What Thought Leaders are saying about “The Digital Marketing Landscape: Creating a Synergistic Customer Experience” by Jessica Rogers PhD
Social media
Digital Marketing
Many of you know I had been working on a project here at SNHU going back to 2017. Now that we have a few terms under our belt and data on the success of implementation.. its time to celebrate the MS in Marketing with Digital Marketing Concentration!
Our Marketing Programs here at Southern New Hampshire University, offer so much! I am so proud of the work we have done and feel we are providing our students with experiences that add to their employability as well so many unique opportunities to showcase their learning’s.
Our Masters in Marketing program is designed with a very strategic approach.
Firstly, We have connected our program to industry
We stay current within industry and business environments; and our courses evolve with the needs of business. We have aligned our programs and courses with skills employers want. We utilize an advisory board of high level individuals in the field to ensure we are addressing current skills gaps in the industry. This Advisory board helps drive discussions around content learners should understand for success in the workplace
2nd We have embraced the importance of Industry Certifications
We have identified opportunities for students to add to their resume through external certifications. We know these industry certifications provide students and their employers with added value. Within many courses, students will see Certifications and credentials – and the associations who promote them such as the American Marketing Association, Google, Hubspot, and Hootsuite for example..
3rd Coursework is aligned with deliverables students will encounter in the workplace.
Projects and assignments within the program, are designed to help students make connections between course content and their world. Project-based learning is evident throughout the program, activities are hands on, and meet employer demands. And importantly, Content in the courses is relevant to both students employability and their advancement in the field.
4th Our faculty have extensive real world experience. They are in the field, and can bring those experiences to students in class. These experiences play a huge role in learning and application of concepts.
Visit our program pages here:
Associates Degree- Marketing https://www.snhu.edu/online-degrees/associate/as-in-marketing
Bachelor’s Degree- Marketing https://www.snhu.edu/online-degrees/bachelors/bs-in-marketing
Master Degree – Marketing https://www.snhu.edu/online-degrees/masters/ms-in-marketing
In the master’s in marketing online program, students learn how to:
- Analyze and interpret qualitative and quantitative data to align marketing plans to an organization’s strategic goals
- Create integrated strategies for maximizing opportunities through the use of marketing theory and practices
- Distill information through diverse media to inform, negotiate and persuade stakeholders
- Develop international marketing strategies that address the commercial, political, legal and cultural environments in a global economy
- Certify marketing practices comply with legal environments, regulatory standards and ethical practices
- Manage a brand in cross-functional environments to ensure the creation, capture and delivery of value
Marketing is Important. It transcends all borders of an organization.
Listen to this Hubspot Podcast, where I detail the above points.
To read it: https://academy.hubspot.com/education-partner-program/professors/jessica-rogers
GEN X, Overlooked again
The “Slacker” generation is all gown up, and is a marketers dream.. yet why are they overlooked with the focus going to Millennials?
Generation X has been relatively ignored by marketers, despite their influence and spending power. Baby Boomers and Millennials alike have been a source of media fascination and marketer focus, while Generation X sits on the sideline.
Coming of age within distinct time periods shaped members of different generations in ways that influence values and preferences. Because of these generational differences, marketing strategists would be wise to consult research on generational differences when tailoring strategies to specific age cohorts. Marketing strategists target younger consumers because of their comparative openness and malleability in comparison with older consumers. Yet, what about the values and preferences of Generation X in contrast with other generations, as well as the brand loyalty of Millennials and Generation X (having some similarities)?
The Myth
Generation X is overlooked in part because of its size, with Generation X (65 million) being smaller than the Boomers (77 million) and the Millennials. Interestingly, the year span for Generation X is less than the typical 20-year span that makes up the other generations, which speaks to its smaller size.
Marketers also have ignored this generation, in part due to its “slacker” reputation that has been perpetuated by cultural references and even within academic research. Other myths about Generation X are that these individuals are cynical, resentful, rebellious, and will buy anything; such myths possibly underlie a lack of research-based marketing attention to this segment. Very few researchers have examined marketing strategy in relation to Generation X, and there are none, to my knowledge, any examining Generation X females in relation to social media use, marketing strategy, or brand relationships other than my own.
Generation X and social media
Researchers have suggested that wise marketing strategists will value research findings over myths and stereotypes about Generation X when developing strategy to attract and retain consumers from this generation. Understanding the values and priorities of a demographic such as Generation X ( females in particular) is essential to segmentation processes, or group-specific marketing strategies . Marketing executives who participated in interviews expressed that segmentation in online marketing was a vital part of any firm’s marketing strategy, and that social media platforms represented an important vehicle for interacting with and learning about different demographic groups.
It is therefore important for researchers to explore social media use among Generation X individuals to enhance marketing effectiveness to this generation.
Social media are an integral part of many GenXers’ day. Neilsen suggests that GenX, not Millenials, are heavy users of social media. Their most recent report showed Generation X spending approximately 7 hours per week on social platforms, with females taking the lead by spending 25% of their time on social media. Marketing to youth, women, and digital natives is a lucrative strategy, given that these major segments have been researched and proven to be highly probable for gaining brand advocacy and because they are the most influential segments in the digital era. It is also worth noting that females tend to be the gatekeepers as to what products and services make their way into the home. This is because of the comprehensive process women typically use to research purchasing decisions, social media included.
The Gap
Marketers have largely ignored Generation X, despite their influence and spending power. This spending power translates into a higher ability to purchase products and services, making this target demographic a valuable audience for marketers. Further, the female demographic within Gen X is a viable focus for academic research, given that they are the main purchase decision-makers for households, regardless of whether they are the end user. It stands to reason, then, that brands need to understand how to effectively create and curate social media content to best serve this segment of the population that is both under-served and has enormous potential.. ..latchkey or not.
Research thoughts
In an era of post-truth, where opinions are misconstrued as facts, it is vital for both consumers and brand leaders to be more responsible in generating branded content so as to be more truthful and honest. Social media content allows brands to tell a brand story. Also contributing to this brand story is content created and shared by consumers (Rogers, 2015). It then becomes imperative for both users and brand leaders to create a brand story that would be close to the truth, while at the same time, nourishing the established relationships between brand and customer commitment to the brand.
Results of my recent research provides a preliminary model for the processes of social exchange theory in the context of social media use. Spending power of the consumers has the potential to either make or break a brand. It is ostensible that researchers may undertake further studies in order to achieve extensive knowledge on how the interplay of user engagement and brandloyalty is mediated by perceived costs and benefits, as well as other factors that impact brand content and online consumerism.
HubSpot Education Partner Podcast: It’s Bigger Than Social Media
SNHU Marketing
It took me six years, 22 weeks and two days to finish my PhD! Southern New Hampshire University recently posted an article on my journey as well as my thoughts on our new Digital Marketing concentration. I am very excited our students will be benefiting from HubSpot’s Educational Partner Program in courses that are not only user-friendly, but also aligned what employers want , and include industry certification prep.
Read the article here: Spotlight on SNHU Marketing Faculty Lead Dr. J | SNHU
From the Archives: Almost any brand can be Pinteresting. Here’s how!
By Jessica Rogers, {grow} Contributing Columnist
I’m not crafty. I do not scrapbook, do DIY projects, or tackle anything that involves a glue gun.
However, I recently created a “Laundry Room Makeover” board on Pinterest and completed the renovation. Pinterest was a wonderful source for before and after pictures, detailed tutorials, names and reviews of paints, and even lists of where to find the products and their prices.
I must point out many of these, if not all, were not brand sponsored! For example, like other Pinterest users I posted all the materials used in my after photos. This is an amazing opportunity for brands to increase brand recognition by way of social sharing or “pinning.”
This story is played over and over across the globe. Pinterest is the ultimate source for creative (P)inspiration.
Why use Pinterest?
Pinterest marketing specialist Piqora found that one “pin” generates an average of 78 cents in sales. Pins are 100x more viral than tweets and Pinterest Board pages can rank on Google long after the original post.
Like any social platform, Pinterest might not work equally well for all brands. However, Pinterest can be a great way to share valuable content with your target audience and showcase your brand personality.
Pinterest is obviously the home room for the visual content from clothing designers, photographers, and makeup artists. But the platform can be utilized by non-creatives like real estate agents, marketing thought leaders posting relevant articles, even parents posting ideas about home schooling their children. Almost anyone can be more Pinteresting….
Are pins really content?
Absolutely. But keep in mind the importance of “delivering the right message to the right person at the right time.” Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and of course Pinterest have a specific demographic of users and can be optimized accordingly. What is often overlooked is the importance of relevant and timely content for these platforms.
What should you pin?
- What does your target audience of client base want to learn more about? What moves them? What interests them? Find pins related to those topics. Become your follower’s go-to resource.
- Regularly visit the What’s Popular section of Pinterest to see what is trending and what really resonates with Pinterest users.
- “How to” pins are very popular. Find tutorials your audience can use and pin them, or create your own. Including before and after images.
- Infographics are a great way to share a large amount of information in an attractive, inspiring way.
- Do not always pin your own content. If you do pin your own content, be sure to do it in a way that drives users to your website.
Tips for optimizing your pins
- Add relevant Search Engine Optimization (SEO) keywords in your “About” section. Search engines index this page, so use those 200 characters wisely.
- Utilize humorous of catchy titles to entice folks to follow the board, and include keywords in board titles to make the board more searchable in Pinterest.
- Curate pins that link back to your website, email opt-in page, or product page/catalog
- Pinterest is social, so remember to interact and engage with others. Repin, follow, and make comments.
- I found this Pinterest Master Class to be helpful. It is a series of three videos equaling an hour of content.
*Update: With over 150 Million users, Pinterest is worth a gander. Read more here on the latest stats on this power platform! At the same time I posted my reno on Pinterest, I added a “make me move” price on Zillow…. the rest is history. Full price offer, that led to us building a new home, 2.7 miles down the road.
Photo credit: clasesdeperiodismo via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA
5 Attributes of Thought Leaders- Intellectual Takeout
5 Attributes of Thought Leaders
Have you ever asked yourself, what makes someone an entrepreneur of ideas, a so-called thought leader? The ability to invent and spread the word about newfangled concepts? A master of the TED Talk? A magnetic Steve Jobs-like personality?
The Marketing Insider Group defines a ‘thought leader’ as someone who “tap[s] into the talent, experience, and passion inside your business, or from your community, to consistently answer the biggest questions on the minds of your target audience, on a particular topic.” Thought leaders are innovators and forest-for-the trees types, not borrowers, technicians or, as Friedrich Hayek (1899-1992) called intellectuals, “professional secondhand dealers in ideas.”
With tongue in cheek, New York Times columnist David Brooks describes the thought leader:
“The Thought Leader is sort of a highflying, good-doing yacht-to-yacht concept peddler. Each year, he gets to speak at the Clinton Global Initiative, where successful people gather to express compassion for those not invited. Month after month, he gets to be a discussion facilitator at think tank dinners where guests talk about what it’s like to live in poverty while the wait staff glides through the room thinking bitter thoughts.
He doesn’t have students, but he does have clients. He doesn’t have dark nights of the soul, but his eyes blaze at the echo of the words ‘breakout session.’”
Besides being lampooned, the notion of thought leadership has also been widely criticized. University of Reading Management professor Kevin Money and research fellow Nuno Da Camara call thought leadership “meaningless management speak.” Harvard Business Review writer Dorie Clark comments that “it is very icky when people call themselves thought leaders because that sounds a little bit egomaniacal.” According to Tufts University professor Daniel Drezner, we need fewer thought leaders and more public intellectuals. Perhaps, for these academics, thought leadership is a matter of sour grapes, something they cannot achieve, so they roundly reject it.
Whatever the case, thought leaders are highly sought after by business firms and government agencies. High-performing organizations want these people as their executives, consultants and managers, and they are usually compensated handsomely. Why? Because they possess some or all of the following unique attributes:
- Ambition: They want to achieve the most they can with their novel ideas, both for themselves and the organizations they work for.
- Image conscious: Marketing their ideas and producing the perfect presentation matters, since image impacts how others perceive their brand.
- Big thinking: They care more about the macro-level, the larger picture, and less about the small details or technicalities, which others can always work out later.
- Expertise: They are authorities in the areas of inquiry where they generate the most innovative ideas.
- Ability to see aspects others don’t or cannot see: They detect subtle patterns and larger trends where thought followers fail to.
This last attribute—often called ‘aspect-seeing’—is the most important. To illustrate, look at the Duck-Rabbit image, invented by the Gestalt psychologists and employed by the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951) in his ground-breaking work Philosophical Investigations:
Most people either perceive an image of a duck or an image of a rabbit. The thought leader immediately detects the patterns for both and possibly more. He is adept at seeing aspects of a puzzle or a problem that others cannot.
Is thought leadership something you aspire to? Or is the notion meaningless, icky and/or trendy?
This post 5 Attributes of Thought Leaders was originally published on Intellectual Takeout by Shane Ralston.
http://www.intellectualtakeout.org/sites/all/themes/ito/js/ito-repub.js
From the Archives: 4 Critical Social Media Lessons I Learned From My 4 Year Old
My son just turned 4 and has developed into a kind and considerate little man. Before you say “of course, he is your son, brag much?”, let me support my theory with a bit of fact. The truth is, I am learning from him. I marvel at what we can learn about connecting on the social web from this little man …
Thank you is just the beginning of the relationship
On his birthday, we had a party for all his friends at a gymnastics place where the kids could bounce around and burn some energy. After the party, not only did he actually thank each friend for coming and for each present, he could recall who got him what afterwards! The staff at the gymnastics joint commented on his awesome manners. A proud Mommy moment and even more proud the weeks following when my son still remembered what each of his friends gave him.
In social it is so easy to show gratitude but often can be time consuming when you have many followers/fans/comments. However, a little “Thank you” goes a long way!
Thank people for sharing in a Tweet, Re-Tweet something that resonates with you, or share a blog post that your followers would enjoy. Pay it forward, be a resource for others and support those around you. Also, know it does not have to stop at “Thank you.” There have been countless times my son and I have been going into school or a store and someone has held the door open for us. My son politely says (on his own) “Thank you” and then asks me, “Mommy why didn’t they say You’re welcome?”
“Thank you” is just the beginning of a relationship. The doors of communication are now open and you have endless possibilities of what you can do with the relationship.
Stay centered
My son has the most beautiful long blonde hair, and he loves it! He allows me to trim it but he really wants to have long hair. This is a part of him.
l recently took my son to McDonald’s to romp in the play area (He absolutely thinks this is THE most fun ever). The last two times we went to McD’s he comes up to me with a new friend (once it was a girl the other time a boy) and says, ” Mommy tell him/her I’m a boy!”(because of his hair). No matter how many times he has a “prove your gender” altercation or is called a girl at his own birthday party (yes this did actually happen), it does not phase him. He likes what he likes, and that is it.
Whether you are a person, a business or a brand on the social web, you’re going to get knocked around a bit. But you must represent yourself in one true, consistent voice. You can’t be something you are not. Stay centered.
Patience Pays
My family had been looking forward to the State Fair of Texas all year. My son has big dreams about it and was sure he could ride all the big rides now. After all, he was 4!
Realistically, he was just one inch taller than last year, so we were still very limited in what he could enjoy at the fair. This did not phase him at all. He went, he saw, he conquered the same three fun houses and four rides. All day.
He patiently waited all year for the fair, patiently waited to park, patiently waited in many lines to eat, drink, ride rides, and play games. And then, it was all over in 8 hours.
In social, success rarely happens over night. You must nurture the relationships you make, consistently deliver valuable content, and engage with others in an authentic way. Most of the time, you have to wait to ride the big rides.
Just as it takes time to build a valuable brand, it takes time to build a good social following. Simply opening accounts serves little or no purpose. Don’t give up after one month and you have only 15 followers on Twitter and no one has read your blog post. Just think of the possibilities: communities to be part of, businesses you can work with, folks to connect with, and all of the knowledge that goes along with it.
The Wonder of Learning
Each day my little dude learns at least two new things. How wonderful is that? Life is constantly exciting for him because the world is a wonder.
How can you capture this spirit in your own life? Are you spending time to learn and wonder?
Make it a point in your life to try to always be learning. Social make this so easy. You have a world full of folks on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and G+ willing to connect with you and share new content and ideas. Many of these connections can be instrumental to you personally and professionally and likewise, you can be very instrumental to them. It can be a very mutually beneficial on various levels. You must first listen, then engage and take part in the conversation. Identify mentors and learn from them.
This post was not meant to be a page in my Mommy Brag Book. But, when thinking of some of the basics of social, they really do relate back to the basics of a happy life. Keep things in perspective. Be genuine. Be the person you want to meet. And be sure to take the rocks out of your pockets before starting the laundry!
What are you learning from your kids and how is relating to your business?
From the Archives: Social media is saving animal lives
By Jessica Rogers, {grow} Contributing Columnist
Most people read {grow} to see how social media is connecting brands and people … but I wanted to share how it is also connecting people to animals in need, too. In fact, social media is saving lives.
Adopting a pet who has been abandoned, rescued, abused, or simply unwanted, is a wonderful thing for a person to do. Not only do you get a loving companion who adores you unconditionally, but you get a sense of purpose and true responsibility to this innocent life you saved from being put down unnecessarily. By also helping via social media, I hope that my “lives saved” tally reaches far beyond the paws I have in my home.
The story of Bit.ly the dog
Last year my family lost two of our dogs due to old age and subsequently began our search for a new pet by visiting shelters every Saturday. Each week we saw plenty of contenders, and then I would go home and visit them on Facebook to see who got adopted, new strays that had been rescued, and the antics the shelter staff would post. This went on for weeks until I was introduced to a beautiful fluffy white dog with a pink nose who had just been posted on Facebook:
About 45 minutes later we were going home with our newest addition “Bit.ly.”
But connecting people with pets is just part of how social media is helping shelters. Just last month the shelter was able to reunite two stolen senior Basset Hounds from Missouri, Aggie and Clyde, who were dumped here in Texas! You can watch the reunion here. My local shelter has many happy tails, and many not so happy tails of abandonment, neglect, abuse etc. But the point is, they use Facebook. They use it well. With little staff and money, they have managed to pull off consistent stellar Facebook engagement. Some things they do:
- Reply to posts within hours to inspire engagement
- Post intake and adoption photos daily, updates on animals who have been adopted to drive consistent activity
- Post professional photos of animals up for adoption, some of which are really quite adorable and shareable
- Promote fund raisers; coordinate volunteer initiatives to get folks involved and posting to the page
Their community is wonderful. There is a lot of activity, personality, and of course sharing. So why weren’t they on Twitter?
The Twitter connection
One day my son (4) says out of the blue,”Mommy I want a kitten. A black kitten.” I have no idea where this came from but he never let it go. So we re-started our Saturday shelter visits with a new purpose. I was getting more and more involved with the wonderful shelter pets but noticed there was no Twitter feed. Why wouldn’t they share these animals with people on Twitter too?
So, I sent a Facebook message to the gals at the shelter (we are old friends at this point) and told them I could help them set up a Twitter account, show them how to use Hootsuite, and leverage Facebook posts in this new platform. Easy enough right!?
Not really.
Twitter best practices for a shelter
Well here in lies that pesky problem of time. The shelter needs time to post, which they are already doing and Hootsuite would basically just copy the posts to another social platform, Twitter. But they also need time to devote to building a following, sharing Tweets, and also answering tweets. They simply did not have the resources to do this and asked for my help in setting up and maintaining their Twitter feed.
Some time saving strategies I use, and suggest are:
Set up scheduled backbone tweets. The shelter has many “core messages” they can run over and over on Twitter on a timetable by scheduling through Hootsuite or Buffer. An example would be monthly remiders to followers about donating goods selected from the shleter’s Amazon Wish List.
I like to schedule posts that are pretty basic and not terribly time sensitive. The scheduling process is as easy as writing your short blurb, adding the link (Hootsuite and BufferApp will shorten the link for you), click which social networks you wish it to post to, and pick a date and time that you want it to post. There is also the “auto schedule” option that lets Hootsuite choose the most optimal times to post for you. Scheduled tweets can not be the only part of your strategy, but they help free up time to do real time engaging. Don’t forget to add relevant hashtags to help your post be “found.”
Utilize add-ons. Buffer and Hootsuite’s extensions are excellent time savers. The extensions are on your web browser, so you basically only have to click the icon on your browser window when you want to share something as opposed to opening the full dashboard. The shelter might want to use this for any article they run across or even YouTube video that is relevant to their audience. You can choose to post immediately or schedule as described above on Hootsuite and BufferApp as well. You can post to multiple platforms.
Utilize Twitter’s mobile App. I have the Twitter app on my phone (of course) and can toggle between my accounts and the shelter account. This is great for live Tweeting. The shelter might be able to utilize this at off site functions, of course while utilizing appropriate hashtags. You can also check any mentions, messages or the like while on your smartphone.
While this list is by no means inclusive, it may help you get started with organizing your social media efforts when you don’t have much time.
I hope that through a few minutes a day of my Tweeting I can help someone find that perfect pet or a shelter animal find their forever family, like “Marlo” or “Roxie” who have been at the shelter for 276 and 236 days respectively. Eventually, I am sure the shelter will be able to take over tweeting, but for now I enjoy it. My ROI is knowing that I might be able to save one animal life.
And, in case you were wondering, here is “Bit.ly” with our new addition “#hashtag” the black kitten:
Do you have any experience using social media to help with animal causes? I’d love to hear your story in the comment section!
Jessica Rogers, PhD. 