Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Who do you trust? Using reviews to turn browsers into buyers


By Mark Helfen

NOTE: AFTER OUR ONE MONTH CHANGE, WE ARE BACK TO OUR REGULAR LOCATION.
If you go to where we were last month, you will miss all the pizza. 
And the cookies……



Who do you trust?

It’s not an idle question, according to our upcoming speaker. Pehr Luedtke will address the topic Social Commerce: Are There Sales in Social? at our February 13 meeting.

According to Luedtke, there is a “trust ladder” for retail consumers, with manufacturers at the bottom (least trusted) and customers at the top. If you have purchased from Amazon, or at least checked out a product, think of the relative weight you give to the reviews of other customers, compared to the product description supplied by the manufacturer.

Luedtke is CEO of PowerReviews, which supplies a “white label” ratings and review service. Companies such as REI, Toys”R”Us, and Staples incorporate the system on their commerce site to allow customers to review and comment on products. PowerReviews products provide data and analysis of how customers are responding.

This is all part of the ongoing move of power from sellers to customers. There is an “explosion” of social tools that allow customers to respond and discuss what retailers sell. By supporting this discussion on their web sites, retailers can turn “browsers into buyers,” or at least that’s the objective.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Your Personal Marketing Strategy for 2012: It’s Time to Occupy Your Brand

Your Personal Marketing Strategy for 2012: It’s Time to Occupy Your Brand

by Linda Popky

Last month I spoke to the SV Forum Marketing SIG about the importance of managing your personal brand in a social-centric world. We talked about how important it is to apply the basic principles of Marketing to your own situation: You are the brand, and you need to position and promote yourself accordingly—whether you are employed by a company, looking for a position, or running your own business.

A number of people told me after the presentation they were going to become more actively involved in marketing and branding themselves. This is great news, but it doesn’t go far enough.

It’s time to take a lesson from the protest movement that has spread across America over the last several months. It’s time to Occupy your Brand.