Measuring Relationships With Your Influencers

This week in Social Media Principles, I read up on Chapter 8 of Katie Paine's book "Measure What Matters." This chapter revolved around how to measure influencers and thought leadership. As I went through the chapter, something started to click in my mind about the topics that were being discussed. That something was when measuring things, such as your relationships with your influencers, it all slightly related back to the "seven steps to the perfect measurement program" discussed in Chapter 3. 

When trying to measure your relationships with your influencers, Katie relates it back to the concept and only alters it in minor ways. 

1. Define your goals
             This step is as simple as it sounds but is universal across almost all measurement programs. This step is completed by simply defining measurable objectives for your influencer outreach program. 

2. Define your audience
               So instead of focusing on a target audience, this step for this program is focused more so on defining the specific influencer groups you are trying to target. 

3. Define your benchmarks
               Same as in Chapter 3, this step is essentially making the standards clear about who or what you are trying to be and what you will be comparing your success against.
               
4. Define your key performance indicators
                 This step is more "program specific." Katie states that any influencer relations program should have at least one, if not multiple, of the following indicators.
                           -Percent increase in Grunig Relationship Survey scores.
                           -Percentage increase in share of recommendations.
                           -Percentage increase in share of desired positioning.
                           -Percentage increase in share of desirable quotes.
                           -Percentage increase in coverage containing desirable quotes
                            from key influencers.

5. Select your measurement tool 

                 Again, another self-explanatory step but is one that is absolutely needed. Within this type of measurement program, one could use something as simple as Microsoft Excel or Access all the way to something as specific as a web analytic program.

What is great about these steps outlined above is there was little change from measurement programs. Yeah, some things are different such as not exactly having an investment step, but the core concept stayed the same. Katie then states that the final steps for thought leadership measurements would just follow steps six and seven from that which was outline in Chapter 3. 

Until Next Time,

Matt

"No Guns" at the Zoo Please

To what extent will our society be too focused around stupid matters? Recently, a Houston Zoo had to disband its "no gun" policy because the citizens felt it was their right to carry guns on the technically public land, which is owned by a private entity. It was from the success of the lawsuit that lawyers are taking aim at the Dallas Zoo now. 

The Dallas Zoo has signs posted all the premises stating its "no gun" policy. It is from these signs that the select citizens feel slighted and now are taking legal actions because of the previously similar successful lawsuit. To me, it makes completely logical sense why it does not allow guns on the premises, this being because it is a freaking zoo.

Now I get it, citizens do have the right to their guns and what not, and do not get me wrong, I am all for it, but just not in the zoo. I think Dallas is handling the PR side of these claims extremely well. The zoo immediately appointed a spokesperson to handle all matters relating to the topic. The zoo is not ignoring the responses, rather acknowledging it and responding transparently. The only issue I can see it facing is that Texas sure loves its guns and will fight day and night for it.  

It is still early to see what the outcome may or may not be, but as of right now, the Dallas Zoo is doing exactly what it should do in a situation as this one.  

Until Next Time,

Matt

My Animal Videos Are Getting out of Hand

My love for animal videos is starting to take on a life of its own. For all of you who do not follow me on Facebook, I have an obsession with finding, watching, and sharing cute animal videos. Now, it may sound weird for me to call the videos cute, but I have no shame in calling them cute because that is exactly what they are, cute. I mean how could you not call the video below cute?

I am becoming low-key famous for my Facebook posts similar to the one above. In fact, it was just yesterday that I was walking through campus and someone went out of her way to speak to me about my posts. The individual told me that she was absolutely in love with all of the videos I find and post to the point she could not wait until I posted another. What is even stranger than that is that I have had that conversation more times then I can count. 

Part of me was thinking about starting a picture or video collection page, similar to BuzzFeed or Adorably Cute Animals. It would be a lot of work but it would be basically the same thing I already am doing on my personal page. I think I already spend a majority of my day searching and sharing the videos as it is, so a part of me is worried that it would consume my whole day even more. But who knows, someday soon you may or may not end up seeing a blog post from me promoting it. With that, I will leave you with another absolutely cute animal video to hopefully brighten you day and or night. 

Until Next Time,

Matt