Social Media | PlaceWise Media

10 Reasons Your Center Should Build an SMS Loyalty Club

April 22, 2012 By Greg Hickman

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Want to engage your shoppers on the most personal level? And no, I’m not talking about Facebook or Twitter. I’m talking about one device your shopper has on them 24/7 – Their smartphones. Building an SMS Mobile Club extends and strengthens your relationship with your consumer base by creating an exclusive mobile loyalty group. Shoppers opt-in to receive regular and time-sensitive alerts sent directly to their phone via SMS (text message). Messages can include the latest news, coupons and promotions. Use ongoing communication to highlight upcoming events or sales and integrate sponsor messages or other promotions.

10 Reasons Why Your Center Should Start a Mobile Club Now:

You Can Reach Everyone:

Reach Them Anytime, Anywhere:

It’s Measurable:

It’s Exciting:

It’s Viral:

Mobile Plays Well With Others:

It Boosts Retention:

Connect & Engage With Shoppers:

You Can Afford it:

Dedicated Support:

And Best of All, It’s Integrated Right Into RetailHub so You Can Easily Manage Your Mobile Campaigns.

What Do I Do Now?
Talk to your PlaceWise Account Representative to get started with Mobile Club today. Soon, we’ll show you how one center used a text-to-win program to help grow their Mobile Club to over 2,000 shoppers.

Author Profile: Greg Hickman is Product Manager of Mobile Solutions greg.hickman@placewise.com

Pinterest For Your Shopping Center

April 16, 2012 By Shaina Young

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Unless you’ve been under a rock lately, you’ve probably heard the word “Pinterest” being used in all sorts of media and marketing conversations. However, you aren’t alone if you don’t quite know how to use it for your center. Pinterest is a great tool for highlighting brands, items and even featured events. Anything that has an image on your website or your retailers’ sites, can be pinned by someone; which translates to instant social sharing of your images and merchandise.

The Basics

Pinterest is a platform for Pinning your Interests onto a “virtual pinboard” where you can keep track of your favorites recipes, fashions, or crafty ideas all in one spot on cyberspace. The format mirrors how one might read a fashion magazine and either dog-ear a page to come back to (aka Like) or tear out a page and add it to a collage or scrapbook (aka Pin to a Board). For this reason, Pinterest is a very visual medium and makes sharing and tracking items simple. The audience is also primarily women and similar to that of a typical Shopping Center’s target demographic.

Is it worth the effort?

Pinterest is now ranked number three most-popular social media network in the U.S., behind Facebook and Twitter, according to Experian Hitwise (click here for the full article ). That means, since March 2010 when it launched with an Invitation-Only membership, Pinterest has already overtaken networks like LinkedIn and Instagram and had 104 million visits last month alone! Not to mention, Pinterest users are by nature an active audience and are interacting with multiple other sites and users through the Pinterest network.
We think that’s a compelling reason to get involved!

Getting Started

If you haven’t already, begin by signing up for an account.

Once you have been invited to participate you can set up your profile with your center logo, contact information, etc. Now you’re ready to create some Boards! We suggest starting Boards around center events, seasonal trends, fashion categories, and much more. You can have as many boards as you like so be creative.

Click here for a great article by HubSpot that highlights how to use Pinterest for Business

Add it to your Facebook Page

There’s also a pretty nifty App out there called Pinvolve which has been featured on Techcrunch recently and allows for instant “Pinability” when it comes to your Facebook posts. Since most consumers use Pinterest through their Facebook accounts, it only makes sense to keep the conversation in one spot. Pinvolve is a third-party app that creates a Pinterest tab on your Facebook Page and houses your posts as Pins; making it that much easier for your Facebook content to get shared on either platform.

Get your app here!

How one center is mastering Pinterest:

Sunrise MarketPlace was an early adopter of Pinterest and has been seeing great results since they decided to join the network. Jamie McDaniels, their Marketing Director, has been using it to keep in touch with their consumers on a more creative and personal level than ever before.

“Our goal of using Pinterest is to spark an interest and drive traffic to the businesses; whether they are buying that pinned product or not, they are inspired to visit Sunrise MarketPlace. We strive to stay human with our strategy and will always work diligently to connect on a personal level.”

On their account, pinterest.com/sunrisemrktplce, you can find boards such as “Rainy Day at SMP” or “SMP Crafts” and everything in between. McDaniels pins products from her retailers’ websites as well as other urls to come up with unique boards that still relate to the center’s overall branding and feel. Giving consumers a forum to express their style and offer fashion tips can be a very addictive experience and ultimately, draw them to the center to fulfill their new inspirations.

“Pinterest has helped us reach consumers on a personal and creative level by identifying products found within the shopping district that they can specifically go buy today. Pinterest allows us to be creative with ideas to post by just relating to something taking place that day, like forecast, trends or holidays.”

The key is to stay true to your center’s identity but keep your boards fun and interesting. So go ahead, join in the Pin frenzy!

Social Media Updates From Your PlaceWise Team

August 17, 2011 By Shaina Young

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As you are all aware, Facebook will change their settings and functionality without notice. Most recently, the Facebook API sharing components were altered, forcing us to redevelop our Promotions Application. Ughhhh! And though our newly developed Promotions Application is now more stable than ever, at the end of the day, we are all at the mercy of the Facebook development environment and must be flexible when sudden changes occur.

Below are a few strategies to help us all stay on top of this ever-changing industry:

1. Even though it’s “free,” planning and budgeting are still important:

While many of us are still enjoying all that summer has to offer, the holiday season is just around the corner and it’s never to early to be prepared. Both Facebook and Twitter can offer some great marketing solutions to get the word out in unique ways. However, we all know how finicky these platforms can be and how applications can change on a whim. It’s always a good idea to discuss your concepts and programs with your account representatives as early as possible in order to help us all stay ahead of the curve. Placewise prides itself at being top of the class in all subject Social Media, but sometimes things just aren’t in our abilities to control.

So help us help you and ask about our Promotions Applications and how to run Social Media programs through legal channels. Sometimes these projects can take a while to plan and integrate properly so timelines and budgets may vary.

2. Do some Research:

Don’t worry, we aren’t suggesting a day in the library, but If there’s an idea you have or a creative project you would like to implement through your Facebook or Twitter page, chances are there are other companies out there who have already figured out a clever way to do similar programs. Usually there’s no need to reinvent the wheel when it comes to Social Media. Plus, we’ve heard copying someone can be a form a flattery…

3. Follow some creative leaders:

There are lots of forums and blogs out there preaching best practices, cutting edge ideas, and general good sense for marketers using Social Media as a platform. Here are a few great ones to keep an eye on if you need some inspiration:

Author Profile: Shaina Young is a PlaceWise Account Executive shaina.young@placewise.com | 303.296.2413

Trends on the Sales Front: Social Media Anxiety

August 1, 2011 By Guy M. Frizell

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Sales, while challenging, offers interesting points of insight for later internal conversation.

When speaking to a variety of both existing clients and prospects, what is clear among both groups is a noticeable anxiety that marketing directors are not utilizing ‘social media’ to the fullest. “I need to do something with social media…” they will say. “We haven’t yet done our Facebook page, but really need to get on it…” “Can you help us build our friends list?” And my favorite: “Do we really need a Facebook page?”

Statements like these are never uttered by anyone under 30, and almost always by those dated by more than a passing familiarity with “Frampton Comes Alive!” This latter group is seemingly much more hesitant to forge ahead with the power of social media due to its raw power to communicate the truth on a variety of levels. Social Media keeps businesses on its toes, and although this can be intimidating, it can be exciting as it opens doors of communication encouraging viral sharing. Those who fully embrace and make the most of this new media will possess a distinct advantage over those ever-too-slow to seriously conform to this new web marketing norm.

For many, social media is a scary enterprise, so they “fake-it,” putting little effort into growing or evolving this essential component of their marketing program. Of course, this is pointless, since so many savvy shoppers and consumers intuitively detect a phony social media presence, one that merely goes through the motions taking up space. In short, social media is about real connection with people and in this instance shopping center customers connecting with one another via the web or mobile. All of a sudden, it seems, it is unimaginable that any shopping center website be without an effective Facebook presence. The irony of course is that a vibrant social media effort is the most significant addition to the ongoing effectiveness of marketers as they seek to learn more about themselves, and in so, increase their bottom line in a variety of forms.

For information on implementing an interactive social media campaign, contact PlaceWise Media at 720-259-4795.

Author Profile: Guy M. Frizell is PlaceWise’s Director of Business Development guy@placewise.com | 720-259-4795

Lessons for the Marketers of Tomorrow

April 11, 2011 By Taj Moore

twentyeleven

If you are a student of marketing or advertising, or an “old-school” marketer looking to get savvy in the “new-school” ways of social media, this post is for you.

Last week Greg & Taj gave a one-hour presentation to the Advertising class at University of Colorado, Auraria Campus. Greg Hickman is product manager for mobile solutions and Taj Moore is product manager for social media. What did we have to say to the advertisers of tomorrow? We went through both mobile and social marketing strategy & tactics; we made sure to make most of the presentation a conversation in which there were a lot of breaks to respond to questions as well as ask some questions of our own. As you’ll see from the presentation deck and the resources we’ve provided below, there are really two main takeaways. You kind of had to be there, but hopefully you can pick up the themes in our slideshow.

The Takeaways

If we have only two things we want you to walk away with … here they are:

As an advertiser, brand or business you must go where your customers go and spend their time.
Marketing is no longer a monologue; it’s a dialogue. Brands and businesses have to start listening to the conversations that are taking place and participate.

Presentation Slides

Mobile social mf_classlesson

View more presentations from PlaceWise

Resources

Mashable

Mashable.com pretty much gets its own category. They cover everything good to know about technology and social media.

Facebook

Inside Facebook: this is the best way to stay abreast of developments on Facebook. Facebook Guidebook on Mashable

Email Best Practices

Marketing Sherpa: subscribe to the newsletter to get free access to their latest posts (limited-time for each post). CAN-SPAM Compliance: it’s not hard to be compliant; just make sure you understand the law.

Design Thinking

52 Weeks of UX: for understanding at least one perspective on how good designs are made and users’ needs are considered in the process. Don’t Make Me Think: for understanding how to design websites to be usable … a must read. Ideation and Design: Luke Wroblewski is the author of two popular web design books and is an advocate for smart mobile interface design. Mobile Tuts+: A tutorial site focused on mobile web and mobile app design and development. Best way to start is to start. 9 Mobile Frameworks to begin Mobile Development: A blog that lists out the popular mobile development frameworks with links to more info. UX Patterns: A library of user interface design.

Marketing Blogs

Seth Godin’s Blog: he wrote many good books on marketing. 50 Mobile Marketing Blogs You Aren’t Reading Yet: Mainly because none of you even use foursquare or have your own blog.

Signal vs. Noise: The blog bye 37 Signals, the makers of the product Basecamp and authors of the book Rework.

Social Media Stats & Infographics

The History of Social Media 101 Social Media Stats To Make Your Spirits Bright and Your Head Spin

People to Follow on Twitter

@garyvee @noahkagan @robwoodbridge @mobilemoxie @ericries @jowyang @mashable @coolhunting

Mobile Marketing Blogs

Mobile Marketer Mobile Commerce Daily Luxury Daily Mobile Beat Fierce Wireless

Author Profiles: Greg Hickman is PlaceWise’s product manager of mobile solutions Greg.Hickman at PlaceWise Dot Com | 720-891-4943 Taj Moore is PlaceWise’s product manager for social media Tai.Moore at PlaceWise Dot Com |720-266-4292 | @tajmf on twitter Where do you see the world of marketing in 5 years?

Our New Favorite Facebook Page Tool: Login as Your Page

March 1, 2011 By Alexandra Friedman

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There were many upgrades to Facebook Pages; however, I’m going to visually walk you through one of the most powerful upgrades, the ability to use Facebook as your Center’s Facebook Page. For example purposes, I will be utilizing my personal account, Alexandra Friedman, and a Facebook Page that I Admin, Shoptopia.

Upgrading Your Center’s Page Will Look Different

First, get familiar with the new Facebook Page redesign, which looks very similar to your personal profile page. Take note of the tabs being gone, and the addition of the left-hand navigation menu. The information box that used to be on the left has been removed, but you can add info about your brand under the main title. On the upper right side you will notice that there is now a section that features your Center’s admins. Then there is the most obvious change, the photos streaming across the top of the page.

Using Facebook With Your Personal Account/Profile

As an admin for the Shoptopia Facebook Page, I have admin rights assigned to me as my personal account, Alexandra Friedman. When I interact on the Shoptopia Page under Alexandra Friedman, I can only interact on the Shoptopia Page as the Shoptopia Brand, but nowhere else.

Use Facebook as a Page By Switching into Your Center’s Page

I can now actually swap my identity and sign out of my personal account, allowing me to use Facebook as the Shoptopia Page. To make this switch, there are two options:

Go to your Center’s Facebook Page and click on “Use Facebook as [Your Center’s FB Page name here]” on the top right of the page.
Click down on Account on the upper right and click on, “Use Facebook as Page.”

If I pick option two, I’m prompted to pick which Page to switch to, which I only see because I’m Admin on more then one page.

Receive Notifications About Fan Activity

Now that I am signed in as the Shoptopia Page, the red numbers in the upper left of my screen now represent the interaction of new users who Like my Page, as well as the activity for the Shoptopia Page.

Like Other Pages as Your Page

I’m now able to Like other Pages as the Shoptopia Page. Liking a Page now allows me to stay up-to-date with the status updates of Shoptopia’s Liked Pages. I notice this if I go to my wall feed (Click on the Facebook logo), which now displays the new and top status updates from the Pages that Shoptopia has Liked.

Interact With Other Pages as Your Page

Now that I’m using Facebook as the Shoptopia Page, I can interact with other Pages that Shoptopia has Liked. For example, Shoptopia has Liked The Shops at Northfield Stapleton, so I can comment and interact with anything on the Northfield Facebook Page as the Shoptopia Page. I can also write on Fans’ walls and interact with them on their status updates as the Shoptopia Page, but only if they have opted for the “everyone” privacy settings.

There are even more upgrades, but this identity switch feature is not only one of our favorite, but one of the most valuable Facebook tools for your Center. We will be planning a webinar soon to give you some how-to’s and answer your questions, so stay tuned! To learn more about content marketing tools, call your account manager.

Author Profile: Alexandra Friedman is PlaceWise’s Product Manager of Social Content at PlaceWise.com | 720-881-6945

Fashionably Missing Mobile at New York Fashion Week

March 1, 2011 By Greg Hickman

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As New York Fashion Week came and went last month I was hoping to see more brands taking advantage of the mobile channel. There were a few semi-notable fashion-branded campaigns, but none offering the depth of engagement and interaction I was expecting.

The Elle iPad App

During New York Fashion Week, Elle, a fashion magazine read all over the world with 21 million readers, launched and introduced advertisers to their rich video and tap-to-buy ad units for their iPad application. Brands like Burberry and Gucci had the opportunity to offer exclusive fashion video content, tap-to-buy catalogues, and the ability to let users upload their own pictures so that they could try on luxury brand apparel and accessories as seen on the runway.

The Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Mobile App

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week partnered with social shopping pioneer, ShopStyle, to update their smartphone application to highlight the Fall 2011 collections. This was the first mobile app partnership for Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, and the goal was to bring fashionistas exclusive content and coverage of the Fall 2011 event. The updated app brought must-have info on schedules, designer profiles, runway photos, coverage and industry news.

Although these two luxury brands were tapping into the innovative fashion demographic more than their potential competitors, they missed the opportunity to truly deepen their engagement with fashionistas world-wide, who were unable to attend New York Fashion Week. Here are some mobile marketing tactics that I would have liked to have seen used during New York Fashion Week:

QR Codes: QR codes on the runway could have offered exclusive videos about the designer and access to behind the scene footage. This would have let viewers connect more with the designer, understand their vision, and feel like a VIP into what the designer experiences during an event.
Text Alerts: Text alerts and updates on fashion and accessories could have offered a mobile auction for items worn on the runway, as well as tips for staying fashionable this fall.
Text Call to Action: Brands could have added text call to actions to the video that was distributed via TV and online, which would could have opened a mobile social experience. Users could have engaged more with the brands on the runway, designers and new fashion trends.
Sweepstakes: Although sweepstakes may sound the opposite of luxury, they are truly powerful in driving participation and excitement. A simple text to win campaign could have given viewers the opportunity to win a makeover or a meet and greet with a particular designer. These programs become viral very fast.

Mobile offers the unique opportunity to get personal with customers. Bringing engaging and exclusive experiences right to the device that customers never leave home without, can create actionable results when done correctly. Designers and brands might have had impressive fashion shows for Fall 2011, but their mobile marketing strategies were fashionably missing.

Author Profile: Greg Hickman is Product Manager of Mobile Solutions greg.hickman@placewise.com | 720-891-4943

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The Scoop:

Now Trending:

Benefits for Our Mall Network Partners:

How to Get Started:

The Basics

Is it worth the effort?

Getting Started

Add it to your Facebook Page

How one center is mastering Pinterest:

The Takeaways

Presentation Slides

Resources

Mashable

Facebook

Email Best Practices

Design Thinking

Marketing Blogs

Social Media Stats & Infographics

People to Follow on Twitter

Mobile Marketing Blogs