Do You Take Facebook's Like Button Too Far?

Everyone wants to be liked -- it's human nature. However, has the Facebook like button gone too far? I've been guilty of going crazy with the like button. Between my sister's litter of cute kittens and pictures of my equally adorable nieces and nephew, I tend to click away.

However, do we really LIKE what we are liking? Sometimes Facebook reminds me of my high school days. It makes me wonder if we are becoming conformists as a result of Facebook's like button -- and if people harbor a secret desire to be popular. The goal behind social media is for people to follow and like us. But HOW genuine are the people who click on your like buttons? Or do they just like you so you will like them back? Has Facebook turned into one big social networking popularity contest?

Don't get me wrong. I am pleased when my friends and fans like my Wall updates. I'm happy that they are pay attention and actually read my updates. I sometimes wonder if Facebook will take the leap and create a "dislike" button. Although, that might wreak havoc, ruin marriages and hurt feelings (and there is enough drama on Facebook already). Not to mention, Zuckerberg doesn't need more lawsuits on his hands.

Do you think people have gone overboard with the like button? 

What Companies Benefit The Most From Social Media Marketing?

I came across an interesting poll on SmartBlog on Social Media. According to their informal poll (they asked feedback from marketers across the country), they wanted to know who benefited the most from social media engagement. 

Their informal poll indicates that business-to-consumers companies (32.08%) benefit the most. Ironically, celebrities came in second at 31.13%. I was surprised to see that business-to-business companies were at the low end of the spectrum (2.83%). 

Good news for B2C companies but where does that leave B2B companies? I dug around and found this source from BizReport. According to their research, B2B companies fully embrace social media -- 86% of B2B firms report using social media. However, B2B companies still fall short when it comes to consistency: "However, B2B firms aren't as active in their social media activity with only 32% engaging on a daily basis compared with 52% of B2C firms." According to AMR International, 50% of B2B marketers analyze their metrics for ROI purposes and find online marketing to be more effective.

The 2011 Social Media Marketing Industry Report reports that "more B2B companies have been using social media longer (52.6% reported 1 year or more) than their B2C counterparts (46.2% indicated 1 year or longer)."

Whether you are a B2C or B2B company, social media can be a strong asset in your marketing arsenal. However, without a strategic social media marketing plan and consistency, your efforts might be wasted. Don't nose dive into social media without a plan first, and remember that not ALL industries are a good match for social media. 

 

 

 

media longer (52.6% reported 1 year or 

more) than their B2C counterparts (46.2%

Social Media Taboo Topics - What Not to Post

When it comes to what NOT to post on social media, my advice is if you wouldn't say it to your mother's face, then don't post it on your social media! 

To post or not to post - what topics are off limits in social media? It seems like social media has turned into a free-for-all - anything goes...or does it?

Think about how you conduct yourself at an in-person business networking event and apply those same rules to social media.Be professional and courteous. People like to hide behind social media because of the anonymity, but you aren't as anonymous as you think you are!

What are considered 'off limit' topics?

1. Trade secrets and confidential company information - No brainer right?  You would be surprised. Company employees have accidentally 'leaked' confidential information via social media. Review your company's social media policy (if the company has a policy in place) to make sure you follow correct social media protocol. Many companies delegate one representative to handle their social media which is a smart idea!

2. Nasty, negative comments about your boss, employees, customers, etc. - Another no brainer but I see it happen all the time on social media (and people have been fired as a result of said nasty comments).

3. Sex, religion and politics - This is the old stand-by rule but it comes into play with social media as well. However, there is always an exception to that rule - especially if you work in politics, are a rabbi or preacher, and/or a sex therapist. Just use your discretion and always be respectful of other people's opinions and viewpoints. Agree to disagree and be professional!

4. What you ate for breakfast, you had food poisoning for ten days straight, etc. and other mindless, inane topics that share way too much information. - Social media has turned into a haven for drama and another platform for unnecessary gossip. If you are a chef or a restaurant reviewer, food would be an appropriate topic to discuss but save the pointless "way too much information" topics for offline (or better yet, just forget the gossip altogether). The key to social media is to build your credibility. How will you build credibility as a viable expert in your field if you tweet about your daily menu 24,7 or the latest office drama? 

5. Blatant spam/sales pitches - Just don't do it. Don't spam or blatantly sell in your posts. It's really annoying and you will quickly turn off people. Who wants to be known as 'that' annoying spammer that no one wants to friend or follow! 

What are your social media taboo topics that you won't touch with a ten foot pole? 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy 5 Year Anniversary, Twitter!

The world's most popular global social microblogging turned five years old today. Happy Anniversary, Twitter. Were you onboard Twitter (then Twttr) in 2006? It's amazing to think that Twitter is five years old - time flies when you're tweeting away! I'm not sure I remember my first tweet since it's been a few years since I joined Twitter. Like everyone else, I was dumbfounded how it all worked, until I got my feet weet and learned just how fun and useful it was for social networking (and haven't stopped tweeting ever since).

According to Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, his first tweet "inviting coworkers" was the first tweet written by a "human." Now six years later we are in the midst of Twitter mania. Based on the stats found on Twitter's blog, they handle an average of 140 million tweets per day. It's mind-boggling to think that when I graduated from college in the mid-90s, that the Internet and email were a new phenomenon. And now social media has literally taken the world by storm.

Remember that your business culture might not be suitable for Twitter - why it's important to track and analyze your tweets to verify that Twitter is an effective social media marketing tool. It doesn't make sense to tweet your time away if you don't see a ROI on  your Twitter marketing.

Do you remember your first tweet, or have you avoided Twitter mania altogether? Don't let Charlie Sheen and his posse scare you away from the benefits of Twitter. If you haven't jumped on the Twitter bandwagon, today might be a good day to start.

 

5 Reasons Why People Drop Like Flies From Your Email List

It's a bad sign when my Blackberry sends me alerts that I'm running low on memory. I can thank my in-box for sucking up space. As a result, I went through my in-box and cleaned out old emails. Not only did I delete emails, but I unsubscribed from email lists that just didn't do it for me anymore. 

As I hit the"unsubscribe" button, I thought about why I wasn't interested in their newsletters (besides taking up space in my in-box). How did these companies lose my interest, and why did I opt-out? As a copywriter, I write email copy on a regular basis for my clients, and I've learned what "not to do" by reviewing these not-so-hot emails that flood my in-box. 

I recently unsubscribed from Copyblogger's list. As a copywriter, I felt like they were missing the mark and their content had fallen flat. It's too bad beause I was a long time fan who enjoyed reading their blog. Be careful what kind of content you include in your emails. You can't please everyone, but the last person you want to turn off or insult is your targeted readers. 

Here are my top 5 reasons why people drop like flies from your email list. When people unsubscribe from your lists, realize that you just lost a potential (or even a regular) client. It might be time to review your email campaign strategy if you are losing subscribers right and left. 

#1 - You bombard people with too much spam disguised as "specials and deals." Emails should contain 95% valuable content and 5% sales pitch. If you bombard people with a spam-a-lanche of sales pitches, you can say good-bye to your subscribers (and you will probably end up in the spam round can - a place you don't want to be).

#2 - You send too many emails per week. This is my biggest pet peeve - when companies inundate me with too many emails in one week. Less is more. If you do send emails on a regular basis, allow subscribers to make that choice when they want to receive your emails (i.e. daily? weekly? monthly? quarterly?)

#3 - Your emails contain irrelevant, useless information that does not help your target market, customers, etc. This is one of the BIGGEST reasons I opt out of email lists. I also can't stand emails that talk down to me, have too much jargon or are filled with so much copy and images that I become dizzy just looking at the email.

#4 - You forgot to include a call to action or you have too many calls to action in one email. What the heck do you want people to do as a result of reading your email? A big email faux pas is including too many calls to action in one email. Don't ask people to call you AND go to your landing page to fill out a form - pick one or the other. When you have too many calls to action in one email, you confuse people and they won't take any action at all. Give them a reason to want to find out more about your products and services.

#5 - Your email copy is boring. When I read emails that sound like a "monotone" sales letter or a PhD dissertation (i.e. lackluster headlines, bunched up, rambling copy lacking bullet points, lists, etc.), those emails are the first ones I delete.

For social media users, ASK people's permission first before you send them your newsletter or include them in an email campaign- this is just professional courtesy. I've received random emails from people that found my email via my social media accounts (those emails immediately went into my spam list). Build viable relationships with your social media connections (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc.).

Don't use social media as a platform to advertise or sell - that's not the purpose behind social media. Be considerate and don't spam the heck out of everyone that you meet via social media. Spam and hard sales email blasts are a sure fire way to lose social media followers, and they will put you on their "blocked" lists.

So remember these simple email don'ts  - don't spam or push sales pitches down people's throats. DO share valuable content that will help people - emails are a great way to share your expertise and knowledge but don't use emails as your personal soapbox either. Be creative and fun - include contests and giveaways to attract and retain your email subscribers. Don't be BORING! 

What creative techniques have you used for your email campaigns? How did you build a solid email list? Please share your feedback, tricks and tips! 

How to Syndicate Your Blog with Social Media Tools

 

You just spent hours re-designing your blog. You wrote one of your best posts to date – but that’s it. You didn’t do anything else with your blog. No one on the Internet will know your blog exists unless you actually promote it. What’s the point of having a blog if it floats around in the cyber ethers?

With the many social media plug-ins out there, it is very easy to syndicate your blog – an efficient and cost-effective way to market your blog. I’ve discussed the power of social media automation in my past series, How to Automate Social Media Posts in 5 Easy Steps – and automation also applies to your blog. Why make more work for yourself?

Use these social media tools and your blog will take off in no time:

HootSuite is a web-based social networking application that lets you bring together content from various online sources. Access and manage your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and many other accounts all in one location. You then have the option of manually updating them all, or setting up an auto-update for your social sites.

RSS Graffitiis the easiest way to update your Facebook page. It takes your blog post title, a small sample, and an image from the post and updates your status.

TwitterFeed is one of the most effective way to syndicate your blog. It can update Twitter and Facebook (among a few other social networking sites) and integrates hash tags, keywords and URL shortening services.

Keep in mind that while these are helpful tools for auto-syndication, it is not a good idea to solely rely on them to market your blog. Automated updates, coupled with personalized updates and comments (mention your posts on other blogs, forums, LinkedIn, etc.), are effective channels to create buzz around your blog. Remember to create impactful content that keeps readers coming back for more!  

What other social media tools do you use to market your blog? Please comment/share! 

LinkedIn Answers - How to Market Without Really Marketing

The theme of my week was "LinkedIn Answers." If you haven't checked out LinkedIn Questions & Answers, you are missing out on potential online marketing opportunities. How can you market your company by answering questions? It's not like you can plug your company when you answer the question.

This week, I answered two questions this that involved non-profits and social media. Non-profit is my background so it's a natural fit. Ironically, one question I answered involved how can non-profits better utilize LinkedIn. As a result, my tips were included  in an About.com article. I also will be quoted in another article about Facebook and social good.

So how did this happen? I shared my expertise by answering questions- that's it!  They asked me if they could use my quote/tips. 

I know what you're thinking: "I don't have the time to answer questions on LinkedIn let alone run to Starbucks to grab a latte" It only took me ten minutes to answer both two questions. Ten minutes that turned into an unexpected online marketing opportunity. I even cross-promoted my friend and mentor, Victoria Ipri's LinkedIn for the Clueless book in my LinkedIn answer. That was a double marketing whammy for us both. 

Here are a few tips to get you started on LinkedIn Answers:

1. Use your expertise to help others. Search for questions in your field of expertise/industry. Pick and choose. Don't answer just any question - stick with your expertise range. For example, I have a background in non-profit fundraising/event planning so I'm more inclined to answer non-profit and event planning questions. I also answer questions about public relations, copywriting, marketing, and social media.

2. Don't shoot off a one sentence answer. That isn't helpful. Offer "real world" examples that people can put to practical use. Include resources in the "Links" section and always extend the offer to help beyond just the question. I've had people follow up with me and ask additional questions. As a result, we added each other to our LinkedIn connections - a fantastic networking opportunity! 

3. Don't just answer questions but ASK questions. You have a plethora of industry experts at your fingertips so don't be afraid to jump in and ask for expert advice/help. Although, don't use it as a platform to get "free" advice 24,7. That's not the point behind LinkedIn Answers. 

4. Review the published answers before you answer the question. Someone might have already beat you to the punch. You don't want to look like a "copycat" and give a similar answer. 

5. If you haven't answered any questions on LinkedIn yet, make it a point to answer at least ONE question per week to get your feet wet. 

If you never thought about using LinkedIn as a potential online marketing channel, you might want to consider adding LinkedIn Answers to your marketing tool belt. It's the best way to market without really marketing - and saves you time since other people market your company/brand for you!

Give it a shot...and please share your success stories with LinkedIn Answers! I'd love to hear about your experiences. 

How to Play Nice on Social Media - Think Before You Post

As I wind down my series, How to Create Your Social Media Calendar, I wanted to share a few tips on how to "play nice" on social media. Sometimes we tend to forget that manners still apply to the Internet, and I think it's important to bring up up this point again. Don't use social media for your persnal "whiner" board. Social media isn't online journaling, and should not be used to to air negative grievances. Who wants to read complaints 24,7?

Before you blast your boss or co-workers on your Facebook, think before you post. Emotions can get the best of us, so take a few moments to calm down, breathe deeply and clear your head. 

Remember the following tips when commenting and posting updates:

1. You could possibly get fired  for what you post on social media accounts - there has been a lot of controversy in the news about this topic. Employees think this violates their freedom of expression but employers think otherwise. Unfortunately, many employees have lost their jobs and have also been sued as a result of what they posted about clients, fellow employees and even bosses. In this turbulent economy, that's the last thing you want to do - to lose your job! If you are a job seeker, be extra careful - your online past could come back to haunt you.

2. If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. It's all about playing nice and being courteous to others on social media. Social media isn't about posting rude remarks and comments. People have a tendency to use social media as a smoke screen - because they are hidden, they think it's okay to be rude and mean.  Stay away from posting offensive language - it's not cute and only makes you look ignorant. 

3. Show respect for people's diversity. Remember that social media is a global audience and English could be a second language for some social media users. Derogatory comments about race, religion, culture or sexual orientation  have no place in social media (or offline either).

4. Use common sense. Don't post personal or confidential information about yourself or others. You definitely want to post contact information on your profile, but be cautious when  sharing information about your children, spouses, etc. Sometimes people aren't who they say they are on social media. Never give out your personal financial or bank account information. If someone wants to conduct a transaction with you, make sure it's legitimate and do your homework before buying any product or service via a social media interaction.

5. If you are a disgruntled customer or client, you have every right to post your complaint on social media platforms but don't pick online fights. Constructive criticism goes a long way. Companies want to know what they're doing wrong, and how they can improve (it's all about you - the customer!) Make sure you have all your facts straight before you post "incriminating" evidence about a company. Don't believe every rumor you read on your friend's Facebook wall. Investigate on your own - don't just jump on the negative bandwagon because everyone else doesn't like ABC Company. One false comment based on a rumor could really damage a company's reputation. 

If you can play well with others on social media, you will have a better chance of connecting and making real, authentic social relationships - remember that your future client could be reading your next  tweet. 

Are You LinkedIn for the New Year?

My motto for the New Year is "out with the old and in with the NEW!" I've been working on my business plan and marketing goals for 2011. Guess what's at the top of my social media marketing list? That's right - LinkedIn.

Is LinkedIn at the top of YOUR list for 2011? I am guessing that some of you used these excuses when it came to WHY you didn't use LinkedIn this year: 

• "Yeah well, I signed up for LinkedIn but I have no idea how to use it."
• "Why do people keep asking me to join LinkedIn? I don't know them!"
• "I don't have time to chat with other business people!" 

Excuses, excuses! It's time to throw out your old thinking when it comes to LinkedIn, and dial into a new approach to LinkedIn this year.

Modello Media, Inc. CEO Victoria Ipri gives us all the HELP we need with LinkedIn this year. She recently launched her savvy, easy-to-read  LinkedIn for the Clueless book just in time for 2011. Her book also makes a great last-minute holiday gift for those on your list who need an extra social media push!

"LinkedIn For the Clueless demystifies LinkedIn, breaking down and making sense of the reasons why you should care, and exactly which features to concentrate on to get the best results for your efforts," Victoria shares. 

Victoria was kind enough to share a sneak preview from her book. I recently picked up LinkedIn for the Clueless and loved it.  It's perfect for both newbies and seasoned social media pros. Her book offers great insight and tips on how to successfully navigate the LinkedIn waters! 

"Marketing is storytelling, and nowhere can you enjoy the opportunity to tell your story more effectively than with social media marketing. Companies who have built great communities online -- Starbucks on Facebook, Zappos on Twitter, Graco on Flickr, The Personal Branding Network on LinkedIn, and Dell everywhere -- have figured out:

 Who they are (in terms of public perception)

 How to capture market attention

 Why consumers should invest in the company story

What’s your company story? What do you believe in? With what traits do you want your audience to associate you? No doubt, you’ve got a story to tell. Spend some time thinking deeply about it. Your story anchors your entire marketing effort."

 

Are you LinkedIn for the New Year? Click here  to find out more information about LinkedIn For the Clueless. 

Part Four - Social Wifi® Impacts Future Hotspot Technology

Part Four 

Ryan concludes our interview by sharing how Social Wifi® is destined to make a positive impact on the future of Wi-Fi technology. 

What makes your product better and more innovative than your competitors' products?

RYAN

We are giving restaurateurs, hoteliers and other service-based companies a tool that adds tremendous value in enhancing their social media presence, email marketing reach, loyalty initiatives and customer engagement - for pennies on the dollar!

Currently, millions of hospitality and service-based businesses are providing Wi-Fi to their guests in ways that can do irreparable damage to their businesses. It's now established that providing a Wi-Fi hotspot is simply the cost of doing business, but providing Wi-Fi in and of itself means very little in terms of return for their business: it's like having a family of five and using a bicycle as your means of transportation - just doesn't make sense!

We customize the platform based on each client's brand. We fully manage the system, provide 24x7 monitoring, security, and it does not interface with their existing systems, such as their POS, PMS, etc. This means the client has a marketing, social media, loyalty promotion engine all built into their Wi-Fi and they don't have to touch it nor worry about it.

Do you think other industries, outside of hospitality and service-based, will follow suit in the next few years? 

RYAN

It only makes sense for them to follow suit. If you can have a tool that is: customized to your business, doesn't have to be managed by your staff, improves your branding, adds sales and promotional channels, is highly secure and doesn't impede daily operations - all without you lifting a finger - wouldn't you use it?

How do you foresee your product impacting the hi-tech/Wi-Fi technology industry in general?

RYAN 

Don't we all hope that we invented the next Facebook, Twitter, or Google for that matter? Who knows what the future brings?

What we do know, is that businesses are in a position to reap and continue to see long-term success by integrating one small, discreet tool (Social Wifi®) that gives customers what they want and the business more than they could ever hope for in less than 30 seconds!  I also know that by focusing on our clients' success, Social Wifi® will see similar success as well.

 

Part Three - How Social Wifi® Puts Hospitality Companies on the Map

Part Three...continued 

Ryan Chambers, principal of Adapt Marketing & Design and co-founder of Social Wifi®, explains how their hot spot technology helps hospitality businesses market smarter and faster to customers. 

How will Social Wifi® put hospitality-based and service-based industries on the map?

RYAN

Social Wifi® will be one of the most cost-effective tools businesses will have. What's really going to expose their brand is simply their customers who access the Wi-Fi hotspot. Within seconds of hopping on the hotspot - whether by mobile device, laptop or iPad - the customer is exposed to the client's social media hubs, specials, incentives, mobile campaign and is seamlessly transitioned into the opt-in email invitation.

For any business owner, CMO or marketing manager, all this data that is provided freely by their customers is worth its weight in gold! We can even segment all the way from zip codes to date of birth! So that's just the first part of how our hospitality clients win.

Then, from your Social WiFi® hotspot, customers begin to engage your brand again OR for the first time! Customers spread this viral buzz to their friends and fans, watch in interactive videos, and check out the latest deals and specials all from your digital playing field.

How does Social Wifi® alleviate their fears and worries?

RYAN

First, to the person who doesn't want people camping out, we let them know that the nature of his concept or business is what's going to create campers.

If your average menu item is at or over $8 - or your average ticket is over $11 - then you're least likely to have groups of people stay there for hours at a time - simply because it's too pricey to eat and surf for extended periods. The other way of looking at this is, if some patrons do stay at your establishment for 2.5 hours, then this gives your servers an opportunity to sell more, as well as managers to at least say hello to their customers!

For the person who thinks their customers don't use or need Wi-Fi, that translates to the business operator not knowing that people are connected to the web via their mobile devices – which are used now more than ever. These operators are also unaware of location-based advertising and its huge success.

Research shows that in August 2010 over 55 percent of hospitality locations are now offering free Wi-Fi. By December 2010, we anticipate that will be over 60 percent. The data also showed that 40 percent of women and 47 percent of men are more likely to engage brands that have content relevant to their current location.

Basically, the business is out of touch and sometimes it’s a matter of enlightening them. In other cases, you just have to thank them for their time and move on! You can't force someone to care. For corporate concerns, since the only thing Social Wifi® needs is an internet connection, it will not interfere with any business

Part Two - Why Hotels & Restaurants Don't Use Social Media

Part Two...continued

Ryan Chambers, principal with Adapt Marketing & Design and co-founder of Social Wifi®, tackles the big debate in the hospitality industry. Why don't hotels & restaurants use social media? 

Why are hospitality & service-based businesses still hesitant and/or fearful to use social media? 

RYAN 

Social media and hospitality go hand-in-hand. I think a year or two ago there was still hesitation from a significant part of the industry to avoid social media. It was sort of a ‘wait and see’ mentality. Plus, it was like any other industry. They didn't want to touch a new technology until the critical mass had validated it.

You saw the early adopters - the independent restaurant owners - who needed every single advantage they could get to keep their door opens, then, the larger franchises like Taco Bell.

On the hotel side, your boutique hotels picked up the torch, then your larger hotel brands followed suit.  You see the same thing happening on the food & beverage side now. The hospitality industry, historically, can be one of the slowest turning ships. For decades, decision makers have adopted the classic "if it ain't broke..." mentality. Innovative marketing was not a priority for hotels, partly because they had a number of tentacles touching the consumer on their behalf: travel agents, tourists, business travelers, convention centers, etc.

So with all these opportunities to generate business, the hotel’s Marketing Director or Manager is really just a sales person with a cool title. And that's not a knock on them. It just shows how the organization prioritized certain initiatives.

With restaurants you had the same issue but a little more exaggerated, partly because margins in some cases can be very thin. So when they’re looking at your books every month and they're making money, then there used to be little incentive in their minds to market or to ‘waste time’ on social media.

Then when you add ignorance about a technology and a lack of desire to do anything different, you've got a perfect recipe for stagnation. But there were three important things that kicked the industry in the butt and ultimately changed this mindset. First, the hospitality industry began to notice the social-media-successes from other industries like Entertainment (music especially) and Human Capital (mainly recruiting), and so it began to open their eyes.

Second, they began to feel the effects of the looming recession and when that bad boy hit us, it was like a bully pulling away your chair as you're about to sit. Things were not so predictable anymore - patrons held out, so revenue was shrinking. This meant they had to look at every possible angle and ways to reach out for the sale.

Then finally, we began to see a shift in the workforce - the Millennials and the progressive Gen X's were working together! Talk about an invasion on the old-school's way of doing business! Don't get me wrong, we didn't change a lot of the key business principles, but because on the outside we changed how we wanted companies to do business with us, it inevitably meant that we took these 'new-age' principles into the corporate arena. So now you have an educated, informed, progressive group of marketers who understand, love and live by social media. They not only use social media to ultimately encourage the sale, but to also build brands, engage their audience and participate in what's going on outside the four walls.

Why Companies Need to Jump on Board with Social Media in 2011

People will find any excuse in the book NOT to use social media. As we move into the New Year with an economy that can be best described as “struggling” on a good day, you put your company in jeopardy by not jumping on board with social media. 

People have a way of talking themselves out of beneficial tools that help their business grow. Social media is one of those tools.  Have you yet to join the rest of the world in social networking? What’s stopping you?

These are the 10 most common excuses why businesses don't use social media:

#1 Laziness! Instead of making a change for the better, you’re content to continue with mediocre marketing

#2 You are too busy to put extra time into creating and maintaining social media networks.

#3 You proclaim that Facebook is only a dating pick-up site for college kids.

#4 Social media is too complicated and overwhelming so why bother fussing with it?

#5 Who cares? Social media is a waste of your time and energy.

#6 You think people are rude and aren’t willing to help in a strictly virtual setting.

#7 You think social media is over your head – leave it to the tech wiz!

#8 Social media is all hype - just a passing fad.

#9 Since you’re a solopreneur, you think your company isn’t big enough to benefit from social media.

#10 If you put details about yourself online, you fear someone might take advantage of you.

While keeping up with the rapid development of social media can be intimidating, the simple fact is that NO company can afford to remain blind to its benefits any longer. Social media connections will open up new doors for your business by providing more channels for people to find you. The more your name is out there, the more you brand yourself as an expert in your industry – that’s the name of the game in social media.

Traditional marketing  is not nearly as effective as it used to be. Social media connects you with people you need to know,and brings your company front and center to the public. Social media is free but if it’s implemented and updated regularly, then it will require a committed investment of your time BUT it’s an investment that will see HUGE returns.

Stop making excuses for not using social media. The way the professional world works is changing, and it’s up to you to change with it.  Social media is the quickest, easiest way to market your company. Companies are jumping on board by the truck load. You NEED to be at the front of the line if you want your business to remain relevant and profitable.

Why Companies Need to Closely Manage Social Media Updates

I just read a good article on Social Media Today, 10 Ways Offline Businesses Can Use Social Media. I agree with many of the points brought up in the article. However, I disagree with #4 - about putting your company to work when it comes to social media. Sometimes "too many cooks in the kitchen" can ruin a company's social media marketing campaign. 

I think it depends on the size of your company. If you are a one or two person business, then it's very likely you'll be managing your social media accounts. In larger companies, it's not a good idea to have ALL your employees involved in social media marketing.

I think it's great that companies want to create a positive buzz about their brand, products and services. However, there needs to be a united front when it comes to a company's social media marketing message. As a copywriter and online marketing consultant, I think this is very important that posts/updates are written cohesively with a clear message in mind - and your target market in mind. 

However, it's up to you - the company decision maker - to decide your course of social media action. If your business is more casual and niche, then it might be prudent to include your employees in your social media frenzy.

Here are a few tips to pass along if you decide to allow your employees to post social media updates: 

• Make sure you either have a meeting or send out a memo as to what messages/updates are deemed appropriate and what's not appropriate. Obviously, you don't want your employees using inappropriate language or trashing competitors - so make sure you spell out CLEARLY your expectations/social media update rules.  
• Send examples of published posts to employees so they can get a feel for tone and messaging. You don't need to dictate verbatim what they should write, but messaging needs to remain cohesive - this is imperative when it comes to social media marketing.
• If anyone breaks the company's social media rules, they should be taken out of the mix altogether and not be allowed to post updates anymore - that's just good business sense. Online reputation is everything! You don't want a rebellious employee posting drunk holiday party pictures as a joke to be the demise of your company! 

As I previously mentioned, I don't think it's a good marketing idea for larger companies to have their employees go crazy with social media updates. It could be counter-productive to their job duties,  and employees already spend enough time on their personal Facebook accounts as it is.

I recommend that companies invest in a trained social media marketing consultant, or leave it to their sales, marketing and/or communications staffs to create editorial-driven, professional social media marketing campaigns.

 

Twiffienciency Not So Twifficient - Bordering Spammy!

Have you heard about Twifficiency?

Yes, another new Twitter app that calculates your Tweety-ness, or in this case your "Twifficiency."

Since it launched last week, Twitter streams have been bombarded with tweeters' rates. It has been touted as a "rogue" application and has received criticism - that even techno savvy users can be tricked into spamming (it blasts out everyone's score via tweets). It helps to read the fine print.

It turns out it was a young emo-esque lad from Scotland didn't think his app would take off and be this popular - let alone turn into a Spam Fest on Twitter. Even Google execs failed the Twiffiency exam - read the full scoop here.

http://techcrunch.com/2010/08/17/twifficiency/

Why You Shouldn't Use Social Media

What?!!! I know what you're thinking - everyone uses social media these days so why are you telling me NOT to use social media? Before you sign up for social media accounts, stop and think if social media is the right marketing channel to use. Not everyone or every business should use social media.

There are a few exceptions to the rule when NOT to use social media - do you fall under these categories?

• If you have a a few high-end customers or clients (who spend in the millions) you definitely don't want to go the social media route to stay connected with them. Face-to-face, personalized visits and phone calls would work better.

• If your company is unionized and there is constant on-the-job turmoil with labor disputes, steer clear of social media to spread the word unless you want a PR nightmare. Not a good idea!

• Don't use social media just because everyone is using it. You need to have a focused marketing objective and needs to fit into your company's branding and messaging.

Before you start to tweet or sign up for Facebook, evaluate your social media needs. Do you really need social media and is it going to help you in your specific business/industry? Not everyone needs to use it and it may be a hindrance to your marketing strategy in the long run.