BuzzBooster and Social Media
This is the reproduction of an interview we gave for Zions Bank newsletter "Taking Care of Business". They just published it.
Marketing Your Business Online Using Today's 'Social Media' Social media guru Shahar Boyayan says the days of relying solely ontraditional media to market your business and reach your customers areover. It used to be that you took your message to traditional media outletslike newspapers, TV, and radio stations and hoped to reach your targetaudience. But unless you had a Madison Avenue marketing budget, yourreach was limited. The new dynamic in marketing and branding is "online social media," aterm that loosely describes any kind of online media that connectspeople, invites participation, creates a sense of community and invitesopenness, says Boyayan. The marketing efforts of Blendtec, a blender manufacturer based in Orem,is the perfect example of how a company can use online social media fordramatic results. Marketing Director George Wright says Blendtec hasbeen around for 25 years (generally known by its parent company K-tec).“Most of our history has been with grain milling and grain grinders, butfor the past 10 years we’ve had the best blender technology in theindustry.” The question (and challenge) for Blendtec was how to let the world knowthat a little company based in Orem, Utah had the best blenders moneycould buy. “I had seen what our blenders could do and knew we justneeded to show the world,” Wright says. Today, Blendtec’s online sales have quadrupled last year’s records and30 million viewers are talking about blenders at the dinner table, inboardrooms, online chat rooms, and everywhere else you can imagine.Blendtec employees have made appearances on “The Tonight Show” with JayLeno, the “Today Show,” and the “Food Network.” The company has beenfeatured by Charles Osgood’s radio show, on the cover of magazines, andreceives regular invitations for public speaking engagements.” Blendtec blenders have taken the industry by storm. How? A small arsenalof comical videos on YouTube.com and Willitblend.com, showing thatBlendtec blenders can make fodder of just about anything, from golfballs to iPods. “I tried to explain the potential of YouTube, but peoplejust couldn’t put an arm around it,” says Wright. But they do now. “Our videos on YouTube alone have received 15.7 million views. Neverbefore could we have received so much attention,” says Wright. “It’sbeen such a huge opportunity to break through the clutter and becomesomething that people talk about.” Blendtec’s social media campaign is all about brand awareness. Theonline videos and a Web blog have helped Blendtec establish its brandand given the company name recognition across the globe. “You will neverget consideration in a sale unless people know who you are,” Wrightsays. “Social media allows small businesses to convey their own message,” saysBoyayan. “Now you can self publish your message and it opens the door totraditional media.” Such has been the case for Blendtec. There are many tools in the social media revolution. As an example,Boyayan points to the success of a Web blog called “Kalyn’s Kitchen.”Blogger Kalyn Denny, of Salt Lake City, receives numerous invitationsfor speaking engagements and has built a community around her Web blog,according to Boyayan. So also has Bill Marriott, Chairman and CEO ofMarriott International. You might ask why Bill Marriott needs a blog,considering the success of his hotel chain. The answer, according toBoyayan is simple: he’s building a community and further enhancing hisbrand. Podcasts are another social media tool that can be used to help abusiness build its brand. Boyayan says she posts podcasts on herbusiness website, BuzzBoosters.com, to educate listeners about Internetmarketing and growing small businesses. Most social media tools require little in the way of technology. “Blogsare very easy to do,” according to Boyayan, and with RSS (real simplesyndication) subscribers can read your posts where and when they want.The same is true for podcasts, which can be downloaded and listened toat the convenience of the patron. Whatever form of social media you choose, Boyayan offers this caution:“You have to create an online strategy and give your audience a call toaction. Your online message needs to be connected to your business insome way, otherwise it has no value for you.” If you are interested insocial media, how it might work for your company, or what tools arerequired, contacting Boyayan at Buzz Boosters is a great place to start.
Marketing Your Business Online Using Today's 'Social Media' Social media guru Shahar Boyayan says the days of relying solely ontraditional media to market your business and reach your customers areover. It used to be that you took your message to traditional media outletslike newspapers, TV, and radio stations and hoped to reach your targetaudience. But unless you had a Madison Avenue marketing budget, yourreach was limited. The new dynamic in marketing and branding is "online social media," aterm that loosely describes any kind of online media that connectspeople, invites participation, creates a sense of community and invitesopenness, says Boyayan. The marketing efforts of Blendtec, a blender manufacturer based in Orem,is the perfect example of how a company can use online social media fordramatic results. Marketing Director George Wright says Blendtec hasbeen around for 25 years (generally known by its parent company K-tec).“Most of our history has been with grain milling and grain grinders, butfor the past 10 years we’ve had the best blender technology in theindustry.” The question (and challenge) for Blendtec was how to let the world knowthat a little company based in Orem, Utah had the best blenders moneycould buy. “I had seen what our blenders could do and knew we justneeded to show the world,” Wright says. Today, Blendtec’s online sales have quadrupled last year’s records and30 million viewers are talking about blenders at the dinner table, inboardrooms, online chat rooms, and everywhere else you can imagine.Blendtec employees have made appearances on “The Tonight Show” with JayLeno, the “Today Show,” and the “Food Network.” The company has beenfeatured by Charles Osgood’s radio show, on the cover of magazines, andreceives regular invitations for public speaking engagements.” Blendtec blenders have taken the industry by storm. How? A small arsenalof comical videos on YouTube.com and Willitblend.com, showing thatBlendtec blenders can make fodder of just about anything, from golfballs to iPods. “I tried to explain the potential of YouTube, but peoplejust couldn’t put an arm around it,” says Wright. But they do now. “Our videos on YouTube alone have received 15.7 million views. Neverbefore could we have received so much attention,” says Wright. “It’sbeen such a huge opportunity to break through the clutter and becomesomething that people talk about.” Blendtec’s social media campaign is all about brand awareness. Theonline videos and a Web blog have helped Blendtec establish its brandand given the company name recognition across the globe. “You will neverget consideration in a sale unless people know who you are,” Wrightsays. “Social media allows small businesses to convey their own message,” saysBoyayan. “Now you can self publish your message and it opens the door totraditional media.” Such has been the case for Blendtec. There are many tools in the social media revolution. As an example,Boyayan points to the success of a Web blog called “Kalyn’s Kitchen.”Blogger Kalyn Denny, of Salt Lake City, receives numerous invitationsfor speaking engagements and has built a community around her Web blog,according to Boyayan. So also has Bill Marriott, Chairman and CEO ofMarriott International. You might ask why Bill Marriott needs a blog,considering the success of his hotel chain. The answer, according toBoyayan is simple: he’s building a community and further enhancing hisbrand. Podcasts are another social media tool that can be used to help abusiness build its brand. Boyayan says she posts podcasts on herbusiness website, BuzzBoosters.com, to educate listeners about Internetmarketing and growing small businesses. Most social media tools require little in the way of technology. “Blogsare very easy to do,” according to Boyayan, and with RSS (real simplesyndication) subscribers can read your posts where and when they want.The same is true for podcasts, which can be downloaded and listened toat the convenience of the patron. Whatever form of social media you choose, Boyayan offers this caution:“You have to create an online strategy and give your audience a call toaction. Your online message needs to be connected to your business insome way, otherwise it has no value for you.” If you are interested insocial media, how it might work for your company, or what tools arerequired, contacting Boyayan at Buzz Boosters is a great place to start.
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Yahoo MyWebposted by Shahar Boyayan @ 2:48 PM
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