Social Strategies

Rule number one of Social Media: People first, tools second.

Facebook. Teenagers. Oh my.

September 1st, 2010 Posted in FaceBook, Opinions, Social Media
Sep, 01 2010
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It’s not just for women 35-55, which happens to be Facebook’s fastest growing demographics. Facebook has caught fire with the teenage set. No surprise there since its humble beginning was as a social network just for college students.

Both my teens have Facebook accounts. My daughter loves it and communicates with friends regularly; my son, not so much.  If you think your young ‘tween or teen doesn’t have a Facebook page because you haven’t allowed it yet, think again. Unless you have the family computer under lock and key and your teens under unrelenting scrutiny every second they’re online, chances are they do – likely with a made-up name. Social networks are as much a part of today’s landscape for teens as TV and phones were for us. They will find a way to reach out and touch their friends across the social universe. Trust me on this.

If you’re pondering what age is appropriate, it may interest you to know that Facebook’s rules state you must be at least 13 years old to have a personal profile. So you’re on your honor. We had someone who posed as my daughter (no harm done, thankfully). This forced our hand a bit to allow her to start a profile prior to turning thirteen to clear up the confusion among her friends already on Facebook. The imposter profile disappeared soon thereafter – my hunch is it was a friend whose parents said ‘no’ to testing the waters. It just made sense in this case to fight fire with fire.

I’d be lying if I said it’s been smooth sailing. There have been no disasters, but I do have access and check their pages and that of friends routinely. Girls especially have a way of arguing online that’s not pretty. Boys seem to want to curse and converse and generally see who can “out cool” who. The shorthand, intentional misspellings, and texting lingo make the grammarian in me cringe. I’ve had both delete a few comments I felt ill-advised.  I’ve also counseled both kids not to air the family dirty laundry there. No angry or threatening comments, (even if “Suzy” or “Brian” did look at the object of their affections all wrong) no dissing on school and teachers. Common sense, good judgment, and discretion are the rules here – reinforced daily. There are of course concerns about online predators all parents have and must be mindful of, but frankly, that’s a whole other topic in and of itself.

I’m actually envious we didn’t have social media growing up. It’s nice when my kids click “like” on something I’ve said on my page, or make comments about how much they enjoyed the family vacation, or the dinner I made last night. It’s great to have pet and family photos posted and tagged, (speaking of, be sure your kids do not take or post compromising ones!) and even converse once in awhile.

Tell me about your experiences with your teens and Facebook, or social media in general.

Are you onboard? I’d love to hear your insights.

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Hello, Blog! Have you missed me?

August 30th, 2010 Posted in FaceBook, Opinions, Social Media, Twitter
Aug, 30 2010
2 Comments »

It is with more than just a little embarrassment that I write this Blog post. Why? Well, check the date of my last one. Go ahead – scroll down – I’ll wait for you.

Did you see that? July 13th. Almost six weeks ago. Not good. I know all too well the value of business blogging. It is a great way to establish yourself as a thought leader in your field, share worthy ideas with others, and boost your search rankings. Content is king; therefore, it’s important to feed your website and other online presences with fresh information so you’re more readily found online. I love to share what I’ve learned; the how-to’s, the lessons learned and the “I’m-not-sure what-this-is-yet, but keep reading.”  (Pssst….that would be this post.)

I’m not going to make excuses about why I haven’t been here lately. If you’ve ever blogged, you know what those excuses are (think Life 101 – stuff happens) and have probably experienced them yourself. And guess what? None of these things are usually the real reasons people stall in their blogging efforts. My theory is that people who enjoy writing stall out because they’re just not ‘feeling it’ for some reason. (Hand raised.) Whether for business or pleasure, what you write has to really matter to you on some level. And, there has to be a bit of you in it. Even if it’s for business – yours, or a client whose Blog you maintain. A bit of your personality and know-how should permeate each post you write.

So, I’ve come to a few realizations about what it will take for me to ‘feel it’ and contribute here much more often. My goal is once a week minimum. (Feel free to hold me to that.)  While the main thrust will still be social media marketing – a subject I love – I’m not necessarily going to tackle such widely addressed topics as Social Media ROI or The Explosion of Mobile Geolocation Networks and What It Means. Yes, they’re important, but you can Google them as I have for a wealth of great info. There’s no need for me to add to the noise.  I’m just going to write about what helps and moves me, with my own unique slant, and the goal of helping and moving you, too.

I’d love to hear from you on ways you’ve re-ignited your own writing, or any other related insights you’d like to share. See you again real soon. I promise. (Oh, and please click ‘Read More” to go to comment section.)

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Thanks for Hiring Me, Thanks for Firing Me

July 13th, 2010 Posted in Social Media, job loss, marketing
Jul, 13 2010
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That’s the thought uppermost in my mind as I write this Blog post.

Losing a job is never easy, whether due to a layoff or one’s shortcomings as seen by a superior.  I had both types happen to me in 2009.

The first was a layoff from an engineering firm due to the economic downturn.  I had been with the company for over three years, and succeeded in transforming a fragmented marketing effort into a well structured and effective vehicle. I loved the varied aspects of the job: relationship building, writing, ROI measurement, speaking engagements, PR, branding work and strategy development and implementation. I had a terrific boss and support staff with whom I still keep in touch. While not without periods of stress, it was for the most part both challenging and fun.

The second job loss is best described as an unfortunate situation due to a few things: my own shortcomings, perhaps not the best fit of responsibilities to core strengths, and what I believe was honest mis-communication between a superior and me on a couple of key tasks. This company provides traditional PR and Social Media Marketing, and consists of a great group of talented folks. I’m very grateful to have worked with them. My role was to manage and oversee a social media campaign for a client. It was a successful effort with a very happy client, and I am proud to have played a key role in that.

The first job loss made me go out and relearn how to market myself. We can all get a little too comfortable and complacent at times. Dozens of resumes sent out, many interviews, and many “so close and yet so fars” can make you quite adept at selling yourself. I learned so much from this process that I use every day.

The second loss lit a fire within.  I love social media marketing. I have found my niche. Period. It’s great fit for me – a natural online extension of what I’ve been doing, and am quite good at if I do say so, for over twenty years. No way was this loss going to stop me from  mastering some technical aspects of this field I needed to improve upon, (check!) and then developing some great clients (check!) to do great work for. Game on.

With all the folks hurting out there that have lost jobs, I truly hope you, too, can at some point sincerely say: “Thanks for hiring me, thanks for firing me.”  I’d love to hear from you on how a job loss (or two) has benefitted you in some way.

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Apple 4G iPhone: Can you hear me now?

June 25th, 2010 Posted in Opinions
Jun, 25 2010
2 Comments »

I must be a little slow on the uptake today.

I was pondering how Apple could have made such an utterly avoidable goof – bringing a 4G iPhone to market that has the significant receptivity problems this one has, according to reports that began swirling in the last few days.  A lot of us are scratching our heads over this one.

Then I realized the joke is on us:  How could we be so naive as to think they wouldn’t bring it to market regardless?

With the competition becoming increasingly fierce in the Smart phone market, the race to create devices with superior speed and functionality has been eclipsed by the race to get the “first to of its kind” to market before your competitors do. Apple, to its credit, has always been the innovator and standard bearer in this regard, so we have expectations bordering on the delusional where their offerings are concerned. I love their products and am awed by them. I admit it.

Still, we should have gotten our first clue that something might be amiss when Jobs introduced the 4G to a salivating audience a few weeks ago, and it had a receptivity problem then. Supposedly it was too many people on the network. Could this happen to anyone and not be indicative of a larger problem? Of course. But this is Apple, and they’ve done this enough that it should have been Clue Number One for us to adopt a wait-and-see attitude.  For Apple’s part, let’s also consider their well publicized zeal to get their 4G to market before or simultaneously with HTC’s 4G EVO.

Ahh, hindsight.

No question in my mind Apple knew of this problem a long time ago. They also know that we, the buying public, are so enamored with their products that we’ll bend over anyway. After all, we can simply hold it differently, since we’ve been doing it wrong all these years, (what WOULD we do without Jobs to guide us through this thorny jungle?) or just buy what amounts to a fitted rubber band to solve the problem. And guess what? It’s immediately available – how amazingly convenient – at $29.00 a pop. Chaaaaa-ching.

Ok, being the first to have the latest and greatest “handheld brain” is way cool. But is it necessarily smart?  Or so important that we can’t wait just a little while for the “bugs” to get worked out? That’s what our parents taught us.

I’m not sure what’s more troubling to me: What this issue says about Apple, or what it says about us. Hate to say it, but I’m going to have to go with the latter.

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Lessons Learned from a Facebook Contest

June 10th, 2010 Posted in FaceBook, Social Media, Uncategorized
Jun, 10 2010
No Comments »

Recently, a business I friended on Facebook held a contest on its page to win an iPad. It started out as a well run contest with the following:

  • You had to “like” the Facebook page in order to participate and be eligible to win.
  • One question was posted daily on a special ‘Friends Only’ page, which encouraged people to check in often for the contest’s duration of seven days.
  • Status updates posted to the wall encouraged participation throughout the week, and contest questions that arose were quickly answered.
  • Answers to the questions came from the company’s Blog, Facebook Page, YouTube channel, and Website, so you had to read and learn about the company in order to find the answers.
  • On the seventh day, the last question was posted at a previously undisclosed time (of course). One lucky person who posted first with the correct combination of answers would win the iPad.

So far, so good. The components for a great contest were present. On day 7, however, I saw an inconsistency in the way one of the answers was presented on two different pages of the company’s website. Specifically, one of the questions asked for the number of regional offices. On the page entitled Company Overview, there were six offices listed, all designated as regional. On the page entitled Regional Sales Office, however, only five of the six were listed, with one clearly designated as a satellite office.

So, which answer was correct? Six? Five? Four? I decided on four, since the one designated as a satellite office on the Regional Sales Office page was in a smaller market, with the remaining four in larger metropolitan areas. I figured maybe this question was to test one’s attention to details.

The correct answer?  Five.

Hmmmmm.

Interestingly, earlier in the week another participant noticed the same inconsistency and asked which page to use for the answer. The company’s response?  “Look for regional offices in North and South Carolina,” which meant not to consider an office located in Augusta, Georgia, and listed on the Company Overview page as regional, but not listed at all on the Regional Sales Office page! Huh? Wouldn’t it have made far more sense to acknowledge the website error, and make the information consistent on both pages right away?

Needless to say, I didn’t win the iPad. I would have, had ‘four’ been the correct answer to the question at issue.  I did inquire, both on the Facebook Page and in a call to the company’s headquarters, about the satellite office designation, and how many offices are considered regional. You guessed it – I got different answers, including mine, for different reasons from each source. That’s where I left it. Another telling point: As of this writing, the Regional Sales Office page has been changed to include all six offices. That’s good – at least the information is more consistent in both places. There’s still that satellite office designation on one page that bugs me. Oh, well.

So, I guess if the contest were held now, the correct answer for the number of regional offices would be: Six? Several people guessed that. They didn’t win iPads, either.

It was tempting to pursue this further, but the thing is, I am just not that desperate for a free iPad. The conflicting info was an honest mistake, as was its initial oversight in planning this contest, I am sure. My time is better spent here to warn of the perils, and point out the inherent unfairness, of conflicting information within online mediums when having a contest of this type. Hopefully, some valuable lessons will be gleaned from sharing this example. That’s worth more, in the long run, than that iPad anyway.

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So you’re on Facebook, but not Twitter? Yes, you need both!

June 2nd, 2010 Posted in FaceBook, Social Media, Twitter
Jun, 02 2010
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So you’re using Facebook, but you’re still not sure about Twitter? A lot of people think that because of their Facebook presence, Twitter would be redundant for them. I think I know why they feel that way. I believe it has a lot to do with Twitter’s status update prompt: “What’s happening?” They see a few folks who use those precious few 140 characters to share the mundane details of daily life and they think, “Wait, don’t I already do that on Facebook?” And they’re right.  Except that this isn’t what you should do on Twitter. Twitter has a higher calling, as it were, which is great to be a part of once you understand a few key points. Make no mistake, I don’t THINK you should be on Twitter. I KNOW you should be there.

Much as I love and use it now, I readily admit at first I didn’t “get” Twitter. I don’t think most people do, initially. If you joined Facebook first, then Twitter may seem limited by comparison. Yet, Twitter in my opinion is by far a better medium to get really useful information from reliable sources on just about any topic of interest quickly and efficiently. Its brevity, which novices can find limiting and even frustrating, is its best and most valuable feature. Each tweet is easy to digest, can be easily shared, and the short bursts of info enable you to cover more “ground” quickly. The symbols and shorthand are easy to learn and use once you visit the site a few times. I use it both as communication and research tool. By following those individuals, organizations, and companies who have content of interest to you, you’ll find it an invaluable and virtually unlimited resource platform to use for your personal and professional benefit and that of others. Have a complaint about a company on Twitter? You’ll likely get a response in hours, if not minutes. Want to stay abreast of current events?  Often the first place I learn of breaking events is Twitter. Other mediums are slow by comparison. Have insights to share? Tweet it. Looking for a job? Post a link to your resume. The possibilities are endless.

As for the redundancy issue, remember, Facebook is more about personal connections with people you’re acquainted with, and sharing information in much greater detail. Twitter is better used as a pointer of sorts to worthy information of greater general interest to many people. They are two completely different tools that complement each other.

My advice? Sign up at Twitter.com. Right now. Read over the Twitter Basics in the Help section, and if you’re a business, check out that section, too. Both appear at the bottom of theTwitter page. Next, type in some topics of interest, start following a few folks, and tweet at least twice a day. Offer interesting content (including links where appropriate) ask questions, (even about Twitter itself – people love to help) respond to requests for info when you can, be friendly, and let your personality shine. In other words, be your interesting and unique self and you‘ll reap the rewards. Concerned about the time it takes? Don’t be – you can do all this in 15-20 minutes a day several days a week. I promise.

New to Twitter ? If you have questions we’d be happy to address them, If you are a seasoned Twitterholic, tell us what you love about it!

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Social Media and the Delete Key: A No-no?

May 10th, 2010 Posted in FaceBook, Service Philosophies
May, 10 2010
2 Comments »

Last Saturday, I came across a thought provoking status update on a Facebook page for a women’s political group I like called Chicks on the Right. (For the record, I like several from across the political spectrum). Here’s how it read: “Nuked last thread. Would like fans here to enjoy some snarky humor, but not bring the conversation down into hateful lunacy. We started our site to snark on politics-but also to give conservatism a makeover & rise above stereotypes. Racial slurs & pure viciousness aren’t part of our makeover strategy. If that means we lose some of you, so be it. We’ll stick w/the folks who like civility along with their great heels!”

Uh oh. Censorship? In social media? How could they? Isn’t hitting the delete key in social media a no-no? Well, at the risk of sparking some healthy debate, (which I admit I love to do) I’m going to part company with that sentiment, at least to the degree that I’d like to qualify it.

Granted, my example is from a political page whose objectives are not going to be exactly the same, for example, as your business or personal pages. Nonetheless, any type of page may get negative comments for various reasons, so the same principles of common sense and judgment in dealing with them should apply. In the above scenario, the page’s creators felt the thread in question had deteriorated into an all out slugfest between posters, with no apparent objective except to insult, demean, and debase. Though risky, judging by many of their friend’s comments, taking a strong stand for civility was a good move. Also key in this decision was that they explained why they deleted the thread – they didn’t just do so and hope no one would notice.

Contrast this with the following scenario: On your Facebook business page, a customer weighs in with some complaints. What if more complaints follow, perhaps even with bad language and naming one or more employees thought to be rude or incompetent? Should these types of comments be deleted? Absolutely not. They hurt, they’re negative, but they must be left intact and dealt with openly and quickly. In fact, what I tell my clients is that when they respond in the open forum, they should offer to contact people individually by phone, or even better, meet with them in person if possible. This shows a commitment to solve problems presented, and hopefully takes them out of the public spotlight.

In short, comments on a Facebook page, Blog, or other online mediums that disagree with a position taken, issue complaints, or question hotbed issues for your company should not be deleted. Those should be addressed calmly by addressing specific complaints and dispelling misinformation first and foremost. On the other hand, for comments replete with profanity, racial and/or sexual slurs, personal insults, and/or threatening language that seem to serve no useful purpose otherwise, hitting the delete key just may be a good option. It’s a judgment call. My opinion is that there is nothing wrong with making the types of careful distinctions noted in managing contributions to your online mediums when necessary.

What do you think? Is deleting ever justified, or is it a no-no? Ever deleted comments? Why or why not?

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Create a Savvy Service Philosophy

April 12th, 2010 Posted in Site News
Apr, 12 2010
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Here’s a revealing exercise: In one or two short sentences, state your company’s service philosophy.

Did you have to think very long, or did it just roll off the tongue? Still thinking?

Let’s up the ante just a bit: If you were to ask a client or customer to do the same, could they?

I’m a firm believer that a company’s service philosophy should meet a few key objectives. It should: convey something you want your customers to know that helps them, reflect your company’s core values, be something they can readily relate to, and be easily remembered. Two examples from my hometown of Charleston are these: Well known in the luxury car business as the owner of Baker Motor company, Tommy Baker has a service philosophy that really resonates:  ‘The answer is yes. Now, what’s the question?’ Think about that for a moment. It’s simple, straightforward, and reflects a commitment to give his customers what they ask for, because he knows that keeping them happy is at the core of his success. Another motto that really strikes a chord is the one for Nason Medical Center: ‘Don’t wait on healthcare. Let healthcare wait on you.’ Everyone can relate to the frustration of a long wait in the Doctor’s office, and Nason has committed to eliminating that for their patients. I wonder just how many people have chosen them over other providers for just this reason? Given their growth to date, I daresay quite a few.

Think about your business’s service philosophy. Is it short, savvy, and to the point?  Does it offer something of value that people need or want? Is it easy to remember? If not, it might be time to rethink the message you’re communicating. Be sure it hones in on one or two key things you are committed to doing well for your customers.  You’ll get people’s attention, and they’ll want to do business with you.

We’d love to hear your company’s service philosophy and how it’s working for you.  Do tell us about some you’ve come across that resonate and led you to patronize those companies. What do you like about them?  I look forward to brainstorming some ideas with you!

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Congrats! You’ve added a Facebook Business Page! Now what?

March 30th, 2010 Posted in FaceBook
Mar, 30 2010
1 Comment »

So you’ve taken the plunge and added a Facebook Business Page to promote your company.  Welcome to an audience over 400 million strong! Not sure how to move forward? Here are just a few key points:

Consider your online brand. Should it differ somewhat from your traditional branding? It depends. For a Cosmetic Dental Practice page, for example, something like “Fixin’ Smiles and Taking Names” is a catchy and relevant moniker. Just be sure you have some unifying theme such as your logo and/or slogan from one medium to the next so people recognize you.  (We’ll have more about online branding  in a future Blog post.)

How often should I update my status? I suggest a minimum of one per day – preferably two. Mid morning/early afternoon and mid evening are generally good times to maximize exposure.

What types of status updates should I use? These should be informative as well as engaging, with the goal of letting folks know what you have of interest to them, and to get them talking about you in a way that provides positive testimonial. A couple of examples for a restaurant: Popular menu items people may want to try, and questions such as “What is your favorite entrée?” “Click “like” if …… (fill in the blank). One I saw recently is “Did you know that we make all of our condiments fresh daily? Taste the difference fresh makes!” You get the idea – think about some special aspects of your business you want to publicize, and consider from a benefit-to-customer standpoint.

Facebook Ads: Should you use them? These can be a very effective way to target your audience and increase traffic to your page.  You can quickly create image and text-based ads, advertise your own web page or something on Facebook like a Page or an Event, and/or choose to pay per click (CPC) or impression (CPM) in your local currency. For more info on this, click here.

Add photos and other forms of media: Personalize your fans’ experience by letting them see names and faces that make your business what it is to the public. Pictures of life at the office, after hours gatherings, and funny video clips are a great way to engage and entertain as well.

Link to other mediums: When appropriate, direct traffic to your website and any other online marketing mediums you use such as Blogs and Twitter. Not with every other post, but often enough so they remember you are there as well.  After all, you probably got here via my Facebook page link, right?

This list is my no means all inclusive, but will get you rolling. Run some ideas by us you’d like to try. If you already have some ideas that have worked well, what have been the results and how have they helped your business?

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