Brandon Croke: “Rockin’ the interwebs since ‘86”

I first met Brandon Croke through The Sales Centre at Ohio University and have always been impressed.  If you don’t know Brandon, consider this your formal introduction. As his website states, he’s been “Rockin’ the interwebs since ‘86” and dishing out the goods on marketing, social media, brand strategy, and much more. We recently caught up and I thought I should share...

Bob: What are you up to these days?

Brandon: Right now I'm a Marketing Consultant for small businesses and start-ups with a focus on digital strategy. I graduated from Ohio University two years ago and studied marketing, psychology and sales (a dangerous combination) I've been working in digital marketing for a few different agencies since I graduated and have been fortunate enough to explore the evolving world of "social media" with Fortune 500 brands, colleges and small businesses. I blog at www.brandoncroke.com and tweet at @bcroke.

Bob: What is all this social media stuff about?

Brandon: This is a really tough question to answer and it really depends on who is asking it and in what context. The most basic form it’s about People (social) and Ideas (media). 

It's funny because "social media" is all the rage right now and half of me thinks social media is revolutionizing business and culture and the other half thinks it’s a big joke that is blown out of proportion. Technology and the Internet are revolutionizing business and people's way of life. So many people get caught up in this social media echo-chamber when they really should open up their eyes to the entire digital revolution that is happening around us. 

People have always been social, but there have never been the technology to enable global, instant, peer-to-peer communication.

The problem I have with people focusing on "social media" is that those words usually conjure up images of Facebook, Twitter and YouTube and in turn fail to take into account the broader digital implications that may be more important than Facebook. (yes there are things more important than Facebook, especially when it comes to digital marketing)

Bob: You've had a lot of experience helping businesses with social media and brand strategies. What are the typical gaps you see?

Brandon: Gaps: There is no silver bullet or magic pill. Most people want a quick and easy fix to all their problems. They want to "set it and forget it", but that's not how the real world or digital world works. Another problem is that marketers have a tough time integrating social/digital strategies into the rest of the marketing mix. Everything needs to work together, and all your efforts are nothing without a great product or brand to stand behind.

I've worked on a lot of different projects and talk to lots of people about their social media usage and every conversation unveils something new and unique. 

The old big guys don't want to be "social" they want to make money. The problem is that setting out to make it in social media with the goal of making more money for this quarter is the opposite way someone needs to approach the issue. Being fun, creative and artistic isn't in the DNA of most large businesses and this new wave of marketing messaging, mediums and strategy really throws veteran CMO's for a loop.  

On the other hand, small businesses (who now have the ability to reach a global audience) typically don't have the time or resources to devote to a remarkable social media strategy. Unless one of the leaders is "hip to it", there is usually little hope for an outside consultant to set up a few pages and solve all their needs (important to note there are hundreds of consultants ready to set you up for every social media account under the sun and in turn set your business up for failure).  

Some people just don't get it and signing up for social media accounts isn't really going to help your cause. The bottom line is if nobody likes your brand in real life, it’s not going to matter if/when you sign up for a Facebook page. Focus on giving something people love first, then you can figure out how what you stand for can be amplified through social channels.

Another big mistake people make is that they spend so much time and energy focusing on social media while they may be missing other crucial digital areas such as their website, search engine rankings and e-mail marketing. Fortune did some great research last year that showed e-mail marketing and SEO were the top 2 online marketing activities that produced a positive ROI. Meanwhile social media was towards the bottom of the list, with many marketers not knowing or questioning the ROI of their social activities.

Bob:  I'm a soon to be college graduate and I need a job. What do I do?

Brandon:

1. Find things that interest you. 2. Go out and meet people.

Find people working in a company, industry or position you have an interest in and say " I think what you do sounds interesting can I buy you lunch sometime to learn about your background and hear how you got to where you are today?" Meet as many people as possible. People hire people they know and trust. In my personal opinion there is no better way to get to know someone and build trust than through social media. 

Bob: What are some tips to improve your personal brand?

Brandon: Make sure you are Google-able, meaning when someone Google's your name they find things that would make them want to talk to you, work with you, or hire you. It's funny because like social media, personal branding has gotten a lot of coverage lately. But I think your personal brand is just a new way of saying what do people think of you? Be a good person; make friends, listen, and care. If you can do that through digital mediums that is great, but more importantly make sure your real-life self is in order. 

Bob: If you don't already, should you blog? Why or why not?

Brandon: Not everyone is going to be a great blogger. However, if you have ideas or a unique perspective on the world you should share it. Almost every company I know thinks they should blog, wants to blog, and concurrently has no idea how to blog. You should always take a chance to practice your writing and you never know when your blogging ability will land you your next job, project, or promotion. To be honest, my last blog landed me a job, a chance to work on special projects and a promotion.

<end of interview>

Additional Links:

I highly recommend you check out this presentation by Brandon called “The Age of Disruption” – it will not disappoint.