How To Create a Twitter List
Personally, Twitter is probably my favorite social media network. I love the power behind its Search feature, the ability to connect to others who might otherwise be “out of reach” to me, the real-time nature of the content, etc. But when I share that with some folks, they often complain about the “noise” on Twitter. “There are just too many people tweeting and I can’t deal with that,” goes the complaint. Unlike Facebook, Twitter does give you everything you sign up for – if you Follow someone on Twitter, you can see everything they tweet, as...
read moreWhat Does Facebook Graph Search Mean to Your Facebook Business Page?
Social media marketing is an ever-changing field. In part, that’s because social networks are constantly updating features, and so business owners and marketers must stay in a constant learning mode. Facebook’s Graph Search is an excellent case in point. The service hasn’t even been rolled out to all Facebook users yet, and there is much wide-spread speculation about how powerful it’s going to be. Facebook has said, in fact, that they expect Graph Search to be something that they will update many times over the next few years, so what is a business owner to do? Pay attention. That is...
read moreFacebook Graph Search – 3 Things To Do Now
Facebook Graph Search has been dominating social media news this week. It may or may not continue to do so, but it’s important to understand how it affects you – whether you’re using Facebook for business OR personal use. This one is an across-the-board change, and every Facebook user needs to understand a few things about it. Graph Search, once it’s out of its Beta version, is the way folks will do a Search on Facebook. It will access Facebook information only, not information found on other sites or on the Internet at large. It will let you search across all of the actions and...
read moreThe Art and Science of Social Media Marketing
There are several ways to approach social media marketing, and believe me, I’ve seen all of them done. Some are good ways, with effective marketing plans, realistic expectations, long-term focus on customer/client satisfaction, and an understanding of the reasons people will interact with your brand through social media. Then there are the other ways… When you run all the strategies and trendy techniques through the sifter, you’re left with two points to consider. - You must say something. - What you say is done in some sort of setting. These...
read moreLeveraging Twitter
My favorite social media network for business is probably Twitter. The “rules” change there less often and there’s a lot of power in Twitter. Sadly, it’s frequently under-utilized by business owners. It takes time to use Twitter thoroughly, and it takes a willingness to applaud others who are doing a good job, perhaps even in your own industry. Not everyone is comfortable with that, but if you are, Twitter is an amazing resource for the proactive business leader. But the very first step in leveraging Twitter for your business is to remember that it’s conversational – just like any...
read moreWebsite Down?
There is no question that having your website go down is a serious heart-stopper for the business owner. If you were one of the countless website affected by the GoDaddy hack today, you know what I’m talking about. We were one of those sites, and the temptation was to panic. Hours and hours of hard work on design, blog writing, graphics to enhance the site, etc., and it was all gone in an instant. So what’s a business owner to do? Well, it depends. The image and Tweet below are what we did. In a matter of a minute or two, the image below went out to all of our Twitter Followers, our...
read moreA Numbers Game, a Game of Numbers, or Something Else?
There is a temptation in social media to focus strictly on numbers. Numbers of Fans, numbers of Followers, numbers of Repins, Connections, etc. Pick your social media platform, and you’re likely to have a measurement benchmark related to numbers. Numbers aren’t the “be all, end all” that everyone might think they are, but they also aren’t evil. They’re just a piece in the social media marketing puzzle. Used in conjunction with an overall marketing strategy and feedback from customers, numbers can point to trends, topics of interest, and other patterns that drive better engagement...
read moreTop 3 Things I Love About Twitter
Over and over again, I speak with business owners who don’t really “get it” when it comes to Twitter. Perhaps they are over-thinking it, or perhaps they haven’t been able to take the time to play with it a bit, but Twitter is one of my favorite social media platforms for a variety of reasons. However, if I had to pare my reasons down to just three – in order to keep it simple to experiment with – my Top 3 would include these things: 1. Hashtags – A hashtag (#) lets you find and connect quickly with others around a topic or event. The use of hashtags can’t be undervalued if you...
read moreWhat is Social Media Day?
What is Social Media Day, and why should you care? If you’re reading this then in some way you’ve been affected by social media or social media management. Whether it’s Blogging, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Tumblr, Instagram, or any of the other platforms, we can undeniably state that social media has changed the world we live in. Many of us can tell stories to our children about the days before DVD’s (gasp!), or the by-gone era of having to stop the car at a payphone (oh, the horror!), but these stories will likely seem quaint and unbelievable. That’s because a world in...
read moreFriday Flick – Cover Photo Tricks
Sometimes you may need a creative burst when it comes to your Facebook Cover Photo. Some folks are suggesting that you update your Cover Photo every week! That’s a lot of branding and creative imagery! Why not highlight your Fans some of those times? This week’s Friday Flick is a quick trick on how you can do just that. Check out this video, and then take note of the comment below it. One thing to note, though, is that you want to make sure you use a good tool to take your screen shot. There are lots of them out there – Snagit, Snippet – and others,...
read more4 Ways to Get Better Fans
When you think over your life, you probably have some great memories of specific events and times. You may have lived a lot of days, but the great ones stand out, right? Social media has a similar principle in effect. You may desire a lot of fans or followers because that appears to make a statement about your worth as a business, but a few great fans are better than a thousand inactive ones. The great ones stand out, don’t they? So how do you get better fans? This isn’t a question of more fans, but better fans. With better fans, you’ll likely see a growth in your reputation, customer...
read more“Would You Rather?”
Have you ever played that game, “Would You Rather?” Two choices are presented to you, usually of a similarly difficult nature, and you are supposed to decide which you would prefer. For example, “Would you rather die in a tornado or a hurricane?” Social media presents this challenge to the business owner every day – two difficult choices. How you respond to them in action, not just in your published motto, can make or break your social media marketing. “Would you rather build a business on authenticity or gimmicks?” Through social media, the business leader has the opportunity...
read moreWarning: This Is a Social Media Rant!
Yes, I do actually read the tweets of those that I follow on Twitter. Yes, I do actually care about the Fans on my Facebook page and whether or not my topics are interesting for them to engage with. Yes, I realize that this means I may or may not have huge numbers of Followers or Fans, but those with whom I engage have offered something of value to me, and I am trying to return the favor. That is in fact, one of the core values of Polka Dot Impressions. Thus, when I saw the tweet below, I was shocked. I get it. Numbers sell. It’s like sex in movies and scandal in the music industry. Many...
read moreTime for Twitter
Are you afraid of Twitter? Think it’s “run over” by teenagers who vent their opinions all the time? If you do, you are missing a valuable source of information and connections. Twitter is definitely not just for teenagers! The most recent upgrades on Twitter have included some nice features and if you’re a SmartPhone mobile user, Twitter is a piece of cake. With an app, it’s quick and easy to stay up to date via Twitter and the Search, Connect, and Discover options are all there! Here’s a suggestion for getting used to or comfortable with Twitter. Create your profile, and please,...
read more7 Timeline Tips
If you spend much time on Facebook, you won’t have been able to avoid the chatter about the official roll-out of Timelines. Facebook users are being given an opt-in time period, but rest assured, Timeline is here to stay. In fact, depending on the source you listen to, Facebook users will eventually not have a choice as to whether or not they use Timeline. So, here are some very basic things to keep in mind, in no particular order: 1. Once you activate the Timeline option, you have 7 days to clean up, delete, amend, etc. any of your past posts before your new look goes...
read moreTwitter Lists
Today, in order to demonstrate the Twitter List feature, which by the way, could also be used in Facebook lists or Google+ Circles, I’ve created a Twitter list to share with you. I was recently asked, “Why would I want a list in Twitter anyway? Can’t I just read the feeds?” and this is my response. Every user of social media has their favorites, and likewise, I do too. There are some businesses that inspire or inform us, and for whatever reason, we tend to gravitate towards their messages time and time again. Sometimes it’s because we know them personally and can...
read moreGoogle+ Dabbling
If you haven’t heard about Google+ (or G+) yet, then you may not live in social media “shiny object land.” That’s okay. Enough of us have been dabbling in the G+ field for awhile now that we can bring you up to speed. Here is our personal take on what Google+ is all about, and why it matters to the average user. (Remember, if you have a social media manager already, then they should be on top of this for you!) In our humble opinion, Google+ is like a hybrid of LinkedIn meets Facebook meets YouTube. Here’s what we mean. Google+ lets you connect with others very easily by just...
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