Okay, everyone hates Klout, what's the alternative?

There's been a ton of discussion lately about Klout and in particular their new algorithms. Klout and other similar tools can be useful in measuring your online success but what do we do when those tools fall short (as we've seen lately with Klout)? I want to talk about other ways to gauge your effectiveness at least on Twitter.

Most of these measurement tools seem to focus on influence. Depending on your goals, influence can be important. However, we should focus on engagement more than influence. Social media is all about engagement and although a lot of people will talk about engagement and authenticity, those same people often really seem to be focusing on number of retweets, follower counts and other measure of influence. But I would argue that engagement grows your influence but does it in a much more meaningful way than just getting followers that pass along your content.

Let's apply that to Twitter since it's my favorite of the social networks. It takes a minimal amount of effort to click that retweet button. Sometimes we'll add a comment but even that really isn't much of a commitment. However, when someone actually replies to a tweet then you know you've really grabbed someone's attention. I'd rather have one person that finds my content so interesting that they're compelled to respond than have 10 people retweet me. Sure the 10 retweeters would be out there spreading my name to the world, but who cares? What does that get me? A couple of followers? A little boost in Klout? But that one person that was truly interested in my content will be much more likely to remember me and be part of an online relationship that is actually meaningful.

When you want to gauge how you're doing on Twitter take a look at how many people are responding to your tweets. Also look back at your timeline and see how many of your tweets are parts of conversations with other users. This a great way of determining how effective you are on Twitter. And best of all it's not based on the whims of an algorithm you have no control over.

Yep, followers and retweets are great but next time you want to see how you're doing on Twitter just take a look at your actual engagement. No third party tools required.

Full disclosure: I love checking my Klout score. Even though it generally appears random and meaningless I still can't help but check it a couple of times a week. And yes, I saw a significant drop in my score with the new algorithm.

How consistent is your public face?

Many businesses have graphic identity guides. Some guides can fill up entire binders going into minute detail on every possible design scenario. These guides are an important piece in consistent branding, however, there can be a gap when it comes to individual ad campaigns.

I’ve recently been noticing inconsistencies in what I’ll call spin-off pieces created by clients (not just my clients, but many businesses). Spin-off pieces are created in-house by client teams and, with the best intentions, are designed to fit with the current ad campaign. These could be things like newsletters, email marketing or employee communications to name a few.

The problem is that without a clear guide for the current campaign, small changes can creep into the designs. Sometimes the wrong weight type is used in the headline or a photo is reversed to better fit a particular application. These initially seem like minor details but soon you have half a dozen pieces that are all slightly different from eachother. These projects typically happen away from the eyes of the agency and the small variations can leave the original campaign diluted.

Will the client notice the problem? Maybe, maybe not. Will the consumer notice? They probably won’t put a finger on the details but I believe that it does make a difference in brand perception.

The solution isn’t difficult but it does require deliberate action. Agencies and designers need to talk to the client about possible in-house spin-off projects that may borrow from the campaign. If such projects are a possibility then the creative team can develop a simple one page guide that covers basics such as type weights used in copy, tagline placement, color palettes (with color values for print and screen) and any other details specific to the campaign. A brief guide will be simple to follow and will actually make things easier on the client.

However, the responsibility can’t all be left to the creative team. Clients need to be aware that design choices are made for a reason and it’s important to remain consistent throughout communications. Without client buy-in the guides will be ineffective.

As an art director I’d love to be able to sign off on every single piece of communication that a client puts out. Unfortunately that’s not realistic. The next best thing is developing a clear set of guides that can be followed so that future pieces can build on the work of the initial campaign and create a stronger brand.

Don't Be "That Guy"

A recent interaction on Twitter left me baffled and annoyed. I replied to a user about a link that he retweeted. He responded with confusion and after three tweets he finally figured out what I was talking about. Turns out he didn't even read the link in his retweet. So of course when I wanted to discuss it he had nothing to add to the conversation. Worse still he told me to contact the original poster if I wanted to discuss the link.

It's easy to jump in to social media and start throwing out links and working on increasing your follower count. However, in social media, just as in the real world, you have to be accountable for your actions. You're only as good as your reputation, whether you're running an account for your business or just for personal use. If people learn they can't trust you to be authentic or accountable then your relationship will be over. Sure you might be able to dupe a bunch of people into following you but the relationships that will actually pay off in the social media world won't be there without accountability.

Settling in to Vancouver, WA

Well, I'm getting settled in here in Vancouver, WA. Work is going well and I feel like I'm finally getting a handle on my new day job. As things settle out I've been looking for ways to get involved locally and further expand my skills. It's important to constantly be learning and growing professionally and some of the best ways to do that are to get involved with local organizations.

I'll soon be attending chamber events in Portland. It will be good to network with local businesses and hopefully help with some marketing efforts at the chamber. I have already attended a one chamber meeting and had a great time networking and meeting new people.

One of my goals at my new job is to increase the search engine optimization of our website. Although I know a fair amount about the basics of search engine optimization I have more to learn. Search engine optimization/marketing is a field that is constantly evolving and growing and it takes a lot of effort to stay on top of things. There's a search engine marketing group in Portland called SEMPDX. I look forward to becoming a member there and honing some of my SEO skills.

Finally, I'd like to start attending some Social Media Club PDX meetings. I hear that they host some great events, including a recent presentation from Bryan Rhoads of Intel.

What do you for continuing education? If you're in the Vancouver or Portland area do you have any other suggestions for me? What am I missing?

An Update

By now all of our clients know that I've moved on from life in Corona and have taken a full-time, suit and tie gig in Portland, Oregon. For many clients this means that our work together will be scaled back or ending all-together. However, I plan on keeping this site up, at least to some degree.

I feel that I owe all of my clients a huge thank you. Running Adam Lee Design has been an incredibly rewarding and fun experience and that is in (very) large part to my amazing clients. Thank you so much for the years of partnership that we've had together.

This is not a good-bye blog post, I just wanted to express my thanks and give a quick update. For now, blog posts will continue as time allows. I'll try to not be too much of a slacker.