May 03

The Importance of Interaction in Social Media

Intermediate Track, Social Media Classroom 7 Comments »

picture credit to java2s

I’m sure you’ve seen those internet marketers who pop onto Twitter every few days to plug their product, then auto-tweet the same thing to every one of their social media accounts. These people are everywhere and while they might catch a few unsuspecting folks in their wide net, they will never benefit from the real purpose of social media, interaction.

You see, we humans are social creatures and we enjoy being with other people. Even if our interactions occur online, there are certain things that make us more likely to pay attention to someone. We trust people we know to give us good recommendations, whereas we are automatically suspicious of strangers pumping hyped up products.

By forming actual relationships with your followers and friends on social media sites, you’ll not only increase the conversion rate of your links, you also boost the probability of forming a lasting partnership. You never know when someone you talk to on Facebook might end up being the co-author of an ebook or help you out with guest posts when you’re sick or unable to write.

There is a never ending stream of ads on social media sites, so we really notice when someone is being real. A major way to prove that you aren’t just into self promotion is to chat up other people. You can pass on links from other people’s blogs and status updates, comment on their posts, and ask questions.

If you are following a lot of people, it can be quite time consuming to answer everyone, so you’ll need to budget your time. However, it’s very important that you do respond to people so they know that you are paying attention. They will also pay attention to you! The next time you need a hand spreading the word about something they will help you by passing the links on, blogging and even recommending you to their friends and followers. This can be a pretty big deal, particularly if you are hooking up with some big names, but everyone matters when it comes to social media!

What can you do to make sure you’re connecting with people, particularly when you are just getting started? Here are a few ideas:

  • Respond to people’s general questions.
  • Ask specific people questions.
  • Ask general questions.
  • Don’t forget to thank those who respond to you.
  • Share links that others have posted and let them know you appreciate the resource.
  • Share links that you find online, even if you aren’t connected to the person, people will appreciate the resources you provide, too.

What are your tips for making sure you’re being sociable?

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Apr 17

Social Media and Time Management

Intermediate Track, Social Media, Social Media Classroom 19 Comments »

picture credit to time managment central.net

Having trouble figuring out how to keep from spending too much time on social media? While it’s a great way to ensure that you have plenty of exposure, your business can’t run on social media alone. That means good time management skills are required and you have to carefully plan your time on any social media site to be successful.

Ideally, you will have a schedule to follow. That might be just 15 minutes a day on LinkedIn, or it could be an hour a day spread out over several social media sites. The choice is yours and it really depends on how much you need to dedicate to other areas of your business.

To make the most of your time online, try:

Keeping track of your posts. Whatever you do online, make sure you track it. This will help you remember what you did before and avoid repeating yourself.

Set up multiple feeds. Having your Twitter posts automatically appear on Facebook is a great way to save time and boost the impact of everything you say and do online.

Have a plan. By writing down your social media goals and then working out a plan, you can stay focused and it will help keep you from getting distracted, something that is very easy to do when you are online!

Keep the noise to a minimum. It might be fun to follow a gazillion people who tweet about stuff you’re interested in, but if you’re on social media for business, stick to following those who are specifically for business.

Stick to it. Don’t drop out of social media for a while and then try to come back. It takes  a lot more energy and focus each time to recover your previous position. Instead, keep up the momentum and stay on top of things.

Get a timer. If you have a hard time remembering to stop working after a couple of minutes, make sure you set your timer to remind you when the time is up. This can be done several times a day, or you can work on social media for a steady block of tiem.

Figure out what works. Everyone is different. You might have a hard time working for 10 minutes at a time, so if an hour of solid time works best, go with that. There’s no hard and fast rule.

There are so many things to distract you while you’re online that it can be easy to sit down to work for an hour and end up spending three hours chatting or commenting on Facebook or tweeting with friends. Proper time management and planning will help you stay on track.

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Apr 13

Secrets of Successful Twitter Users

Intermediate Track, Social Media Classroom 5 Comments »

image credit to bubblefriends

If you’ve ever seen someone with 25,000 followers and wondered what their secret is, then you’ve come to the right place. There are a few things that you can do to improve your popularity on Twitter, but your best bet is to pay attention to what the best Twitterers are doing.  Granted that you won’t get obsessed with the numbers, instead with the quality and community building.  However, since numbers do count, here are some tips:

Offer only quality

What makes you follow someone who has a lot of followers already? Chances are it’s the quality of their tweets. If someone is offering real information that people can actually take and use, then they are going to be pretty much guaranteed a lot of followers. Many top tweeps claim that 90% or more of their tweets are merely to impart information. The rest tend to be responding to other people.

Talk back

Don’t ignore people when they tweet you, as that’s a sure way to lose followers. What you’ll notice is that while the big dogs aren’t able to respond to every tweet, they do tend to interact a lot with their followers. When someone sends you an @ message, be sure to respond. Of course, this doesn’t apply if they are being rude or spamming you.

Use visuals

The vast majority of those who are popular on Twitter use photos from time to time. Twitpic is very easy to use and lets you upload a photo and post a shortened URL, though you can also use an account like Flickr and shorten the URL yourself. The idea is to give visuals of some of the things you talk about, making it easier for your followers to understand.

Network with the Big Wigs

Twitter evens the playing field. You can talk to just about anyone . . . though there’s no guarantee they will talk back, of course. Messaging people with carefully thought out notes can get you noticed, but the big reason to follow them is the same reason you’re reading this post, to see how they do things. Everyone has special methods and you will be able to check these out easily if you are following the person on Twitter.

Link Out

You need to have somewhere to link, so make sure you have a website or blog. All the promo in the world won’t do you much good if you have nowhere to send your followers! Make sure you have a well designed webpage.

We can all learn a lot from the biggest names on Twitter. When someone else is successful, don’t be jealous of them, take the time to admire what they do and learn from them! That doesn’t mean you should copy them outright, either, but do learn.

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Apr 05

Negative Feedback, Not as Bad as You Think

Intermediate Track, Social Media Classroom 16 Comments »

image credit to WSHA

I recently read that one of the main reasons businesses and individuals don’t use social media is because they worry they’ll get negative feedback. Considering that no one really likes to hear someone saying something bad about them, this makes sense . . . or does it?

The truth is that we need feedback in order to get better. That doesn’t mean someone should insult your kids or anything while you’re on social media sites, but in that case, you might not want to put certain personal information out there. For business, however, it can be extremely beneficial for you to get feedback, positive and negative, from your clients.

Why Negative Feedback is Good for Business

Not everything negative is, well, negative. You can learn a lot from what people think is wrong with your business. Imagine you have a bunch of people complaining about a certain flaw in your product. Chances are you need to fix the flaw. And once you do, you will end up with better reviews and therefore, better sales.

In addition, when you fix something that your clients are complaining about, you will gain their appreciation. People like to be listened to, so when you provide them with solutions to the things they are discussing, they’ll be very happy. Since many companies don’t have a good way to communicate issues, this can also bring about a rave review from the clients that you’ve helped. It’s amazing how much a little positive change can do to create great word of mouth advertising! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen people on Twitter get excited and retweet when a company has helped someone who was having problems with their product or service. It impresses people!

So, negative feedback, even when presented in a nasty way, is an opportunity to improve your business. You might not be able to change everything that people would like, but by paying attention to what your target market has to say, you’ll gain their respect. You will also be able to refute untrue claims, something that wouldn’t be possible if you weren’t even online, interacting and monitoring what is being said about your company.

If someone makes a comment about your company that is untrue, it’s a good business practice to put the truth out there. You don’t have to turn it into a huge argument (which would only reflect badly on the company), but do make sure you let people know the truth about your business.

There are so many great reasons to get into social media if you have a business, don’t let the negative things drag you down. Use them to improve things and you won’t be sorry.

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Mar 29

Add Impact to Networking with Photos

Intermediate Track, Social Media Classroom 6 Comments »

picture credit to ursispaltenstein

Many of us are using mostly text based social networking methods, but photos can be the perfect addition to your social routine. Pictures literally take seconds to look at and convey a lot more than you can in 140 characters. That old saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words” is one hundred percent true.

Unfortunately, many people don’t realize the power of photos in social media, so today we’re going to look at how you can use them to add a whole new dimension to your networking.

Photos are particularly useful when you are trying to explain something. Screenshots go a long ways toward making technical content understandable, but just about anything is better understood with a photo or two.

How to Share

One of the easiest ways to share photos is through Flickr. You can use the site for free, but a premium membership (which allows unlimited photos) is pretty affordable, less than $30 a year. On Flickr, you can upload photos and add tags, descriptions and titles. Within the description, add your website URL (HTML is accepted) so people who are browsing Flickr can jump to your site.

While a fair number of people will find your images through Google and Flickr searches, that’s not where it stops. You can blog your photos (they can easily be embedded in a blog or forum), link to them on Twitter or Squidoo and also on Facebook, as well as other social media sites.

Of course, there are dozens of places to upload your pictures to make sure they get more exposure . . . TwitPics and similar options are good and easily searchable, making it simple for people to find your photos.

What to Share

Depending on your area of expertise, you will want to share pictures of what would interest your audience. If you sell baby clothing, then parenting or baby photos are going to be a hit. Likewise, if you run an auto parts shop online, then shots of the latest car show will go over well. The idea is to generate interest in your business and reach out to new potential clients through social media.

Keep your photos simple, as many people are checking their social media updates on Blackberries and mobile phones. A lot of clutter will make it hard to see anything at that resolution, so try for closeups and clear, crisp lighting for the best results.

Images have long been overlooked in the world of social media, but it’s time to start using them They add so much pizazz to a regular social network and can help attract attention, as well as provide followers with clear information on what you’re trying to teach them.

Do you use images in your social networking?

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Mar 23

How to Create a Quality Video

Intermediate Track, Social Media Classroom 3 Comments »

image credit to vnvjiet

I talked last week about the importance of using videos in your social networking, so today we’re going to look at how you can create a video that’s worth watching. You don’t have to be a filmographer to put out a quality and by quality, I don’t necessarily mean the image. You can have the best looking image out there, but if the content isn’t there, no one will watch it.

Planning

The very best thing you can do before starting your first video is to sit down with a pencil and paper and figure out what you want to do.

Write down what you want to accomplish with the video. Do you want people to come to your website? Do you want to inform them of problems with the method they currently use to do something? Offer solutions?

Once you have an end goal, figure out how you’re going to get there.

Pick a format

There are many business videos that have nothing but a computer screen so don’t feel that you have to be onscreen if that makes you uncomfortable. In fact, it may be easier to explain things if you show your audience via the computer.

For some, being onscreen is fine and works better for their purposes, so think about it carefully before you select a format. At its simplest, a PowerPoint video is quick and easy and can get the point across nicely. You don’t have to do a world-class production, just make sure it’s interesting and informative.

Write a script

Even if you end up winging it, writing out a brief script will cement the order of things in your mind. You want to have an introduction, your presentation and a call to action. Don’t forget, if you’re loading things up on YouTube, random strangers will come across it so you need to mention who you are right at the beginning.

You can distill your script to notes if you prefer and keep them handy while filming.

Technical tips

One of the biggest issues with online video is the lighting. Most people don’t have adequate lighting and while this isn’t necessarily going to dissuage people from watching your video, why not improve things? Sit with a window to one side and film during the day so you have plenty of daylight, which will make the camera very happy and add a more professional look. If the opposite side is too dark, you can easily fix this by placing a whiteboard or even a sheet on the other side (offscreen, of course) to reflect light back on the other side.

A few more tips . . .

Avoid wearing red, stripes or plaid which can look odd and cause visual issues onscreen.

Mount your camera at eye level, rather than tilting it. It should be placed at least three feet away . . . zoom if you need to, to avoid that fish eye lens look.

Use the white balance setting on your camera. It will help, trust me.

Chill out and be natural.  You are best when you are totally YOU!

Do you have any more video tips to share?

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Mar 03

5 Tips for Stagnating Social Media Strategies

Intermediate Track, Social Media Classroom 7 Comments »

image credit to rostock.de

You started out with an awesome social media strategy, one that you just knew was going to bring in all sorts of traffic. And it did. But then it all stopped . . . you haven’t changed anything, but the traffic isn’t increasing and your followers have stopped growing. Now what?

A stagnating social media strategy is one that needs some tweaking. The very nature of social marketing demands constant changes in the way we do things. In fact, if you continue to do the exact same thing all the time, you’ll find that you hit a plateau after a while, where nothing really goes forward.

To help you prevent this common problem, here are a few tips:

1. Re-evaluate your target market. Maybe you’ve saturated the existing market and need to branch out. It can be worth taking a second look at your target market and see whether or not you need to adjust your aim. You might need to reach some other people, as well, in order to continue growing.

2. Try something new. If you’ve only used text until now, why not try making a relevant video and sharing it? Sometimes just the excitement of doing something new can draw in more followers and interested potential clients. It’s certainly worth a try. Contests, video, audio and free reports are all excellent methods of giving your readers a bit of a boost.

3. Add a social media account. Once you’ve become familiar with Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook, it might be time to add another network to the mix. Reaching out to a new area will help increase the number of people you come in contact with, as well as increase the visitors to your site.

4. Be more active. Sometimes you just need to be a bit more approachable and that often happens by upping the amount of time you spend on social media. Even increasing by ten minutes a day can have some great effects and get you out of that rut.

5. Make a plan. Do you have a plan as to what you’re going to do each day on social media? If not, take a look at your goals and then decide what you need to be doing every single day. Don’t be vague, make notes on specific topics to cover, etc.

There’s so much you can do with social media to promote your business, but if you’re finding that you’re stuck, then it’s time to change things up a little. Re-evaluate where you are and what you’re doing with your marketing and come up with a better plan that will allow you to get out of the rut and start growing again.

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Mar 01

Social Media Metrics You Need to Pay Attention To

Intermediate Track, Social Media Classroom 3 Comments »

image credit to hair website

Ok, it’s Monday and some of us question why we even exists at the beginning of the week.  Imagine then what some of our clients ask us on Mondays.  Here are some answers!  If you’re using social media as a promotional tool, it makes sense that you’ll need to monitor a few specifics in order to know if it’s working or not. Most businesses just look at the amount of traffic that is coming in from those sites that they are using for promotion, but they fail to check other very important areas.

So, what should you be paying attention to? Here are a few tips:

How long the visitors stay. If someone comes through a link on Twitter, but clicks away before your page has a chance to load, it’s not going to do you a lot of good. You want people to stick around. A common reason that visitors leave quickly is because your website wasn’t waht they were looking for, so make sure you are nice and clear about what you do on social media sites.

Whether they bother to share your content. In an ideal world, you’d be able to enjoy viral reposting on every single blog post you write. In the real world, you might not get that very often. However, by writing viral content and promoting it the right way, you’ll have a far better chance of getting others to spread the word about your business.

How many people answer the call to action. Your site should have a call to action, be that to sign up for your newsletter or make a purchase. You need to track the number of visitors from social media to see what the conversion rates are like. This is an area that can always use improvement, so keep tweaking your social media strategy and see where you can go with it.

Who’s talking about you and what they’re saying. Keep a running search for your business name and check it frequently. Google Alerts is a great way to do this and keep track of who has been talking about your company. You should find out what people are saying. If it’s good, you’re fine, but if they are badmouthing you, it’s time to look for a solution and a way to deal with those who are having a hard time with your business.

Staying on top of your social media presence is vital if you want to make sure that you are doing things right. If you see a decline in conversion rates, for example, you can adjust your networking strategy to make sure that you get the publicity necessary to boost the number of visitors and to increase conversion rates, as well.

Happy Monday

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Feb 12

5 Reasons to Follow Your Competition Online

Intermediate Track, Social Media, Social Media Classroom 10 Comments »

photo credit to smh.com

There are plenty of great reasons to start following your competitors on social media. If you aren’t already, read on to see why you need to start seeking them out.

1. See what they are doing. Social media is the ideal way to spy on your competitors. By following what they are doing you’ll know exactly when they are ready to launch something new and see what events they have planned. It’s a good idea to stay on top of what they are doing since you don’t want to be left too far behind. If they are planning a big event, you might want to consider what you’re offering to your clients.

2. Network with new people. What many people miss out on is the fact that their competitors are actually amazing networking contacts in many cases. But how many times have you seen two bloggers in the same niche team up together to create an amazing product? If they hadn’t gotten over the idea that any competition is evil and must be beaten, those very successful liaisons never would have occurred.

3. Learn new things. Chances are, your competition does things a little differently than you do. By watching them on social media, you can learn a lot and maybe even pick up some new techniques. That’s not to say you should copy them, (actually that’s a bad idea, since you want to stand out), but what they do can spark some new ideas and help you come up with some new plans.

4. Avoid making the same mistakes. It’s impossible to avoid making any mistakes at all, but you can certainly avoid some of the bigger ones by watching what other people are doing. When your competition screws up, that’s one less mistake you have to make yourself. You can actually save a lot of hassle this way.

5. Gather new followers. On Twitter and several other social media sites, you can easily see who is following your competition. Often, you can pick those people up by adding them to your list of friends. Gaining followers in this way is a good way to go because they are obviously already interested in your industry. Engage with them and you’ll soon have great new contacts.

Your competition shouldn’t always be viewed as bad. In fact, they could be very useful if you take the time to follow them on social media. Not only could you make valuable new contacts, you could also learn a lot from them.

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Feb 11

6 Ways to Boost Your Expert Status

Intermediate Track, Social Media Classroom 5 Comments »

A big reason to use social media is to show people that you are an expert in your area of interest. The majority of us trust someone who has proven themselves and given good advice in a niche and that can work to your advantage. Social media is an excellent place to boost your expert status rapidly. To help you make it happen, here are a few ways to start:

1. Make niche connections. Twellow and other search sites that allow you to find like minded people in social media are invaluable for networking. You can make those vital niche connections that will inevitably lead to meeting more people interested in what you have to say.

2. Talk to people. Social media is just that, social. Interacting with people will bring you far more connections than if you just send messages to everyone, but never respond. I’ve talked about this quite a bit on the blog before, because it’s so important.

3. Linkbuild for others. It’s very tempting to only promote yourself and your business, but remember that you want to establish expert status and that means knowing where to go for information. Sharing other links with people will help build trust since they know you aren’t just in it to boost your own business and ego.

4. Write what you know. To really become an expert in the public eye, in your niche, you’ll have to actually talk about it. Yes, social media is about interacting, but you can send out tweets or notes with tips on your niche, be it baking or SEO. People will gradually learn to expect your expertise and will start to ask questions and check out your site.

5. Be visible everywhere. You don’t need to join a dozen different social networks, but you should consider being available in the most important ones, like Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Also, don’t overlook offline gatherings. Tweetups can be very good places to network, for example.

6. Provide resources. Just because you can tweet about your niche doesn’t mean you’re an expert. However, if you have an ebook or audio recording, you’ll definitely gain expert points! Even a simple resource, such as a blog, can help you be seen as someone who knows what they are talking about.

You can’t expect to be viewed as an expert overnight. However, you’ll find that by following these tips and by being patient, people will eventually see you as an expert in your field. Social media speeds things up.

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