What do you think when you hear the phrase ‘cowboy boots’?

Perhaps you imagine the rugged cowboy of the Wild West, handlebar mustache on leathered skin and a no-nonsense gaze, perched at the entrance to the old saloon.

It’s true. Rugged cowboys wear cowboy boots. And the Justin Boot Company, maker of western footwear since 1879, outfitted these buckaroos.

But Justin Boots has come into the 21st century, bucking the mold of traditional marketing and spreading its message of quality footwear via modern-day tools.

In 2009, Justin Boots determined to take a new approach to communicating with customers, targeting savvy 18- to 24-year-olds where they spent much of their time - on the web.  

To launch a new product line, Justin Boots invested in online communities – in lieu of expensive print advertisements - where young boot lovers could listen to their favorite country music and interact with their favorite bands. In collaboration with Balcom Agency, Justin created a proprietary website, www.justinbentrail.com, where in-demand country music artists like Wade Bowen and Casey Donahew Band upload exclusive content – videos of backstage preparations, on-the-road antics, concerts, interviews and more. Content is also shared on the brand’s numerous social networks including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Blip.fm.

Beyond social media efforts, Justin also created point-of-sale materials directing fans to online communities. Engaging young consumers online, Justin discovered, resulted in a 116 percent increase in web traffic, a 213 percent increase in use of the online store locator, and a 30 percent increase in sales. In short, new media worked.

Since witnessing the success of Justin Bent Rail, Justin Brands has engaged fully in social media, developing vibrant communities for all of its brands, including Justin Boots itself, Justin Original Workboots, Tony Lama, Chippewa and Nocona.

To learn more about the tactics and results of the Justin Bent Rail social media campaign – and to inspire your own iconoclastic methods - visit Balcom Agency's case study.

In November of 2010, LinkedIn introduced a series of new features for company pages. In the past few months, Balcom Agency has studied and maximized these features on its own company page to better understand them and to ensure our page is engaging and useful for viewers. 

Now that we've spiffed up our presence, we want to help you do the same. 

Here are a few ways you can optimize LinkedIn for your business: 

Boost the Basics

All company pages include an "Overview" tab with basic information on a company, including company size, industry, website and physical address. In addition to the basics, LinkedIn offers the opportunity for businesses to include a description of services and specialties. To help people find you, ensure your company description is search-engine optimized by including words your customers might use in their search. For instance, if you work in advertising, be sure to include 'advertising' in your description, but also use similar terms like 'marketing,' 'branding' and 'public relations.' Be sure to also reference the geographical areas you serve, so people can find you if they search by region. Finally, take advantage of LinkedIn's integration with Twitter and blogs. Pull through your tweets and blog posts to extend your presence beyond your page and encourage continued engagement with prospects and customers.

Soup Up Your Services

Since November, LinkedIn has added a "Products & Services" tab to company pages. Here, you can add modules for each of your products and services with search-engine-optimized descriptions and bulleted lists of key attributes or features. You can also include a rich graphic to represent each product or service, a specific URL where users can go for more information, and links to profiles of employees who can be contacted with questions or leads. 

LinkedIn also enables companies to include up to three of their own rotating banner ads linking to specific landing pages. To engage and educate clients and prospects, Balcom has included ads directing people to opt-in to our e-newsletter or learn more about client success stories. Users can also pull in YouTube videos for both the "Products & Services" tab and each individual product or service. We've included our showreel, showcasing some of our best work.

Finally, companies can request and then display positive endorsements of their products from colleagues or clients on LinkedIn. The more of these features a company can leverage, the higher engagement will be and the more likely a page will generate new business.

Customize for Each Customer

LinkedIn designers are savvy enough to know that companies have different clients - with different needs. Hence, new company pages enable companies to tailor their message to a specific audience. Include a different description, graphic, landing page, banner ad and video depending on the viewer. All you have to do is define your demographic. 

Follow the Finest

One of the fastest ways to learn how to be great is to observe the best. Follow other companies on LinkedIn to learn best practices. An obvious leader, LinkedIn maximizes the features of its own company page. Other role models include Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft and, of course, Balcom Agency. Surprisingly, not many companies are yet leveraging the new features on LinkedIn. For instance, neither Facebook nor Google have updated their company pages. Updating your company page will not only make you an early adopter, showcasing your eagerness to stay abreast of new technologies, but it can help drive web traffic, generate leads and attract the best talent.

We encourage you to experiment with the latest features of LinkedIn. We have, and already we are seeing results.

A young single woman, I often ask my married friends and family, “How do you know when you’ve found The One?” Invariably, despite geographic, ethnic, age and gender differences, they reply confidently, “You just know.”

This seemingly smug response always irked me, until I felt it. 

Call me a workaholic. Call me a geek. Call me pathetic. But I felt it at work. I love my job. No, really… I do.

Let me count the reasons why:

1. Variety Is the Spice of Life.

As social media manager at Balcom, I’m responsible for managing a wide variety of online communities for a wide variety of clients. On a daily basis, I chat with customers about fajitas, cowboy boots, diamond rings, country music, margaritas, payday loans, puppies and even social media marketing.

I toggle between Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, Foursquare, Gowalla and MySpace. I learn how to write great status updates, squeeze messages into 140 characters, respond gracefully to customer complaints, optimize web copy and create compelling online offers. Most importantly, I learn how to engage consumers, which brings me to my next point.

2. Social Media Sells.

But not because of slippery, slimy sales offers. Social media sells because it engages consumers in a way that they want to be engaged.

On the Justin Boots Facebook Page, for instance, I collaborate with my clients to share meaningful and valuable information with fans. This means that for every post reading “Boots are half off today!" we post a fan photo, an update on local rodeo standings, a list of country music tour dates, a question to fans about their weekend plans or a simple thank you. We even ask our fans, "What do you want to hear from us?" and deliver. 

Interacting with consumers each day in an authentic way fulfills me, all while driving revenues.  

3. We Learn – And Then We Learn From Our Mistakes.

Balcom Agency and good social media marketers embrace continual learning. We also believe in taking risks and learning from our mistakes. In my role as social media manager, I soak up breaking news on the latest technologies, trends and techniques in marketing. Much akin to my eating habits, I consume this information voraciously.

At Balcom Agency and in the world of social media, mistakes are accepted. And transformed into opportunities to learn and improve. When I err, I’m not harshly punished but encouraged to seek the lesson in the error.  Inevitably, these faux pas lead to even better performance and client service.

4. We Are Family.

At Balcom, we truly love each other.

Did you just roll your eyes? I understand. Perhaps my enthusiasm for my colleagues is akin to those nagging Facebook status updates: “I have the best life ever!" or "My boyfriend spoils me!" But really, we get along like peas and carrots. We joke. We laugh. We brainstorm. We challenge. We achieve. And sometimes we even have a beer together. I never thought I could love my coworkers like I do. It makes a big difference.

In closing, thank you for the opportunity to gush about my beloved job.  Beyond an awareness of my tendency toward self-indulgence, I hope you’ll take just a few things away from this post. Social media works. Mistakes are opportunities. And kindness, humor and honesty in the workplace pay off, not just in the form of happy employees, but also in happy clients. 

When I finally found the time to delve deeply into a recent Fast Company article on Apple, I was at once bemused, wowed, and inspired. The article, "Invincible Apple: 10 Lessons from the Coolest Company Anywhere," written by Farhad Manjoo, summarizes the key strategies, behaviors, and habits of Apple, and specifically its illustrious CEO Steve Jobs, that continue to propel the company to ever greater heights. 

At the risk of rewriting Manjoo's article, I want to highlight a few remarkable facts and ideas mentioned in an effort to help you rethink your approach to business. Each and every one of these anecdotes caused my jaw to drop, my head to tilt, and my mouth to twist in bemusement as I wondered at the sheer power of their meaning. 

1) Keep It Simple - In 2000, a newly-hired developer at Apple came prepared for a meeting with Steve Jobs with a comprehensive set of PowerPoint slides, ready to wow the CEO with the complexity and thoroughness of his new creation, the predecessor to iDVD. Before the developer could utter a word of his enthusiasm, Jobs wandered to a white board, drew a rectangle and said, "Here's the new application... It's got one window. You drag your video into the window. Then you click the button that says burn. That's it. That's what we're going to make." Thus, iDVD was born. The magic of Apple products are their simplicity. In a world racked with complexity, why not make your customer's life a bit simpler? 

2) Tune Out the Noise - In short, ignore your competitors, and sometimes, even your customers. This recommendation flies strongly in the face of conventional business wisdom. Deceased businessmen everywhere are turning in their graves. My colleagues at Balcom Agency have challenged me in this statement, most feverishly among them Apple-zealot Chip Hanna. So, let me explain. Though Apple stays abreast of trends in its industry, as well as the goings-on of tech up-and-comers and giants, it does not mimic them. As Manjoo states in his article, Apple developers "go into their caves," focusing almost exclusively on creating a product that they believe to be the future of technology. Similarly, unlike competitors Dell and Microsoft, Apple generally doesn't listen to customers' suggestions for product enhancements. While Windows 7 may have been your idea, the iPad most certainly was not. 

3) Take Inspiration From Your Hotel Concierge - Though Apple may not concern itself with its customers' product preferences, it does care about customer service. In an effort to revolutionize the customer experience within the computer industry, Apple's Senior Vice President of Retail Operations Ron Johnson asked customers what they remembered as their best ever customer service experience. The majority pleasantly recalled a hotel concierge. Violà, the Genius Bar emerged. At the Genius Bar, customers can have their iPods, iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks reviewed and repaired, free of charge. In fact, the Genius Bar is so cozy, you expect a Genius to bring you a cappuccino with extra foam, or perhaps even a cold beer. The reality is, if troubleshooting fails, the Genius might just bring you a brand new iPhone. Maybe it's just me, but this definitely beats haggling with Hyderabad over the telephone. 

4) Brand like a God - Martin Lindstrom, brand consultant and author of Buyology: The Truth and Lies About Why We Buy, recently discovered that brain activity within the minds of Apple devotees mimics that of religious fanatics. In short, Apple's branding has been so successful as to rival that of the Catholic Church. Ubiquitous Apple branding has created a monolithic image in the hearts and heads of consumers. From the iconic imagery of a half-eaten apple to the brushed silver of your MacBook Pro and the sleek white earbuds hanging from the ears of every passenger in a New York City subway, Apple has branding down pat. One of the most remarkable anecdotes from Manjoo's article: Apple purchased ad space on every bus bench near Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco, where it unveils its new products. As Steve Jobs speaks about new products like the iPad, Apple staff change the imagery from ads about older Apple products to ads about the newly-unveiled product. Apple's marketing efforts coincide with the ticking of clocks and the passing of time. 

5) Step To The Beat of Your Own Drum - Perhaps most shocking among the anecdotes revealed in Manjoo's article is the fact that HP, Microsoft, and Research in Motion (RIM) all delayed releases of iPad-challenging tablets immediately following the release of the iPad. These companies were watching Apple closely and following their lead. Deep in its cave, however, Apple had been listening closely to the beat of its own drum while its competitors got lost in the music. 

Whether or not the above ideas and anecdotes represent business truths is debatable, verging on contentious. That the iPad has generated buzz, however, is fact. And no doubt we can all take a lesson from the man steering a very powerful and seemingly indestructible ship. 

In other words, Think Different. 

Want to dive into social media, but not sure how? Below are a few best practices I've learned in my time as Social Media Manager at the Balcom Agency. 

Be Strategic – Consider your overarching social media strategy and goals when posting to social networking sites. Ask yourself, “What do I want my fans or followers to do when they see this post?” Each post should, in some way, further the goals of your strategy.

Consider Your Voice – When posting content to social networking sites, be mindful of the tone of your message. Ask yourself, “Is this message consistent with the personality of my brand?” A consistent tone of voice ensures fans and followers see posts as being representative of a cohesive organization. 

Provide Diverse & Rich Content – Vary the type of content you post to your social networking communities so as to keep your fans and followers interested and engaged. For example, if you’ve just posted a link to an article on your page, consider posting a photo or video next. The more diverse and rich your content, the more likely your fans and followers will frequent your page to stay abreast of updates and information, as well as share the information with friends. Rich content includes media such as photo, audio, and video. 

Leverage Existing Tools – Take advantage of the multitude of features offered on social networks. For instance, Facebook offers users many diverse features, including links, photos, videos, events, discussions, notes, polls, favorite pages, and the ability to create custom tabs. Twitter allows users to reply publicly to other Twitter users (@username), send a direct message to followers (DM username), and include hashtags to group tweets (#hashtag).

Post Frequently at Key Times – Research shows that posting at least two to three times per day keeps an online community thriving, as does posting at times when people are most likely to be engaged in social networking. Some research suggests that social networks are most active between 9 and 11am and between 4 and 6pm. Posts on weekends – especially Sunday evening - often yield the best results.

Ask Questions – Users of social networks want to share their thoughts and opinions. Asking questions is a great way to engage your fans and followers, show you care about their involvement in the community, and encourage robust dialogue between the organization and its fans and among fans themselves.

Monitor & Respond – Keep a close eye on your social networks and respond to fan questions and complaints. Monitoring Facebook comments and Twitter mentions offers opportunities for reputation management and brand growth. It is considered a best practice to respond in some way to fan comments or questions within 24 to 48 hours, even if the response is a promise to return with more information. Delete inappropriate or offensive comments, but be thoughtful before deleting a comment that disparages the organization. This can provoke further negative commentary.

Measure & Adapt  – Bi-weekly or monthly, measure the growth, fan engagement, and sentiment on your social networking communities. Use Facebook Insights to measure Facebook fan growth and link spikes in fan interactivity to corresponding posts to determine popular content. Use Twittercounter.com to measure Twitter growth and Bit.ly to determine successful tweets. Review fan comments to determine the overall sentiment toward your community. Adapt your content according to what spurs the most positive and prolific fan interaction. 

Keeping these key concepts fresh in mind will help you develop a thriving community on social networks. 

What best practices have you learned? 

A transplant from New York City, I've spent the past several years of my life walking to and from my office, nearby restaurants, shops, movie theaters, and my sardine-can apartment. Upon returning to Fort Worth after an eight-year absence, however, I felt acutely the need for a vehicle. After securing a job at the Balcom Agency, I began musing about the type of vehicle I would purchase. Ample research led me to a local luxury car dealership, where I intended to buy a shiny, certified pre-owned car. 

One evening, filled with gusto and enthusiasm for my intended purchase, I moseyed to the dealership to take a final look at the car I intended to drive home that evening. Initial proceedings were amiable and reassuring. Our salesman, a recent addition to the team, was exuberant and friendly, verging on self-deprecating and overly apologetic for his position at the bottom of the learning curve. He offered me a no-haggle price, to which I agreed, and proceeded to process my paperwork. 

The dealership was crowded that evening, and owing to a previous mishap in the office of the finance manager, I waited over four hours to sign the final papers that would allow me to drive my car off the lot and homeward. 

Upon entering the office of the finance manager -- the last step in a long series -- I came to understand why I had been left waiting. Though it was eleven o'clock, my eyes blurry, and my mind foggy, I felt immediately that something was amiss. The finance manager was an unusually quiet, awkward individual. He began asking me questions that I hoped would allow us to finalize my purchase. Soon, however, he was strongly urging me to reconsider my payment terms. "Why don't you pay for the car over the next six years?," he encouraged. I assured him I'd had plenty of time in my four hours of waiting to make a firm purchasing decision. He continued to push. My father, who had tagged along as a source of paternal support, glanced firmly at the employee as he haggled. "We'd like for you to move on, please," he urged. "But sir..." he returned. "Please continue," said my father, his voice growing agitated. 

And so we moved on. Next, the finance manager assured me, we were required to review additional warranty options, that would tack on hundreds or thousands of dollars to my purchase. Again, I assured him I had already decided on a warranty. "I don't want it," I told him, my voice beginning to shake. "I'm required to explain it to you," he urged, passive aggression morphing to aggression. After ten minutes of tense monologue, the manager again asked if I wanted his suggested additions. I responded firmly that I didn't. Frustrations then escalated quickly as the manager continued to push and my father admonished him for his inappropriate prodding. "I'd like you to continue," warned my father. "Let me do my job, sir," the manager threatened, like a dog baring his teeth.

We offered to leave the dealership without a car. After a few final attempts, during which my father and I stood and began to exit, the manager left the office to retrieve the final paperwork, finally acknowledging our seriousness. I signed the last page of paperwork as my heart raced and face flushed. We finished the transaction. 

Before leaving the dealership, we discovered our friendly salesman in the hallway and explained our unpleasant experience with the finance manager. Perhaps my emotions reached a fever pitch because it was nearing midnight. Perhaps a few tears started welling in my eyes because the excitement of buying a new car had been tainted by a pushy salesman. But, most likely, I cried because I felt scared, mistreated, and deeply disrespected. 

Despite profuse apologies from our friendly salesman, tears continued to stream down my face as I hunkered down into the fresh leather of my new car. Several days passed before my disappointment and frustration waned entirely. And you can be sure -- this blog post is testament -- that I will never forget that experience. You can also be sure I told all of my friends. Though I am happy with my car, I will never return to the dealership and will recommend others avoid it too. I'd prefer Jiffy Lube to overlooking the terrible customer experience I received at the luxury car dealership.

The lesson to be learned from my unpleasant experience is to sell with respect. Your customers are human. Most often, they know what they want. If they don't, you can educate them about what is available to them and even recommend a purchase, but always remember that no means no. And to supervisors, be sure to educate your employees about the delicate process of selling. I'm sure our rabid finance manager, who resembled a frightened puppy beneath his bared teeth, had been told selling was his only option. Somewhere along the line, a powerful mistake was made in the training of this employee.