 at Neiman Marcus Mazza Gallerie in Chevy Chase, MD, and will feature a runway presentation by Armani Collezioni.

For more information on St. Jude: http://www.stjude.org

About Conversa Group
Conversa Group, a woman-owned business, is headquartered in Arlington, VA, and provides the services of professionals, passionate about driving marketing success for its clients.  Conversa Group is a leading provider of innovative marketing services and solutions for the IT, federal government, small business, luxury retail and boutique businesses and charitable organizations.

Additional information on Conversa Group can be found at www.conversagroup.com.

Conversa to provide strategic marketing support and content development

Arlington, VA — February 6, 2012 — Conversa Group, the innovation leader in marketing technology consulting, based in Arlington, Virginia, today announced it will be providing strategic marketing support and content development for APIphany, a new API Management company, based in Georgetown, Washington, D.C.

Taking part in developing a full lifecycle marketing strategy, Conversa Group brings to bare a wealth of experience in new company launches from past work with startup companies.

“We are excited to be on the forefront of helping to announce a brand new API Management company into the marketplace, “ says Nichole Devolites, CEO of Conversa Group.  “Delivering a well-defined, no-nonsense approach and prioritizing on their most important deliverables and results, will provide APIphany a great start to a successful future.”

Conversa Group believes that creating a well thought-out mix of the right impactful marketing, well-defined branding, selective content development and need-based prioritization leads the best outcomes in new company launches.

Conversa Group is the product of over a decade of high-impact marketing success, founded by successful marketer Nichole Devolites of Arlington, Virginia.  Conversa Group works every day to turn “conversations into success stories.”

For more information on Conversa Group: http://www.conversagroup.com.

About Conversa Group
Conversa Group is a woman-owned business, headquartered in Arlington, VA. It provides the services of professionals, passionate about driving marketing success for its clients.  Conversa Group is a leading provider of innovative marketing services and solutions for the IT, Federal government, small business, luxury retail and non-profit organizations.

Additional information on Conversa Group can be found at www.conversagroup.com.

October 9, 2012

By Nichole Devolites

Harvard Business Review recently posted an article on social contracts in the workplace, stating that under rules and guidelines, teams can more effectively work with each other.  Here are some excerpts:

“Behaviors outlined in social contracts may include any positive behaviors that the team wants to encourage such as: Be honest and transparent with no hidden agendas; help each other and do not hesitate to ask for help; have forums to discuss tough issues; cooperate rather than compete with team members.”

“For the leader, these contracts help motivate desirable workplace behaviors and can discourage dysfunctional behaviors without heavy-handed surveillance.”

“All members of the team must collectively form and share the contract. If the leader and team members do not believe in or buy-into the agreement, it won’t work.”

I read this article twice and really tried to agree with it but sadly, I can’t.  Having managed many teams in my life, as well as having created successful strategies to help boost employee morale in the workplace, a contract, such as what they are proposing, is a shortcut that can only lead to more arguments and more frustration.  To me, a social contract is a way for the project lead to keep people “in line”, by mandating how project members will behave/not behave, thus in some cases, stifling creativity and real contributions that can lead to greater success.  In other words, it serves as a “crutch” for project leads, who think a project will run more smoothly because there’s a level of control over the team that they no longer have to provide.  What it doesn’t account for are the different types of project leads that exist – some are incredibly rules-bound and are willing to do anything to make sure people stay within the confines of those rules; while others are more focused on just getting the work done, assuming everyone will just do their part.  The more rules-bound you are, the more room there is for “dysfunctionality” within a team.

As part of culture strategy, one must learn to accept different personalities and working styles.  As part of Conversa’s Culture Strategy practice, we look at a few things before we can propose the right strategy:

1. What industry is the company in?  Is it technology?  Science?
2. Is the company committed to its employees?  If so, what are the ways, in which the company fosters growth and team work?
3. Are they an open culture (ideas can flow freely) or a closed culture (people are taught to keep to themselves)?
4. How many employees are working in each department?  What departments are included in the company? Working styles are most commonly based on job type and department type – engineers do not function the same way as marketing
5. Do different teams in different departments cross-collaborate?  If so, how often?
6. Age range – What is the median age of the company?  This is important when it comes to adaptability
7. What programs are in place to teach individuals about working effectively together?
8. What programs are in place to celebrate/incentivize employees?
9. What tools are in place for teams to effectively work together? Training?  Learning materials?
10. What is the overall satisfaction level of the employee base as a whole (excluding management) and what do they feel can be done to improve overall morale?

By asking many of these questions, the output of them will be invaluable, in understanding how to start shaping your company culture into something where collaboration and teamwork are both effective and positive.  The less rules you imply and the more you understand how to work with what you have, the more successful you will be.

September 14, 2012

By Nichole Devolites

If you follow the Reinvention of Me, you will have seen the article posted on my experience with pre-ordering the iPhone 5, in the wee hours of the morning, this morning. Yes, I, like many millions of other consumers, set their alarm clocks on the east coast and joined the craze that was building momentum on September 12th. Why? Two reasons: 1. My iPhone 4 wasn’t able to keep up with the volume of business I would do through it and 2. AT&T and Apple built so much excitement around this event, how could you not want to join the 3am madness?

So how does this tie into marketing strategy? According to TechCrunch, the iPhone 5 sold out 20X faster than the three previous models, with a record 60 minutes. They attributed it to the hype on Apple’s September 12th event and the store being down until pre-sales were launched (of course). But, what helped one carrier bring that excitement to their own customer base? AT&T’s countdown clock. When you typed in the attwireless URL, there it was – bright and cheerful. Simple. Brilliant. Effective.

Sure, not every company can have the luxury of coat-tailing off a multi-billion dollar company for exposure but at the same time, AT&T generated their own buzz by pulling together the most simple of micro-campaigns to compliment this pre-release. Sprint and Verizon had done nothing. Who has the better coverage aside, AT&T won in marketing.

The good news, any company can create fun, exciting and simple micro-campaigns that generate buzz and excitement, without the need of well-known partners, or even tens of thousands of dollars. Below are four cost-effective, buzz-generating tactics that are sure to get the attention of your customer base:

1. The power of viral video. You hear this over and over again. Music, powerful imagery and humor all appeal largely to a consumer’s emotions. It’s unforgettable… and it doesn’t take long – 45 seconds to one minute and fifteen seconds is all you need.

2. Viral imagery that acknowledges a customer problem… with a sense of humor… that you can solve. I’ve advised some of my clients to take advantage of the create-your-own card through someecards.

3. Countdown clocks on a home page. New product release? New other major announcement? Take a cue from AT&T. No need for a ton of fancy language. Keep it simple and keep customers intrigued. Want something to compliment it? Send out a mailer with a big QR code that leads to this countdown clock. Effective and inexpensive.

4. A teaser podcast. Not everyone is Apple and can jam-pack thousands of “Geniuses” into a convention center. Set up a smaller version in a conference room and either stream it or record it to share out with customers, partners, employees, etc. Dive into the larger, more exciting features of your new release or other announcement.

Of course, executing on any combination or all of these tactics is a surefire way for optimal exposure. But most of all, have fun with it! The more fun you have with it, the more that radiates outward to consumers and ultimately, the more buzz and revenue you will generate!

September 27, 2012

By Nichole Devolites

Undoubtedly, when you are connected to a mobile device, and you’re looking for a wi-fi hot spot to use, you will see a populated list of wi-fi spots that are named things like, “Joe’s Apartment”, or “Guest”, or some random string of numbers or letters.

As with anything else, if it’s editable, it’s marketable.  Especially for consumer-based businesses, this is an opportunity to interact with the customer on the smallest (yet most surprisingly impactful) of levels.  Need some examples?

• A bookstore in Seattle used: Stophackingandreadabook
• A coffee shop: freeinternetbutcoffee5bucks
• Another coffeeshop: UrwiredImnot

So go out there and get creative with wi-fi names! Remember though, there will be many eyeballs seeing this name everyday, so make sure it’s appropriate!

June 2011

By Nichole Devolites

As the need to understand social media, grows, so do requests for us to present! We’ve decided to post our beginner’s social media presentation for everyone to see. Granted, the context behind each slide is what we discuss with our audience however, this gives you a chance to peek into what people are learning about. Contact us if you would like a presentation at your business.

September 13, 2012

By Nichole Devolites

See the following social media post from Uber and Virgin America and think about what is wrong with this:

If you are a seasoned social marketing guru or marketing strategy guru, you notice two things: 1. The fine print is missing (you must complete your first ride to get the points) and 2. Veteran Uber and Virgin America customers miss out on the points (and cannot even link these two accounts together) and instead, are encouraged to enter the contest. These two glaring missteps set off a day-long discussion (mostly rants) on why Uber messed this up.

Now, as all marketing people know, you will never be able please everyone. However, attention to detail – especially when you are a consumer-based company – is truly important. Uber is a two-year-old company that provides a touch of luxury in transportation, at an affordable cost. Virgin America is a well-established airline that provides the best customer experience on a flight at rather reasonable prices. A partnership, such as this, is a brilliant idea – it just wasn’t thought out, in terms of the announcement itself, as well as the offers/contest associated with it.

Some tips on how to avoid sour customer reactions:

1. Run the contest/offer through your legal department with a fine tooth comb. We all know that a legal review can take weeks for feedback however, when you are running a consumer campaign, that legal team can save you quite a headache.

2. Do the due diligence of looking at a contest/offer from every angle. Ask yourself some of the following questions:

• How will this contest/offer lure in new customers?
• How will this contest/offer reward the existing customer base?
• Is there something we can do for our more “patroned” customer base?
• Will the contest reward or offer come across as equal for all parties?
• If this is part of a larger partnership announcement, and you do not have one of these services in your area, how can customers then benefit? What will that messaging look like?
• How long is this partnership lasting? If it’s not an ongoing effort, but instead for a limited time, this needs to be communicated.
• Am I breaking any Facebook and/or Twitter contest rules?

3. Create the messaging and then have an external team or friends/family look at the messaging – will it resonate with them?
In the case of Uber and Virgin America, the following should have happened:

1. Offer 400 points to existing customers and give them a chance to link the accounts for future use.

2. Let customers know that in most cities where Virgin America flies to, you can request an Uber car.

3. Include the fine print in the announcement

The bottom line is that social media is a powerful tool and it only takes one person to make or break, what otherwise would be considered, a great contest/offer. Since customer retainment is just as/if not more important than bringing in new customers (since referrals are so much these days), it’s important to always think about who these types of campaigns effect and how you approach them fairly.