Archive for status updates

I challenge you! Make Social Media Resolutions and stick with them.

Are you making the RIGHT Resolutions? Similar to making a New Years Resolution, I challenge you to make a Social Media Resolution. As small business owners, we need to make a committment to use social media effectively and follow through with it. I promise if you commit to updating your social media sites, i.e. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest regularly you will start seeing results with expanding your online brand, client base and bottom line.

* This post was published prior, but is still relevant, important and valid for increasing your online presence. So read it! Act on the suggested resolutions and let me hear about your successes online!

As many of you know Wednesday was Social Media Day as declared by Mashable, even though I was tied up in meetings most of the day, I felt torn, because I wanted to be online reading all the great Social Media Day content. I did get to catch up on a little reading the past few days and some if it made me do some thinking and evaluation.

As a social media marketing strategist, often times I am so busy working on my clients’ accounts and teaching others how to leverage Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter that I end up neglecting my own business.

I decided like to make a Social Media Day Resolution. We make New Years Day Resolutions, so why not Social Media Day Resolutions. My resolution is relating to one key piece of social media that is essential in growing your brand.

My resolution is to keep my website current. I will do this by adding important events that I am participating in and blogging, which as you know is essential for driving website traffic and SEO. I have a tendency to know I need to do things on my website, but keep putting them on the bottom of the priority list.

If you don’t have a top notch quality website and updated blog you are missing a key part of social media. The whole purpose of using social networking sites for marketing is to drive traffic to your website. The more your network will learn about you and your services the more they will hire and recommend you to others.

Here are a few suggested resolutions for you to consider:

  • Blog WEEKLY. If you know you need to blog and either don’t have the time or desire you hire a ghost blogger. A lot of VAs offer ghost blogging services. I even do ghost blogging for some clients, depending on their product and services. More on blogging…Have you read Why Blog and What to Blog about?
  • Be ACTIVE on social media. Don’t just do your obligatory Status Update, daily or weekly, whatever standard you have set for yourself. Realize that making one status update per week on social media is almost pointless for you. Your connections need to see you name in front of them repeatedly and it needs to be in front of them sharing great content and having conversation. Not pushing your product or services constantly.
  • Grow your NETWORK. I just love when I am chatting with someone about social media and they tell me “I Tweet or use Facebook for marketing my business”. Being a social media strategist, I’ll immediately go to Twitter and see when their last Tweet was and how many people are following them. Sorry to say this, but you can Tweet all day long, but if you only have 200 people following you and they are following 2000 the odds that your Tweets are getting seen is not likely. You need to make new connections daily to get the word about you and your brand on social media.
  • Let your CONNECTIONS know you on different levels. Take your online connections to other social media platforms, so they can learn about you in different ways, i.e. when you connect with someone on Twitter and you really find them interesting and you would like to be connected with them for another reason (potential client or referral source for you) invite them to be your friend on Facebook. They will get to know you on a more personal level and then you can even follow up with them via a phone conversation or Skype video chat perhaps.
  • FOLLOW up. How many times have you made an important contact in person or online and never found the time to seal the deal. Make sure you follow up with all commitments and request you have made online. Your online reputation is important and a key part of getting recommended or them contacting you for your services is to follow up. Make sure that you set aside time, at least every few days to complete these tasks you committed to doing.

Now that I have told you what my Social Media Resolution is and gave you some ideas for ones you should consider I ask you the following:

  1. Let me know if you see something on my website that you feel I should add or do definitely.
  2. Comment on this post with topics you would like to read a blog about. (I really like writing, but I don’t like my blog posts to be the same-o-same-o, like many other people in social media. Sometimes I feel like I am reading the same blog written in 10 different ways.
  3. Tell me your Social Media Resolutions, so I can help hold you accountable, as I need you to hold me accountable.
  4. Share your additional resolutions ideas you think should be on this list, so when others read the comments they’ll get your great suggestions also.

Here goes my shameless self promotion: If you need to learn more about how to leverage Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter to grow you network you can schedule a social media coaching session with me. If you don’t have the time and enthusiasm for maintaining your social networking sites, but realize it’s essential to growing your brand I can help you. I actually provide this service for my clients.

Thanks for visiting my blog! Look forward to next time!

Another Facebook Secret … Moving Facebook Friends to Fans or “Likers” as some might say

Moving Facebook Friends to Fans or “Likers” as some might say

— I had to include this line, as I have had too many laughs about it with friends who also specialize social media marketing. When Facebook changed to the “Like” button for Fan Pages, which they now call Business Pages we all made lots of wise cracks.

At the end of last year, I shared One of My Facebook Secrets and I feel the need to share another one today.  Perhaps I should call this a Facebook Strategy verses a secret. I have many secrets still hidden away to share with you in my Facebook Training sessions.

I am inspired by the questions asked by my friends, fans, followers and well, you.  It motivates me to help you solve your problems, answer your questions to help you and others grow their network and brand strategically via social networking sites.

Last week on Twitter, Angela Shelton, after reading my blog post Are you a RULE BREAKER? Know Your Facebook Rights and Wrongs  she had lots of questions for me.  She wanted to know how to convert Facebook Friends over to her Business Page (Fan Page).  She said she had tried to move them over in the past, but they usually ignored her request, didn’t see it or were offended because she wanted to unfriend them of Facebook.

What they didn’t understand is she was not trying to unfriend them, she was wanting to follow Facebook’s Statement of Rights and keep her Facebook Profile for personal connections and her Business Page for professional connections.  I had no quick answer to solve her problem in the 140 characters that Twitter allows. I decided to write a blog post giving suggestions how to entice them to “Like” her Business Page.

Here are the strategies:

  • Post a status update on your Business Page that would get “Likes” and comments. Something about your business of course, not personal.  Perhaps a new client you landed or recognition you received for your business. Go to your Facebook Profile and say “Just posted some exciting news on my Business Page (link to business page)”. Make sure and go check it out. Don’t forget to click “Like”.
  • Post a status update on your Facebook Profile that says “Friends, I truly love connecting with each and everyone of you.  I have recently been made aware of Facebook’s Statement of Rights regarding Facebook Profiles and Business Pages. I want to keep you updated on my business, but according to Facebook I must do this on a Business Page. Please go click “Like” (link to business page here) and let’s stay connected there also.  We’ll still have some fun on my Facebook Profile, but it will be focused somewhat different.”
  • Post a status update on your Facebook Profile saying “I am having so much fun connecting on my Business Page, if you haven’t already checked it out, please do (link to business page here)”

These are just a few strategies to get your friends moved across to your Facebook Business Page.  I hope these ideas inspired a few other statements you can use to entice them.  You can repeat these statements of course from time to time (maximum once per week) at different times to catch all your friends.

As your friends click “Like” on your Business Page, assign them to a list (Read how here) on your Facebook Profile that limits the status updates they see on our Facebook Profile. They will get use to not seeing your Facebook Profile status updates regularly and gradually been communicating with you on the Business Page. Eventually, (wait several months), you can unfriend them on your Facebook Profile if you want and they probably won’t even notice.

Another quick something to know …. at this point Facebook Business Pages cannot communicate with Facebook Profiles, only other Business Pages, so if you unfriend someone from your Facebook Profile, the only time you would be able to communicate with your them from your Business Pages is when they comment/”Like” something posted on your Business Page or as you from your Facebook Profile via messages, etc…. (This will be limited based on how they have their Facebook Privacy Settings established.)

It’s your turn!  What tips did you come up with for moving friends to fans?  How are you going to entice them to “Like” your Business Page?  Look forward to hearing from you!

P.S. Special thanks Angela Shelton for the inspiration of this blog post! You should give her a follow on Twitter and check out her Facebook Business Page. Her background is quite interesting.

Is your Social Media in the RED or the BLACK? #BlackFriday

Is your Social Media in the RED or the BLACK? #BlackFriday

Every year I go shopping on Black Friday and I have been planning my route and purchases, it got me thinking about my clients’ social media and what I do to help them get out of the RED and into the BLACK. I decided I am going to share some information to help YOU get out of the RED and into the BLACK. First, let me give you a little background on BLACK Friday.

BLACK Friday has many meanings. The one that triggered this blog post is the one for retailers.  The Friday after Thanksgiving is known to be one of the largest shopping days each year and many stores run huge sales and open extra early to encourage extra foot traffic. It got the name BLACK Friday because many retailers that were running in the RED often sell enough merchandise to put them in the BLACK on this day and throughout the remainder of the holiday shopping season that follows up to Dec. 24th.

I want to ask you to read the following and consider is your social media in the RED or the BLACK?

1. Do you log into your Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn account because you feel obligated? Do you think to yourself I have to go in and post a status update/send a Tweet because I haven’t done it today, this week or this month? Are you only doing enough to get by?

If you are using social media as a strategy to grow your business, consulting practice, sell books, websites, whatever your business may be and you are posting status updates because you feel obligated – STOP! If all you are doing to work your social media is an obligatory daily, weekly or maybe even monthly update DON’T bother.  For social media to work for you and your business you need to have a presence ONLINE on a repeat basis. Remember, customers do business with those they “Like, Know and Trust”. You are not achieving this goal with your obligatory updates. You are wasting your time and energy. (Sorry to be so direct, but part of my relationship with my readers is based on honesty and forthrightness!)

You need a structured plan, great content, ideas and a presence that one update will not get you. You need to be using groups, discussion boards, chats, conversation and comments to establish a relationship with your connections and a rapport that you can not achieve with an obligatory update.

2. Do you tweet on Twitter, post status updates to Facebook, or LinkedIn, etc…. on a regular basis, but only have 20 people following/friends/connections? Do you get any “Shares”, “Likes”, “Comments” or “Retweets”?

Part of social media is a numbers game.  I am not saying you need to have 10,000 etc… connected to you online for social media to work, but you do have to have an audience, i.e. when on Twitter your Tweets are seen by those following you. A new person to Twitter doesn’t always understand/realize that if you only have 20 followers only 20 people are seeing your Tweets, maybe.  If they are not online when you send the Tweet they may never see it.  I will see many times someone on Twitter sharing great content, but have no audience. I immediately realize (1) they don’t understand this concept or (2) don’t know how to get more followers.

Shares, Likes, Comments and Retweets: This is a great way to know and see if (1) people are actually seeing your updates and (2) see if you are sharing the kind of content  your followers/friends/connections are interested in reading.  If you don’t know what I mean when I say “Shares”, “Likes”, “Comments” or “Retweets”, or ever get them, your social media is in the RED.

3. Are you still logging into Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc… via a web browser? i.e. Internet Explorer, Safari, Firefox, etc…. to view and post status updates.

Using the web browser to access your Twitter account is good for some things, however there are better tools available to help you manage your social media accounts. Tweetdeck is my favorite! Hootsuite is another popular tool for this purpose. There are many to choose from. You can actually use Tweetdeck to view Tweets of those your are following, and the Facebook and LinkedIn updates of your friends/connections.

You can use a Tweetdeck to post updates to your Twitter, Facebook Profile, Fan Page and LinkedIn accounts.  You can select which accounts get which updates and you can even schedule them in advance. It’s important to have activity on your social media accounts throughout the day at peak times, not just when you have the opportunity to be online.

I hardly every log into Twitter through the web browser, Tweetdeck has integrated all most all of the features available on Twitter through the browser to work with the Tweetdeck.  You still will log into your Facebook and LinkedIn for important aspects of social media.  I actually just teach/coach on using the Tweetdeck to schedule updates to Facebook and LinkedIn.  Everything else within these social media networks you will do through the browser for the most part.

4. Have you heard of the tools I mentioned above and you keep thinking to yourself I need to learn about them and be using them more? Or are their names Greek to you? Have you tried to use these tools and they confuse you?

Ask for help!!! Ask friends using these tools to teach you, go to YouTube and search for tutorial videos others have made on how to use them. You may find the best and most cost effective route in the long run, when you consider your time, energy and frustration is to hire a social media professional to teach you.

As part of the social media coaching services I offer training on Tweetdeck. I coach my clients on how to create a presence on social media, how to use each social media tool and understand whatever thing means. We focus on marketing strategy and maintenance, which can be performed mostly through a Tweetdeck, one centralized area.

5. Have you claimed your business listing on Yahoo Local, Google Places, Bing Local, etc …? Are you using Ping.Fm, Google Reader, Social Oomph and Twellow? Do you even know what these sites/tools are?

If you aren’t REGISTERED on them this is a sure sign your social media is in the RED.

Does this blog post trigger more questions for you? I am going to stop here and close with this advice:

Learn the best way!
Increase your followers/friends/connections!
Stop with the obligatory updates!
Share tips, content and resources!
Ask for help!

If you want to get your social media out of the RED and into the BLACK use the acronym above as a guide!

I look forward to your comments, feedback and tips! It’s an important part of learning for all of us! So comment away!  Thanks in advance for “Commenting”, “Liking”, “Sharing” and “Retweeting”! LOL!

Twitter Tips (Contributed by users)!

At the end of December I put out a challenge to all my Twitter friends to submit their Twitter Tips and Twitter Etiquette. I am posting a disclaimer right now that I don’t always agree with these tips. Or at least maybe I don’t follow them all, I am sharing them with you and it’s your job to determine which ones you’ll follow or ignore.

Twitter Tips Contributed by Users

1. Don’t use an automated welcome direct message and if you’re going to use an automated direct message, don’t share a link, etc… Submitted by @VickiBerry.

Submitted by @julialilly: Use an auto-reply message for new followers. Make sure the message clearly states that it is an auto-reply and that you will get back to their bio soon. Don’t try to be sneaky about it. The trick to making this work is that you actually do get back to the new follower. Set aside some time each day or each week to go back and read each new followers bio and reply to all that are not spam. All real people should be acknowledged, even it just a simple reply such as “Jim, thank you again for the follow. I hope you enjoy my posts”.

My perspective: I use an automated direct message, but tell the people I’m connecting with that it’s automated. If you don’t want to receive automated DM’s follow @optmeout on Twitter, follow their directions and you’ll be opted out of receiving automated direct messages from social oomph users.

2. Do not autofollow Twitter users. Be selective and make sure they are a fit for your interests and needs. Submitted by @mikedmerrill!

Again, another tip I don’t follow. I do autofollow users back. However, I do vet them as they appear in my Twitter stream. (I can always unfollow those that are not interesting to me or send spammy direct messages.)

3. Remember to check your @yourname replies/tweets so you don’t miss something said about or to you. Respond accordingly. Submitted by @iPresort

Great tip here! I do this and would like to add to this, if you use a TweetDeck run a search for yourname, sometimes mentions will get overlooked in the @mentions, but not as often in the search option!

4. Businesses – a high percentage of your tweets should be relevant content to your company, but don’t just tweet company ads. Submitted by @iPresort

Another great tip! Your tweets need to be content, articles, interesting information, etc… related to your industry. Keep your self promotion down to occasionally! Use a 1 to 6 ratio!

5. Make your #FollowFriday recommendations one at a time, with info on “why to follow”. Keep using multiple Twitter id’s to a minimum. Submitted by @evolutionfiles!

I don’t always follow this tip! I do some of both! I do like to give #FollowFriday with by industry.

6. Keep using quotes for your tweets to a minimum. And if you do post a quote, make it relevant to your target audience. Submitted by @evolutionfiles!

I agree! Right on with this tip! Quotes are inspiring, but you can only handle so much inspiration in one day, right?

7. Basic one – “at” people to engage and connect. Then connect in real world if possible. Don’t just tweet your pitch repeatedly. Submitted by @evolutionfiles!

I love this part of tweeting! Having a conversation online one on one is the key to developing relationships, taking an online relationship offline to become strategic partners or even gaining a new client!

8. Instead of, or in addition to, thanking tweeps for #FollowFriday, Retweets & Mentions… *Reciprocate* by Retweeting them back or giving #FollowFriday back. Submitted by @evolutionfiles.

I agree with this tip and actually use this strategy often. However, if someone retweets, #FollowFriday’s or mentions me that doesn’t have good content, I kindly just thank them and skip the returning the favor part.

9. Follow LOTS of peeps. But check their weblink and quality of their content first. Unfollow most who don’t follow back after 1 month. Submitted via @evolutionfiles.

I agree totally! Don’t try and look good on Twitter by having lots of people following you and you following no one. It makes you look like “You think you’re to good to follow back”. Who wants to develop a relationship with this type of person! Not me!

1o. Use a Twitter tool (ie Tweetdeck, Seesmic, etc) to manage followers and your tweets. Submitted by @anitasantiago.

11. Go for quality instead of quantity when it comes to followers. If you provide quality to your followers, quantity will come on it’s own with time! Submitted by @anitasantiago.

Nothing to add here! Right on, Anita!

12. Try to avoid Retweeeting yourself (tweeting with your own username in the tweet). Submitted by @evolutionfiles.

I actually follow this tip for the most part! I do retweet someone that has mentioned my Twitter id sometimes, if I feel they added some value, however, I remove my Twitter id for the most part!

13. Help me to retweet you. Make your tweets 120 characters or less. Submitted by @billhurlbut.

I sent Bill a direct message after sending this tip and asked him if it was a hint! I know this rule, recommend it to others, but don’t always follow it!

14. When modifying someone else’s tweet to fit within the 140 character requirement, add a P for partial in front of the RT! Lets the readers and the person you are retweeing know that you modified their tweet. Submitted by @pattyfarmer.

15. Make sure if you use a tweetdeck to manage your Twitter accounts, don’t forget to log into your Twitter account through your Internet browser occasionally and check for retweets. Users that retweet your through the browser don’t also show up in the tweetdeck @mentions column. You sure don’t want to overlook thanking someone. Submitted via @pattyfarmer.

Here are my Twitter tips (@lissaduty) to add:

16. When you are adding comments to someone else’s tweet, add your comments at the front before the RT! Not after. If you place your comments after, it looks like the original Twitter user posted the comments.

17. Secrets to Shorten words to meet the 140 character requirement: i.e. for use 4, to use 2, great use gr8, about use abt, forward use 4ward, see use c, before use b4, Thanks use Thk or Thx, with use w/, without use w/o.

18. If someone mentions you, retweets you, etc… in the public stream Thank them in the public stream. If they direct message you a request, respond via direct message. If you answer a question for them via direct message, but want to share the answer – write the message as a tip and share publicly, without using their Twitter id in the public stream.

19. Be a generous retweeter. Twitter is not just about you sharing interesting content to make yourself look good and knowledgeable. It’s about helping your friends on Twitter look good also! Retweet them, mention them, etc….

20. Don’t SPAM! Everyone includes this as one of their Twitter tips, so I thought I would add this tip also.

Realizing, most of you that read this post don’t plan to spam on Twitter, however what you view as not spam, another will. Keep in mind when sending a tweet or direct message, is this relevant to my followers. Am I trying to sell them something or share a success. Sometimes spamming is all in the wording!

I highly recommend you follow and connect with all the Twitter users that contributed to this post! As they are excellent at following the tips listed above! Happy tweeting! Please feel free to add any of your Twitter Tips and Twitter Etiquette in the comments section!

Skip Social Media Predictions – Focus on the Present

Over the last month I have been reading everyone’s blog posts on Social Media Predictions. You may have noticed I haven’t written one. This  thought actually went through my mind a few weeks back….

I better get busy blogging some predictions to show my expertise to everyone.

After a few days of dwelling on this topic, I thought better and decided it’s better for me to focus on the present, while keeping the future in mind. I am not psychic and can’t predict the future of social media. There are too many developers out there way smarter than me making new and inventive social media tools, networking sites, etc . . .on a daily basis.

Here’s my take on social media predictions:

  • My expertise is leveraging the developers’ social networking tools to build my brand and my clients’ build their brands. (I thoroughly enjoy the satisfaction I feel when I have helped a client get Retweeted, #FollowFriday or comments made on their status updates.)
  • I enjoy teaching my social media consulting clients how to use the great tools developers have made to make social networking easier.
  • I focus on advising my clients on proper etiquette, tactics and strategies for social media marketing.

With all this rambling on, my point is…

Focus on what you know! Build your brand! Develop a great strategy! Be a great person in the PRESENT and the FUTURE will take care of itself!  Do have goals and a business plan for achieving want to be in the FUTURE, but live in the NOW!

I do want to encourage you to post any comments, tips and your advice on this post! I love to learn from others and feel everyone has a value to add!  Thank you for an awesome 2009!  Let’s welcome in 2010 with a clear FOCUS and ACTION!