Social Media Internet Marketing

Fusework Studios Announces Matt Howell as Project Manager

Tuesday, August 17, 2010 by Matt Howell

August 17, 2010 - Fusework Studios, a full-service internet marketing and technology solution provider with offices in Indianapolis and Muncie, Indiana, has recently hired Matt Howell as Project Manager.

Matt joins Fusework Studios as Project Manager bringing with him more than 10 years of professional experience in internet marketing and consultation. Other talents Matt presents in his new capacity at Fusework Studios include experience in web design and development, client relations and account coordination.

Mark Shaffer, Senior Vice President of Fusework Studios declares, “We’re excited to add Matt to our team, and together look forward to many years of creating mutually beneficial relationships with our clients.”

Matt’s professional history includes assignments at Boyden and Youngblutt, as well as LaBov and Beyond in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. A graduate of Ball State University, Matt’s areas of study included Telecommunications, earning a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1997.

“Matt is extremely personable and down-to-Earth, making it very easy to talk to him, even about complex technical issues,” indicates Carla Feagans, Owner, Ignite HR Consulting. “He makes finding the right solution for your issues easy, and goes above and beyond in his customer service and follow-up.”

Mr. Howell resides in Farmland, Indiana, but calls all of East Central Indiana and Indianapolis home. Matt is a devoted father of three and is active in the Boys Scouts of America, the Muncie Young Professionals Group, and the American Advertising Federation of East Central Indiana.

Fusework Studios is a premier creative house specializing in web design & development, internet marketing, film & video production and managed IT support services. Fusework Studios, with offices in Indianapolis and Muncie, has been the recipient of numerous awards for their innovative work. Fusework Studios is a division of Rutter Communications Network, a 20+ year, privately held, multimedia company headquartered in Muncie, Indiana.

For additional information, contact Mark Shaffer, Senior Vice President, Fuseworks Studios (mshaffer@fuseworkstudios.com).

Influence or Fame: Who Has Them in Social Media

Tuesday, July 13, 2010 by Jenn Lisak

Brandon Prebynski, a friend and respected web geek, recently posted a question on Facebook that generated discussion about the power of influence versus fame in the social media community. When asked about preference between influence and fame, the majority picked influence as shown below:

Brandon also references a related article posted by Mashable that talks about celebrities and their followers' influence in the social media community. There is a distinct difference between fame and influence shown by the data, and the study concludes that celebrities' Twitter followers have zero influence. While some might find this surprising, I found this data to be predictable and accurate. Let me explain why.

As you can see by the responses to Brandon's great question, influence was picked by most of the population sample. One responder, however, brings up an important point: do fame and influence come with the other attached? When reviewing the data produced by Mashable, a majority of all the celebrities' followers had 1 to 0 influence, while social media heavyweights' followers had an average authority of 4.4. If you are looking at this data and accepting Sysomos's definitions of influence and authority, then the answer to the question would be no. With certain topics, such as fashion, media, and other popular trends, I would be inclined to say that celebrities are the influence. But either way, I believe that, like the Mashable article insinuates, "celebrities are bound to attract mainstream followers less interested in their own Twitter follower counts and more consumer with their celebrity obsessions."

On the other hand, look at the people who follow the social media heavyweights. They are generally interested and are active in the social media community, own or manage businesses, provide quality content, and are actively promoting or commenting on their blogs, tweets, social media networks. Furthermore, not everyone might agree with what the social media gurus have to say, but they still comment and respond to their content anyways. Their followers engage and provide opinions, while celebrity followers spectate and blindly follow.

When asked if I preferred fame or influence, I did not hesitate to answer. Influence gives you the opportunity to have a voice, to be an agent of change. Influence can come with fame, but I believe that there is also an element of emptiness to being famous. Most celebrities are given face time, but their opinions are rarely the topic of conversation. (This depends on the topic/situation, but their opinions may not be respected because of their "celebrity" status). At the end of the day, the important thing is to use your fame or influence to benefit others.

So which would you choose? Fame or Influence?

Nonprofits and Social Media Marketing

Friday, July 9, 2010 by Jenn Lisak

Once social media started to become popular as a marketing tool, businesses were ready to hit the ground running and begin utilizing this marketing channel from the word go. Nonprofits, on the other hand, were (and are) a little wary of jumping on the bandwagon so quickly. While many people think that businesses and nonprofits are opposite in nature, they both have one common goal: to generate a revenue stream in order to meet their business objectives. What is different is where the money is distributed, and as a result, their marketing objectives are somewhat different as well.

When working for a nonprofit, you are asking the community for money, or donations, without providing a service or product in return. (But I believe that you get the warm fuzzy feeling from donating and volunteering, so it’s a win-win situation anyway). And more often than not, you do not actually see where your money is spent and how it helps the organization. When working for a business, the relationship between the client and the business is mutually beneficial because it is, by definition, an exchange. You know exactly what you are paying for, and you have expectations attached to the purchase. Needless to say, marketing for a business is different (and easier!) than marketing for a nonprofit. My friend, Jeff Poss, puts it best:

@jeffposs: I’ve always looked at nonprofit marketing as a way of rallying support/exposure, where as business marketing is a call to action. (via Twitter)

Business marketing is about communicating a want or need to potential consumers, while nonprofit is about evoking emotion that is connected with the organization’s cause. While blatant self-promotion is more accepted with nonprofit marketing, these organizations still have to create value for their potential advocates and volunteers. Nonprofits are serving the community, but they also have to be active in the community in order for people to relate with their cause. Like Jeff says, marketing for a nonprofit is rallying and gaining support for a cause, which takes time and trust from the community.

I wanted to write about this because we serve many different nonprofits at Fusework Studios, and we see the differences between how they operate as opposed to businesses. While we are certainly operating and functioning as a business, it is important to look at the trends in the industry, including nonprofits. After careful review, here are some tips I have for nonprofits in regards to social media marketing:

1. Keep it internal.
While I support ghost writing, I believe that nonprofits should have an employee of the company implement their social media strategy. Employees understand the nature of the organization and know what is going on in the company. They are also more connected to the cause than an outsourced marketer would be. Outsiders need to see the passion and support within the content of the social media, which can only be provided by someone who actually advocates for the organization.

2. Provide testimonials.
The people you serve are your biggest marketing assets! Have them tell their story and show people how you've helped them! For example, we created a testimonial video for Easter Seals Crossroads that has won awards and evoked emotions in their viewers! When using social media, post videos, letters, and photos that you've gotten from those you've helped. This is showing people what you do, not telling them.

3. Partnerships are key.
Get involved with other nonprofits in the community. Host events together, volunteer for their cause, invite them to your events, etc. Retweet and comment on their posts on their social media networks. Promote their cause as well as your own. These relationships will help you get your name out to those who already advocate for the other organization, which, in turn, may lead to more advocates for your organization.

The point of this is that whether you're marketing for a business or nonprofit, you have to provide value for your audience. You have to create meaningful content in order to create advocates for your brand.

The Showdown: Facebook v. Twitter

Friday, July 2, 2010 by Jenn Lisak

Although I use a variety of social media networks, I find myself using Facebook and Twitter the most. But I also find myself using these networks for entirely different reasons. On the one hand, I have a personal Facebook account for connecting with friends, posting pictures, and socializing, while maintaining clean and appropriate content. On the other hand, Twitter is both a personal and professional account that I use for networking, finding out about events, socializing with new people, and promoting companies or people that I support. Of course, there is an overlap between the two, but all in all, I use each for different reasons. Put simply, I use Facebook for friends and Twitter for business and social reasons.

In the current scheme of business marketing, almost every business has both a Twitter and Facebook account to promote their products or services. While this is important to reach a larger target market, I was curious to find out which social network people thought was more effective for business marketing. Here are some of the responses I received (via Twitter):

@chris_c_lucas: It all depends on where your customers/prospective [clients] spend their time. Different for every business.

@cphadley: I get more interaction from people via #twitter but I really like having both options. #facebook is good for events/photos. #business

@jasonrukus: I think they both offer different strengths. Twitter is great for direct contact & customer service. Also for promotion of something. [Cont.’d] FB is great for being that something promoted. With FBML you can create interactive content which reaches a very large audience.

@JaysMoving: #twitter has the most opportunity to be retweeted and by the numbers it has better potential. BUT you should be a fan of us on #FB.

@rustylive: I think twitter, b/c it's fast, direct and without all of that fluff. Followers are more active as well. Also it's easier to...

@ashanjay: I think Twitter would be the better option for biz marketing.. but fb is not a bad tool either.

Although this is a small sample size, you can see that it is a mixed group of answers, but there seems to be more of an inclination towards Twitter as a marketing tool. Of course, all of this depends on the industry of your business. But let’s look at these networks more closely, shall we?

Twitter, by definition, is a microblogging social network that allows it users to send out short tidbits of information that can include pictures, links, or text, simply called tweets. Other users, or followers, can reply to your posts, which can start a dialogue, but your profile only hosts your posts. Most people are under the common misconception that it is just a series of status updates, but it can be used to market a business effectively (and concisely!) in 140 characters if executed properly.

Facebook, on the other hand, is a social network that allows each of its users to have a profile where friends can tag pictures, post comments, promote events, and write personal messages. Your profile incorporates your friends’ interaction as well as your own, which all of your friends can see publicly (depending on the privacy options). This is a place where you come to connect with people, instead of simply sending out a message.

After reviewing all of these responses and looking at my personal experience with these networks, I truly believe that Twitter can ultimately provide customers with better service and timely marketing. Yes, pictures and posts disappear out of the Twitter feed when new tweets are posted, but there is a much quicker response time with Twitter as opposed to Facebook. I believe that Twitter is a much more mobile application as well, which feeds into the “timely” marketing aspect. Furthermore, I believe that businesses can overcome negative feedback in a more dignified manner on Twitter. If someone posts a negative comment on Facebook, all of your friends can see the post. While you can respond to this feedback, the reaction time might not be fast enough for the disgruntled customer. If someone posts a negative comment about you on Twitter, all of their followers can see it, but you can address the feedback by retweeting what they said with an appropriate response. For example, if someone had a bad experience at a restaurant, then they could mention that restaurant in a tweet. In response, the restaurant could retweet that content, and reply by giving them 10% off their next meal, which will be posted to all of the restaurant’s followers.

Regardless of what I think, it is ultimately up to businesses to decide where there time is better spent. And it does depend on customer demographics and where people want to go to find information about a company. To be on the safe side, both Facebook and Twitter should be utilized by companies to reach those larger target markets, as well as fulfilling different purposes. The important thing to acknowledge at the end of the day is that you are providing your customers with exceptional customer service and building your brand into something that you are proud to represent.

5 Tips to Creating Raving Fans

Tuesday, June 22, 2010 by Jenn Lisak

As we all know, last Thursday was the official release of the infamous iPhone 4, complete with new features, such as FaceTime and multitasking. People camped overnight, stood in long lines, and even missed work to buy this hot commodity. All day long, I was surrounded by talk of the new phone on Twitter, Facebook, the news, and chit chat between friends. But amongst all of the hype, I started thinking about all the commercial commodities that have been popular throughout my own life. Some of the things that came to mind were Furbys, Beanie Babies, Tamagotchis, Harry Potter books, Halo, Backstreet Boys CD's, etc. Then, I asked myself what do all of these have in common? They are all physical, tangible products, and all of them have generated a "raving fan" following.

In recent years, most businesses have transitioned into the service industry, even if there is a product component to their business. Service, in layman terms, is intangible work completed for the benefit of others, and I would venture to say that it is harder to create the "raving fan" mentality for a service as opposed to a product. In the last week, we have seen the raving fan mentality with the iPhone 4, and it is just as much a service as it is a product, even if the product component is what initially rives the customer to your service. So how do you create the "raving fan" if you're in the service industry? Here are some ideas:

1. Provide a quality product.
It doesn't matter if you have great service if you don't have a quality product to back it up. For example, as a website design company in Indianapolis, we have to give our customers not only an aesthetically pleasing website, but one that fits the client's web based strategy. The final product is what the client is going to see and use every day, so creating the product with care and precision will ensure client satisfaction.

2. Provide exceptional customer service.
This might seem obvious, but you won't retain clients without giving them a reason to stay with your business. Respond to your client's emails/calls quickly, ask questions about what they need, give them all the information they need to make an informed decision, and work with them to give them what they want without sacrificing your business. It is your job to make your clients happy without giving up your ideals, as well as producing a return on investment for each project.

3. Execute and represent an effective brand.
Clients want to be able to identify with a brand when deciding on who to use for a service. A well-defined brand is one of your greatest marketing tools if executed properly. If you say you're a "green" company, practice environmentally safe policies. Do as you say and say what you do.

4. Provide value by advertising your clients' products/services (B2B).
Instead of just marketing for your brand, feature your clients in blog posts, or mention them to your social media community. By doing this, you can provide extra value for both you and your client. It helps promote their brand and services while enhancing your testimonials and portfolio.

5. Give back to your community.
Whether it be a national corporation or a small business, people are more attached to businesses that provide their communities with resources and a helping hand. It's a way of showing that you care about the people who have contributed to your business.

These tips might seem simple and obvious, but it's important to revisit the basics of what makes a customer drawn to your brand. You want raving fans? Provide them with raving fan business!

What I Learned from Leroy Stick - The Man Behind @BPGlobalPR

Friday, June 11, 2010 by Jenn Lisak

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the past month, you’ve probably heard about the oil spill that had caused a fair amount of damage to the Gulf of Mexico and to British Petroleum’s reputation. In order to “rectify” the situation, BP has released a number of press statements over the past couple of weeks that have not satisfied an overwhelmingly disgruntled public. In response to BP’s lackluster statements, a man, who has dubbed himself as Leroy Stick, decided to take matters into his own hands; he created a Twitter account, cleverly named @BPGlobalPR, which pokes fun at how BP executives are dealing with the current situation. According to Stick, he started @BPGlobalPR because he believed that BP did not offer anything to ease the nation’s concerns. As a result, @BPGlobalPR has already accumulated over 150,000 followers since May 19, and it continues to grow on a daily basis. Leroy also supports the campaign that sells “bp cares” t-shirts to fund the activities of the Gulf Restoration Network, and his team recently made a $10,000 donation to the charity. All in all, he has become a celebrity within the social media community overnight and has molded BP’s brand into the punch line of his own joke.

His popularity or humor, however, is not what has captured my attention; it’s his message. Leroy Stick felt the need to create an entire web based strategy with @BPGlobalPR because BP wasn’t responding to the general public with urgency, sincerity, or solutions. Instead, Leroy argues that BP has been doing whatever it can to maintain a positive image and to keep making money. In other words, the executives are paying Internet marketing and PR representatives to promote a positive brand image that has been destroyed by employees of the company instead of trying to fix the problems at hand!

“So what is the point of all this?” Leroy asks. “The point is, FORGET YOUR BRAND. You don’t own it because it is literally nothing. You can spend all sorts of time and money trying to manufacture public opinion, but ultimately, that’s up to the public, now isn’t it?”

This is exactly what marketers do not want to hear, but it’s the truth. Companies can pay agencies tons of money to create marketing campaigns that represent integrity, quality, service, etc. But at the end of the day, none of this matters unless the client perceives the company (or the point of contact) as such.

So what does this have to do with me? Well, as a project manager for Fusework Studios, I am charged with providing my clients with the best service possible in order to create a positive brand image for the company. I will be a point of contact for clients, and I have to face the truth that Leroy Stick presents. Despite this challenge, I am excited to take on the responsibility of embodying the brand of Fusework Studios while maintaining my own values. Regardless of whether it is a global, multibillion dollar company or a small Internet Marketing and Website Design Company (with offices in Indianapolis and Muncie, Indiana), the point is to represent your values by making ethical business decisions and providing your clients with the best possible solutions; something that both the public and Leroy Stick feel BP is lacking.

As a result, I am even more motivated to practice what I preach in response to Leroy's skepticism. So, thank you, Leroy Stick, for encouraging me to face this challenge.

Jenn Lisak is a new Project Manager for Fusework Studios, and obviously, we're excited to have her join our team! Look for more posts from Jenn soon.

Website Redesign Breakdown from Website Design Company

Tuesday, April 6, 2010 by Derek McClain

Being a website design company, we are frequently approached by potential clients wanting to get more information on a website redesign. We encourage these companies to take a step back and think about why they are really interested in redesigning their website. Oftentimes, we will find that there really is no reason other than it's "just time for a new look."

While this does not mean they shouldn't redesign the site, it certainly should not be the #1 reason. We promote the concept of looking at your business and what you are really looking to accomplish online prior to starting on a new look. Is the main objective to gain more leads? Do you want site visitors to sign up for your email marketing list? These are just a couple of questions that help spark a very beneficial discussion.

Below is a video with more information and a closer look at the recently redesigned Fusework Studios website. The main goal of the redesign was to drive traffic to our Internet marketing packages such as the business blogging package or the computer network management package. These packages are now much easier for you to find as you will see in the video! Enjoy!

Is Your Business Ready for the Final Four?

Thursday, April 1, 2010 by Brandon Coppernoll

The Final Four is coming to Indianapolis. It's important for your web based strategy to be prepared for the influx of patrons coming to witness the finish to a wild tournament. This week it is important to be involved in your social media community and focus on your email marketing strategy to attract the vast sea of potential customers.

If you haven't done these things yet - don't worry! You have two more days before the first two games. Get out there and let everyone know your specials. Update your website and address your corporate blog. You have a chance to increase your business' visibility.

Learn about our Business Blog package.

There are many ways to tackle the task of winning organic search. At Fusework Studios, we believe the most affordable and effective way to increase your search engine optimization (SEO) is through a business blog.

Are You a Social Media Couch Potato, or Are You in the Race?

Wednesday, March 31, 2010 by Bruce McClain

To have success, you have to commit. You have to do it every day. You can’t take days off, and you can’t just relax on the couch and expect to see results. Now you may think I am talking about your marathon training, but I am really talking about your social media efforts.

Social media is just like weight loss or training for a race. You have to put effort into it. There are no easy fixes and no magic pills you can take to get the results you want. I believe this is why some people get frustrated. Just like with exercise, if people don’t see immediate results, they tend to give up.

For example, if you register for a Twitter account tomorrow and decide you are going to build a following and really get your message out there, it isn’t going to happen overnight. It probably won’t even happen in a month.

However, if you have a plan, and you execute it each and every day, you will start to build a following. That group will continue to recommend you, and your following will get bigger and bigger. Just like with weight loss, you may hit a plateau, and that's okay. This is not the time to stop, it is the time to press on because you will see results.

I will warn you; there are lots of scams out there as well. People will promise you thousands of followers for a small fee. While that sounds good and may actually happen for a short period, these people are not qualified followers and eventually those people will stop following you.

To get the results you want, good, hard, honest work is all it takes. Set your plan and go for it! Blog even when you don’t feel like it. Tweet those two extra informative tweets. Friend that Facebook user right before bed. Go the extra mile. Make a commitment. It’s a social media marathon. Now get in the race!

Sign Up Now - Indianapolis Lunch and Learn - April 8th

Wednesday, March 31, 2010 by Brandon Coppernoll

Want to learn more about Internet marketing? Do you have burning questions about how to use social media and blogging tools effectively for your business? If so, join us for some great food and a short presentation from 11:30am to 1:00pm on Thursday, April 8 at Scotty's Brewhouse downtown.

Sign up now for the Lunch and Learn!

Fusework Studios' President, Bruce McClain, will start off with an overview of Internet marketing, discussing the importance of strategy in your marketing objectives. He'll cover a range of tools and tips in social media, business blogging and much more. Then the CEO of Compendium Blogware, Chris Baggott, will share how to use corporate blogging to change your business and search results....for the better!

Feel free to bring along a friend or two and spend your lunch break learning information that you need to know! We promise you'll leave with a new found knowledge of what Internet marketing can do for your bottom line.

Your ticket price includes your lunch at Scotty's Brewhouse!

Fusework Studios Launches AAFECI.org and Creates ADDY Awards Presentation

Friday, March 12, 2010 by James Hueston

Fusework Studios has played a major role in the new marketing for the American Advertising Federation of East Central Indiana (AAF ECI). Specifically, Fusework Studios Project Manager, Laurie Foster, recently completed a new website for AAF ECI (www.aafeci.org), which launched just before the 2010 ADDY Awards Banquet. The timing was great! The community saw not only the new face of the organization at the Awards Banquet, but also were reminded of Fusework Studios' offerings in Muncie as a website design company.

In addition, we volunteered to create the mainstage presentation for this year's ADDY Awards ceremony. This was a great opportunity to support several of the advertising agencies in Indiana, and the work they have done for their clients. We started months in advance, and I personally enjoyed working with Executive Director, Anne Condran, and Addy Chair, Christy Jones, in crafting the detailed presentation.

The presentation of the 2010 Addy Award Winners is on the new website for all to see, but I have also included it in my post below, so you can take a quick look.

A third-party service called SlideShare facilitates the display of PowerPoint presentations on any website in a very user-friendly format.

As a social media marketing company, we encouraged AAF ECI to alert their fans and followers of their new online presence, which they did on Facebook. Now the organization is setup online to further fulfill their mission to:

CONNECT members to other advertising industry professionals and resources;
Encourage, support, and recognize members in their quest to CREATE the very best in advertising; and
INSPIRE young professionals to enter the advertising profession.

Many thanks to the Board Members of AAF ECI for selecting Fusework Studios to partner with for their recent marketing needs. Best wishes for continued success.

Importance of Search Engine Marketing in a Full Web Based Strategy

Friday, March 12, 2010 by Brandon Coppernoll

A complete web based strategy can be an excellent forefront to a solid Internet marketing strategy. The goal should be to be able to reach all of your customers through different "vehicles" to promote your products, services and even your customers. The focus the past year has been on social media marketing, and the year before that there was a great increase in email marketing. This year, the focus has shifted to search engine marketing, and it is important to include this in your strategy.

Here are benefits to good search engine marketing:

Search engines are the number one resource for people to find websites
Targeted search engine marketing can have a high conversion rate
Search engine marketing can be completely free (do not have to use pay per click)
You win search by writing about what people are looking for

If your website is not winning the traffic through search that you're looking for, contact Fusework Studios about putting together an Internet marketing strategy including search engine optimization.

It's Not the CMS That Counts; It's How You Use It!

Tuesday, February 23, 2010 by Brandon Coppernoll

Inevitably in this business, I get pulled into the never-ending debate on what is the best content management system (CMS). I get asked which are best for search engine opimization, social media community integration and flexibility. Every website design or website development company has their preferred CMS they design and implement for. Some of these are proprietary, but most are likely third-party provided. At Fusework Studios, we have a proprietary software, but there are some cases in which we go with third-party integration.

Almost all content management systems now have tools for search engine optimization and other tools to complement your web based strategy. A company can spend from nearly no money to thousands of dollars for the top-of-the-line CMS. Unfortunately, all that money will do no good without a keyword and search marketing strategy behind your content.

Tips to utilize your CMS' capabilities:

Title your pages with keywords in mind
Use keywords in your links
Use keywords early in your content (first or second paragraph)
Use keywords in header tags
Create inbound marketing by generating buzz or links to your content (preferrably with keywords) by utilizing your social media community tools
Utilize business blogging to drive traffic to your site

For a successful web based strategy, you cannot rely solely on one marketing medium. All of the tools around the web, including your CMS, play an integral role in Internet marketing.

Contact Fusework Studios for tips or if you have questions regarding search engine optimization and your content management system.

Do You Have a Social Communications Strategy?

Wednesday, February 17, 2010 by Bruce McClain

I have one simple thought for today. If you are going to venture into the world of social media, whether it be Facebook, Twitter, or your flavor of choice, make sure you have a plan.

These days, almost everyone expects you to have a presence on these networks, but if you don't have a plan, it is worse than not being there at all.

I recently had dinner at a local restaurant. When the service didn't go as well as I would have liked, I decided to fill out the new "comment card" and post something on the restaurant's Facebook page. I was going to use Twitter, but unfortunately, they didn't have a Twitter account.

I made a simple post about my dissatisfaction and waited to get a response. I did eventually get one three days later. I am very happy with the end result, and the Manager did a wonderful job in making things up to me. He won a fan back by his phone call and email.

In talking with him, he did reveal to me that he was struggling with social media and wasn't sure of the etiquette or how to respond to comments. This is my point. If you are not sure what to do or how to do it, hold off on getting started. Get some advice, make a plan, and then make the leap.

If I would not have been able to find this company on Facebook, I would have asked to speak with the Manager right then. He would have been able to solve the problem, and that would have been the end of it.

By opening his restaurant up to the social world, he is taking on the responsibility of managing that part of his business as well. He must react in a timely fashion and make sure he doesn't miss anything that is posted about his business.

If you are unsure of your strategy or the proper way to respond to customer interactions, let us know. We will be happy to help.

How To Use Social Media As A Customer Service Tool - Part Two

Thursday, February 11, 2010 by Bruce McClain

Last week, I wrote a post about the great customer service I received from General Motors. I was so impressed with the service that I forwarded the blog post on to my new friend at GM who had helped me with everything, and I thought that was the end of the experience. Little did I know, that was just the beginning.

Over the course of the next 24 hours, over 80 GM employees viewed my blog post (gotta love Google analytics), I gained 20 new followers on Twitter and had an interaction with GM's Director of Social Media and Digital Communications. I suddenly felt like I had a whole company that valued my business all from a simple Twitter post.

The next morning, I took my vehicle in for my appointment at the Chevy dealership. After a somewhat long wait, the service tech informed me that all my troubles were a result of severely worn tires. Could have been worse, I guess, but still a costly repair. After thinking about my options for a few minutes, I decided I would get a second quote before shelling out the money.

I went to my local tire store. I knew they wouldn't put the same quality of tires on my vehicle that the dealership was offering, but quite frankly, I was just trying to save some money. The quote was a couple hundred dollars cheaper, so I went ahead and had them make the tire change. I was off and running with a smooth driving car, and once again, I believed GM had done their job, and I probably wouldn't hear any more from them.

But, I was wrong again! That evening, I got a call from Thomas from the Executive Customer Service Staff at GM. To be honest, I didn't return his call right way. I just assumed it was a follow up to my appointment that morning. Little did I know GM was trying to go above and beyond yet again.

Early today, I finally had time to call Thomas back. He had been trying to get in touch with me before I bought new tires. Not because he wanted to tell me how great GM tires were, but because GM wanted to pay for two of them. He said even though tires really fell outside the warranty because of my miles (65k), I had been a loyal GM customer, and they wanted to help me out with some of the cost of the repair.

I started to kick myself at this point for not waiting. I thanked Thomas for the generous offer, but informed him I already purchased some tires that were cheaper at another store. Again, I figured that was it, after all, at this point, the customer service experience had far exceeded my expectations.

Without missing a beat, Thomas said he still wanted to help me out. He then proceed to offer me a GM Maintenance plan for free. Right now, I can't remember the name of this, but essentially they will cover all my maintenance costs (oil changes, tire rotations, etc.) for the next 30,000 miles. I quickly accepted this offer and thanked Thomas once again.

From the moment I sent that tweet, GM has been looking out for me as a customer. This group of social media specialists has been empowered to make this kind of effort to make sure customers have great experiences. With all the talk about social media and the pros and the cons, this is a wonderful example of a huge, enormous company, interacting with one individual and making a difference to their business.

Did their effort work? Well, you are reading a blog post about it now, aren't you? I also will forward this link to my Twitter followers and Facebook friends. Plus, I told ten people personally since this all happened this morning. Now, this story is reaching over 1,000 people or more. This is why I believe social media works.

I know this probably isn't your typical story, and I definitely don't think everyone should post things on Twitter hoping to get something for free. But in this case, GM went above and beyond--all from a simple Twitter post. Now they have a customer for life.

Listen to Your Followers, Friends and Fans

Thursday, February 4, 2010 by Bruce McClain

Listen to Your Twitter Followers, Facebook Friends and Fans

Most of us love to talk. We want to be stars or the center of attention. That is why we love Social Media. We love to tell people what we are doing and what is important to us. We also all believe that people actually care.

With that in mind as businesses, it gives us a fantastic opportunity, TO LISTEN. With all of these followers, friends and fans, we have access to a huge database of information, thoughts and ideas. Best of all, these thoughts come from people who are interested enough to have made the initial connection.

We now have, at our fingertips, information that has never been available before. Instant updates as to when someone might be hungry or when someone is out shopping. We can know if someone is looking for a new car, or just ate at the restaurant we own. If we just take the time to listen, we can learn a lot.

After listening, we need to act, of course. Thank the customers for their business, send them a link to a car you sell, or invite them to your next function to get to know them better.

There are many tools out there that make the listening easier and can help you interact better, but the main point is to listen. Social media is a very powerful tool, but sometimes we use it incorrectly. Try changing your approach--Talk less and listen more. It will pay you dividends.

How To Use Social Media As A Customer Service Tool

Tuesday, February 2, 2010 by Bruce McClain

Last night I experienced the power of social media first hand, and it came from a very unlikely source, General Motors. Yes, that's right. The company that just months ago was working through a bankruptcy is now using social media to improve their customer service.

Here is what happened. Yesterday my service stabilitrak light came on in my Trailblazer. Since I am not a car expert, I had no idea what this meant. I called my local Chevy dealership and made an appointment to get it looked at, but from that point, a huge knot began to grow in my stomach.

What kind of cost would I be looking at? Would this be under warranty? Is this a big deal?

With all these questions in mind, I headed to the fountain of information, Twitter. I posted a simple message asking my followers if they had ever had this problem and would it be expensive. I used the # tag when mentioning Chevy, hoping to get multiple opinions.

Within 5 minutes of my tweet, I received a Direct message from @GMCustomerSvc asking me to direct message him with more info, so he could help me. I was amazed, not only with the speed of this reply, but also that he offered to help me.

Over the next few minutes we exchanged tweets, but we soon found it cumbersome to limit our messages to Twitter's 140 character limit. That is when my new GM buddy asked me to switch our conversation to Facebook. He sent me a friend request, and within seconds, we were chatting away about my situation.

At the end of the evening, Jared the GM Twitter Specialist had confirmed my appointment, assigned me a follow up case number and verified that the Stabilitrak was not under warranty. As much as that news disappointed me, I was happy at the service I had received.

This whole episode really illustrates the power of Twitter and the way social media can be used to improve your customer service. Instead of me going to my appointment today already worried and dreading the wait, I was armed with information, comforted that someone cared and confident that I would get good service.

How can you use social media to improve your business? Can you interact with customers through social media? Click here to schedule a planning session with one of our experts. We can help you create and execute your plan.

Fusework Studios Launches Web Site for IU Kokomo

Thursday, January 21, 2010 by Nellie Stout

Original article by Indiana University Kokomo: http://www.iuk.edu/news/?naid=19&ncid=.

Kokomo, Ind. - Indiana University Kokomo has launched a new and improved Web site, www.iuk.edu, featuring easier navigation, online video, vibrant flash images, and socia media integration.

"The new site will allow us to share IU Kokomo in a more engaging and dynamic way. It brings with it a content management system that allows us to better manage updates and changes, as well as the ability to implement analytics that measure site usage and give us the tools to make constant improvements that better serve our users," said Katrina Janes, director of the Office of Communications and Marketing at IU Kokomo. "The redesign and launch of a new university Web site is a huge undertaking, and we are very excited to unveil this new Web presence to the students, campus and community that we serve."

The site, developed by Indianapolis-based Fusework Studios, provides easier navigation for the user, improved search functions, and a consistent look, design, and feel. The first step in the redesign was an audit of the old Web site that included an evaluation of its strengths and weaknesses. This evaluation enforced the need for IU Kokomo to clearly indentify and match target audiences with specific marketing objectives, as well as the need to transform the site from a static information source to a dynamic and engaging marketing tool.

This direction is supported by a recent TeensTALK®survey of high school sophomores which found that 74 percent of the respondents conducted general college research on the Web, and 67 percent visited a specific college Web site. It is clear that higher education institutions are positioning their Web sites as a primary marketing tool and relying more on electronic communication tools. The average Web user today is highly skilled and able to communicate through many technological formats, from text messaging to IM to Twitter. This is particularly true for prospective and current college students.

"This was a huge project and encompassed two years from vendor selection to launch. Every unit on campus participated," said Paul Nowak, vice chancellor for external relations. "A special recognition is due to our marketing and IT departments, and especially Rudy Kizer, our campus Web manager, and Katrina Janes."

Indiana University Kokomo serves a seven county, primary service area in north central Indiana. The campus offers more than 40 academic programs including four graduate degrees.
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Fusework Studios provides service in Business Blogging, IT Services, SEO Indianapolis, Indiana Website Design, Indiana Website Development, Web Based Strategy, Social Media Marketing, Indiana Video Production, Email Marketing Strategy, Corporate Blog, Internet Marketing Indianapolis, and much more.

The next phase in Indianapolis Web development: Part 2

Thursday, January 14, 2010 by Brandon Coppernoll

Previously, I discussed how Indianapolis web development has changed, and I provided a theory on what the next trend will become. I talked about how business blogging and social media community interaction has become the latest trend in providing relevant information to customers. Now we will see search engine marketing at the forefront in how web development is approached for businesses.

Search is even more important than before.

Customers have been using search to find goods and services rather than looking for specific businesses. While it is important for your business to be visible (e.g. Fusework Studios) in the search engines, it is even more important that your business is found for specific keywords based on your goods and services.

The next phase in Indianapolis web development will be about playing an integral role in search engine marketing and finding ways to get new content out and fast for what customers are looking for. Search engines are looking for sites and blogs that update often and have relevant content to what their users are searching for. It's not about "if you build it, they will come" anymore.

Early on in web development, it was about telling your story -- the whole story. Unfortunately, this requires time and money to be able to put all that work together. When print marketing is put together, it is customary to hand out a brochure, poster or some form of quick communication about the product or service. I recommend you actually follow suit for initial website release, and over time, you can add the additional content you probably would have initially included before.

The reason is Google and other major search engines value up-to-date content. New content is very important. The sites and blogs that are most active about putting content up for their visitors are getting special treatment because they are viewed as more likely to be current for their customers - those people that search. There is no magic tool or button you can use to get these results. It's about building upon a foundation to be found in search.

Contact Fusework Studios for more information about building a strong foundation to win customers through search and inbound marketing.

Indiana Video Production is not dead

Tuesday, January 12, 2010 by Laurie Buschmann

Indiana video production is alive and well, and there are many production houses in central Indiana that do a fine job at it.

In this age of social media marketing, business blogging and email newsletters, it's important to remember the viability of video in your Internet marketing efforts.

You've heard it before, "Video tells a story." But more than that, it's a necessary tool that can impact your bottom line in a variety of ways. Through visuals and sound, your customers can:

Learn more about your business (history, products, process, etc.)
Hear testimonials from your customers about how great your product/service is
See step-by step how your product works, so customers will buy it themselves
Follow how-to instructions for accomplishing a certain task
Be inspired and empowered to donate to your cause
Be entertained by a different type of advertising
Advertise for you by sharing your video across their social media networks
And the list goes on....

Doing video is a no-brainer, so let us show you how easy it can be. Just think of all that content that's just waiting to be put out into the world.

Add video production to your web based strategy for 2010, and contact Fusework Studios today to get started.