11:55 — Cale Johnson introduces General Mills‘ David Witt.
11:56 — David Witt kicked of his session about how to work with influencers and bloggers. One of the most important things he said is that you have to have very clear objectives with your social media campaigns. Many people say just be social and that’s just not enough to make social media successful.
11:58 — Who do you target? This is best determined by who you are.
11:59 — They created My Blog Spark that has several hundred bloggers who want to receive product information. They have several thousand consumers who receive behind-the-scenes info on General Mills and their products. People love MyGetTogether, which helps consumers set-up events at their house.
12:01 — It’s about creating a direct relationship with consumers.
12:02 — One of General Mill’s best partner sites is HungryGirl. It’s about relationships.
12:03 — Brand advocacy:
1. Build awareness & trial
2. Introduce something new
3. Further engage with the brand
4. Pursue goal of improving what you do as a company. This is critical for General Mills and their efforts with WOM.
12: 08 — Listen and learn:
1. Who are your consumers
2. How are they communicating
3. What are they saying/doing
4. What is their influence?
12:11 — Approach as a friendship:
1. Approach relationship as a friendship
2. Be respectful and supportive
3. Stay in touch and thank them
4. Share behind the scenes/special information
5. Ask for their opinions, feedback & ideas
6. Listen to their advice
12:14 — Start a conversation:
1. Become part of the conversation authentically
2. Do not spam
3. Make tone conversational
4. Ask, don’t tell
5. Realize that you cannot control the message
12:16 — Disclosure
1. Be authentic, overtly transparent
2. Identify yourself as working for brands
3. Offer clear intent of relationship
4. Follow FTC and WOMMA ethics guidelines
12:19 — Some final thoughts:
1. There’s a gravitational pull to niche groups online
2. Consumers are willing to be inspired and included
3. You must provide meaningful and relevant brand experiences for consumers
4. You must provide content in a format & location they find useful and familiar
5. You must align the organization with efforts
6. You must be respectful
7. You must listen & learn
David: To have a remarkable results, the brand experience must be remarkable.
Love this live coverage? It’s all thanks to the fantastically fantastic blogging of David Polinchock.
