I turned down the opportunity to be in the Top 5.

Some of you might wonder why in the world would I do such a thing after going through so much effort to win a spot.  Well, it unfortunately came down to something that had I known from day one, might have deterred my involvement in the first place.  The salary was WAY WAY too low to consider moving and supporting my family for.  I received a call the morning of the Top 5 announcement telling me I was being considered as a Top 5 finalist, but they wanted to share some job details with me first.  I was told the salary range first, and I was floored.  It didn’t make sense to me.

From their site:

So how much will you make? Let’s say for the purposes of starting a conversation that you’ll make a wage that is commensurate with your experience level in a job of this nature and get to live in what is probably the most incredible place to live in the Mountain West – Missoula, MT.

I was offended that a role as important as this one, and one that was so highly publicized and recruited for, was as low as it was and/or they were implying that’s what they thought my “experience level” was worth.  I know Community Manager and Social Media roles are still working on gaining credibility for themselves, but I was very surprised regardless.  Especially considering the great lengths Vanns went to hire someone for this role.  Yes, the cost of living in Montana is less then many areas, but I did my homework.  Missoula is not a small town, and the cost of living isn’t that low.  At least not for those newly finding their way there.

I have no ill will towards Vanns, the process, or any of the wonderful candidates that made the Top 5.  They seriously are a group of talented, passionate, deserving individuals, and I’m sure Vanns will have a winner on their hands regardless of which direction they go.  And everyone is different in their needs, cost of living, personal circumstances.  Perhaps their range is well within other people’s situations.  It just couldn’t work for me and mine.

Of course, I can’t help but offer some feedback on the whole process being as passionate as I am about community managment.  Especially some misses from a community perspective that Vanns really missed out on to capitalize on the great idea:

1. 1. Be more transparent. Vanns really should have disclosed a salary range from the get go.  I don’t know; maybe I was the only one burned on this one, but if you are going to do a nationwide search for candidates to this degree, AND put people through a ton of work just to apply, you need to disclose this to negate those that can’t consider the offering. “Commensurate with experience” was not entirely accurate.
2. 2. Be more involved. Besides a few Twitter updates notifying followers of new videos, there was no company interaction with the site.  Nothing to continue the momentum, encourage dialogue, or get people excited about the milestones.  Yes, they obviously are hiring someone for these things, but it certainly wouldn’t have been too difficult to be more engaged.
3. 3. Be more efficient. The whole process took to long.  Interest waned during the down times.
4. 4. Media execution. The process of the video portion of the application was a patch work solution.  It was too confusing for many users to figure out how to vote on the videos, and many of the applicants didn’t get the system working correctly from day one.  Don’t reinvent the wheel when you don’t have to.  YouTube (and Vimeo for that matter), offer robust, fully featured video hosting solutions that could have accommodated all the videos and voting mechanisms without requiring any registration to do so.
5. 5. Involve customers. Vanns already has a community site up and running.  Why not have involved them in the process?  Put out questions or poll the community to get feedback on what they would like to see in their community manager.  Offer prizes, incentives.  Something to turn the experience into something more viral.

I can’t give the constructive feedback without the good.  Here’s what I loved:

1. 1. The platform. By far one of the most innovative, slick presentations on recruiting a position in your company.  It’s obvious the idea was a winner.  I personally scored two news stories based on their innovative approach (here and here).
2. 2. Social Media. Great use of Twitter and Facebook to evangelize the opportunity.  There was plenty of chatter going on throughout the campaign.
3. 3. Vanns Site Integration. Not only did the publicize the role on their main website.  They prominently featured it frequently on the front page.  Bold and shows how important they view this role.
4. 4. Bottom line…it worked. Despite my criticisms, let’s be honest, the idea worked.  They may not have gotten as many applicants as they would have liked, but at the end of the day, I assure you they will come out much farther ahead from the process as opposed to if they went the traditional route.

So another chapter closes.  I loved making the video, I loved evangelizing it, and if anything, it’s provided quite a bit of visibility for me in other areas.  Good luck to Vanns, their future Community Manager and continued success.  In the end, it all works out as I have some exciting things in the works that will involve doing my own thing.  That’s always who I’ve been anyway.

More to come…

Be Everywhere
The first step that any business needs to take is establishing themselves as a company that embraces community. What I mean by that is companies that have active, real people engaging with their customers on multiple channels on a regular basis. It’s not enough to just have a Facebook page or Twitter account. You have to be using those channels as true two way communication options for your customers. By answering questions, solving customer issues, and engaging in numerous conversations related to your business, you will establish trust and admiration of your customers and customers to be.

Create Community
Next you need to consider having a “controlled” community environment in your world. In other words, a community platform that lives on your site. A place that you can offer your customers/audience a place to communicate in addition to external channels. While it’s great and necessary to use the external channels, it’s important to establish yourself as a true community champion by having your own community presence. It also allows you to control the platform, and metrics making it easier to turn those conversations and data into actionable resources.  For information on how to build your own community platform inexpensively, check out my previous post on the subject.

Drive Mutually Beneficial Conversation
Once you have built that trust, it’s time to take advantage of those connections and not only participate in conversation, but create them. Let me start with a personal example.
As part of the Vanns Community Manager job application, I needed to create a 60 second video to promote myself creatively. The 2nd part of the mission was to demonstrate my ability to drive traffic, build awareness, and utilize my networks to drive views and votes of my video. So of course I tackled the usual major players, Facebook, Twitter, etc. etc. But I also didn’t want to ignore the traditional media outlets (more on that in a future post).

Rather then fire off an email to the newspapers about “my story”, I came from a special interest angle about how companies are coming up with creative ways to apply for jobs and it’s requiring applicants to do more then just sending in their cover letters and resumes. Of course I included my situation and how it applied, because while I did genuinely want the article to be more broad, I certainly wanted to benefit from being a part of the article to increase awareness of my video.

Two papers responded and one will be running the story in the next week. Both reporters explicitly said they wanted to run with the story because I pitched it from a perspective that was reader focused then just a self serving one. They also said that 90% of their story requests are all self serving most from companies.  So if you use this tactic, you’ll have a much better chance at getting a response.

The point of the story is that when you engage with your customers/audience in ways that benefit them as much as you (and often times more them then you), you are going to be in a much better position to “control” the conversations or at the very least guide them to where you want them to go.

So to recap:

• Build your digital street cred by being where your customers are and engaging with them a lot!
• Create an environment in your world where you customers can go, converse, and more easily allow you to use that information in ways that help you grow your business.
• Approach conversation creation from your customers/audiences perspective. What angles will promote meaningful conversations that can benefit them as well as the business.

Good luck!

FROST is a new gourmet donut shop that has opened up in the Mill Creek Town Center in Mill Creek, WA.  For those of you not local, it’s a hip/trendy outdoor shopping center that is quite popular with the locals.  They have already made quite a name for themselves with their savvy marketing/community approach, and more importantly, their amazing doughnuts.  These aren’t your average, run of the mill, doughnuts.  These are high quality, always fresh, gourmet doughnuts that fly off the shelves.  Unique flavors such as Southern Red Velvet, Banana Split Fritter, or their highly sought after Maple Bacon Bars, have people flocking to see what the latest and greatest creation is.  I’ve tasted them; they’re the real deal.

But it’s not just the product that has FROST on everyone’s mind.  It’s the unique approach they’ve taken to building their business that has caught this blogger’s eye.  Daniel Sterling is the Creative/Brand Technology expert and Managing Partner and the brains behind the social networking behind FROST and in just a few short months, Daniel has been able to build an incredibly strong community of customers by using social networking incredibly well.  And it’s not just the numbers that are staggering, but the community of highly passionate customers and two-way communication that has FROST driving crazy business.  One visit to their Facebook page and you’ll see comment after comment of already loyal customers gushing about this flavor and that flavor and sharing their feedback about how to do better.  So how do they do it?

Pre-Buzz – Rather then wait for the store to open, Daniel jumped on the opportunity to build buzz and awareness using Facebook, Twitter and their website to collect emails.  As the store was being built, they placed paper over the windows with their URL, but no information of what they would sell.  Daniel used Facebook and Twitter to slowly leak out hints as to who they were and the community ate it up and offered prizes for those hot on the trail.  Fan after fan joined and contributed to the “mystery” of what FROST could possibly be.   And when the doors opened, they drove so much business; they had to close on Monday to regroup.

Active Engagement – FROST does not rest on its laurels.  They proactively engage with their customers on Facebook and Twitter regularly offering discounts, responding to feedback, and even taking flavor requests.  Their Facebook and Twitter pages are a flurry of activity.

Two-Way Communication – It’s not must about posting today’s flavors or buy one get one free.  FROST is about customer enablement through two-way communication.  Not only are they enabling their customers to feel like part of the business through flavor, pricing and logistical recommendations, they are able to move swiftly to customer demand and make changes on the fly.  Never in the history of business has their been the ability to respond in this way, and FROST is all over it.  They’ve built trust with their customers right out of the gate to ensure business will boom even beyond the honeymoon phase.

What’s even more amazing about FROST’s success is not only their impressive use of social networking to promote themselves, but how they’ve truly created a community of customers.  They are not only sharing feedback directly to FROST, but also conversing with each other about their experiences.  That’s true community, and incredibly powerful stuff.  They’ve got the masses talking about their business to each other and that’s the dream of any business.

I was so impressed with FROST’s success, that I thought it would be useful to hear from Daniel what his top 3 recommendations for business owners would be regarding using social media effectively.

“Number one is getting over the fear of doing it and just go for it.  It’s not going to consume you, nor is the tech overwhelming.  You don’t have to be an expert.  Second is making sure you are ready and willing to communicate with your customers and respond quickly.  And the third is knowing how to communicate with your customers and be prepared for negative feedback.  Know how to respond accordingly.”

For most savvy social networkers, much of this is not news, but it’s still amazing how so few businesses (especially small to mid) have not embraced and taken advantage of the social media and community building opportunities.  FROST has been able to drive significant buzz, awareness and business using tools that cost nothing but time thus far.  They have saved thousands of dollars just by incorporating the use of Facebook and Twitter as part of their normal routines, and combined with their commitment to being a part of the conversation, they’ve found a recipe for success in more ways then one.

If you are a business owner that has yet to capitalize, FROST is a great model to learn from.

Oh, and Daniel’s favorite flavor?

“Our Classic Raised Glaze.  Nothing beats an original.”

FROST website: http://www.frostology.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mill-Creek-WA/frost/57383368725?ref=ts
Twitter: http://twitter.com/frostology

However not all businesses have the resources that a Dell or Microsoft might have. But that doesn’t mean you can’t build yourself a thriving community. There are incredible tools and services at your disposal, most of which don’t cost a dime. With a little time, research and the right plan, you can have yourself a platform to build your community with. I won’t dive into the tactics of how to use these tools in this post, but below I reference the ways any person or business can build a community on a limited budget.

Step 1: Hit The Big Three (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn)

It’s no secret that social networking is all the rage, so it doesn’t take a genius to point out that you need to start there. By far, Facebook, Twitter and Linked In are where I think most businesses should start their community building. I’m sure many digital marketers will tell you that there are hundreds of 2nd tier social networks that exist that you should consider, but the fact is, this post is about people or businesses on a budget, and while using these networks don’t cost money, they do cost time. You need to maximize your time, and focusing on these three networks first are your best bet. And it’s not just about creating a Facebook page or a Twitter account. You need to be a living, thriving identity in these places. Actively pursue users, followers and engage in conversations, even if it doesn’t directly relate to your product or service. The companies that have had the most success in community building are the ones who have real people acting on behalf of these companies, engaging with users on a regular basis. It takes a commitment of time, patience and tenacity, but the results will pay off. I’ll write more in future posts on the tactical approaches that have worked for me on these channel.

Step 2: Build Your Home Base

I have practically made a living utilizing open source software to fulfill all my web needs. In the last few years, the movement has developed tremendous software that not only works, but has huge followings (strong communities of course), and support resources that enable users to save tons of money. Incorporating community features into an existing website or building one from the ground up can be much easier then you would think. From out of the box solutions, to ones that involve a bit of setup, either scenario can be managed relatively with ease. Below are some tools and resources I have used with a brief description of what they offer.

Blogging

Hands down, WordPress is THE blogging solution. Sure there are others, but WordPress is so damn good, I won’t even pretend to mention other solutions. It’s free, it’s hugely used and supported, and there are a zillion themes and plugins that can help you acheive anything you want to do. They have hosted and self-hosted solutions depending on your needs. If you haven’t done so already, familiarize yourself a bit with FTP software and a dependable affordable hosting solution (I use Bluehost, they are outstanding). Self hosting will give you the flexibility of doing what YOU want, and completely branding the experience with your brand. In addition, WordPress’ sister offerings, BBpress and Buddypress offer message board and social network features as well that all integrate well with each other. It can be a great all in one solution, but if you are not familiar with some basic install and editing template files, I do recommend finding someone to assist. Still overall, an affordable option.

Social Network Platforms

1. Ning – Ning has certainly established itself as the leader in custom, web based, out of the box social network sites. They offer the standard fare including profiles, groups, message boards, multimedia, etc. Their main offering is completely free, so as long as you can deal with a “custom.ning.com” domain, and their ads, you won’t pay anything. If you want to use your own domain name, or remove the ads, you’ll have to pay a few bucks, but still relatively cheap ($5/month for your domain, $25/month to remove ads). Ning is a cinch to use and you can be up and running in minutes. Lots of customization options as well.

2. Socialgo – 
Socialgo is a relatively new up and comer. I’ve played around with their service, and they offer similar features like Ning does. $25 to white label the service per month, plus they offer a larger package at $149/month to handle all the heavy lifting. One unique feature that Socialgo offers that Ning does not is the option for member billing. If you ever wanted to create an exclusive area of your site for paid members, you have that option. Not exactly a feature you want to consider unless you have something very worthwhile to offer that warrants charging users.

3. Crowdvine – Not quite as polished as Ning or Socialgo, Crowdvine offers another social network solution out of the box. Crowdvine focuses more on connecting people and less on the visuals. In fact, multimedia is not a part of their offering. Their profile system however is very good and they have great Open ID and Facebook integration. The most affordable of the 3 options with a free version and a $12.99/month option that is ad free.

Message Boards

Message boards are a quick and easy way to enable your users to engage in discussions, provide feedback, and build a knowledge base around your products and services. The good news is, with most good hosting packages like Bluehost, they’ll offer easy installation through a hosting control panel, so you can have them up and running in minutes. Three of the most used platforms these days are vBulletin, phpBB and Simple Forums. phpBB and Simple Forums are free, but heavily used with lots of support options. vBulletin will set you back roughly $65 or so, but you then gain access to paid support options. All three offerings give you the standard message board fare from profiles, to avatars, to point systems to reward frequent users.

Other Tools/Wrap Up

Another up and coming feature that more companies are starting to adopt is the concept of idea sourcing. Take a look at My Starbucks Idea and Dell Ideastorm. They’ve enabled users to share their business ideas, vote for their favorites (which bubble to the top), and discuss. It’s a fantastic way to empower your customers and believe it or not, can be relatively inexpensive to incorporate. Be sure to check out open source platform Pligg as one option or Ideasource which has a free version and paid ones. Both can have you up and running and offering a unique community engagement experience that most of your competitors are certainly not using.

One or a combination of these tools and strategies can be very affordable, manageable, and have you up and running in a few days. Of course, sometimes you need help and if so, drop me a line, I’d love to help.