Brands and individuals active on Twitter are constantly trying to build relationships, better understand engagement with their followers, and gain credibility. Some are successful on their own, but others are left in the dust and get lost in the depths of the vast Twittersphere. However, what if a brand realized this issue and then acted upon it to help those Twitter users in need of a traffic boost? Introducing, Competwition, a website that allows users to create and enter competwitions with some pretty cool prizes.

The concept of Competwition is right on the money. Marketing strategies typically work best when an incentive of some type is involved. By creating an outlet to allow users to create their own contests and choose their own prizes to give away, more users will engage. Hosting a competwition? The better the prize you’re giving away, the more followers and general web traffic you are bound to receive. Entering a competwition? You could win free goodies like concert tickets, sweatshirts, software, products, or even a new iPad! The prize you give away in your company’s competwition is 100% up to you. All you need is a Twitter handle to enter and host competwitions—it’s that easy!

Competwition has the ability to change social media marketing forever, but has it caught on yet? Let us know if you have you heard about Competwition and if so, have you used it?

Have you ever thought about what social media success means? Is it a successful Twitter campaign? Is it a certain amount of likes a Facebook business page receives?  Yesterday, Social Media Today’s CEO, Robin Carey, presented a webinar on social video content and how marketers can better understand ROI (return on investment). Guest speaker and author of “Social TV”, Mike Proulx, spoke on the convergence from television to social media and how marketers should monitor digital television. Social media success can come in many different forms, but measuring that success is key to determining ROI.

One of Proulx’s main points to understanding viral social media, was to find a way for relevant people or brands in your industry read or watch your content, and find it interesting enough to spread across multiple platforms. By providing custom content to a specific demographic that is human and relatable, more web media coverage will be generated.Piggybacking on this concept is the idea of web video content and how this type of content is more accessible to consume and create. Today, American businesses are catching on, and quickly. Over 54% of North American companies plan on spending more on video content this year. One extreme example are the highly anticipated Super Bowl commercials. Humans play a role in distributing content that brands and marketers are producing through their computers and mobile devices because they find the content amusing, relevant, interesting or funny.

Furthermore, what is a successful social media campaign, video or non-video, without an accurate measurement of marketing success? First, understanding the types of measurements to show ROI on content marketing is crucial. The idea of not all media impressions are created equal is a major factor to consider when eyeballing the number of hits on your video or social media page. Yes, the number of views measures content consumption, but paying attention to strictly numbers will not fully measure your social media success because who is viewing your page, socializing your content, and taking action to share with others are the hits that really count.

How do you measure social success and ROI for your marketing initiatives? Let us know by commenting below or tweet to us @TRA360!

Congrats, you have made it this far in our mini-series of Relationship Building 101: How to build and establish relationships in your industry. Our final tip to help you on your way to becoming a pro relationship builder is:

Take notice and respond accordingly

Unfortunately, there are companies who have social media accounts but may not have the time or the knowledge to properly maintain them. However, by taking notice and responding to a re-tweet or Facebook comment, you are showing that you care. A “thank you” is sufficient, but in order to build relationships, conversation is key. Craft a response or question to that specific comment that will engage both parties. Building relationships can take time, but interaction through conversations and questions will help bring your relationship to the next level with clients or potential clients.

Thanks for checking out our blog series on relationship building. Make sure to keep checking back for new posts about social media, marketing and technical communications as they relate to the world of technology and innovation! 

If you are a runner, you are probably aware that completing a marathon is one of the greatest challenges a runner can face, but also well worth the reward of crossing the finish line at the end. As it takes a full 26.2 miles to complete a marathon, runners realize this is no easy task. Training can take people years to get their bodies physically and mentally fit. Marathon Monday is like a marketing strategy. Not everyone runs in Marathon Monday (every Patriot’s Day in Boston) and likewise, not all companies engage in marketing tactics for their businesses. Marketing strategies may be that uphill battle (Commonwealth Ave. for the Boston Marathon, anyone?), but when said and done, completing a successful marketing initiative for a business is that feeling of euphoria that runners experience after crossing the finish line. And here’s why:

1. Training and mental preparation

Just like a runner preparing to train their body to run 26.2 miles up hills and over varying terrain, a company who wants to promote their brand must take appropriate measures before executing their plan. By surveying the space around them, and seeing what has or hasn’t already been done, brands can get a feel for what’s worked and what hasn’t in the past. What’s original versus what’s old and stale? Companies brainstorming original and fresh marketing perspectives will be the ones to hit the jackpot at the end.

2. Need an H20 break along the way? Take some time and reboot the engine

On Marathon Monday, most runners are not in-it-to-win-it, but for the sheer experience of running a marathon and being cheered on by thousands of fellow Bostonians handing out water, Gatorade and orange slices for energy. Sometimes runners need to take a break and re-assess their strategy. Have they started off fast in the beginning and are feeling tired only a few miles into the race? Similar to marketing strategies, sometimes it’s best to take a break and learn to pace yourself. For marketers, the same applies. Whether it’s a campaign, project or promotion, brands simply cannot execute their strategies in one sitting. These efforts take time and will not be successful overnight. Ample planning, meeting, research and execution time should be spaced out over the course of a significant period of time to show appropriate results.

3. Don’t give up yet: the finish line is in sight!

Whether you’re a marketer or a runner or something else, many of us have experienced that “YOU’RE SO CLOSE” moment through races, initiatives, or even a simple workout on the elliptical when you just really want to get off at minute 27 instead of pushing through to minute 30. Everyone wants to give up at the end; after all, they put in ample effort at this point and have become over exhausted, overheated, and simply, over it. But it’s at this point where you must find it within yourself to cross the finish line. No, it’s not easy, but don’t forget to listen to those cheers of encouragement coming from the sidelines. The uphill battle is almost over as you can see the Prudential tower in sight. Marketing strategies feel the same way! Maybe brands have failed in the past, or they cannot get a hold on their targeted demographics. Whatever the reason may be, by pushing yourself and your brand to the limit, you will be able to finish proud and accomplished.

Do you have a story of a marketing campaign that felt like you were running an uphill battle? Let us know below!