7 Tips for Improving Your Social Media
No one is perfect. That’s true in every area of life, even social media marketing. The rapid-fire changes to social networks, and how we use them, make it very difficult to be a perfect user of all of the tools or to even know what all of them are. However, everyone has to begin using social media somewhere. We’ve watched the “big” names and the little unknown folks hit home runs at various times with strategies, tips, and helpful information for the social media marketer. But no one does it every time – not even the “big” guys. Largely, that’s because the first “rule”...
read more97 Things To Talk About In Social Media
Social media marketing is not just about having a business page on Google+ or Facebook. Once the page is set up, you have to say something. We have addressed this before in other articles, for instance in “The Art and Science of Social Media Marketing.” Saying something means posting. That might be a blog, a Tweet, a graphic, or a question, depending on the platform, but you have to create a voice for your business. That’s where many business owners and marketers fall short. It can be a daunting task to think of regular content to post, but if you aren’t saying anything, then your...
read moreRules for Twitter Following
Recently, a new Twitter user sent us a Facebook message to ask about “rules” for Twitter. (Don’t you just love modern communication across social platforms?) Specifically, his question was, “I am curious about Twitter etiquette. It seems like the nice thing to do in general is to follow those who follow you…Are there some unwritten rules?” This is a common question, especially by folks who are new to Twitter and trying to figure it out. What it boils down to is a question of best practices for representing yourself or your brand in an engaging way. While this article addresses...
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 moreSocial Media – Adapting to Growth
No matter how vibrant your social media presence is today, you will at some point experience a slump. Your outrageous and “gone viral” post today is only good for today, because social media users have the memory of a butterfly…unless you really mess things up! In cases like that, you’ll likely be in the news for a while, but that’s not the kind of attention most businesses want. With social media, generally speaking, you’re only as good as your last post. That is especially true as your social media presence is growing. Think of it like a party where you’re the...
read moreFacebook Tagging Etiquette
One of the wonderful things about Facebook is that it’s meant to be social. Often, that shows up in the form of Facebook “tags.” A tag is when you link your post or image to another person’s Facebook account. The post you’ve made shows up on both your wall and their wall, and so more folks will see the post. Or, at a minimum, the person you’ve tagged will definitely see the post and get a notification about it as well. Both status updates and pictures can be tagged. But what is the etiquette around this tool. Just because you can do something with Facebook, does that mean it’s...
read moreSocial Media is Like a Marshmallow
When you’re launching a new business or trying to grow an existing one, there’s a temptation to think, “I’ll just get on all the social media networks, and that’ll bring in the business I need.” The leading social media platforms nag at your attention, vying for a dominant place in your schedule like marshmallows in your hot chocolate, but is it a case of the more the merrier when it comes to generating sales? There are a couple of false assumptions about that theory, so let’s look at a few of the issues and some options for what you might want to do instead. 1. “Get on...
read moreTop 3 Things I Love About Facebook
Facebook can be a very powerful social media platform for the business owner if used in conjunction with specific goals. It’s also the dominant social media platform, and there are lots of folks using it, but for marketing, some aspects of Facebook truly shine. As we’ve mentioned before, one consideration is that business owners may want to create a presence on Facebook in order to secure and protect their business name, but there are other reasons for using, and loving this network. Here are just a few, in reverse order: 1. Engaging – Let’s face it. When we go to a party or...
read moreTop 3 Things I Love About Pinterest
Pinterest was a social media platform that I went into with much skepticism. In fact, I had to be talked into it by my children. Let’s not forget that I am in the social media business and they’re not. However, at about the time they were “working on me,” I began to see more and more businesses get involved with Pinterest. Sheepishly at first, I began to play around with it. I am now a fan, and for the business owner, Pinterest has several very powerful advantages. Here are the top three things I love about this network, from a business perspective. 1. Graphics Based – Pinterest is...
read moreSocial Media Day Wrap Up
We had a great event in Fort Bend County, TX this weekend! We celebrated Social Media Day along with hundreds of other cities across the globe. The event, sponsored originally by Mashable, Inc. was in its third year, and it proves to be bigger every year! Our event was attended by about 30 folks from a variety of businesses, some who use social media for business, and some who were just curious. The group reflected a good broad-spectrum of interests and knowledge, and we had a fun time together. In addition to some good networking opportunities, our Fort Bend County group broke into smaller...
read moreThe Love Languages of Twitter
You’ve probably heard of The 5 Love Languages book by Gary Chapman. It’s a phenomenal book about communication and personal ways of expressing and affirming love to those we care about. It’s used in every setting imaginable as a way to better our communication skills. So why not apply it to Twitter? Do you have a Twitter “Love Language”? Let’s look at the Twitter types out there so that we can better engage with one another through this social platform. You may find that you resemble more than one of these types, and that’s a good thing. But you’ll likely find that you tend to...
read moreFriday Flick – “Can You Help Me With My Social Media?”
Beginning today, we will post our Friday Flick videos as blog posts, rather than just as updates to our “Friday Flick” web page. Most Fridays, we put out a free video tip on using social media more effectively for your business. We’ve talked about all sorts of topics – sometimes pretty specific, and sometimes more general, like today’s topic! We’re often asked by folks, “Can you help me with my social media?” Our answer always starts with the approach we share in this video. What are your goals? How will you modify those for each platform, etc....
read moreTo Automate Posts or Not?
Having heard all of the arguments for and against, and based on some of my own experimentation, whether or not you automate posts through social media still gets answered with, “It depends.” So, focusing on the 4 major platforms, let’s look at some of the variables. The “Pros,” or reasons for using 3rd party software for auto-posting to the various platforms all include three factors. Automated posting saves time, it allows you access to more in-depth analytics than might be available through the platform itself, and it allows you to consistently take advantage of your...
read moreFacebook vs Twitter for Marketing
Many business owners, particularly small business owners, ask me this question often. Which social media platform should I use to promote my business, Facebook or Twitter? Sometimes they are asking this because they are trying to focus on one platform at a time in order to maximize their in-house staff. Other times, they’re asking this because they are looking to hire new help or outsource their marketing, and they want to keep the costs down. Either way, more and more businesses are incorporating social media marketing into their daily activities, and this question comes up...
read moreHave You Swallowed the Social Media Happy Pill?
There are no quick fixes with social media marketing. There are no secret formulas or magic pills that will make it so. Ignore the rumors or the scams, and know this…Social media marketing takes time and energy. So, before you launch a social media campaign, or create a lot of pretty pages and profiles, ask yourself the following questions: Am I certain of my goals for social media? Are my goals possible with social media? Do I have the staff to implement the daily attention to these goals? Do I have a process for interactions across social media channels? How will I maintain a single...
read moreEdgerank and Facebook Relevance
Based on a webinar held today, hosted by EdgeRank Checker and Wildfire App, I want to pass on some facts and figures for you to consider when including Facebook into your marketing efforts. Facebook uses a system, much like Google, to determine your “ranking” as a business page, which in turn leads to the prominence of whether or not you show up in the news feeds of your Fans. Simply put, if Fans don’t engage with you, Facebook “decides” you must not be very important to them, and you begin to disappear from their feed. The higher your Edgerank, the more likely that your posts are...
read moreThe Rule of Thirds
Let’s review some basic social media principles. Generally speaking, people are lazy. That’s not meant as a bad thing. We’re all busy, and there’s not a lot of time for “fluff” in our day. When we do have spare time, we want to be entertained or informed, not “yapped at.” Social media, for most people, is a diversion. You may be in business, and you’re here reading this blog because you want to apply business strategies to your marketing, but most of the people to whom you are marketing will be on social media platforms for a diversion. People are fickle. What grabbed my...
read moreSocial Media Ladder
Recently, I was asked to be a guest blogger on The Growth Coach Houston’s blog. Glenn Smith, Owner and Lead Coach at The Growth Coach Houston is a phenomenal business coach. The smartest thing I ever did when I started my own business was to enlist his help in the form of coaching and accountability. I encourage you to visit his site and check out the many resources available to business leaders and sales professionals. If you’re in the Houston/Sugar Land, Texas area, go one step further…consider working with him. You will not be sorry! In the meantime, please check out...
read moreTwitter Tips for the Business Beginner
In 2011, Twitter reached 100 million active users. Are you one of them? Just getting started? To some who are just getting started with Twitter, or perhaps for those who are wondering if they are using it correctly, Twitter can seem like a foreign language. There are some differences between Twitter and other social media platforms, so learning the language is important. Here’s a quick list of tips for those of you who want to better apply Twitter to your networking or relationship marketing. Don’t leave the background, picture, or profile blank. Fill out all of these fields with key...
read moreWhat Do I Talk About?
One of the more common questions I get from business leaders is, “What do I talk about?” Of course, they’re referring to the commitment it takes to “do” social media marketing for their business. Recently I did a list of Quick Posting Tips to get you started, but when you look at that list, or if you’re the business leader trying to make some decisions, you’ll see that thought has to go into a posting strategy. While some posts appear random, in fact, a good social media posting strategy isn’t random. It sets out to convey information and obtain information. You want your...
read morePrivacy Isn’t Private
Perhaps it’s time to revisit privacy versus private for social media use. While seemingly similar, those two words are in fact, very different in application with all the changes going on in social media platforms right now. SOPA and PIPA have fueled the fire of this issue and changes to the two primary contestants in this race, Google+ and Facebook, have kept this topic alive, so just for a minute, let’s consider this topic yet again. It comes down to privacy versus private. You can share all sorts of things to all sorts of places, but do you want to? Privacy settings can help on...
read moreQuick Posting Tips
It doesn’t matter what business you’re in or which social media network you’re on, sometimes the well can run dry on content. Maybe you have great products and services, but occasionally, coming up with meaningful posts is a challenge. In no particular order, here are some posting ideas. Have fun with these – have fun with your audience – and remember social media is about being social, so show some of “yourself” in your posts, and create posts that you would want to respond to. There’s a good chance, someone else will feel the same way you do! Post about what inspires...
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 moreFacebook Favors Photos
Have you noticed a very subtle difference on Facebook lately? Most likely, whether using it for business or personal use, you’ve seen more photos on Facebook. That’s intentional on the part of the News Feed algorithms that quietly serve you – even when you don’t know you’re being served. Facebook, the giant persona that it is, wants to please us. That means it wants to give us information that we want. Or at least that’s what we’re told. And somehow, mysteriously, it does. I say mysteriously, because I have yet to meet anyone who can actually explain all of the algorithms used...
read moreLeave a Tip?
Did you hear the one about the Seattle waitress who was left a “tip” on the credit card receipt by her customer? Turns out, the paying customer didn’t leave her a cash tip with his payment, he only suggested that she lose some weight. What a tip, right? Her response was to go to social media to post this man’s name and the receipt; however, she targeted a different man who happened to have the same name and lived in another state. Apologies followed, yet the correct gentleman has yet to come forward; a third gentleman with the same name has sent her a 100% tip to “redeem” his...
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