Mike’s Points

If you read my blog at least periodically, you know I hardly do product or any type of review. But, I am definitely open to suggestions (as evidenced by this post).

A couple or so weeks ago, Gwen Peake of Ford Motor Co. contacted me and asked if I wanted to drive a Ford Flex to NYC. Ford would pay for gas there and to fly me back. I love to drive — but, I thought, “Why just me?”

So, my wife, Amy, and I have turned it into a mini-vacation for the family. I’ve been to NYC many times previously for business but not with the family. The memories and time together would far out-value any added expense we’d incur.

When Ford delivered the Flex Wednesday morning, we were a few hours away from setting off on the great American family road trip later that afternoon. We stayed with my aunt and uncle in New Cumberland, W. Va., Wednesday night (image at right) before arriving in NYC around 5 p.m. Thursday. We are staying a couple nights at the apartment of a close friend of a friend of Amy’s in the Times Square area.

Let me start by saying what we typically drive — so you have some idea of what I’m comparing the Flex to, and my family-focused perspective for this review. I drive a 2001 Honda Odyssey and Amy drives a 2007 Kia Sedona. Both were bought with safety as a priority (we have four kids), as well as price. I grew up in a (mostly) Ford family and the car I previously drove was a Ford Escort — which I had for 14 years. My very first car was a used Ford Tempo.

Fortunately, I can’t personally talk of the Flex’s safety features (no accidents!), but it is rated very highly when it comes to safety.

Good, the Not-So-Good & the Final Judgement

As I said above, we left home in the “sparkly black” (as Amy called it) Ford Flex Wednesday afternoon. Our trip took us from the flat lands of northern Ohio, into the rolling hills of southeast Ohio, through the winding and climbing mountains of the Alleghenies, into eastern Pennsylvania and northern New Jersey, before hitting New York City.

Other than icy roads, the drive to NYC pretty much ran the gamut of American road conditions and terrain.

After driving some 11+ hours, the Flex definitely is a more comfortable ride and is quieter than the minivans we drive. Even the kids said the Flex is very comfortable. (I will post videos of their take on the Flex in the next day or so to my YouTube account.)

The Flex has good acceleration/pick up for highway driving, and is easy to drive in-town — whether that’s a bedroom  community like Bedford Township, Mich., or a world-class city like The Big Apple. The brakes are not overly sensitive, so your passengers won’t get jerked around every time you slow down.

Many of the convenience features are excellent, including:

• giving you the average MPG (we had about 19.4 for the trip),
• how many miles you have until your gas tank hits empty,
• multiple ways to adjust the seat and pedals,
• a roomy first row, console/storage unit, that also offers first and second row passengers plug in and comfort options (see picture at right), etc.

While we couldn’t take advantage of all the Microsoft SYNC features, we did plug in Amy’s iPod and the family enjoyed listening to everyone’s music during the trip. (She previously added the kids’ playlists to her iPod, plus added some of my CDs.)

I was a bit disappointed in not being able to test out some of the other features of the Flex. It seems like we have a basic package. I had hoped to have a refrigerated, second-row console unit and/or its navigation unit, at least.

The only other area in which the Ford Flex disappointed me was the back storage (images at right). While the kids, and Amy and I had plenty of leg room and space - the Flex became crowded quickly when we packed our stuff in (even for a short trip like this). The back storage area quickly filled up with a small suitcase, a duffel bag and a stroller.

Our three oldest kids also brought along a backpack for any books, toys, etc. The backpacks had to go between the seats or in the leg room area. So, it was not easy getting in and out from the second and third row seats.

It seems like the Ford Flex would be ideal as a main family vehicle for a family with two children, when you could fold down the back row seats for the storage needed for a long trip. With three or more kids — like the Driehorst family with four — it doesn’t work as a trip/vacation vehicle.

For us, the Ford Flex would be a great secondary, in-town car.

So you know my $0.02 on the Ford Flex. If you have one or have driven one — what are YOUR thoughts?

-Mike

A couple weeks ago, eMarketer had a nice report about B2B spending in social media. I don’t have a source but have heard and experienced that B2B is about 18 months behind B2C in trends, marketing tactics, etc.

To me, social media is still in its infancy, but it is approaching toddler-hood. Social media won’t be mainstream until it becomes an automatic consideration as part of annual marketing planning — just like advertising, PR, trade shows, etc., are now.

What caught my eye about the eMarketing B2B report is the graph here. Three of the top four areas where B2B spent budget in 2009 were on community-focused platforms.

Common B2C tactics like blogger outreach, promotions and contests, coupons, attempts at viral videos, etc., do not work in the B2B world. How many plastics engineers have blogs? What about doctors — any big bloggers out there? Or, even purchasing managers — hhmmmm?

No.

What B2B professionals want is information, education and ways do their job better (tips, tricks, insight, how-to). If you are a B2B marketer or if you counsel B2B companies, keep these tips in mind:

• Go where your audience is. Creating a blog has many benefits, but be ready for a long lead time before you see solid ROI. In the meantime, find the discussion board where your audience already is gathering, and participate by asking questions, and responding to threads to show your expertise. Consider creating a LinkedIn Group and initiate discussions — not just about you.
• Discussion boards (as referenced above) are another great way to find and engage with your B2B audience. One of the forum-specific search engines I like is BoardReader.com.
• Monitor social media — not just for your brand, but for key trends in your industry. It’s a cost effective way for real-time market research. It’s also good for product development and being pro-active in dealing with industry concerns by customers and prospects.
• Use social media to smooth out the media relations process. That is, make your news sociable. Put your images on Flickr or Photobucket. Use YouTube for videos. Have a blog as your newsroom. The above will make it easier for the media you target to use your materials and your information will be more findable by your end audience.

While the hype and glamor of the consumer-focused social media world may be tempting, stay away from the bright lights. Instead, focus on your audience — and be an informational resource.*
-Mike

*If you’d like to brainstorm about how your company can be seen as a valuable resource — and build community — let me know.

My early professional roots (and even education) are in journalism, and it’s something I am passionate about for many reasons. For most of my career, however, I’ve been in public relations — including being active in social media marketing since 2005. So, when I get to combined both strong interests — it’s a FTW! type of moment.

Since March, I’ve worked with the Toledo (OH) Free Press as its social networking manager. Until then, I wrote regularly for the TFP beginning in September 2008. So when Editor in Chief Michael Miller asked me to write about how Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan dealt with the June 6, 2010, tornadoes and storms via social media, I said yes.

As pointed out in the story, social media plays a great role in connecting people and building a sense of community — even if only for a night of deadly storms.

Below is a repost of my story from the June 9 Toledo Free Press STAR. (As you can see, the version below does not include the reader-submitted photo, and I included links to tweets, Facebook updates and a YouTube account.)

Local residents get involved in storm coverage through Facebook, Twitter 

Written by Michael Driehorst | | news@toledofreepress.com

As deadly and damaging storms rolled through Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan into the morning of June 6, many people kept one eye on their TV, one eye on the skies — and their fingers on their keyboards.

In the age of free and easy access to online and mobile broadcasting, Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms enable everyday people to broadcast firsthand news just like traditional media have done for decades.

As the first severe weather started to hit the region, Traci Curth of Sylvania (@TraciLeigh) tweeted, “There goes the tornado siren. Headed to basement now. Will stay online …”

Around 1:30 a.m. June 6, J.M. Leong of Toledo (@Joys_Desk) tweeted, “Thunder and lightning now here in South Toledo; wind picked up about 20 minutes ago.”

At the same time, Maumee resident Becki Thompson (@bek1826) also was up, keeping an eye on the skies with this tweet: “This weather is getting really scary. Hope the tornados don’t hit our neighborhood.”

Toledo’s TV stations kept viewers updated throughout the early morning hours on the changing conditions and damage reports, with at least one weatherman, 13ABC’s Bill Spencer, citing “social networks” as sources for some of his reports.

As the Toledo-area media reported damages, they had plenty of help in spreading the word.

Toledo resident Nancy Hooven-Widman, who lists Delta as her hometown on Facebook, posted this Facebook update around 1 a.m.: “Guess the tornados hit Delta pretty good but, personally, we only saw lightning. No wind. No hail. Some rain. Round two is supposed to hit around 3 am.”

In addition to broadcasting, social media allows people to develop a sense of community in times of crisis and to try to help others. For example, as rescue and assistance crews started setting up across the region, many on Twitter and other platforms helped spread the word. Around 3:30 a.m. Sunday, a woman who goes by @BuckeyeLynn on Twitter sent this to her followers: “Delta Memorial Hall now shelter for storm victims in Delta, OH area. #tornado #storm #ohio”

Allen Mireles (@AllenMireles) of Waterville sent this call for help around 3:30 a.m. June 6: “One of my Facebook network posted that her uncle is missing and his house possibly leveled. Send her your prayers.”

As the dawn broke Sunday, many area residents who escaped major storm damage ventured out to survey their area, with many taking pictures and video.

Anthony Petronzi is a Flint resident attending Siena Heights University, Adrian, Mich. He posted this Facebook update: “Watching some videos from the tornado last night that hit Dundee. Touched down at 2:17 a.m., about 5 min after Adrian got hit with some 70 mph wind gusts. Dundee’s only like 20 min east of Adrian. It tore the roof off Cabelas.” Included with that update was video of storm damage in Dundee. That YouTube video was recorded by Skipa97.

Like many others, Toledoan Amanda Aldrich (@SweetPeaAmanda) volunteered to help in Lake Township. She sent this tweet Sunday morning: “I’m headed to Lake Township Fire Department today with @FFTToledo to help our friends with the #Toledo tornado devastation. Please join us.” Aldrich is the volunteer marketing director for Food for Thought.

Matt Book of Woodville (@MattBook) also volunteered his time Sunday and tweeted several pictures. Sunday evening, he published this tweet: “If you want to help this week, show up in the affected communities with a willing spirit, some gloves, and maybe a chainsaw. #tornado”

If you know of any fundraising or relief efforts to help those in Delta, Dundee, Lake Township or other areas that suffered damage, please post the information on the discussion page we’ve started on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ToledoFreePress?v=app_2373072738. If you have pictures or video from the weekend’s storm damage you wish to share with Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan, visit our Facebook page and upload them.

Michael Driehorst is the Social Networking Manager for the Toledo Free Press.

More and more, small business owners are buying into social media, according to a May 20 report on eMarketer (see table).

“[A]lmost two in five small-business owners reported they would be growing their businesses with social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. That was up from less than one-quarter who planned to up their game with social in 2009 and made social media the only tactic to increase in importance since last year.”

While it’s good that social media marketing is becoming more mainstream, let me offer a bit of advice for small businesses (and any other business for that matter): Don’t neglect your Website. It’s your core online presence.

But I digress. While I liked the report, what it didn’t go into is WHY?

Sorry, “growing your business” is a bit vague and not a good answer. If I had to guess, I’d say that growing your business means you want to sell more. Is that really it? Ultimately it is — but there’s a lot that goes into “growing your business” and social media isn’t always the best for driving sales.

For any size business, your overriding business objectives must drive everything else — including social media marketing.

Set objectives — for the long term and short term. These objectives need to be measureable. If not hard-core numbers, at least know and describe in the plan what “success” will look like.

Set strategies designed to accomplish above said objectives.

THEN set and implement tactics  — like “get a Facebook Page” — that will accomplish the strategies.

Once you successfully plan and lay out the above, add in regular reporting activity — so you can determine if the tactics are meeting the strategies, and if the strategies are meeting the objectives’ measureables.

If any so-called social media expert or any marketing communications expert tells you that you should blog, get on Twitter, do an ad, or any other tactic — ask him/her why. If that person cannot give you a good reason — one that is tied to your business — send that person away.*

-Mike

*And contact me.

I’m no noted authority on Twitter and no highly-acclaimed expert. What I have been doing is tweeting pretty regularly for 1156 days according to HowLongOnTwitter.com. I’ve tweeted for me and Diamond Communications, as well as for one to five other accounts off and on during the past three-plus years.

And, I’ve learned a few things and nuances about tweeting that I hope will be beneficial to you as well. The below definitely is not meant to  be all inclusive — so please share your own Twitter tips in the comments.

Share
RT, a/k/a a retweet: Whether you use Twitter on the Web, a desktop application like Tweetdeck or mobile app, there are easy, click-of-button ways to simply repeat what others have tweeted while giving them credit.

Via (or similar short term of giving credit): If RT’ing a person means you exceed the 140 character limit, simply post a link and give the person from whom you found it credit.

RT/Via with your opinion (see image right): Offer your brief take on the subject covered in the link or the text tweeted, along with giving your source credit. Sharing information is good; adding value to that information is better.

RT/Via with a snippet: Similar to offering your opinion, but instead you offer a key phrase from the link. It could be the headline, verbiage in the content or even a comment from someone in the link you think is valuable.

Engage

Link with question: If you’re sharing a link, engage your followers and see if they have an opinion on the topic you are linking to. It’ll help encourage people to follow the link to share their opinion and expertise.

Ask: Seek input and the opinions of followers on industry trends and issues, ask how your product and service can be improved, ask how or when followers use your products and services, etc.

Open up: Tweet behind-the-scenes of what’s happening at work, during a trade show, or any situation that is not regularly communicated via traditional marketing means. Twitter add-ons like Twitpic, Yfrog, Twitvid and other image and video services are helpful to show — not just tell — behind-the-scenes scoop.

Be relatable: It IS okay to tweet about yourself. When you do this, try to tweet something that’s also of interest to others and that followers may be able to relate to. The weather is one example, particularly for followers in your geographic area. A silly or unusual situation you are in or that you see, is another example.

CC (image right*): It’s not only for email. If you tweet a link or anything you think a particular fellow tweeter might find of interest, cc that account. This is particularly helpful if that other account does not follow you or if you simply want to get his/her/their attention.

Be Findable

Follow more: One passive but easy to get more followers is to — simply follow more people. Many people will automatically follow you back. Others will follow if they like your profile — so be sure to include bio AND photo — while others will follow back if you @ them or are engaging (see above).

Categorize your tweets: In other words, use hashtags. When you tweet about certain topics, use common hashtags that others might associate with that topic.

#FollowFriday: Give a shout-out to those you follow by promoting them and encouraging others to follow them. To do so, use #followFriday and/or #ff hashtags, the followers’ Twitter names (with @ ). Some people just give a followFriday and followers’ names. However, it’s more engaging to include a few words as to why you like them, what value you find, etc. Granted, this is also engagement but if you followFriday others, you’ll likely be followFriday’d back and gain more followers. It’s not the only reason to participate but it is a good one.

So, there you have it. Rocket science, eh?

-Mike

*The tweet in the example is by me as I am working with the Toledo Free Press as its social networking manager.