If you’re an NPR fan, follow them on Facebook, Twitter, the web or radio, it’s definitely worth the three minutes to fill it out and give your feedback.

I suggested adding the Facebook “Like” button to their web posts because it’s a great passive way to share their stories without being invasive on someone’s wall or requiring them to include a comment about it, as Facebook links often require (or so it feels).

I’m curious to see what the results are.  If they post it, I’ll be sure to include it here as an update.

A recent post at BusinessInsider reads  “One huge bummer about e-books: No one can see how smart you are“, citing that publishers find the transition to e-books the beginning of the end for them, as well as retail bookstores. The reasons cited in the article appear to be two-fold:

1. the cover image as a marketing tool becomes benign, and
2. books on a shelf in someone’s home serves as personal testimonials to the value of the book.

The real bummer here is that book publishers are not seizing the opportunity to transition a reader’s behaviour to “show-off” from their intimate living rooms to “sharing” on the vast Social Web.  The two reasons above are simply excuses that will likely fail at buying traditional publishers time.

Book publishers and sellers alike could instead be spending their efforts addressing the demise of the printed book (glass half empty)… or rather, the rise of the e-book (glass half full).

Cover art is dead?

Far from it, in fact.  Cover art is now more important than ever.  With e-book readers like the Kindle and iPad, publishers have the opportunity take a single image, and create a dynamic cover that gives a potential readers more than a singular visual impression.

With smartphones and tablet readers, the cover can become like a movie or video-game trailer that entices your imagination using moving visual and audio cues.  Albeit from magazines, here are two very different examples of how animated cover art can draw the consumer in.

A recent New Yorker cover by Jorge Colombo illustrated entirely on the iPhone app Brushes:

And an even more dynamic experience is this opening sequence for an iPad publication:

A movie poster never sells a film as much as the movie trailer or review does. So why should a book cover or poster have to? No longer will you be able to judge a book by its cover…

Exhibitionism drives the digital landscape.

Social media and networks thrive on the fact that people like to share about themselves, as well as share things that they find interesting. Publishers should be making these two factors work in their favor.

First, virtual applications like Visual Bookshelf (by Living Social) in Facebook, have a much greater reach than any guests that will walk through my study at home. Someone with 200 friends can easily share tips about the 100 books on their shelves much more quickly and passively, than they can with 10 friends at a dinner party.

Hannah is a Facebook friend whose bookshelf I've never seen. In fact, we've never met in person, but know each other thru a mutual friend. Nonetheless, I've grown to trust her and her taste in books, and have recently begun reading "The Elegance of the Hedgehog".

In fact, Visual Bookshelf expands one’s community beyond their immediate social network friends to the 52,000+ fans of the app on Facebook, or 1.3 million fans [2008 data] on its site.  And virtual social applications become more intimate as friends discover what books I may have on my nightstand… not just my bookshelves.

The integration of Visual Bookshelf and Amazon.com is a key example of how publishers can transform consumer behaviour by encouraging instant one-click (print or electronic) book purchases.  The one-click sell rate for a cheaper e-book will inevitably surpass the sales of higher-priced print books as consumers become increasingly accustomed to instant, hassle-free purchases.

Readers know what sells best.

After all, they did buy your book.  So let them share their favorite experts, whether it’s 140 characters  at a time or in 40 word snippets.  One day soon, e-books will allow people to share any section (of limited length) from a book directly to Buzz, Twitter or Facebook, for example.

A snippet that rang true to one reader could be the bit that sells the book to someone else.  Or if a reader is curious about a book and wants to find out who in their network has read it, linked data will one day be able to give you customized feedback.

Amazon sort of does this already with the “People who bought this also bought…” feature.  Netflix does this very well with movies, but has thus far lacked at building an active engagement on existing social networks outside the Netflix platform.

Then imagine tying in a New York Times book review to this social media chatter. The possibilities for truly integrated and digital marketing only keep growing.

Besides, how many of those books on your actual bookshelves, have you actually read?

Together, the e-book and social Web lets you prove your “smarts” through your ratings and reviews… to the billions who have access to the Web.  Nevermind the dozen friends who will walk through your house this year.

If any organization should be worried and recreating their business strategy as a result of e-books, it would probably be public libraries.  How will they deal with brick-and-mortar operations if the “information” they’ve traditionally collected becomes completely available for loan online?

Marketing and branding were about pushing your message to consumers. You sold them what they never knew they wanted.

Marketing used to be all about the product or service. What made your product unique from anything else on the market? What was the value-add in your version versus a competitor? Did you have the best price or experience for the money?

Branding was all about the image of that product or service. What perception did you want your customers to have about your company? What did customers feel about consuming what you had to offer?

NOW

Marketing and branding are responses to real-time customer demands and needs. Customers are telling you what they want. You are listening – more than ever – to the consumer, instead of dictating to them what they can or cannot live without.

Marketing is now much more than the product or service.  While people still connect with an object such as a particular coffee brand or airline, it’s not enough to sell how tasteful your peppermint latte is or the extra 6-inches of legroom compared to a competitor.

Likewise, branding is now about customer interaction (not to be confused with customer service), corporate social responsibility, online culture and community, and much more.

Making this shift to social media isn’t an easy move. Wait too long to get on the bandwagon, and you’ve lost your first-mover advantage. Act too fast, and you may not have a well thought-out strategy.

So how do you know whether to jump into the next new web trend? How do you evaluate your presence in that landscape? How do you use the new media tool in such a way that no one else is using it? Thinking outside the box and being innovative with the new media tools will help in setting your company, brand and product apart.

Whether it’s a mobile app, interactive website that has nothing to do with your product and everything about your consumers, there’s definitely a niche that you can create for yourself within your industry that will accomplish the original goals of branding and marketing.

Here are a few new media integration examples that are successful at tying together “new marketing” and “new branding” into the digital customer experience:

Sonicare: Adopt-a-Tooth

The Sonicare Facebook application keeps the user engaged over and over again by encouraging good dental hygiene through a “pet” tooth.  Take better care of our “canine” and be privy to special gifts and promotions.

When someone takes action with their pet tooth, it can appear on their friends news feeds, and is always visible on the owner’s profile.

In today’s social network landscape where the popularity of social gaming such as Mafia Wars and Farmville are growing exponentially, it’s smart for a brand to jump into the arena with the right interactive app.

Coke Zero Facial Profiler

Coca-cola claims that Coke Zero has been one of the most successful product launches in its history. In the two years since its release, Coke Zero has sold nearly 450 million cases and is available in more than 100 countries. So why not take this success and broad reach to connect your fans online?

That’s exactly what cokezero.com does. The site says nothing about the product except for a wordmark that includes the tagline “Real Coke Taste. Zero Calories.”  Instead, their site is home to the Facial Profiler application, which uses Facebook Connect to troll tagged images of you to help find your look-alike.

The premise? A social experiment: If millions of people like you enjoy Coke Zero, then there surely is another person that looks like you that enjoys Coke Zero.

USAA Mobile App

Your new media presence doesn’t always have to be through a web browser. USAA takes personal finance management to a whole new level with their iPhone app. Unique features include:

• Deposit@Mobile — Depositing a check is as simple as snapping a photo.
• ATM Locator — Find the closest ATMs.
• Loan Calculator — Estimate monthly payments on a loan.
• Rental Car Locator — Find the nearest Avis, Budget or Hertz location.
• Accident Checklist — Record accident details to help you file a claim.

Facebook has come a long way from a college network.  It’s really built itself as a community for classmates, professional networks and family members alike.  In the past six months alone, I’ve seen friends and family that I never thought would join Facebook take on to social networking.

If you missed this a couple months back, Facebook also let’s you create private family groups now.  I think this is a great way to cut down on email invites and links.  Click here to start your family page.

I did my obligatory post on the randomness of me:

1. It did not say that I would have bad luck for seven years if I didn’t do it.
2. The first person that tagged me is someone I don’t know too well, and I felt like I got to look into his soul. So I wanted to share back.
3. Whatever I wrote on this list, I would be remembered for at my memorial service – not the 25 skeletons in my closet, which are reserved for those who I’ve shared those experiences with.
4. And because as much as I’d like to say I’m a trailblazer… I am a conformer.

OK – I’ll end there.  25 Random Things is the only fad I’ll succumb to… Until the next one from a friend – who I may or may not be friends with in real life – tags me in Facebook and inspires me all over again.

From my Facebook post…

What the heck:

1. I used to work with maximum security inmates @ San Quentin. They were the nicest men. This experience definitely shaped my views about the death penalty.
2. I have bad luck with valets. Twice in a row the same car was crashed. The second time it was totaled. Neither time was I in or near my car.
3. I can’t leave the house or go on any extended trip without a Nikon – an SLR usually, but a pocket one will do.
4. I dream of being the Barefoot Contessa, and Paul is my Jeffrey.
5. I want to attempt the Crystal Cove sprint marathon this year.
6. I was voted “most technologically advanced” in high school. Really, that was a category.
7. I want to skipper a sailboat through the Panama Canal.
8. The first conversation I ever had with Paul lasted over 7 hours… I don’t think we realized we could have the rest of our lives together yet then. (Of course now, we don’t even live together… but somehow it works!)
9. I much prefer Northern California to Southern California.
10. I kept my maiden name and added Main just to see if my name would extend to three lines on the driver’s license (Sherry Lynn Kokoro Hashimoto Main). It didn’t.
11. I don’t *hate* many things, but I do hate it when people don’t like me or are not pleased with me.
12. I am a snob. I know it. I need to fix that.
13. Someone once told me I was intimidating. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since. That’s not the vibe I give out, is it?
14. I used to compete in abacus competitions. I am bad ass at adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing. I rock at mental math.
15. I have dreams that I am running really fast and all of a sudden I take off and am soaring, and everyone looks up at me perturbed. I want it to really happen one day.
16. If I could have dinner with five influential people dead or alive, they would be: Leonardo Da Vinci, Barack Obama, Lawrence Lessig, Robin Williams, and Madeleine Albright.
17. I named my goldfishes Cat and Dog. So I wasn’t lying when I said I had a Cat and Dog growing up.
18. I wrote an essay in 1996 about My Role Model and it won me some scholarship money. It’s still true.
19. I play the piano, clarinet, contra-bass clarinet, percussion (quads, bass drum, marimba, etc.), and Rock Band guitar. I dream of being in a symphony. Something about being one of many to make something beautiful.
20. I have a blog about all things social media, food, policy and photography.
21. I’m addicted to Twitter and wish they would just hire me already. Follow me @sherrymain.
22. If I had to brand myself with tattoos, these would be included: Apple, Marc Jacobs, All-Clad.
23. I’m so detail oriented, I forget to see the big picture. Even when I make a note to remember to take a step back.
24. I don’t tell family and friends “thank you” enough. So THANK YOU.
25. I’m glad this list isn’t a game of truth or dare… Boy would I lose all your respect then!

New and social media have been around for the last 15 years.  But not until recently have they truly become interactive and conversational.  The tools and communities that make up this medium continue to change the way we see, hear and touch the communities around us.

When I was hired as a communications director a few years ago, my job description in short was to educate the public about research, maintain a static website, and design print publications.  It quickly became apparent that the old ways weren’t working:

1. Information changes too fast. News gets old quick, and to print/re-print to keep up with changes became expensive, and environmentally unfriendly.
2. Were we telling the right stories? We were feeding what we thought our audience wanted to hear.  There had to be a way to “listen” so we could better apply our efforts.
3. Money and the Environment. The cost to print and mail materials – in dollars, trees and carbon footprint – are constant concerns in our world today.  In other words, corporate social responsibility.
4. Walking the talk. This is unique to us, but as a leading computing- and technology-focused institution, if we cannot connect in a way that demonstrates the power of computing and technology, then we have failed to communicate.

Thus, we slowly began to transform our communications strategy and have arrived at the tools that make up new media and social communications today. (All this, in addition to many traditional media efforts that we still practice.)  Here’s what we’re doing in higher education at UC Irvine’s Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences:

• RSS. If you do nothing else, offer an RSS feed to your news, blogs, event calendars, videos, etc.  You can probably gain 50% of your value simply by allowing your community to stay in touch with you, without having to actually check-in.
• Blogs. Both students and alumni blog about what’s on their mind.  Students most often talk about classes and social activities which paint a true picture of college life.  Alums keep in touch and share their experiences about ICS and being in the real world.  Both serve as great recruiting tools for students, parents and faculty.
• Multimedia. Video profiles, audio snippets and podcasts engage the audience in unique ways. Digital media is portable, and when done correctly, engaging.  We create videos profiling students, special lectures and events, etc. We maintain a presence on YouTube and Flickr.  Here’s an example of a marketing video:

• Social Networks. Today, we exist on LinkedIn and Facebook.  But only on these two networks, for the reasons that they are the most reputable, and our particular community are most active on these two social networks.  The beauty of participating in a social network it that its content is crowd-sourced – your community helps contribute to the cause.
• Twitter. This is an experiment, but an inexpensive one.  In fact, we automatically feed news through Twitter so that prospective students (@BrenAdmissions) and interested community members (@UCIbrenICS) can quickly follow us.  We also “listen” to buzz in our community through Twitter and make efforts to engage with the “twitterverse”.
• Second Life. TechCoast Island, our presence in Second Life houses a virtual Bren Hall.  For our ribbon-cutting ceremony, we invited guests from afar to join in the virtual celebration concurrent to the live events. Today, it is used to model real-world research in a virtual setting… an innovative solution to conserving resources and money. We’ve even held lectures and meetings at TechCoast.

• Share Functions. If someone wants to share and offer feedback on anything that is a part of your Web presence, let them.  It’s the best way to create buzz and spread news organically.  These functions can range from digg to del.icio.us to StumbleUpon and more.

These new and social media applications may not work for all ventures.  In fact, I urge that each organization explore and understand their community and resources before investing too much time into these mediums.  But given that you have an active online community that is willing to participate, and that you can produce enough content to keep your online presence from becoming stale, it’s worth at least giving the free resources a try.

Our strategy continues to change as quickly and often as technology and social media do.  I’m curious to hear what other non-profit and educational institutions are doing in this arena.  Do share!

Twitter integrates really well with Facebook.  Let your Facebook friends know what you’re up to or what you find interesting by updating your Tweets (hopefully through a third-party Twitter app).  If you’re not already integrating the two, here’s a simple look at how.

1. Search “Twitter” in the upper right search box.  The Twitter App should be the top result that looks like this:



2. Click on “View Application”, then “Go to Application” and “Allow Access”:



3. Sign in at the prompt to your Twitter account from Facebook:



4. Once you’re signed in, “Allow Twitter to Update Your Facebook Status”:



5. Finally, click on “Allow Status Updates:

To see the Twitter App setting after setting up your Twitter feed to Facebook, simply click on “Edit” in your “Applications” window at the upper right of your “Home” page:

The Twitter App will default to the following setting, which I recommend:

That’s it!  If you have any questions, feel free to message me in Twitter @sherrymain or in Facebook.