Social media reality check

Greetings, one and all, on a drab and drizzly Thursday morning. Today I'm going to ponder for a moment the social media phenomenon and what it means for our clients and our industry. At coffee this morning with a friend and colleague, the conversation turned to the subject of blogging and its relative value. It's a question we often confront here at Crazy Savvy as we help clients find the best tools to build their brands, boost their business, and engage their audiences.

What about social media?, clients often ask. There seems to be this perception (misconception, one may venture ....) that social media is some sort of silver bullet. Current marketing initiatives not working out? Let's get on Twitter and Foursquare. Want to build brand awareness among new constituencies? We'll write a blog and hope they stumble across it! You may be rolling your eyes, but these conversations occur — far more frequently than you might think. Social media is perceived by many as a cheap, easy-to-use, dynamic medium that can galvanize followers and turn them into true brand advocates. Done correctly, this is indeed the case. But it takes some work.

It's simply not enough to merely have a Twitter account or a Facebook page or a blog. At minimum, these sorts of channels need to be updated — frequently — for them to remain relevant. There's no incentive to keep coming back to a blog that only offers new posts once every few months. But beyond frequency, there's the question of content. Is it relevant? Engaging? Fun? Does it have an authentic voice? Does it inspire some sort of action? The particular approach, of course, varies greatly depending on the organization: a major retailer of consumer goods is going to have a different social media strategy (and different goals) than, say, a start-up accounting firm or a university. But the fundamental principles of savvy social media use remain largely the same.

It boggles the mind that organizations that place so much thought on their identity systems or website or latest ad campaigns become remarkably blithe about social media. Even (seemingly) little things, like formatting mistakes or typos or off-brand voice and design, seem glaringly stupid to me. Presumably you'd proofread your company's annual report, edit your tv spots, fix glitches on your website, no? But I see these sorts of oversights cropping up time and again on the social media platforms of even some very well respected organizations. And don't get me started on endless repetition or shameless spam-type messaging from outlets that are supposed to be engaging and discursive in nature .... Think! Your social media presence could well reach more people than your latest campaign. So what's it saying about your brand — and why?

At C/S, we often work with clients to develop a social media plan that addresses the aforementioned issues in a way that reflects the organization's voice and serves its objectives. Sometimes we assist with execution as well, helping to author blog posts or identify salient content. Done well, the results can be impressive: we've even been lucky enough to get referrals based on this very blog! But what we always stress to our clients is that there needs to be a method to the social media madness, so to speak — a strategy, a goal, a purpose beyond merely "being there" for its own sake. It's like networking, in a way: it's not enough just to show up to the party. If you want anyone to take notice of you, you'd better find ways to be engaging and memorable. (Unless you want to be noticed for your really horrible shoes, in which case, I will happily oblige! But nobody wants to be the punchline .... and your blog shouldn't be the subject of one either.)

Alright, well, rant over. I'm looking forward to getting out of town for the weekend (in the new car! yes! yes!) for some lakeside R&R .... hiking, fireplaces, scenic drives, picnic lunches, endless games of Scrabble .... sounds like my cup o' tea! As always, Dear Readers, thanks for tuning in.

Updates from life in the fast lane (literally)

Phew! If you were waiting with bated breath for a blog post last week, my apologies. Our schedule took a turn for the crazy (and savvy, natch) and before I knew it, the weekend was here .... time for gardening, cooking, concerts (caught the Jonsi show last night at Pantages — sweetness), and yes, a bit of relaxation too.

So, let's see what's new around these parts. How'd we spend last week? Wrapping up some bigger projects and going through our traditional client follow-up processes: always a rewarding task, especially when the client is so clearly enthused by the work you've done. Also doing some of those less-than-scintillating (but oh-so-necessary) bureaucratic tasks and spring housekeeping (and bookkeeping). And, as always, meetings, meetings, meetings. A busy week, in short, if a more or less uneventful one.

But, oh! The oversight! When talking about what's new in C/S land, how could I possibly forget to mention our newest team member?! Okay ..... not a staff person ..... or an intern ..... or even a brand spanking new Apple device, as is so often the case. No, this half of Crazy Savvy recently brought home a sweet, sweet, fast new ride. This means commutes to meetings will never again be the same. (Erin will no doubt sit white-knuckled as I test out what my car can really do. In fact, on second thought, she may lobby that we don't go to meetings in my car!) And the car is even in C/S colors — fear not; it's not hot pink. But it is a wicked silver-grey that looks an awful lot like the shade in our identity system! Anyway .... can you tell I'm excited?

Looking forward, this week is filled with more meetings: with great colleagues and collaborators, with clients past and present (and future, daresay!?), with some of our great team of professionals, perhaps even with destiny? Well, we'll see. But suffice it to say, we're getting in the Q2 groove, enjoying spring, keeping busy, and — as always — having a great time.

Gone in a Flash!

This week has gone by in a flash. I suppose that traveling (and the attendant catch-up game that ensues) had something to do with it. I got to spend some time with those nearest and dearest to me on the east coast. Suffice it to say it was a weekend filled with delicious eats, excellent photography (as shown in the postcard above), and many, many laughs.

Back in C/S land, a few new projects from clients old and new are gearing up to begin. The calendar is booking up with planning meetings and research dates. This makes me a happy girl. Speaking of which, the library calls...

Have a wonderful weekend!

The art of the pitch

It should come as no surprise to anyone who knows me that I essentially live to pitch. (No, I'm not talking about baseball .... although Twins fever has definitely swept Minneapolis, boy oh boy.) When asked what my favorite part of owning my own agency is, my answer is invariably: the art of the pitch. Whether it's presenting new opportunities to existing clients or bringing in new business altogether, the greatest satisfaction for me is in creating the connections and generating the excitement that forms the foundation for fantastic work and lasting client relationships.

Of course, in my (always humble) opinion, there's a right way and a wrong way to go about doing it. I'll leave matters of presentation style and deck design aside for the moment to talk about broader strategy and messaging (it's what I like to talk about best, anyway). It seems to me that a lot of agencies structure their pitches around how flippin' great they are. And of course, you should walk (or saunter) into a pitch prepared to show & tell about how your firm's work, approach, talent, and results are top-notch .... don't get me wrong. But the kernel of wisdom at the center of a great pitch, I think, is about making the connection between the greatness of your agency and what the (prospective) client truly needs.

It's all fine and well if you do beautiful, wonderful work for fancy-schmancy clients, but if you can't talk intelligently and strategically about how your capabilities and experiences dovetail with the needs of your prospect, you may as well save your breath. Read the memo: the pitch isn't about you. It's about them, the client .... and they want to feel that their agency partners understand that, because who wants to work with an egotistical agency team, anyway? [Awkward pause. This might exclude most of our industry.]

I see the same thing when choosing talent, too. So many creatives want to show a pretty, pretty book — and often times, they're indeed mind-bogglingly pretty, especially when viewed by someone with my limited design skills, for whom making it through an InDesign file of my own creation without crashing my computer is a miracle. But if they can't tell me why their prodigious talents uniquely benefit our company and the client we're working with, I don't want to listen. Talent in a vacuum is irrelevant. It isn't about what you've done .... it's about what you can do, for the client, for their needs, at this moment. That's the art of the pitch .... at least in the C/S book, and so far it's seemed to go pretty dang well. In this day and age, where hundreds of thousands of dollars and billable hours often go into making the perfect presentation, it bears some serious consideration.

Plus, is there any better feeling, really, than walking into a pitch and absolutely rocking it, anticipating the client's needs and questions and addressing them before they're even verbalized, showing great work with panache and speaking both eloquently and strategically about how your agency can help realize their vision and exceed their goals?

No, no there's not. Not for me ... not in the professional sense, anyway. (Can you tell my background includes both theater and debate?) Annnnnd ladies and gentlemen, that's the Crazy Savvy take on the art of the pitch. Now I'll leave you with a very different kind of art — a postcard from sunny Madrid, courtesy of our intrepid world traveler and dear friend Kate. Until next time, friends, adios!

Sweet Satisfaction (or Grant Writing 101)

Ah.

Excuse me for a moment while I savor the satisfaction of a deadline met (with time to spare, even). A major federal grant proposal is signed, sealed, and delivered. OK, it was actually submitted electronically through grants.gov, but that's not nearly as poetic a process as you might imagine...

Perhaps you did not know this, but Crazy Savvy offers grant writing right along with our core capabilities in strategy, branding, creative services, social media, and copywriting. I don't think it is particularly common for a creative agency to offer grant writing services—but then, at Crazy Savvy it's never been our goal to be common. With a background that straddles branding, publications, and nonprofit development, it's a natural for me to include grant writing in my repertoire.

Plus, there's this: I really like grant writing.

Grants may not be as sexy as creating a flashy billboard, but I find them equally rewarding—and every bit as creative. Grant writing, at its purest, is where the art of storytelling meets strategy. I've always approached grants from a writer's perspective. Each grant is an opportunity to draw the reader into your organization's story. It gives you the chance to construct a prima facie argument in support of your mission, to answer each reader's question before it even surfaces.

The more stringent (and dare I admit, sometimes even arcane) limits proscribed by grant guidelines, the richer my creative challenge. Page limits and checklists of required elements? Bring 'em on!

Beyond the writerly joys, grants give a writer the opportunity to dig in deep and learn about new issues and topics. This is innately rewarding to the lifelong learner in me. Occasionally, it is an exercise in irony, as well: To wit, a recent project found me researching the educational potential of video games....while fending off near-incessant requests from a certain eight-year-old in my life to purchase a video game system. Thank goodness he didn't find my stack of research or I would be doomed!

I also enjoy the deadline driven nature of grant work. Some may call deadlines a cruel mistress, but they do offer a heady adrenaline surge as all the little pieces of a project come together. And a sweet, satisfied exhalation once the deadline is met.

Like right about now.

Aaaah.