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After months of speculation and water-cooler gab, Twitter finally bought out the third-party, micro-blogging hub that is Tweetdeck, for a rumored $50 million. There motive, to make our lives easier of course…And if they happen to now possess the ability to deliver more ad impressions to us Twits, then that’s just a price they’re willing to pay.

However, my big take away from this deal is the importance of strengthening your brand identity.

In March, Ryan Savar, Twitter Important Person, suggested Twitter needs “to move to a less fragmented world where every user can experience Twitter in a consistent way.”

Right-on! We Marionites firmly believe in the power of brand consistency. I have come across a lot of third-party apps, and sometimes they are poorly integrated with the real thing, leaving me feeling all empty and unsatisfied…Then I reach for the Hagen Daaz and it’s a whole big mess.

If you’re noticing some gaps in your brand identity, it’s high time to fill those holes before your business starts falling through them. Nothing can fudge up the success of your business like brand confusion.  Marion can give you a few ideas to bring unity to your identity.  

Happy Friday and enjoy your extended weekend!

Some information contained in this article can be found in Ad Age Digital.

Your company may spend countless man hours and money preparing new ideas and changes, but without undergoing a change management process those ideas will never reach every member of your company.

So where to begin? Well, change management can occur within three phases.

Phase 1 -  Be Inclusive - Preparing for Change

•  Preparation- When preparing for change, remember that it must be achievable, sustainable and measurable.
• Assessment- One of the main things to consider is involving everyone who the changes will affect. The level of involvement should be in direct relation to the level of impact.  
• Baseline and Strategy Development- When developing your strategy, be sure to assess your current baseline in order to determine what your next level will look like. 

 Phase 2 – Be Involved - Managing Change

• Detailed planning- When developing the details of your plan, you need to be specific and clear. By taking the time to sort out the details, you will need only minimum clarification.   
• Change management implementation – It is important to remember that change cannot be imposed upon employees. With that being said, keep the lines of communication open between management and employees so that every member feels involved and incorporated.

 Phase 3 – – Be Informed – Sustaining Change

• Data gathering- Now it is time to measure your results. Has your change reached every employee targeted? Are your employees embracing the change? Do you see positive or negative results? Some good ways to measure your results are through behavioral observation and review of records.
• Response- If you find that your employees have embraced the changes they most likely feel energized and excited, therefore making it easier to sustain the change. However, if your employees are having a difficult time accepting the new structure, then it would be wise to review your plans and get even more input from those highly affected.  

During the change management process, evaluate your current brand positioning and corporate identity to ensure its consistent with your evolving company. For more information, give Marion a shout.

The Social Media Test

Pull out your scantrons and No. 2 pencils folks. It’s time for a pop quiz.

Answer true or false, tally up your score and post how you did. Good luck!

1. I have the gift of gab. So in regards to social media, I do most of the gabbing.
2. I have so much going on with my company, so I mainly use social media to talk about our awesomeness.
3. I’ve read a lot of asinine posts and I typically enjoy telling people how asinine their posts are.
4. I don’t (or my company doesn’t) have a Facebook business page.
5. I don’t (or my company doesn’t) participate in LinkedIn discussion groups.
6. I think social media platforms are mainly for pushing product.  
7. Business profiles are supposed to be professional. No fun allowed!
8. I’m a leader not a follower, even if it is on Twitter.
9. So many people “Like” me on Facebook. It’s like high school (in my imagination) all over again – BUT I haven’t liked them back. I’m just not that into them…
10. That’s right, a blog…I completely forgot I have a blog…
11. No my business card does not feature my social media links…but I do have my fax number…
12. I don’t respond to negative posts on my social media profiles. I delete them. I don’t have time for this hater-ation.
13. It’s my account so I should be able to control the discussion.
14. I don’t ask people to check-in to my location, I’m not their mom (and if I was, I’d be too cool for that).
15. I’m not the “Mayor” of any location in my area…and I don’t plan on running…
16. My company logo is the profile pic for all social media accounts. My mug is just not meant to be in a ¾  x ¾ inch square.
17. There’s not a real person posting to my account. One less thing I have to do…
18. I say “Find us on Facebook” instead of providing the link…scavenger hunts are more fun anyway.
19. I don’t need to blog or tweet or anything. I just did all that jive a month ago…
20. It’s all about ROI. What the H-E-double toothpicks is ROE??
21. Social media is about ME!
22. Sharing is caring…Psyche!

  All of your answers should be false. Give yourself a point every time you answered false.

…And in case you’re wondering what your score means…

0-15 “False” Answers: The bad news is you failed, but the good news is your hair looks great. Also, there is ample opportunity to improve your social media marketing strategy.

16 “False” Answers: So you passed with a ‘C’. It won’t go on my refrigerator or anything, but it’s ok.  Work on changing those “Trues” to “Falses” and you’re on the right track.

17 -22 “False” Answers: So you’re the overachiever that messes up the curve for everybody. This is great news and your work has gotten you on Marion’s Dean List. Don’t stop there! Make sure you strengthen all facets of your online presence. Is your website optimized?

Read other “Dont’s” in social media, compliments of Don the Idea Guy.   

It’s no secret that mobile technology is starting to become more popular and some sites report that soon mobile devices will replace desktops as the computer of choice.

This is a perfect time for you to get a mobile version of your website. A mobile site is your website in an edited down version to mainly describe what a mobile user would need to know such as directions, phone number, products, services and any special deals you are promoting.

The way it works is when a user goes to yourdomain.com on a mobile device, a special redirect code directs the user to the mobile friendly site format.  Most people who use their phones in order to look at a site only have a minute to view whatever it is they need.  Therefore a mobile site allows them to view your information quickly, without a lot of scrolling side to side and up and down to find what they are looking for.

A few reasons why you should have a mobile site.

1. Your  users are at some point going to view your site on a mobile device.
2. Trends show that smartphones will soon be in the hands of most people.
3. It’s a great way for you to reach your audience in a way that appeals to them.
4. Mobile sites are quick to download and more user friendly than websites.
5. All your SEO efforts for your regular site carry over to the mobile version if you set it up properly.

Contact the mobile web design experts at Marion to learn more. We have made mobile sites and we are familiar with the technology to not only use the mobile web but to make the mobile web work for you.