Friday, May 08, 2009

Oh, Mama!

There's no question that so-called "mommy bloggers" are an interesting demographic. Recent statistics show that there are more than 36 million of them online, and they definitely wield influence in purchasing power. Which is why many companies think this community can be a key in their word of mouth efforts.

A few key facts:

Of the 36.2 million women actively participating in the blogosphere weekly as either publishers or readers, 46% -- or just over 16.5 million -- have children at home.
67% of moms online look for help making a purchasing decision.
Overall, full-time working moms use technology at the highest rates.
The cell phone is the technology used most often by moms to communicate with their kids, and 80% say it is the direct line to their child and babysitter.

But I think the notion that all mommy (or daddy) bloggers are the same is extremely shortsighted. They're just as diverse and different as any of us. And while it's tempting to think they do things in lock-step, there are many different niches and interests that can be explored - lifestyle, safety, green, frugality, parenting, sports and family issues are just a small set of the many segments you'll find.

And aside from the blogs, what are moms actually doing online? Here's a chart that breaks down the top 10 activities of moms online:

Looking at the points of transaction, it opens up an opportunity for conversation and engagement with moms on other sites & platforms as it relates to those activities. And let's not forget those cell phone statistics - busy moms are on the go and use their handheld devices more.

Image credit: Top 10 Online Activities for Moms (MarketingCharts.com)

Labels: blogging, blogs, Marketing, mobile, moms, study

Posted by Scott Monty at 8:30 AM

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Friday, January 02, 2009

What's In It for YOU?

When the one year turns into the next, it's human nature to become reflective. Rather than do a best-of post or look at what I've written, I thought I'd turn this post over to you.

I'll admit that this is not a totally original idea. My friends and social media colleagues Todd Defren and Jake McKee have both done so as well.

It Is All About You
Essentially what I'd like to know is this: what would you like to see me write about in 2009?

Would you like me to write more about blogging techniques? Or tips for using Twitter? Or maybe developments in Facebook? News, information, statistics, and studies from the marketing and social media industry? I know I've spent a lot of time writing about Ford lately, but would you like to see more case studies from my work?

Maybe I'm missing the boat completely. But I'd like your input, either in the comments section, through an email, or Twitter. Let me know what kind of information you'd find most helpful.

If you don't already do so, please consider subscribing to this blog. It's free, painless, and calorie-free for all of your 2009 resolutions.

Photo credit: Karthik Sudhir [Aperture K]

Labels: blogging, communities, news

Posted by Scott Monty at 8:49 AM

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Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Mad Men Gets All 2.0

I've been a fan of Mad Men since the series premiered. The production values are amazing and the story lines are gripping, with some very complex characters. And I wrote about the unique advertising model that the show used, essentially making the ads relevant on a show about advertising in this day and age when we can skip right by commercials.

Back then, the show's blog was already in full swing; now it's even more so, with show highlights, previews and interaction with the various commenters. The categories that the authors are selecting fit right in with the show as well: 1960s Handbook helps we modernistas understand what life in the Kennedy era was like; Fashion File is a testament to both the cool styles of the early 'Sixties and the difficult and detailed work that the fashion designers perform for each episode.

There's also a very active forum, Mad Men Talk and a contest: the best impression of a character (by popular acclaim) wins a walk-on role on the show. And naturally, there's the long-standing Facebook group.

But now it looks like the show's marketing team has stepped up the game again by really jumping into the social media space. Mad Men - this show with such rich characters - is now on Twitter. Specifically, you'll find the following characters there, tweeting with each other and with you, if you "@" them:

Update (8/25/08): Also added to the roster are:

Their profiles link to www.sterlingcooperadvertising.com, which is a mirror for the show's site at www.amctv.com/originals/madmen.

To the marketing geniuses behind Mad Men, I say, "Well done!"

Labels: blogging, fun, Mad Men, Twitter

Posted by Scott Monty at 3:09 PM

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Thursday, May 29, 2008

When Interests Collide

Why do people blog? I'm sure there are a lot of reasons, from marketing to ego to reducing stress.

For me, it's mostly because I enjoy the topics that I'm writing about - I have a passion for them, I enjoy sharing what I've learned and learning about what other people are thinking of the same subject. If I can help someone discover something or spark a conversation about a thought, then I'm very happy.

My blogs are pretty wide-reaching, from the one you're reading (my main blog) to the Baker Street Blog, about one of my literary interests, to Nothing Could Be Finer Than Being in Your Diner that I write with C.C. Chapman.

So it's pretty interesting when I find something that encompasses more than one of the subjects that I write about. In this case, it combines my interest in Sherlock Holmes with Twitter (which, if you aren't a user, has been experiencing a lot of down time lately):

Via Hugh McLeod.

If you blog, I'd love to know what motivates you. Why do you keep doing it?

Labels: blogging, fun, Twitter

Posted by Scott Monty at 7:35 AM

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Friday, March 28, 2008

How to Update & Automate Your Blogroll in 5 Easy Steps

I had noticed that my blogroll in my sidebar was horribly out of date. I've discovered many new voices over the last 6 months or so (the last time I think I updated it) and I wanted something to reflect my current reading - AND something that didn't require a manual update.

So I checked out my Google Reader and found that I could tag the blogs that I'd like to share and create a blogroll directly from my OPML file. This is in addition to the individual articles that I share through my reader. You'll find it over in the sidebar, as well as below.

Here's how I managed to update my blogroll in 5 easy steps:

Log into Google Reader
Select any blog you'd like to share and add a tag (I used "Blogs I Like")
Then click on "Manage subscriptions" at the bottom of the page
Select the blogs you'd like to include and tag them
Under the Tags tab, click on "add a blogroll to your site"

From there, you can format it and do what you need to do using your blog's platform.

Happy reading!

Photo credit: drp via Flickr

Labels: blogging, tools

Posted by Scott Monty at 12:46 PM

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Monday, February 04, 2008

3 Steps to Getting Your Blog Posts Noticed

I've got a social media lesson for getting your blog posts noticed: it comes down to timing & technique.

Last Friday, the early-morning news broke about Microsoft's offer to buy Yahoo. You know the story by now. But I first caught wind of it on Twitter, then quickly found the news on the Wall Street Journal Online.

I was lucky enough to be up and working at the time - about 6:30 or so - and I quickly threw together a post that combined visual humor with a little analysis. With Google's ability to quickly index blog posts, I found that my post consistently ranked in the top 5 search results for "Microhoo" on Friday.

And today, I was rewarded with an interview request from a writer at TechNewsWorld. He said that he noticed my blog post and wanted to get some additional views on the Microsoft-Yahoo deal. He used my quotes in the article Blogosphere Crackles with Talk of Microsoft and Yahoo.

Here are the three components that I believe led to my post getting noticed:

Timing is everything - be quick to pick up on major developments.
Put your unique spin on it - in my case, it was to use humor, information, and opinion together, to appeal to and provide value to as many readers as might notice the post.
Be considerate of your rushed readers - write catchy headlines that bring them in and when they're here, be concise as you make your points.

Labels: blogging, Microsoft, social media, strategy, Yahoo

Posted by Scott Monty at 11:42 PM

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Tuesday, December 04, 2007

I Didn't Start the Fire

There's a great debate raging in the blogosphere right now. Actually, it originated up north in Canada (I guess they need the heat up there this time of year) between a couple of great bloggers.

This is a natural extension of a post that I wrote back in October trying to gauge your opinion of my del.icio.us links appearing in my RSS feed. Your opinion was split, as it appears to be between Mark Goren and Mitch Joel, in their respective posts.

You'll also notice a good deal of chatter in the comments sections of each of their posts - please be sure to read those, as that's where you get to see a variety of opinions, counterpoints and rationales.

For what it's worth, I left the following comment on Mark's blog (you'll have to click through to see what he responded with):

Mark: great points here. Mitch certainly raised some valid points & counterpoints on his own blog and here, but I have to side with you. I actually put this question to my readers a couple of months ago, and opinions were split (of those who chose to comment).

Bottom line: social media, if nothing else, is about choices. Never before has it been so easy to give your audience a variety of ways to consume content. Mitch or you are I are not so omniscient that we can presume how every reader prefers to consume content. So why not give them everything and let them choose?

Blog posts, del.icio.us links, Google Reader shared item, Twitter streams - it’s all fair game!

What do you think?

Labels: blogging, del.icio.us, Mark Goren, Mitch Joel, trends

Posted by Scott Monty at 10:40 PM

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Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Life After Life After the 30-Second Spot

A couple of weeks ago, I was in New York to participate in a press conference for Firebrand, one of our clients at crayon.

I'm not going to spend a lot of time talking about the features of Firebrand, as they've been covered by Joe and Greg, among others. Before I tell you about the event, here's a thumbnail sketch of Firebrand. Essentially, Firebrand offers Web, TV and mobile viewing of top-notch television commercials, but with a twist that sets it apart from other online video properties: they're all-commercials, all the time; and the site allows you to actually participate in contests, giveaways and offers from the very brands that you're watching.

While it may seem counterintuitive that crayon, the company whose founder bemoans the tired old 30-second spot, was involved, there was a method to our madness. You see, in this case, the ads are not interruptions of the feature program: they are the feature program. Commercials as content. And we can support entertainment and engagement.

Now let me tell you a little bit about the event itself.

Firebrand planned a press conference for September 25, during Advertising Week - perfect timing, as lots of industry people would be in town and journalists would be in the mood to talk about marketing & advertising. Held at the Paley Center for Media (formerly the Museum of Television and Radio), it was the perfect spot for debuting a brand that is multimedia in nature.

In addition to a nod to the past and present, Firebrand also looked to the future, by virtue of the invitation list. There were probably about 75 people in attendance in the hall - mostly traditional journalists - and I was impressed with the turnout. But here's the interesting part: I was one of a handful of bloggers who were there as well (many more were invited, but unable to attend). When you consider that Firebrand's target audience is Millennials, having the news break on blogs is a natural move.

The bloggers - who were treated the same as the traditional press - were given press kits, including glossies and a traditional press release, as well as links to the social media news release for the event. The SMNR had links to pages on YouTube, Flickr and del.icio.us and even a Facebook group. Based on what I've seen from some prominent bloggers, the SMNR was widely used, as video links and quotes continue to pop up everywhere. And the Facebook group has already garnered over 500 members.

All this, and the site doesn't even go live until October 22! Not bad. Stay tuned for the beta release...

Labels: Advertising, blogging, crayon, facebook, Greg Verdino, Joseph Jaffe, Karl Long, outreach, Rohit Bhargava, social media

Posted by Scott Monty at 11:29 PM

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Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Quality or Quantity?

It's that age-old conundrum. Quality vs. quantity.

Mitch Joel got me thinking - not an unusual result after reading his stuff. On Twitter, he opined:

"I am disappointed that most of my favourite Blogs have become receptacles for Twitter feeds and del.icio.us links. Come on people... Blog!"

I've gotta say - he has a point. It seems that the pervasiveness of SocNets like Twitter and Facebook have resulted in the trailing off of blog posts, to a certain degree. I can't say that it's affected my own frequency (work is more responsible for that), but I can see the attraction of spitting out short bursts of information rather than longer more cerebral pieces.

It takes a certain concerted effort to put together a well thought-out post that hits a variety of buttons - topical, emotional, etc. And that's not always easy to do in our everything-now fast-paced lives. You'll note that a number of my posts lately have been heavy lifting - which is a plus, because it's brought many of you here.

Why Not Quality AND Quantity?
But at a certain point, I've got to mix quantity in with quality. But at the same time, I recognize that I can't go on for long with only one "real" post a week. So I'm taking Mitch up on his challenge and I will be hitting the blogging keys more frequently. That doesn't necessarily mean I'll do away with the del.icio.us links, though.

So I'll open it up to you. Do you find my del.icio.us bookmarks to be a reasonable complement to the other posts? Should I do away with them entirely? What value are you getting from my posts - the links or the longer pieces?

Labels: blogging, Mitch Joel, Twitter

Posted by Scott Monty at 11:46 PM

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About Scott

For hi-res, click here

The best way to describe Scott is "Renaissance Man." Friends and colleagues that know Scott from one facet of his life are very frequently surprised to learn of his interests and talents in other areas.

Scott is a marketing and communications professional focused on the digital industry — specifically on social media. His career spans a number of industries such as healthcare, pharma, biotech, travel, automotive, tech, and communications, and includes a wide range of clients, from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies.

Currently on the staff of corporate communications in Ford Motor Company, Scott heads up the social media function and holds the title Global Digital & Multimedia Communications Manager. He is a strategic advisor on all social media activities across the company, from blogger relations to marketing support, customer service to internal communications and more, as social media is being integrated into many facets of Ford business.

Prior to joining Ford, Scott served as Consigliere for crayon and spent a number of years with PJA Advertising + Marketing, a boutique BtoB agency specializing in health sciences & high tech.

In addition to his consulting and agency background, Scott is an active blogger and podcaster. He writes about the intersection of advertising, marketing and PR at The Social Media Marketing Blog and also writes The Baker Street Blog, a literary undertaking. Scott has been featured in numerous news and business publications, on a variety of podcasts, and on national television. Scott is a recognized thought leader in the social media industry and frequently speaks at industry events.

Scott received his Master's in Medical Science from Boston University's School of Medicine concurrently with his MBA from BU's Graduate School of Management. He lives in the greater Detroit area with his wife and two young sons, golfs all too infrequently, and has a hidden talent for voice over work.

Oh, and one last little-known fact: Scott coined the term "tweetup."

You may download a headshot here, courtesy of C.C. Chapman and a PDF version of Scott's bio here.

Books in which Scott's work is featured:
The New Rules of Marketing & PR
Twitterville
Six Pixels of Separation
Monkeys with Typewriters
Read This First
World Wide Rave
Get Seen

Disclosures/Relationships

Scott is on the Advisory board of SavvyAuntie
Scott is on the Advisory board of Business Smart Tools
Scott is a judge for the SAMMY Awards
Scott is on the Advisory board of The Hive Awards
Named one of iMedia's 25 Top Internet Marketing Leaders & Innovators
This blog's content is also syndicated on Social Media Today
Plaid occasionally does web work for me and designed this site
No animals were harmed in the making of this blog.

Speaking Events

Scott speaks on social media at events, seminars and conferences around the world. His topic generally focuses on corporate use of social media, becoming an online spokesperson, and specifically on the progress that Ford has made in the recent past. If you're interested in booking Scott to speak at your event, please send an email to speaking [AT] scottmonty [DOT] com. Scott's bio and headshot can be found in the "About Scott" tab above.

Some previous engagements include:

BlogWell - How Big Companies Use Social Media - Minneapolis - August 13

Where to find me online

  Blip.tv
  del.icio.us
  Dopplr
  Facebook
  Flickr
  FriendFeed
  Google Reader
  hulu
  Library Thing
  Lijit
  LinkedIn
  MyBlogLog
  Reddit
  Shelfari
  SlideShare
  StumbleUpon
Technorati
  The Baker Street Blog
  The Social Media Marketing Blog
  Twine
  twitter
  upcoming
  Utterz

What I like

Scott Monty is a fan of

Ford Motor Company

Create your Fan Badge

TOOLS

  Trailfire
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The Webware 100 for 2008

BLOGS

bub.blicio.us
Mashable!
TechCrunch
Read/WriteWeb
Web Worker Daily
Lifehacker
Global Neighbourhoods
Community Guy - Jake McKee
/Message
The Engaging Brand
Web Ink Now
PR Squared
theshortestblogintheworld
How to Change the World
CatchUp Lady
WOMMA
Digital Influence Mapping Project
Logic+Emotion
[chrisbrogan.com]
Adrants
Web Strategy by Jeremiah
indexed
The Buzz Bin
Citizen Marketer 2.1
PR 2.0
Influential Interactive Marketing
The Viral Garden
Marketing Profs Daily Fix
Conversational Media Marketing
Servant of Chaos
Conversation Agent
Seth's Blog
Social Media Explorer
Six Pixels of Separation - Marketing and Communications Insights Blog and Podcast - By Mitch Joel at Twist Image
Marketing Over Coffee Marketing Podcast

Media Bullseye
Doug Haslam
Marketing Edge
gary vaynerchuk
Jaffe Juice
Copyblogger
Advertising Age - DigitalNext
The Marketing Minute
Pistachio Consulting Inc.
The Marketing Fresh Peel
The Social Organization
Greg Verdino's Marketing Blog
Church of the Customer Blog
Forrester's Marketing Blog
Twitter Facts
ThirdWay Advertising Blog
Paul Gillin's blog - Social Media and the Open Enterprise
Bryper's Blog
Social Blogworking Magazine
Note to CMO:
Citizen Marketer
Groundswell
MediaJoltz
Vlog Soup
THE AD-VOCATE
The Lonely Marketer
Sparxoo

Podcasts

For Immediate Release
HBR IdeaCast
Knowledge@Wharton
Manager Tools
Managing the Gray
Marketing Edge
Marketing Over Coffee
Six Pixels of Separation
TrafCom News Podcast

Contact Scott

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Who is Scott Monty?

Hi, I'm Scott. I'm the head of social media for Ford Motor Company. This is my personal blog, where I share my perspectives on social media - the convergence of marketing, advertising and PR on the Web - for marketers, agencies, the enterprise and the individual. This blog contains my personal views.