Social Strategies

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

The Maryland DoC: Boneheads or Brilliant?

February 22nd, 2011 Posted in FaceBook, Opinions, Social Media
Feb, 22 2011
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If you’ve been on Facebook in the last few days, you’ve probably heard a report about the Maryland Department of Correction’s controversial policy of asking job applicants to submit their Facebook passwords and log-in info to conduct background checks. This was prompted by the re-hire of a corrections officer who was told he needed to submit this information to be reinstated after returning from a personal leave. He contacted the ACLU, who is now conducting an inquiry.

What is the Maryland COD thinking? That they should be able to log on to people’s personal accounts AS THOSE PEOPLE, just to see what they’re up to? And access private messages and info of friends? Social Media Today offers this thoughtful analysis. My question: Why not just request a friend confirmation from applicants to see their profiles? If the request is denied, infer what you will from that.

Amazingly, the officer gave them his information, albeit not without protest. How could anyone be naïve enough to do that?

Predictably, there has been a backlash to this and other efforts seen as egregious intrusions of privacy. Case law on the issue is sparse, and if this policy is duplicated, it will face court challenges, and legal precedent will be set. As I see it, there is no middle ground here: Being asked to surrender personal login information for Facebook or anything else, as a precondition of employment, is 100% wrong. Period.

And then it hit me. Either the Maryland DOC consists of ignorant boneheads, or they’re brilliant.

The pdf from the ACLU to the Maryland DOC looks official enough. Still, I can’t help but wonder: Have we all been snookered? Was this actually a process of elimination test to weed out applicants? As in: If you are dumb enough to actually comply with such a request, we sure don’t want you working for us.

I’ll tell you this: I wouldn’t want someone that “compliant” working for me. Would you?

Update 2/22, 5:11 PM: The Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services has suspended the practice of asking for Facebook login information for 45 days, according to an email they sent to The Atlantic. See full story on the development.

Ok, so maybe my “theory” is most likely wrong. But you know what?  I think I’d respect the Maryland DOC a whole lot more if I was right.

Liz DeLoach is a Social Media Consultant, Les Mills Fitness Trainer, wife and mom of two teens (help!) in Charleston, SC. Follow her on Twitter @lizdeloach. And, be sure to stop by her page at Social Moms.

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Three Great Ways to Comment as a Page

February 11th, 2011 Posted in FaceBook, marketing, Social Media, social media marketing
Feb, 11 2011
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Wow. What a day in the Social Media world. Facebook has launched some pretty hefty changes to its Business Page format. They’re great changes, too – all of which in essence allow pages to act as people – liking other pages, commenting as the page’s identity on other “liked” pages, and so forth.  I’m not going to detail those here. Others already have, and quite well, I might add.

Instead, I want to focus on one of the key features and offer some ideas on ways to use it that can be great for your page’s ability to add ‘likes,’ build relationships, and promote cross marketing.  I’m referring to the ability to comment, as a page, on other pages that your page likes. This one development alone is huge! Here are some thoughts to get you going on how to use it:

  • If your Facebook page is for a restaurant, you can find businesses or organizations in close proximity and post about your fare and services. What a great way to help drive traffic to your door. Then try a post on your own page promoting that business or organization in a helpful and conversational way.
  • Sponsoring a big event with a Facebook presence? Weigh in with a “thank you” and let them know, for example, that you’ll be tweeting and posting updates to help publicize that event.
  • What about pages for locations? Here in Charleston there is a page called “Charleston.” For a location page, you could offer info about an upcoming event, interesting historical tidbits, etc. If you happen to be a local touring company, a couple of tips on “must see” sites would be great on a location page.

One concern I do have about this feature is whether or not it could promote “spamminess.” I do want to caution great care, consideration, and selectiveness in the types of posts you put out there, and where. Don’t run out and post broadcast type ads. When in doubt, contact the business and ask permission to post on the page, offering first to promote them in some way. Think in terms of giving away great info, not advertising for sales.

Here’s a link to a great article on  “Ten Things Admins Should Do Right Now” with the new format. Great stuff!

So what do you think of these changes? I’d love to hear your ideas on ways you plan to use the one I highlighted, or any of the other new features.

Liz DeLoach is a Social Media Consultant, Les Mills Fitness Trainer, wife and mom of two teens (help!) in Charleston, SC. Follow her on Twitter @lizdeloach. And, be sure to stop by her page at Social Moms.

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Crucial Question Number 1

February 10th, 2011 Posted in FaceBook, marketing, Opinions, Social Media, social media marketing, Twitter
Feb, 10 2011
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Last week, I offered six crucial questions that businesses should consider before they delve into a social media presence. Question one involves figuring out what you want your presence to accomplish for your business. Which begs an even more basic question: How do you decide what those things are?

As with most marketing endeavors, it’s always sound to start with a back-to-basics mindset. Let this philosophy form the framework of your approach to social media. I have two great answers to the “What should my presence accomplish” question that apply to every business:

1. Your social presence should create greater awareness within each community of your business and brand

2. You want this presence to build trust

Seem obvious? You’d be surprised at the number of businesses that start a Facebook page and Twitter account with the intention of using each as a one way platform to broadcast specials and deals. They learn that social sites are free, and in their minds, that translates into “free advertising platform.” They view social media marketing as the latest and greatest shiny new tool to boost sales.

That’s the wrong approach entirely.

The rationale for starting with 1 and 2 above is simple: There will be people out there who do not know about your business, and social media is a great way to change that. But don’t tell them what you’ve got – Show them who you are. You do this in large measure by simply talking to people just to share info and get to know them. Over time, once they come to know and trust you, what started as conversation may result in sales. Or it may not. And that’s OK – because boosting sales is what your traditional advertising is designed to do. Sales can happen eventually as a result of a good social presence, but should not be its focus. Ever.

After all, it’s called social media, as opposed to self promotional media – for a reason.

Liz DeLoach is a Social Media Consultant, Les Mills Fitness Trainer, wife and mom of two teens (help!) in Charleston, SC. Follow her on Twitter @lizdeloach. And, be sure to stop by her page at Social Moms.

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Six Crucial Questions

February 2nd, 2011 Posted in blogging, FaceBook, Opinions, Social Media, social media marketing, Twitter, YouTube
Feb, 02 2011
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Social Media Marketing is about engagement with your customers. It’s about connecting, and providing content of value. It’s a great way to find new leads, get your name in front of people, and expand your reach….

Blah, blah, BLAH.

All right, enough of the platitudes on social media. You’ve probably heard them all before. You may be nodding your head in agreement, or wondering how many more marketers will tell you it is a prerequisite to business success in the future.

The fact of the matter is, social media may or may not be a lynchpin to your businesss’ future success.

Plenty of successful companies have yet to jump on the social media bandwagon for a number of reasons. Lack of know-how, time and/or personnel to do so effectively, skepticism about the ROI that can be generated, and whether it will be sufficient to justify the time and money spent to undertake it, are but a few core issues that companies must address for themselves.

To determine whether or not to begin – or even continue – a journey into the social universe, consider:

  • What do you need a presence to accomplish?
  • Who will maintain it? How often will the information be updated?
  • How much time are you willing to allocate to learn how to do it well? To content development?
  • Who are you trying to reach?
  • Which mediums are best for your particular business?
  • How will success be measured?

In upcoming posts. we’ll delve into considerations for each of the above areas to help you determine if social media marketing is right for your business. Know this: If you don’t have a plan that addresses all of these questions, you might as well skip it altogether.

Because the truth is: No presence at all is better than one that languishes under the weight of ineptitude and neglect.

Liz DeLoach is a Social Media Consultant, Les Mills Fitness Trainer, wife and mom of two teens (help!) in Charleston, SC. Follow her on Twitter @lizdeloach. And, be sure to stop by her page at Social Moms.

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