Marketing Commentary from interlinkONE
Marketing. Web-to-Print. Warehouse Management.
Making Social Media Work For You
Posted by 
on Wednesday, February 23, 2011 
at 7:56 AM 
in Last week, I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the Dscoop 6 conference. This put me in the position of engaging with some of the most progressive people in the print industry. To say the least, I have come back from the show feeling energized and ready to keep on rocking!
Aside from learning from and being inspired by others, I also had the chance to speak on the subject of social media. Thank you very much to everyone that attended my sessions!
In case you missed it, you may be happy to know that we’ve posted the slides up on SlideShare. Sure, you won’t be able to hear my Boston accent. But I hope the content on the slides is informative to you.
Tags How Did John Foley, Jr. Perform at Dscoop6?
Over the past couple of weeks, we shared news (and a bit of hype!) about the presentations that our CEO, John Foley, Jr. would be delivering at Dscoop 6.
Well, the conference is now over. If you weren’t able to attend, you may be wondering how John did. Well, we are happy to share the following with you:
Video Reviews from the Attendees
A couple of the attendees from John’s presentations were kind enough to spend a couple of minutes in front of The Flip and let us know what they thought. Here you go:
Robert Kraft of FirstEdge Solutions:
The Happiest Place on Earth
Recently, we published “Six Reasons That We Are Looking Forward to Dscoop6“.
Well after months of anticipation, we are finally here. If you were wondering if things are going good, I think this tweet from HP’s David Murphy sums it up:
Yes, we are huge fans of Dscoop. And while there are still a few more days to go, I am willing to make a sizable bet that the attendees here will leave feeling satisfied, informed and happy.
Here are a few things I’ve experienced so far that I’d like to share:
The Buzz
The printers here are not immune to the shifts in marketing and communications over the past few years. They’ve all had dips, and have faced tough times. But the attitude here is that “we will find ways to succeed”. Whether it’s through new channels, improving sales processes, or finding the right partners, the attendees are truly willing to take serious steps to grow their business.
The Staff
Honestly, I almost don’t even know how to put it into words. The staff at Dscoop work extremely hard to put on an amazing conference. I can’t even imagine how much they have on their plate. But here’s the best part: they always have smiles on their faces. I honestly think that plays a big role in contributing to the positive atmosphere that fills their events. (Oh, and the fact that they booked topics and speakers that are all spot-on and necessary for the current state of the industry helps too 
)
It is Time to Be Mobile
Here’s a fact: everyone here has a smartphone. They are tweeting during the presentations. They are catching up on things back at the office during breaks. They might even be shopping for some of the books that have been recommended by presenters. Yes, smartphones help make life and business easier.
The time to integrate print with the emerging mobile channel is absolutely here now.
One Big Community
Yes, there are breathtaking fountains in the middle of the resort here. But water is not the only thing flowing at this place. (note: horrible joke alert) Ideas are too! The Dscoop members truly have a passion for what they do, as well as for helping each other. I’ve listened to many conversations already where printers are sharing tips, strategies, and more with fellow companies.
Yes, it’s one happy place, indeed.
Three Ways to Make Print Interactive
The week of Dscoop 6 is now in full-swing. Without a doubt, we know that we’ll see a number of printers there that are offering enhanced services and solutions to their clients.
Sure, many of those companies have a tremendous passion for print. But to truly capitalize on advancements in the worlds of marketing and communications, businesses must find ways to make print work with new channels.
Here are three ways that print can be made interactive:
Use QR Codes to Drive People to Mobile-Optimized Sites
The numbers behind the growth in mobile marketing truly are impressive. More and more of your customers and prospects are visiting websites on their mobile phones. By adding a QR Code to your printed materials, you will be able to reach that mobile audience. QR Codes truly can make print interactive. By driving people a mobile-optimized site where they can watch a video, learn more about a product, or sign up for future alerts, you will further build your database and increase brand awareness.
Promote Social Media Pages for a Company or Product
Companies of all sizes and across all types of verticals are turning to social media to help better serve their customers and interact with prospects. However, they need people to know those pages exist to truly maximize the impact. One way to do this is to promote the social media sites on printed materials. Many people use their smartphone to hop on to sites such as Facebook or Twitter. They may do the same thing after learning that your company has something to offer on those sites.
Here is an example of how Magic Hat is doing this (yes, I am a fan of beer):
Use SMS/Text-Messaging as the Call-to-Action
While we may place less phone calls on our cell phones than we did two years ago, SMS/Text-messaging usage seemingly continues to rise. A number of companies have found ways to engage their fans and build their mobile marketing database by inviting people to send a text message to opt-in for a special offer.
Generating Leads with Social and Mobile Media
In just a couple of days, I will be on my way to Orlando, Florida for Dscoop 6.
I hope to see you there (and I don’t just mean by the pool!).
If you will be attending, I’d like to invite you to a couple of special presentations that I’ll be delivering. Jason Pinto wrote about one of them last week. Here is a personal invitation from me for the other session, “Social and Mobile Media for Prospecting and Lead Generation“:
If you cannot see the video above, click here >>
Here is an overview of the Friday morning session from the Dscoop website:
Explore the business case for social and mobile media–not just for marketing purposes, but as a way to generate leads and build client relationships. Learn what’s new with social media and mobile media and how you can use these tools for prospecting and lead generation.
