Social Media is NOT Scary. Read the Stats.
For some reason social media for business is still in question as a marketing tool. Sometimes… I feel like I’m beating a dead horse here. Individuals are still not sure whether it’s truly worth the time. Their not sure if it will actually yield desired results. However, if you are anything like me… you don’t yearn for success… you expect it. That being said social media (if used correctly) can match your expectations with little exception.
For starters, do not be scared of social media. It may bark but it will not bite. It may bite depending on where your judgement is being placed. From a marketing perspective you can look at both systems as being either negative or positive. I would like to think we are passed the point of talking about ignoring.
Although you may not understand every nuance… do not live in fear of it. The only way to conquer any fear is to face it. Therefore, learn about it. See what you can do with it and what will work for you or your company. Here’s some stats to back this up from the blog Why Executives HATE Social Media (which I also recommend reading).
- In the last 7 years, Internet usage has increased 70% PER YEAR. Spending for digital advertising this year will be more than $25 billion and surpass print advertising spending (forever)
- Lenovo has experienced a 20% reduction in activity to their call center since they launched their community website for customers
- Blendtec quintupled sales with its “Will it Blend” series on YouTube
- Only 18% of traditional TV campaigns generate a positive ROI
- Dell has already made over $7 million in sales via Twitter
- 37% of Generation Y heard about the Ford Fiesta via social media BEFORE its launch in the US and currently 25% of Ford’s marketing budget is spent on digital/social media
(Sources for Statistics: meyersreport.com lenovosocial.com George Wright Blendtec Mashable.com econsultancy.com businessweek.com )
Social Media has clearly made it’s mark on industries all over the world. When questioning if it’s worth the time… quickly note that Facebook alone has 500 million users not to mention Twitter is becoming a rapidly growing source for news and insight into companies and customer interaction. When people are talking it is extremely important that you are listening as a brand. Social Media offers unsolicited feedback. By simply setting up a Twitter account for your company, department or personal brand you can receive instant and honest opinions from customers you’ve never interacted with before. The opportunity for you to cater to the needs of the customer outweigh the time spent. Customers are not dismissible. They are the fuel that keeps your company running. Therefore, time needs to be spent finding how to offer them better service and where you can improve. This is only one aspect of the many reasons why Social Media is not a waste of time.
If your unsure of Social Media in terms of results then feel free to source the statistics from above. The tool may not launch your company into a whole new tax bracket but what it will do is create relationships. A business does not exist without relationships and without these relationships there are no tangible results.. In order to have a successful experience on social networking sites one must remember to be authentic, responsive and engaged.
If your still unsure on whether or not to implement Social Media then expect to get lost in the noise. In order to stay relevant one must stay current. Social Media may not be the answer to all your problems but if anything it will bridge the gap between the corporation and its consumers. That alone should offer value enough.
10 Amazing LinkedIn Status Updates
Guest post by Anthony Juliano
Stay top-of-mind, start conversations in 140 characters or less
Wouldn’t you love to have the opportunity to get in front of customers and prospects every day to share your expertise, passion, and ideas? Well thanks to LinkedIn, you do—if you take the time to update your status. Just like your updates on Facebook help you stay in touch with friends, LinkedIn status updates can help you stay connected to your professional contacts in ways that can have a dramatic impact on how you’re perceived—or whether you’re thought of at all.
While it may seem difficult to come up with something to say, there’s actually quite a bit worth talking about. Here are ten ways you can update your status so that your name not only stays in the mind of your audience, but starts conversations with them as well.
- Mention what you’re working on. One of the best status updates is a simple mention of the most interesting thing you’ll be working on each day. Over time, mentioning different aspects of your work will have a bigger impact on what people know about you than even the most carefully written profile.
- Share what you’ve read. Building a social media audience isn’t about self-promotion—it’s more a matter of being seen as a resource. That includes being seen as a go-to person when it comes to the latest thinking in your industry. If you’ve read something that’s worth your audience’s attention, tell ‘em about it (and link to it, if possible).
- Share advice/opinion. You have expertise to share—why not summarize it and share it? Even if you think it’s simplistic, there’s probably someone out there who would benefit from your knowledge. And if your status is more opinion than fact, just be aware of how your audience might react. There’s nothing wrong with encouraging a little debate—as long as you can respond.
- Share memorable quotations. A great quotation can inspire, educate, and amuse. Share others’ thoughts when they reflect your beliefs, and you’ll help the audience understand not only what you know, but what you value.
- Ask questions. A question mark is the only punctuation mark that demands feedback. Phrasing your status in the form of a question is a great way to engage your audience, tap into their expertise, and show them you care about their opinion.
- Mention events you’re part of. Location-based social networks like Foursquare and Gowalla aren’t the only way to tell people where they can find you. Tell your audience what events you’re part of—before, during, and after they occur—and you’ll be better positioned to connect with them not just online, but also face-to-face.
- Share content from other sites. The 140-character maximum length of a LinkedIn status update is deceiving: it seems limiting, but only if you think of it as the whole conversation. Instead, think of it as a way to generate interest in a longer conversation–content you’ve created elsewhere, that is, like blog posts, photos, and videos.
- Cross-post tweets. LinkedIn’s 140-character limit on statuses is no coincidence: it’s a direct result of its integration with Twitter. Now, just add “#in” to a tweet, and it can do double-duty as your LinkedIn status (and it’s just as easy to make your LinkedIn status a tweet—just click on the Twitter check box). It’s important to remember, however, that many tweets are not appropriate status updates—especially at-replies that depend upon context to be understood. Make sure that the tweet can stand on its own and is aligned with your goals for being on LinkedIn. Many users have set up automatic integration between LinkedIn and Twitter, and it’s causing confusion and negative impressions among their audiences.
- Share job opportunities. Is your company hiring? Why not inform those you trust first? And don’t just limit this to jobs with your employer: help your contacts find talent, and help job seekers, by promoting others’ job postings. It’s a great way to be a resource to those in your network.
- Directly promote your product or service—but only infrequently. Many of us are on LinkedIn because we ultimately want to be thought of first for a certain product or service. With that in mind, it’s okay to use your status update for direct promotion, but only sparingly and with the knowledge that too much promotion will cause you to be seen as an interruption to the conversations others are hoping to participate in via social networking.
As you can see, there’s no shortage of opportunities to use LinkedIn to connect with your audience. Instead of waiting for people to come to your profile, get in front of them by updating your status every day—or at least a few times a week. It may just be the missing link in your networking efforts.
Now it’s time for your ideas: what types of LinkedIn status updates do you use? How have these helped you connect with others?
Why Are You On Twitter?
Erik lives in Marion Indiana where he recruits for Indiana Wesleyan University,and works with their Social Media Initiatives. He also cohosts a weekly podcast “Social Media Serenity” at http://socialmediaserenity.com Find him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/erikjfisher
Why are you on Twitter?
The most common answers fall somewhere in the realm of the following:
- Mini blogging
- Macro Texting
- Chatting
- Self-Promoting
- Marketing
- News Aggregating
- Spamming
Whatever your reason or motives, it’s a waste of time if no one reads what you write, right?
If your going to share, it makes sense to do it right. Sometimes the original writer gets it perfect and a Retweet, official or manual, will be just fine. Let’s move past the discussion of what method of Retweet is best, and on to an altogether new discussion.
What if the best way to share is to actually write your own tweet? Actually pull us in to the tweet by writing it well, and sharing it to your unique audience. The original tweet writer or blogger may not have packaged their ideas in a way that would draw in your followers, but if it’s something your interested in, perhaps your followers would appreciate seeing it, through your eyes.
Before you cry foul, let’s clarify something. I don’t count this as stealing or repurposing the content. It’s being a content curator. If the content you are pointing to is good, then it will maintain it’s own stickiness. Remember, something drew you to that content originally, and it was compelling enough to persuade you to share it.
If you write a tweet well, or Retweet a well-written tweet, it’s passing on a referral. You’re driving traffic to the originators site, how can they complain? I’ve found many blogs or websites that I’ve subscribed to as well as people to follow and interact with on Twitter due to others Retweets.
The best way to share is to use a URL shortener, and send a compelling tweet. You know your followers, and the reason they follow you, or at least you should. I polled my followers and those I follow that people follow me to hear about Tech or Social Media news, productivity tips, humor, and authenticity. Their words, not mine.
The Complete Rundown of the New LinkedIn Features
Now that LinkedIn is worth roughly $2 billion they’ve begun to make some investments of their own. These investments as read from Mashable.com are due mostly to encourage more social interaction on the site. The solution is mSpoke, a technology platform coined with empowering consumers to make media relevant. We’ve seen LinkedIn amping up its site through the Groups feature and more Facebook-like features such as a news feed and more sharing options.
LinkedIn hopes these changes will get users contributing more to the site. mSpoke’s technology will create a more advanced news feed for LinkedIn users where the most important features will be highlighted based off your network. LinkedIn has also already launched new ways to share links which are also similar to Facebook and Twitter. Here’s the run down on the new link sharing.
1. When you copy and paste links into the status update box and click “attach a link,” an image and article excerpt will be pulled up.
2. Control over your posts. You now have the chance to edit and delete posts.
3. You can now share posts with others from your network with the re-share button. Don’t worry the person you got the post from gets credit.
4. LinkedIn now has their own official url shortener: link.in
LinkedIn is continuing the quest in connecting people together and is growing more in users (and dollars) everyday. It seems to me that LinkedIn will soon be the complete package. Plus it is easy to navigate and the connections made on LinkedIn can be some great opportunities not found on other more “fun” sites. In what ways would you like to see LinkedIn become more interactive?
4 Tips to Help You Discover the Value of Twitter Chat
Taylor Graves currently works at Miller Brooks, Inc., an integrated marketing and public relations firm in Zionsville, Indiana. Originally from San Diego, the Miami University graduate moved to Indianapolis, and back to the Midwest, to experience the seasons she fell in love with in college. She found her home at Miller Brooks working with clients in the building products industry and uses her background in PR and love for social media to push her clients and co-workers to adapt to new social media trends. Taylor blogs or connect with her on twitter, @taylorgraves.
While some of the more social media savvy tweeters out there may be all too familiar with this particular social opportunity, the average Twitter user may not yet have experience in the hashtag-intense Twitter conversation known as a “tweet chat”.
The question is, should the average Twitter user know about tweet chats? Should you participate? Are these chats valuable or are they hashtag spam to be aware of and avoid?
What is a tweet chat?
A tweet chat is a conversation conducted via Twitter in which Twitter users use hashtags to track and monitor the conversation by topics. I’ve heard Twitter users complain that these chats are simply added noise on their Twitter feed. Many others claim the chats are a great educational experience – maybe one of the best social opportunities that any social media platform has to offer.
While the chats seem like merely a more intense version of Twitter, participating in an organized Twitter chat is very different from regular tweeting with hashtags. Organized chats usually have a moderator, special guest, expert contributor and the topics are determined before hand allowing participants to submit questions to the chat moderator.
About a year ago Mashable named tweet chats as one of the top five Twitter trends to watch. With more than 35 weekly scheduled tweet chats Twitter chat is clearly a mainstay and a growing trend in the Twitterverse. If you haven’t participated it one yet…maybe you should.
There is a Google document that exists publicly on the web that has constantly updated information about which tweet chats are being hosted. The document includes a schedule, hash tag information and founders of the respective tweet chat. The following chats are examples of tweet chats that may be relevant to our clients. It’s proof that there are tweet chats for seemingly every industry including: design, architecture, several for public relations, and cooking.
How do you participate in a tweet chat?
1. Find your hashtag
Using hashtags tweeters broadcast their comments and questions to a specific group and follow others tweeting with the same hashtag. The hashtag is the essential ingredient to engage successfully in a tweet chat.
2. Find a chat tool
The key to successful Twitter chat participation is to learn how to remove all the extra tweets so that you can focus on the tweet chat at hand. There are several tools that can help you follow the conversation without being bombarded by unrelated tweets. Examples of Twitter chat tools include: TinyChat (tinychat.com), Tweetchat (tweetchat.com), Tweetgrid (tweetgrid.com), Tweetdeck (tweetdeck.com), Monitter (monitter.com), Whatthehashtag (whatthehashtag.com), Tweetree (tweetree.com), and Twubs (twubs.com).
3. Learn the rules
Once you’ve identified the hashtag and the tool that works best for you, it’s time to get involved. When you log in, watch for the moderator to announce the start of the chat and remember to use your hashtag in each tweet so others can see your comments. Many chats may have established ground rules so let the moderator do their job and guide and facilitate the discussion.
4. Go tweet chat!
Once you get the hang of hashtags and learn to maneuver around your newfound twitter tool – even beginners will reap the value that Twitter chats have to offer.
Now to address our original questions, are Twitter chats valuable? Should the average Twitter user participate? Go find out yourself!
Marketing as a State of Mind. Be Captivating.
Marketing is no longer a department – it is a state of mind.
I awoke with a start this morning with a single thought on my mind. It is a concept I heard randomly in the halls (or maybe on Twitter) from the company, ExactTarget. I’m not sure who said it (or typed it) but it was on my mind at 2:30am this morning. Stupid, I know. At first the concept sounds easy to understand. “Yah… Kyle this makes complete sense! Do not think of marketing as a department with a CMO and a staff but think of marketing as an overall experience!” Easy.
However, there is a deeper meaning to the idea of marketing being a “state of mind.” It is more than your department or advertisement. It is everything under your brand… your structure that supports and influences the customer’s buying decision…. and their experience.
First, let’s explore the meaning of something being a “state of mind.” In researching for this blog post I ran across the teachings of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (I know… it is a mouthful). Mihaly is pretty much the master on the idea of the flow of the mental state of mind.
“Mihaly outlines his theory that people are most happy when they are in a state of flow— a state of concentration or complete absorption with the activity at hand and the situation. The idea of flow is identical to the feeling of being in the zone or in the groove.”
Each individual can have their own understanding of what it means to be in the zone (or groove). When it comes to marketing it is extremely important to keep the customer or the potential customer in the groove. The groove is the process of captivation… a state of concentrating and complete absorption in an activity.
Your story is what makes you captivating. Your client’s success story is what throws people in the groove.
Can you imagine a customer being completely absorbed in your product and brand experience? You can look at any big brand and discover slivers of this idea worked into the product design, store design, marketing and employee training.
Tell the story and captivate your audience. Want a good example? Check out this marketing/recruitment/employee interation video from Twitter.
You may be reading this disgusted because you are the ONLY marketing professional in your company. Hell… you could be the only person in your company! But guess what? It is easier than you think to create a positive state of mind with your clients and potential clients. Tell your story and create the content that pulls potential customers into your mix. You are creating an experience to captivate them.
10 Reasons Why LinkedIn is Powerful for Branding and Sales
cLinkedIn is a powerful tool. It incorporates all the features one needs for networking, job searching, sales, and employees. You can also utilize LinkedIn to connect with old friends or colleagues. If you intend to use it for business then other your help to others first. It’ll leave a good impression and well…they’ll owe you one. Let’s discuss in detail the plethora of LinkedIn options.
1. The Events Feature. Never really sure what events to attend pertaining to your industry? The Events feature offers event search but also recommends events for you based off your profile. It offers information about attendees and updates surround the event. So far there are eight thousand events with the option for event organizers to add more.
2.Linked up with your other social profiles. Potential business opportunities can come from all over the place but LinkedIn is thier one stop shop. Once you’ve made your connections people can view your profile and then click away to your website, blog or Twitter account (make sure you put those links on your profile).
3. The Power of Staying in Touch. You may not be needing LinkedIn for job hunting or anything business related. However, LinkedIn is great for staying in touch. It’s a updated by its users making it a reliable current database.
4. Applications. LinkedIn offers a range of applications that help you make the most of your profile. One great application is SlideShare. This allows you to share your presentations and save them on the web. You can show your connections your expertise and range of knowledge through one easy to use application. You can also set up polls to find out valuable information and share your blog.
5. Groups…SubGroups. These groups can be great for announcements, upcoming events, discussions and for finding out valuable information. Remember these groups and subgroups should be joined because you have genuine interest in what the group is about. If used correctly, it’s powerful for making connections and staying “in the know.” Plus with the Groups Feature you can find the best discussions, most influential within your groups and more.
6. Finding A Job. This alone speaks volumes. If your in the market and looking for a job (or employee) then LinkedIn is a powerful source. You can search for businesses looking to hire in your level of expertise. It’s better then looking through wanted ads. You can also see if you have any mutual connections for quick references and common ground. LinkedIn also alerts you when someone has viewed your profile, not specifically who, but at least you know there is interest.
7. You Get your Name Out There. By staying active on your LinkedIn profile you can ask for action! This will help gain their interest and can result in real life interaction. The more active you are in taking part in discussions, posting information, asking questions-the more likely your name is going to stick in people’s memories.
8. Brag, Boast and Gloat. Tell people what makes you so great. Fill out your summary by using strong choice words. The power behind doing this is that people will come to think of you by these words. This isn’t the place to share your shortcomings and how you’ve you overcome them. It’s place to tell why your the best and then back it up with action. Plus you LinkedIn profile is search-able on Google so represent yourself well.
9. Recommendations. If you’ve had a good business relationship with anoter LinkedIn member, ask for a recommendation. Be careful not to ask just to ask. You want people who know you and can honestly write a good recommendation. Then you can return the favor since their recommendation gives you good credentials. Plus your recommendation gives them exposure on your profile. It’s a win win.
10. What have you found that makes LinkedIn such a powerful resource? Fill in the number 10 spot.
Facebook at 500 Million: Why it Matters for Your Business
On July 21, Facebook announced a milestone, noting that they have now surpassed half a billion users. Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO, stated in his blog post and in interviews that the mission of Facebook remains what it started out focused on: “to make the world a more open and connected place.” For businesses and organizations everywhere, this is a:
“be aware, be very aware”
moment of significance because Facebook has carved out it’s own solar system within the Internet universe! It is no longer just a popular website. It is now a destination all to itself!
This blog post will go over the significance of what this massive Facebook user base means and how businesses and organizations need to evaluate and have a plan for their Facebook presence.
With a user base that is second to only 2 nations in terms of overall population, Facebook has now become it’s own, unique destination. You can do so many things within Facebook, some people may not need to go anywhere else!
Think of Facebook as the “sun” with a growing system of planets around it. These planets are “tools” within Facebook and services provided within the Facebook platform; and the pull of Facebook is strong, as it is building, growing, and pulling more and more industries and markets into it’s unique system…all of which are finding ways to thrive (think ‘grow & expand’ business).
As noted, Facebook has become it’s own, nearly full-service web portal for people to use, it’s own “super power” within the Internet. Increasingly, people will “search Facebook” instead of “search the web”. People find friends, connect with friends, get news, find businesses, research businesses, program new apps, showcase new products, interact with customers, solicit input and feedback, share videos, photos, and more, all within Facebook. This doesn’t discount the need for a great web presence outside of Facebook, but notes the need for a specific plan for within Facebook!
If you aren’t well represented here, you may be losing out on a significant brand awareness and customer building platform. Here are some recent stats on Facebook use:
- Nielsen Online’s US June 2010 report showed that Facebook was 1st out of the top 10 web brands when it comes to time spent online.
- During the month of June, Facebook US users spent an average of four hours and 39 minutes on the site, far surpassing time spent on any other site!
- Globally, average Facebook user spends 6 hours on Facebook per month. Who is second? MSN/WindowsLive/Bing at a mere 2 hrs., 41 minutes.
So what should a business do?
1. Set Your Page Apart
Note that Facebook’s free “Page” tools give you some functionality, but they give EVERYONE the same functionality, so the first agenda of the day is to set yourself apart! Create a Landing Page rather than having new visitors to your Facebook Page come to your wall. If you enjoy FBML coding, you can use Static FBML. If programming is not your thing, then use a tool like TabSite that allows you to customize a Tab and have sub-tabs, all while using a simple WYSIWYG Content Editor.
Explore Media Video Company has a Custom TabSite with Flashthat scrolls thumbnails
across the Fan Page and then display information on hover over and then
displays the video upon clicking. Clean, Crisp, Unique!
2.Engage Your Audience
There are at least three ways to do this, and usually a combination of two will work best:
- Use offers, giveaways or competitions to drive traffic to your page or group.
- Invest in targeted FB ads to recruit fans.
- Find and manually add existing fans/employees etc to build an initial audience.
None of these is a magic bullet but all can help build up your base!
3. Be Social!
Answer questions, respond to input, share a bit about your company and what makes you unique (i.e. let your hair down!). Nothing works better than prompt, thoughtful responses!
See Mari Smith’s Facebook page, www.Facebook.com/MariSmith for an example of reaching out with timely responses and cheery helpfulness!
4. Reinforce your Brand
Customizing your Fan Page gives you the opportunity to extend your branding. In the example above, Explore Media’s Fan Page includes their logo and looks strikingly similar to their website, see here www.Explore-Media.com. This can give visitors a sense of comfort and recognition when they see your branding and they more readily will “Like” your page and engage with you.
5. Keep Them Coming Back!
Be creative with your Facebook page marketing so that it rewards visitors for increased interaction. Provide some entertainment or added value such as a “Facebook Only Coupon Code” and they’ll keep returning and promoting you across their network.
6. Connect Your Other Social Feeds
There is no shortage of Fan Page Apps that allow you to share your information right on your Fan Page. With Slideshare’s App you can share your papers and presentations, and there’s no excuse not to share your Blog posts, your Twitter feed, and your YouTube Channel! This is IMPORTANT because visitors may not go elsewhere to look you up, so give’em all you can while they are with you! See the Eco-Friendly EverGreen RV Travel Trailer Fan Page below which use the TabSite App to showcase their product, News (via RSS), YouTube Videos, and more right within their Fan Page!
So, to close, remember:
- Facebook is not just a website, it is now a destination!
- To not adequately consider your business presence on Facebook would be a big mistake!
- Times are changing, are you? Develop a Facebook presence, use the tools they give, but expand beyond that with Apps and customizations to give your presence some “bang”!
Hope to see you in the Facebook Solar System!
Since 2005, Mike has played an integral role in designing, deploying, and tracking robust web design and Internet Marketing strategies for over 200 clients, and is an accomplished Internet Marketing Consultant. He holds a M.S. in Organizational Development & Leadership from Shippensburg University of PA, and a B.A. from Bethel College in Mishawaka, IN. Mike is a Web Design and Internet Marketing Consultant at Digital Hill Multimedia, Inc., an innovative web design and internet marketing company based in the Midwest. Digital Hill is the maker of Facebook TabSite, a leading Facebook Fan Page customization tool. Connect with Mike on Facebook at www.MikeGingerich.me.
The Secrets of a Successful Blog
I am going to be speaking at the Re/Max of Indiana Sales Rally on September 20th in Indianapolis. I am extremely excited to be talking about the secrets of using a blog as a Realtor. Check out the short clip about what I will be talking about!
Keep Your Friends Close and Your Followers Closer
What’s more important:What you say or what others say about you? When it comes to your brand what matters most to you? Are you self promoting and only allowing good comments to be posted? Where do you draw the line?
Social media is a tool the should be used to help others speak about you. When there’s a negative comment do you delete it? My suggestion is to leave it. Although, it may not be a good or accurate reflection of you it lets others see that you’re real. If all you ever read is good content (about something) then usually you jump to the conclusion that something is not right with that individual. We’re not perfect and we can’t make everyone happy. The bad comment won’t ruin you. It’ll give you credibility. It shows that you can take criticism. You can deal with it and you can move on from it. However, do not mistake dealing with it as ignoring it. You want to respond to all negative publicity no matter how severe.
You can draw the line at slanderous material.
Self promotion is good when done in moderation. I would rather not go to your Twitter account and only see you patting yourself on the back. Yes, it’s good to read about your accomplishments and your other latest successes… However, there has got to be more to you than that. If not, consider yourself un-followed. Thank you very much. Spend time complimenting the successes of other people. Get to know your followers and give back by retweeting or engaging in conversations. Engaging with others fosters relationships, which will ultimately create community that you are apart of. This bodes well for you especially when a dreaded negative comment appears.
In times of trouble you’ll have all the friends you need to back you up because of the community you’ve invested in. It’s similar to the old saying “treat others as you’d like to be treated”. We may have grown up but childhood principles can always be applied.
