Matrix Group International

Author: Joanna Pineda

  • Although I Love my iPad, I’m Not Buying E-Books

    Although I Love my iPad, I’m Not Buying E-Books

    On September 1, Sony announced 3 new E-Readers priced between $149.99 and $299.99.  Last month, Amazon announced new versions of its WiFi and 3G Kindles; these devices are less expensive, lighter, more responsive and prettier than previous models.

    And then of course, there’s the iPad, my beloved iPad. On my iPad, I have the Apple iBooks, Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble Nook apps. I have purchased and enjoyed books on all 3 apps. And I have downloaded and enjoyed dozens of free books that are out of copyright.

    While I love, love, love the idea of having hundreds of books on one device, having lots of great things to read on a trip, and combining books, music, photos, videos and games on one device, I have stopped buying books on my iPad.

    Why?

    Well, it turns out that I’m a social reader. I like buying books, reading them, and then passing them on. I just love the idea of sharing a great story or author. My copy of Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson was shared with a half dozen people before it came back to me. Same with The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaman, only it never came back (which is just fine by me!) I have also been the happy and lucky recipient of many, many books from my brother Alex and friend Steve, who have introduced me to so many great authors and series. My sister and her daughter have given my son dozens of wonderful children’s books, which I have gladly passed on to other moms when my son outgrew them.

    You can’t share e-books the same way that you can share printed books. Yes, I can share e-books with up to 5 devices connected to my Mac at home, but I can’t authorize random computers all the time just to share a book! Moreover, when my Kindle-toting friend Eileen recommends a book to me, not only can she not share the book with my physically, she can’t share it digitally because we have incompatible devices!

    Wouldn’t it be great if I could relinquish my rights to an e-book and pass it along to a friend, in a universal format they could download to their device of choice? Until that happens, I’ve put the breaks on buying a whole of e-books. I’ll break my rule the next time we have to travel to Asia, of course, but in the meantime, expect to still see me browsing at a local bookstore or buying lots of printed books on Amazon.

    How about you? Have you switched to buying e-books exclusively? Has this new habit changed your sharing habits? Or are you holding out and still buying printed books?

  • What Happens When Your Facebook Page or Blog Gets More Traffic Than Your Web Site?

    What Happens When Your Facebook Page or Blog Gets More Traffic Than Your Web Site?

    Every week, I check out the usage reports for the Matrix Group Web site and blog. I also look closely at the analytics reports from Facebook for our Facebook fan page.  In the last year, traffic on this blog has overtaken the traffic on the public Web site.  And as we increase the number of fans on our Facebook page, our interactions have grown steadily as well.

    A recent article in Ad Age explores how some of the top consumer brands have Facebook pages with a fan base and interactions that far outstrip that of their official Web sites. Starbucks has 12.9M fans; Coke has nearly 11M fans; Oreo has 8.9M fans.  Of the companies in the article, only Starbucks has steadily increasing Web traffic.

    All of this got me thinking:  What happens when an organization’s blog, Facebook, Twitter or other social media page gets more traffic than the official Web site? Is this the ultimate goal for marketers?  Is traffic on a social media site worth as much as traffic on a company Web site?  Does this increased traffic ultimately lead to more customers and sales?

    I have clients who worry about redirecting traffic to social media pages, for fear of losing control over the conversations, not owning the Web property, or that the interactions are not quite official enough.  Others hold their social media stats in the highest regard.  Most of us  wonder what it really means when somebody chooses to “like” our fan pages.

    How to make sense of all this?  Here are some thoughts:

    • If your Facebook page is getting increased traffic and interactions, while traffic on your regular Web site is on the decline, ask yourself, “What is it about my Facebook page that’s working?  What’s making people “like” us, click through to articles and comment?  What are the lessons for content and opportunities for interaction on our official Web site?”
    • Your goal should be to have your Web site, Facebook page, Twitter page, blog, e-mail campaigns, microsites, etc., all be part of an integrated strategy where each Web property is complementing the others and encouraging cross traffic.
    • Ultimately, the goal should be conversions, whether that means more sales, more subscribers, more members or more donations.  Your goals should never be about traffic on specific platforms; that’s just a tactic.
    • You need a way to track the effectiveness of followers, likes, clicks and fans across the different platforms.  Use tracking codes, cookies and marketing codes to determine which platforms are really helping your business to thrive.

      • (more…)

  • National Day of Action on 8/25th: CitizenEffect, Social Media Club, and More to Help the Gulf

    National Day of Action on 8/25th: CitizenEffect, Social Media Club, and More to Help the Gulf

    Guest blog post by Jill Foster

    Since joining CitizenEffect’s Gulf fact-finding mission trip last month (also called the #CitizenGulf project), it’s been a non-stop learning curve on my end, plus tough emotional processing.

    The social media factor and the #CitizenGulf fact-finding trip

    CitizenEffect, a nonprofit that helps anyone online be a citizen philanthropist, formed the social media team seven weeks ago to personally visit the Gulf, meet with fishing families impacted by the oil spill, and figure out ways to help them. Local nonprofits in Louisiana met with us too, clarifying perspective and the needs of parishes there. We published content (audio, video, photo essays, written commentary) via CNN’s iReports, Twitter, Posterous, Live Earth’s blog, and more. It was difficult to see such hardship up close. But what helped get beyond the heavy emotional response was a decision made by CitizenEffect after the trip:

    A CitizenGulf National Day of Action on August 25th (and you)

    You, your friends, and communities can be involved. What’s the goal on 8/25th? To help create a more sustainable future for Gulf fishing families by investing in education. All funds raised on the National Day of Action (less processing fees) will go to the project’s charity partner, Catholic Charities of New Orleans, who will then administer an area children’s educational program.

    What’s also exciting is how organizations – online and offline – are offering their support

    Social Media Club chapters across the country are organizing meetups to occur on 08/25th — which you can attend (or you can certainly form your own meetup too). In the spirit of Louisiana and many Gulf communities, we suggest that meetups include great music (stereo or live!,) like blues, jazz, or Zydeco. Gulf Coast Benefit, which had fantastic success with a national Gulf awareness and fundraising campaign in early July, is a lead supporter of the CitizenGulf project as well. Enthusiastic partnerships both offline and online in the social space have been incredible. (more…)

  • Will Facebook Survive? And Does It Really Matter?

    Will Facebook Survive? And Does It Really Matter?

    Last week, I had the pleasure of being a speaker at the Benefits Communications Conference of the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Funds. During the closing session, one of the attendees asked me which social networks I thought were going to survive into the future. The dialogue went something like this:

    Me (Joanna): I can’t predict the future, but I think Facebook and YouTube will stick around for a while.  Not sure about the smaller networks, especially those without solid revenue models.
    Participant: But I’ve heard that the younger audiences are leaving Facebook now that their parents are signing up.
    Me: Yes, I’ve read that as well, but Facebook has really tipped in terms of popularity, all the research shows that the older audiences don’t leave a social network once their friends have joined and they’ve made a commitment to the site, and Facebook as a platform for all kinds of third-party applications is really compelling.

    But then I got to thinking.  Does it really matter if Facebook survives?  Does it really matter which of the social networks survives?

    If you’re hesitating about investing in a social media strategy because you’re wondering which of the platforms will survive, I think you’re worried about the wrong issue.  Here’s why:

    • Social media isn’t just a fad. Social networks have fundamentally changed how we communicate, connect and market.  Social networks have “tipped;” there is now a critical mass of people on social networks.  You can’t ignore the numbers.
    • In the end, it doesn’t matter which social network survives because there are now so many mainstream and niche social networks, it’s almost pointless to worry about which ones will make it.  Remember when we thought no other search engine could threaten Yahoo!’s primacy?
    • Your social media strategy probably needs to include having a presence on multiple networks, depending on where your target audiences are AND to ensure good coverage and reach for your marketing messages.

    Here’s what I think IS important:
    (more…)

  • Blogging Best Practices – Part Two

    Blogging Best Practices – Part Two

    This week, I’m doing part two of a blog post I started last week on Blogging Best Practices. This post is inspired by a webinar that I conducted with my friend, blogger and activist Shaun Dakin, Director of Business Development at Infield Communications.  Here are additional take-aways from the webinar.

    • How Long Should Your Posts Be? We suggest that each post be no more than 4-6 paragraphs.  If your posts are too long, your followers may decide to read them at a later time and not come back.  But you want enough length to be able to cover a topic with enough substance.
    • Create Visual Interest. Although followers follow blogs for their content, we believe that your posts will have more impact if they have photos, videos, event basic html formatting.  If nothing else, use formatting to make your content skimmable.
    • Align Posts With Your Keyword/SEO Strategy. While I’m a firm believer that you can’t force keywords into headlines, do try to make your titles and opening paragraphs keyword rich.
    • Create Compelling Introductions. Think about it.  You make a decision about whether or not to open an e-mail or click on an article in your RSS reader based on the title and opening paragraph.  So make your blog post introductions compelling to encourage clicks.

    (more…)

  • Blogging Best Practices – Part One

    Blogging Best Practices – Part One

    A couple of months ago, I had the pleasure of conducting a webinar on Blogging Best Practices with my friend, blogger and activist Shaun Dakin, Director of Business Development at Infield Communications.  Shaun and I are passionate bloggers and we each had a lot to say about what we think it takes to be a good blogger and have a successful and well-read blog!  Here are some of the take-aways from the webinar:

    • What Are Your Goals? The most important thing is to align your blog’s goals with your organization’s goals. Are you trying to engage your target audiences?  Influence?  Foster specific actions?  Your goals should be measurable so that, at the end of the day, you know if your blog is a success.
    • Who Should Blog? Shaun and I believe that anyone can blog, but for most organizations, you need people who have a 20,000 foot view of the industry or issues, enjoys writing (or is paired with someone who enjoys writing and is a good writer to boot), and is committed to pumping out content on a regular basis.
    • What Should You Blog About? This is the $64,000 question!  Ultimately, you need a mission statement for your blog that guides your content strategy.  We grouped blog posts into the categories.  In practice, most blogs employ a variety of blog post types to keep readers engaged.
      • Hot items/News – These posts tend to cover what’s new in the industry, breaking news, etc.
      • Strategy/Commentary – These posts try to provide a perspective on specific issues and usually aim to persuade readers to take a certain point of view.
      • Trends – These posts report on market trends, trending topics, research and statistics.
      • How-To Guides – These posts are often a combination of text and video and aim to provide users with a practical guide to doing something specific.

    (more…)

  • My GPS Is Making Me Stupid!

    My GPS Is Making Me Stupid!

    I had an early meeting in Hyattsville this morning.  I was armed with my Garmin GPS and printed directions from Google Maps — I still got lost. I had to call my husband for extra navigational assistance.  He was incredulous on the phone: “Don’t you have Jane (the GPS) with you?  Did you follow the directions from Google?”  Yes and yes, but I was still lost.

    How is this even possible?  For the last nearly 20 years (how did I get so old?), I have been in sales in the DC area.  I feel like I have driven to most corners of the region.  I know this region and I do not get lost!!!  How on earth did I get lost this morning?  And how did I get lost when I had so many tools at my disposal?

    I have a hunch that all of these digital assistants are making me stupid. How and why?

    Well, long before cell phones, GPS systems and Google/Mapquest maps, I would get directions the old fashioned way.  I would call the prospect or client and get detailed directions. Mr. client would ask me where I was coming from and he would give me directions that included navigational clues like:” go 4 lights then turn right; if you see the Giant, you’ve gone to far; or go about 3 miles and then get on 95 on your right.”  I would also get really helpful suggestions, like “don’t go through the City at that time of day, take the Beltway.”  I would heed these directions and almost never get lost.  And if I did get lost, I would find a gas station and ask the always-friendly attendant for help. Oh yeah, I also used to carry around maps with me, but I tossed those when I got my GPS; silly me!
    (more…)

  • Do You Have Your Party of 5 Mentors To Guide Your Success?

    Do You Have Your Party of 5 Mentors To Guide Your Success?

    Last month, I had the pleasure of attending and speaking at the Women Grow Business Boot Camp in Washington, DC.  Organized by the Women Grow Business Community blog (sponsored by Network Solutions), the event brought together women business owners and entrepreneurs from around the region to learn about starting and growing a business.

    It was during this conference that I heard Kathy Korman Frey,  Chief Hot Mamma of the Hot Mammas Project, talk about the Sisterhood of Success and how every successful business person needs a Party of five that she can turn to for advice and support.

    The Hot Mammas Project is creating a giant library of case studies and role models for girls and women.  When not running the Hot Mammas Project, Kathy is also a professor at the George Washington University School of Business.  Here’s what she had to say about the Sisterhood of Success:

    • There are two things that most affect a woman’s success in business:  family life and access to mentors.
    • In business and as a formula for success, everyone needs 5 people they can turn to for advice, support, problem-solving, coaching, and networking.
    • If you have your Party of 5, you are more likely to be paid more, have higher status at your company and in life, and have higher levels of self-confidence.
    • You will not be as successful unless you have your Party of 5.  Period. End of story.

    While Kathy directed her message to the woman solo-preneurs and business owners in attendance at the conference, her advice applies to anyone who wants to be successful, get ahead, do great things.  Kathy’s Party of 5 message makes a lot of sense and rings true even in our personal lives.  Her research shows that people who have 5 or more friends are happier and have higher feelings of success.
    (more…)

  • Rush Hour from ThinkFun

    Rush Hour from ThinkFun

    Loved this spatial puzzle game, love the iPad app even more. Great for exercising your brain.

  • How We Doubled Our Facebook Fans and Raised Money for the Gulf Recovery Effort

    10 days ago, the Matrix Group Facebook fan page had 280 fans.  As of tonight, we have 576 fans, more than double our starting number. How did we do it?  We launched a campaign and created an incentive for people to “Like” us.

    The Background

    Matrix Group has had a Facebook fan page for a couple of years now and we had been slowly building up our fan base. We did all the usual things to generate new fans: we let our customers know about our Facebook page, we linked to it from our Web site and blog, we asked staff to invite their friends to “like” us, we included the link in staff e-mail signatures, and we asked our Twitter followers to fan us.

    I had recently read an article about how the Weekly World News got to 40,310 fans in 4 days (up from 3,244 fans!) and got inspired to launch our own campaign.  Weekly World News offered an exclusive video, they changed their ad daily, they did A/B testing on their ads and they leveraged their huge user base.  But what kind of incentive could we offer?  Unlike Snapfish, the photo printing site, which recently offered a coupon for a free 8 x 10 photo collage for “liking” its fan page, Matrix Group doesn’t have products to offer.  And we don’t have a customer base of tens or hundreds of thousands of people.

    The Campaign

    We decided to use good, old-fashioned corporate philanthropy to incentivize people to “like” us.  The campaign was incredibly simple:  we would donate $10 to a specific charity for every new fan we got between June 21 and June 30.  We selected the National Park Foundation’s (NPF) Disaster Recovery Fund in the Gulf to be recipient of our campaign.  NPF is a Matrix Group client and the entire Matrix Group staff, like the rest of the country, is upset about the Gulf oil spill.  Selecting this fund only made sense for us.  BTW, we put a time limit on the campaign because we know that people are more likely to act when they have a deadline; hence the June 30 end date for the campaign.
    (more…)