Let's Talk about *Rules on Social Media

* Rules or Guidelines really

As you are probably aware; social media has taken over! 

In the past 10 years; most businesses have a Facebook page, a blog, a Twitter account as well as presences on Instgram, Pinterest, photo sharing sites, have listed their companies on LinkedIn, have designed tabs, have mobile Apps, are in social networks and have inserted  social share buttons on all their marketing collateral.

While I don't really like using the word Rules; I have noticed that some corporations have just jumped into social media without preparing a policy, or a content strategy or have not trained their employees on how to respond to people on social media or how to handle customer service enquiries (or fails).

I also believe that we all have to tick the box to agree to each site's terms and conditions; but some of the terms and conditions are often ignored and leave a company/business without access to their account or having to deal with issues on various social networks.

So here's a list of Guidelines I use to train my clients on how to use social media wisely:

1. Set up a social media policy - here are many examples - http://socialmediatoday.com/davefleet/151761/57-social-media-policy-examples-and-resources - use these to adjust a policy for your specific workplace

2. Discuss and set up social media guidelines for your employees - http://www.bluewiremedia.com.au/free-social-media-guidelines-template

3. Use a social media crisis plan and train your staff on how to handle a mishap - http://socialmediatoday.com/chrissyme/298509/five-social-media-must-haves-crisis

4. Decide why you are using social media in the first place - this will help with your strategy and your content - then set up a marketing/content strategy which suits your employees and workplace

5. Read each site's terms and conditions and adhere to their rules.

6. Choose your accounts - use the ones that your clients/customers/ industries are using such as Twitter, Facebook, a blog platform, Pinterest, Google+, YouTube but also look at using other sites such as photo sharing sites such as Pinterest, Flickr, Instgram  (Google for information about thousands of other sites you can use for your business)

7. Remember to start small! Each account has to be active and attended to (on a daily basis)

8. Who is going to be attending to each account? What is his/her responsibility?

9. The community manager (or person responsible) HAS to check each account at least twice a day (early mornings and evenings) to ensure that questions are answered, customer service enquiries have been attended to, inappropriate content (such as people posting pictures or spam comments) is removed AND ensure that you are engaging - i.e. thanking people for shares/ReTweets, liking a comment (on Facebook), sharing your pins, commenting or liking on Instagram or simply showing that you are present and listening to people.

10. Who makes executive decisions? If a manager/supervisor needs to confirm an action - a discussion has to take place around what to do if they are unavailable. You CANNOT leave something inappropriate on your social media account/s which could harm your brand.

11. Monitoring the account/s also has to take place over the weekends - who is responsible for weekend and after hours monitoring?

Now let's talk content:

1. Use your company site/blog to promote, share and spread user generated content directly from your brand.

2. Are you going to hire a copywriter or is there someone in-house who is prepared to write blog posts, updates, Tweets and source images, videos etc.?

3. Are you finding content from elsewhere and using it as inspiration? If yes, you HAVE to source links back to the original content.

4. Are you using images with your content (which is highly recommended)? Ensure that you link back to the original source or name the source (e.g source:CarrotCreative)

5. Prior to sharing any information online, check the link (on a laptop preferably to ensure that all the other content on the site itself is trustworthy)

6. Only share, link to and use links which are from trusted sources. Ensure that there is no inappropriate subject matter or adverts on the links you are sharing - generally when people click to open a link, they may view other content on the site - so check, check, check!

7. When ReTweeting information on Twitter - check the bio/profile, the Tweets, the name of the person whose links, quotes or information you're sharing with your followers BEFORE driving content. I cannot stress how vital it is to check, check, check! (The same goes for Pinterest AND Instagram)

8. Check that the sites/videos/images are secure and safe - I use Wot - http://www.mywot.com/ to check user ratings as well as Norton 360 and McAfee secure search for this purpose. 

9. Build trust with your followers/fans/peers when using, finding, promoting, sharing or driving content - the content you use is affiliated with your brand (So I repeat check, check, check!) The only way to build trust is by being active on social media accounts and building relationships with people.

10. Seek advice. Ask for help.
Enquire about training - this will benefit yourself, your brand and your employees. (We are all learning here, even me!)

And finally social media etiquette:

1. Google before you Tweet, post, blog or share. Check your resources and try to find the original source of any content you use - this will help you build trust with your peers.

2. Be nice - and if you can't than go for a walk, grab a cup of coffee, drink a glass of water - rather than responding inappropriately.

3. If you do not agree with something and you really want to Tweet, post or blog your viewpoint - think very carefully - is it necessary? Will it change anything? If you believe it will than disagree respectfully without launching a personal attack.

4. Be diplomatic. You don't have to agree with everything, like everything, choose to share everything - but build diplomatic relationships with others anyway.

5. Try not to constantly ask others to follow you, like you, ReTweet you, share your content - build a relationship and trust with your peers/fans/followers to build an organic sharing relationship instead (which takes time and effort)

6. Shout out, compliment, acknowledge good practices you see online and share people's pages, accounts and boards with others (if they provide value to you; they will provide value to your fans and followers as well!) - I am a huge fan of social good and this type of behaviour will make your day so much nicer!

7. Try not to constantly talk about your brand/business on your Facebook business page or Twitter account - use those sites to engage with others and exchange information. People love resources, tools, tips, case studies, guides etc. - share yours with them!

8. Use your business blog to inform, educate and talk about your business. Try to respond to comments and find other blogs in your industry to build relationship with other Bloggers. And attend a Blogging event (or any type of networking event) - they're fun and you will learn a lot!

9. Be kind. Answer queries, respond to comments, find answers and share information. When you see an opportunity to help someone else - take the chance!

10. Read everything you can; blog posts, news, updates, Tweets, case studies, surveys, white papers, eBooks, newsletters, manuals - the more you read - the more inspiration you will have to generate your own content.Here are some tips to finding content for your business - http://socialnetworkingandmarketing.blogspot.com.au/2013/07/content-content-content.html
11. Make use of visual content. Pinterest boards are a great way to access infographics, blog posts, tools and tips you can share across your social media profiles (just remember to check the links) and Instagram is also a great way to build a more personal connection with your clients (customers) - check EVERYTHING very carefully on Instagram.
12. Before you select a hashtag - check the hashtag carefully (by clicking on it and see where it leads) - make use of www.tagboard.com for hashtag search.

And lastly - Make your Own Path!

Because social media is global and embraces each unique individual; you can decide how you are going to use social media to represent yourself/your brand. You can be formal, chatty, a curator of information, a helpful sharer, a promoter of social media good, a brilliant sales person, a quiet observer, an industrious entrepreneur - there is no better set of tools to finding your own path as long as you are learning and having a bit of fun along the way.

 “Be authentic and organic. It can’t be forced or it won’t work. And most importantly, have fun.” - Richard Branson on social media

It is called social media - because it is encouraging people to embrace integrating business practices socially.

Where else really can you chat with your fans/followers, share ideas, information and resources while 'meeting' hundreds of people? (If someone knows the answer to this - feel free to tell me!)

However I am going to go back to the Rules and Guidelines - by adhering to each site/platform's rules and conditions you will build an online presence but more importantly you will build trust among your peers.

Each site should have a list of guidelines, terms and conditions or policies on a page - have a read through all of them!

source: http://thetechnologycoach.blogspot.com.au/2011/05/do-you-have-social-media-policy.html

Guy Kawasaki talks about Social Media

His secret is not to plan Social Media but to jump right in and do it.

He chats to Inc. about marketing - having the right product is key- and his strategy is to Dive Right In in this article: http://www.inc.com/eric-markowitz/guy-kawasaki-dont-plan-your-social-media-just-do-it.html

Guy Kawasaki's site http://alltop.com/ keeps you informed on the latest top tech feeds.

He believes that social media is more about effort than expense.

If you'd like to learn more and read more about Guy Kawasaki; find him on American Express Open Forum , Google+, Twitter and Facebook.

His book about Google+ comes out on the 8th March.

Want to learn more SEO and social media secrets from Guy Kawasaki? Join him and other  entrepreneurs from March 5 - 7 at Growco in New Orleans. 

Visit www.growco.inc.com for more information.

Pinterest.com - a rapidly growing visual content site!

If you haven't joined Pinterest.com - here is a breakdown on everything you need to know about this rapidly growing site - http://www.blueglass.com/blog/everything-you-need-to-know-about-pinterest/. 

It's a great site for visual content and for all your work/interests/ to be seen, build brand advocacy, create interesting boards and share to other social media sites. 

It's also a great site to find inspiration, tips and ideas. There are quotes, clothes, home decor, locations, tutorials, infographics as well as delicious cupcakes and cakes for you to drool over. It's extremely visual and you can search for anything and everything.  

Often when you click on a pin, it leads you to a site you have never seen before - this is a huge advantage for marketing your business or blog.

It's also easy to use, people can like,comment on, repin or share your pins, so it's a great site for start ups, bloggers, people who work from home and small businesses.

For creative companies like designers, architects, bloggers, cooks, chefs, moms, illustrators, artists, musicians - this is a great site to share your work.

And if you're curious top designers and musicians are starting to use the site as well - so there is a branding advantage for businesses and individuals.

Michael Kors is an early user and his boards are divided up between his work and his interests - http://pinterest.com/michaelkors/ - it will be very interesting to see how people make use of this site!

Here's a Pinterest Guide for beginners from Mashable - http://mashable.com/2011/12/26/pinterest-beginners-guide/

And for people like me who love quotes, reading books and infographics - http://pinterest.com/ebbye/ - I am using it to pin info about social media and business - I spend a great deal of time online researching and searching for content to train my clients and this site is a source of inspiration for me!

Are you on Pinterest.com yet? I'd love to know what you think of this site?

One of my pins today http://pinterest.com/pin/76631631129250424/

The Top Twenty Social Media Blogs Finalists

2012 is the 3rd year for Social Media Examiner to pick up 10 social media blogs among all nominations. The top 10 blogs will be announced in its newsletter and also on their blog. 

Here are the 20 finalists with a brief introduction (in alphabetical order) - written by Kate - thanks to http://evanhugh.com/2012/01/22/the-top-10-social-media-blogs-in-2012/

1. Bundle Post: It is founded by Robert M. Caruso with passion in tech and social media. It takes the first step to automate and schedule the social media contents in one place.
2. Digital Brand Marketing Education: It holds continuing learning philosophy to educate empowered professionals in using digital to brand and market their businesses.
3. Heidi Cohen: She brings you into the world of digital and direct marketing through her established experiences so that readers can easily apply to their current social situation.
4. Hubze: Social media marketers and lovers share how to start the social media engine to engage with customers and manage social media accounts like an elite.
5. inBlurbs: It shows you how to get found on the Internet and convert the traffic into physical customers to bring up your own brand and prospects.
6. Inbound Marketing Spot: It belongs to Trust eMedia and provides inbound marketing strategies to build a loyal social media community to support brands and businesses.
7. Jeff Korhan: He is an inspiring speaker who can help and present the closer connection between social media and small businesses to grow through Internet and social media.
8. Jeff Bullas: The blog, which is being ranked #87 in AdAge Power 150, offers public some useful hints and advices on how to make advantage of social media tools.
9. Likeable Media: It purposes on leveraging social media to build up marketing castle that supports brand, value and services.
10. Marketing Tech blog: There are media marketing experts to analysis the current development and provide technology and marketing tips for social marketers.
11. Media First: A blog from a public relations agency to help clients to win new market share and grow revenues and profits with unique marketing tactics.
12. Media Tapper: The purpose is to discuss day-to-day developments in the social and online media world and share the piece of information globally.
13. My Social Agency: Provide a series of expert advices and solutions in social media management to keep in touch with the current racing world pace.
14. Pushing Social: It tells you to do what to publicize and market around through Stanford Smith’s words. He is an online marketing strategist who loves amplifying social tools.
15. Sales Lion: Read “Why Subscribe” in its site and realize that it is an experience sharing and writing to help people who are involved in sales hardcore and marketing mistakes.
16. Social Mouths: “I help people be successful online” brings readers to meet Francisco Rosales who determines to help every potential reader creating their brand and expertise.
17. Social Strand Media: Provide marketing solutions, from social media to marketing campaigns, at free consultation to accelerate your brand beyond the borders.
18. Spiderworking: Teaching small to medium business how to promote brand and drag online traffic using social media, Amamda Webb shares her knowledge after her first business, Feelgood Organic Hampers.
19. Splash Media: Contains opinion and analysis from a group of social media, marketing and video professionals. Specifically tailor solution and monitor progress for their clients.
20. ViralBlog: Ranked #71 in the AdAge Power 150 as well as collects the daily viral and social media cases over the global, in order to inspire people and create the best social strategies.

All these blogs provide businesses up to date  information regarding social media, case studies, success stories and great marketing tips.

I love reading  weekly mashups from We are Social  - http://wearesocial.net/blog/2012/01/we-are-socials-monday-mashup-103/ and Jeffrey Thomas's weekly EdTech Resources Treasure Chest - http://jeffthomastech.com/blog/?p=11829

Alltop covers news from everywhere about social media - http://social-media.alltop.com/ - so this is another great resource to use, share and provide you with inspiration to write your own blog posts, Tweets and updates.

Social Media keeps growing, so it means we have to keep learning! So there has to be a lot reading, reviewing, researching and staying up to date.

7 ways to prevent Social Media Fails

There are many ways that a campaign, account, video, update, link, article, post, advert, small business or company can experience a social media #fail online.

Here are 7 approaches to help you and hopefully prevent your brand or business from experiencing a social media fail:

1. Social Media should be considered holistic. 

When setting up accounts/profiles, your social media should be consistent and in alignment with your business/company's policies and practices. 

Social media combines advertising, marketing, PR, writing, customer service and communications - approaching social media hoistically will be extremely rewarding.

2. Develop a 3/4 month social media marketing plan, this can be amended and adjusted accordingly. A plan throughout the year will help to set up your smm (social media marketing) strategy:

 -what is your message?

-what is your aim?

-who is your target market?

-what are your strategies?

-how much are you planning to spend on marketing and advertising (month by month)?

-which social media accounts and platforms you are going to use for your business and why?

-who is responsible for each account? 

-are you going to have an employee schedule?

-how will you monitor each account (or who)?

-what to focus on each month?

-do you have tech support?

-are you going to outsource,writers, designers, PR companies

I signed up for free and received marketing templates from VATrainingOnline, to start planning for 2012 - they are free, colourful and easy to use and share.

3. Every person, business and company should have a social media policy in place. The Department of Justice, Victoria has designed a policy and a video for their employees. 

A policy defines your code of conduct, your business practices, your responsibilities. 

You can protect your business and brand. 

Here is a free policy template that you can use to develop one of your own. 

Ideally, employees should read and sign the policy before using social media which represents their workplaces.

4. PR issues need to be discussed. 

Whether you hire a PR agency or you look at PR practices, knowing how to handle any crisis, having a crisis policy into place and knowing exactly how to act and deal with  a 'failure' will be extremely beneficial. 

Here are 10 steps to help recover from a 'fail'. 

Ogilvy has set up a slideshare on crisis management - don't overreact see a crisis as an opportunity.

5. Customer service, responding and monitoring is an essential part of social media. 

In fact, I think that customer service and social media go hand in hand.
People often use social media accounts to complain publicly and expect teams to handle them quickly and well. 

Most businesses/corporations need to align their customer service teams in the same way they handle email, telephone and written complaints and customer service training on social media should be an essential part of business practices.

Address the following:

Who will be handling enquiries and complaints?

What action will you take over weekends? 

Have you set up a feedback email or a number for complaints?

Have you set up alerts and notifications, so you can handle customer feedback in a reasonable time?

Here are 9 top brands who are embracing social customer care

Here are 26 tips to add and implement customer service as part of your social media strategy.

6. Look at and learn from #fails online.
Read up about social media fails and take the oppurtunity to learn from them to:
Listen to people online.

Set up alerts and notifications.
Monitor your accounts.
Track your brand and business online.
Respond to questions, feedback, complaints and enquiries (within reason).
Understand the terms and conditions of each social media account.

7. Consider research as an essential part of your social media.

Read blogs, forums, reviews and if you can, thank people for their positivity (via email).

Build advocates around your business and your brand. 

Take time to read about your industry and be aware of what is happening in your industry, this will benefit your content, your understanding, your expertise and ensure that you know exactly what is happening day by day online.
Set up RSS feeds, read articles and blog posts.
Track your industry and watch what is happening on Twitter.

   

Google+ just launched pages for business

Google+ has just announced that users can start creating pages for businesses, providing users with information on how to set up pages.

CNET's article will give you a basic idea of what Google+ pages entails and Google themselves  have set up a Google+ for business page -  with information on how to share, promote and measure.

Here's my page -  I cannot wait to see how it will assist businesses with building a brand, connecting with customers/clients and marketing their brands.

What is your influence?

Klout, Social Mention and all those monitoring your influence sites gives others an idea of what kind of topics you share and what you are influential about. It also acts as a referral/recommendation service and helps people to find you (or your business) online.

Measuring (and knowing) your online influence can be vital for brands. Generating, monitoring and engaging brands is ultimately what social media is all about.

'Understanding how your company interacts with its online community, and knowing which tools are effective in the ultra-specific world of the Internet, is crucial for driving your brand's overall success' Dave Smith - How to Measure Your Brand's Online Influence

Remember the more effort you put into the social media marketing, whether you are an entrepreneur, or you work from home, or run a small business,  or work for a non profit or work for a huge company - there are resources, content, blogs, guides, eBooks, marketing tips, tools and ideas to help you use social media daily and incorporate social media with traditional media, marketing and advertising.

How about a fun exercise, find out what you Facebook or Tweet about the most and then share?

Find what words you use the most, what do you like the most and what do you share the most - you'd be surprised,  I certainly was - I use the words like and love the most!

Here's mine! Social Status 

8 easy ways to invest in social media

Social Media is an investment. And it is a long term investment.

"Don’t treat it as a stand alone function, but as an asset, and you’ll be glad you invested in it."  - Sean Clark.

Most small businesses and non profit organisations are not going to see quick results. And they are probably not going to see ROI. Social Media requires time, energy, effort and often this is very hard to measure by ROI alone.

Larger corporations and companies who make use of email marketing, social media campaigns and a campaign or video going viral will probably see instantaneous results - but this can fade and it is up to a marketing team (or agency) to plan and invest in social media on a regular basis.

Over the past few years, we have experienced changes in the online world. We are learning to plant fish where people are actually logging in and looking for fish and most people are using Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. Thanks to Chris Brogan's eBook, Fish Where The Fish Are, he encourages the use of social and traditional marketing which will explain to you how to use sales and marketing tools to reach your audience online.

Once Google+ enables business profiles, there will be another platform to drive traffic and marketing.

Here are 8 simple ways you have to invest in social media over the long term:

1. Post often - at least once every working day. Whether it's a video, written content, an announcement, news, a launch or photos, blogs drive traffic to and from your website and to other social media accounts. Business blogs aid businesses, drives traffic and provides a communication tool. Every company no matter how big or small should have a blog.

2. Update often  - several times a week on Facebook. Make sure you respond to queries and build a relationship with people who have liked your page.

3. Tweet often - There is a limit of 250 times a day. Depending on the nature of your business, your style and voice, you can Tweet between 7- 100 times a day to help you drive your brand and business. Twitter acts as a global newspaper and often content gets lost. Try to use Twitter for sharing knowledge and for interacting with others; without constant marketing and promotion. Have a look at companies and brands you resonate with and follow their suit on Twitter.

5. Have a marketing strategy - plan for 3 - 6 months so you can plan campaigns, content, prizes, and giveaways. Keep adjusting the strategy every few months according to changes and needs. Have monthly meetings with the social media team (customer service or marketing team) to discuss changes online and new resources/ideas. Social Media is constantly changing.

6. Listen to your clients and customers -  monitor their responses, clicks and shares. Listen to what they want, answer their questions and plan or implement strategies to satisfy your advocates. Use surveys, questions, focus groups, emails, campaigns and email marketing to reach clients and customers.

7. Invest in training - Training provides the tools to assist with social learning, interaction and finding resources which fit the business, encourage social media in workplaces. Individuals (yourself, staff or team) will learn from each other and interact with each other. Social Media and Social Learning go hand in hand, it increases productivity, aids curiosity and understanding. Individuals who work in an environment which encourages social learning; find that they are more invested in the company or business. Talk to your staff; they are dealing with clients and customers in a myriad of ways from the receptionist, to customer service teams to the marketing team themselves. Your workplace will be able to understand clients/customers wants and needs via their emails and interaction with your business.

8. Engage  - thank people, answer people who reply or like or comment. They have made the effort to be in contact with your business and whether they are in need of assistance, customer service or advice; the more you interact; the more likely they will return.

Here are some basic best practices for social media success.

I would like to emphasise that social media is long term. People are seeking information online and are building long term relationships with brands.

These 8 basic steps will enable you and your business/company to invest in social media for the long haul. Most of these steps have to be taken everyday with regular meetings, reviews on a monthly (6 weeks, or bi monthly) basis. 

Whether you work for yourself or for a giant corporation, by making a long term investment in social media; these 8 steps will give you results.

Using videos for marketing

I've just started using Go Animate to make videos, discussing social media, training and etiquette, a fun way of trying out video and deciding how to use videos professionally.

What I enjoy the most making about making videos on this platform, is that you can export them to YouTube, share on social media and embed on websites or blogs, so  the developers and designers are welll aware that people search for video content and 1 in 4 people in the US are watching/accessing videos daily.

Videos are the fastest growing out of all social media tools, they're often easy to make and YouTube has just made it incredibly easy to edit videos making it easy for you to search for and view anything you like.

Have a look at the Online Video Rankings and consider video marketing. 

You can do guerilla ads, montages, how tos, training sessions, guides, words, launches, festivals, glimpses, sneak peaks, vlogging ... you name it.

As you can tell from the rankings above Google Sites, driven primarily by video viewing at YouTube.com, ranked as the top online video content property in May with 147.2 million unique viewers.

So if you choose to use animations or stick figures like me (to start) or a hire/use a professional team with access to excellent music, voice and sound - which ever way you to go, export to YouTube or use YouTube, make use of tags and labels and set up your channel.

Here's my latest animated videos  - http://www.youtube.com/user/ebbyeryan

Make use of videos for social media, people like to view content and share/send to friends.

Looking for a Guru?

I Tweet and I am on Facebook and I have a blog while assisting with and advising clients and helping them wade through social media.
I say wade through because for someone who is starting on social media, the reality is that it can and does add an hour more of work a day and that is if you are doing social media properly.

For me, properly means the same as how you use and access your emails. In the mornings (I am assuming) you check your emails to deal with anything that is needed to do for the day as well as enquiries, priorities, plans, meetings and you respond accordingly.

On average, business and companies (from CEO to any level of staff) access their emails at least every 20 - 25 minutes. I am assuming that the busier you are at work, the bigger your business is, the more products and services you provide and they way you service your clients, probably means that you email and receive emails all day long.

So soon, social media (new media) will become just as important and vital for those people who are providing their business with social media services.

As well as checking emails, I recommend checking whichever social media sites you are active on, to respond to any comments, or queries or messages or even likes on Facebook, Twitter, your blog and LinkedIn.

In a company which offers a service (such as mine) you are responsible for providing services. In my case it's tips, suggestions, helpful hints and references to apps which can help you business and my Twitter account, has proved an invaluable tool for finding, sharing and using information to benefit my clients.

There are always recommendations regarding social media and one is knowing where your audience is.

I have a Facebook business page where I link this blog and my Tweets (links, updates, shared content) but the reality is I use Facebook as a search tool to find and drive content regarding social media practices so I can ensure that I am knowledgeable and essentially helping my clients by providing a better service.

Jess Nichols who wrote a blog post about knowing your product and that if people search for you (if you are calling yourself a social media expert/guru), they need to see that you are using social media actively.

Jess responded to on Twitter when we were discussing this post " I try not to put too much pressure on my blogging; I'd rather now do quality > quantity. Once a month is ok for me" She also emphasises that she thinks "It comes back to being authentic and legitimate in the industry"

If you sell products and have daily weekly or monthly events, you will have to be active on the social media accounts where your audience, your buyers are coming from. By active I mean anything that needs to responded to (whether positive/negative) needs to be actioned within 24 hours.

Over the past few months, I have to agree with Jess's post. It is about quality and being human and authentic when you are providing a social media service. Sure some people (or people who are doing their social media) schedule their blog posts and activate their links via platforms which help them drive their links over a certain period of time. If your buyers are in the UK and USA and are reading your blogs and buying your products, while you are asleep, there certainly needs to be an awareness and implementation of best practices for your business.

I realise that people who are at work doing the work that they do, always say that they have no time for social media.

My recommendation is to hire someone who will act as a marketing person and/or community manager who deals with monitoring and analysing your social media, responds to fans and followers by providing an additional and much needed customer service role, while reading, researching, building a brand and engaging with your business and community (no matter what type of business you are in, you can build a community who will benefit you online)

I am not honestly a fan of people who call themselves social media gurus/experts. Social Media is still new media there are hundreds and thousands of people still who have not embraced Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, YouTube, LinkedIn and hundreds of other tools and platforms that can drive their message, their business online.

So Google your company/business. What comes up?

More importantly what doesn't come up? A charity event you put together and advertised everywhere on print? A new line? A list of events/courses. A recent interview? A podcast or video that you spent time and money on?

The answer is that social media will ensure that all of this, comes up - links, sharing, events lists, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, SMO, SEO, labels, tags will provide you with ways to further market and drive your business alongside traditional marketing techniques.

I recommend being active on social media and driving traffic. Yet I also recommend being part of a community, providing valuable content and getting to know your audience and what people get and want from your business. I work alongside businesses to ensure that we put practices into place which are suitable for their needs and I concentrate on one important aspect  - community.

I am not a marketing manager. I am not a guru. I need to put my recommendations into practice more and ensuring I do and represent what I teach. I discovered that I love this industry, this ability to reach people globally and I saw the benefits of this new media and how we can all put this into our practices at work.


But like Jess points out in her blog post, are they active, or lurking or aggregating? Are they embracing tools and social media sites themselves? When was their last Facebook, Twitter update and their latest blog post?

Regardless of whether you are a small business or a giant corporation who has a social media team, I recommend doing. I don't recommend feeling pressure to do and adding additional work to your already jam packed work day. I do not recommend doing at the cost of other things which are a priority at work.

If you can hire someone to manage your social media holistically by embracing and sharing and engaging, try that for a few months and then Google your business again.

And if you cannot, (don't have the time) or if you feel that you should hire someone with the knowledge to do so, check how and what they are doing first online, Google the person, read what they link to, blog about, tweet about and share - and look closely at when and how they do so.

And then by all means Google me and Google the word guru.

Picture below belongs to and is thanks to Ryan Jones's blogpost Having 1000 Twitter followers doesn't make you a social media guru. Thank you Ryan

Connect

Social media is not just about marketing, promoting, business, feeds, ROI and all the other marketing terms I am sure you have heard of, read and used yourself.



Social media is about connecting and this has been especially apparent on Twitter and Facebook. People use social media to reach out to each other and connect with each other.


There is an incredible amount of sharing on social media sites. People write about everything and share so much about their lives and themselves. It truly helps us to connect, to embrace, to have empathy, to show compassion and you can see this by how many people reply or comment on updates or blog posts or statuses and send or share links with others.


It shows me, that people in the world can learn from each other and mourn for other peoples' losses, deaths and tragedies and support each other and communicate with each other in a way we never could before.


We can also celebrate with people, congratulate people on their accomplishments and achievements and be happy for someone who has witnessed, seen or done something.


On the 3 May 2011, Derek K Miller died of cancer at 41 and wrote a last post to say goodbye to his family. His post reached hundreds of his followers and his friends, who said goodbye to him in their own way and cried tears for him. It also reached out to hundreds of strangers, to people who have or have had cancer and did what I believe social media does best, makes us closer to each other, helps us learn about others and really reaches us, wherever we are in the world, no matter our own individual circumstances.


In the same way, Jenny writes a diary for her son Cooper who has leukaemia and shares her love for her son and again, blogs like these teach us about Jenny, her love for Cooper and both their experiences of cancer.


And a 5 year old boy, whose sister sold his artwork which paid off his cancer treatment, again shows us how we can connect, can reach out to each other, can reach out somehow in ways we never could.


I cannot express how beneficial social media is. Not only for business, for marketing, from building a brand, from putting a business online, from a making money point of view, from building a community - which are some of the reasons that individuals, businesses and corporations are using social media for.


Businesses, entrepreneurs, small businesses and corporations have seen how they can benefit, how we can all benefit by communicating with each other, by connecting with each other in a number of ways.


We no longer just look at websites. We watch YouTube videos, we use Facebook, we communicate on Twitter, we read blogs, use discussion forums, click on likes, share links, we make business connections on LinkedIn. We use email marketing, surveys - we are truly being more socially active online.


And the benefits are astounding. We can connect and make contact with people who love the same things we do. We can find people in our industries. We can find jobs, resources and ideas. We are truly sharing.


We can respond to queries, clients and customers in a hundred different ways. The work we do is different. We look for, find, research and use information which is immediate on the Internet and we can benefit by reading, observing and listening to each other.


But the essential most crucial part of all the social media, is that I as a stranger can mourn the loss of a man who loved his children, I can learn, read about and understand about illness and family life.


We can teach each other and learn from each other. And we get a glimpse of love. We see empathy and compassion. We can wish each other well, help each other, give and receive advice.


I truly love social media but it goes further than that for me. I love learning from people. I love the way I can get information, any kind of advice, assistance, tips, hints which helps me with my business, with marketing and deciding how to teach my clients. I love the way I can find information and news and stay so up to date about anything that is happening in the world.


But when social media shows us that we simply can connect with each other and get a glimpse of love -  then we watch and see how people respond, full of empathy and compassion for each other; that's when I truly get a glimpse that we all just really want to hear each other and be heard. (It's quick, people make thousands of Tweets a minute and hundreds of Facebook updates - so you cannot possibly read everything)


Sure, we want immediacy, we want businesses to respond quickly when there is an issue or a crisis. We want to have our say, have the freedom to express (whatever, TV shows, cooking skills, business meetings, funny things that happened through the day, complaints, news, and opinions)


But social media really is about communicating. Not just communicating, but learning about each other. And being very, very grateful that we can.

Schedule your social media

Make time for social media.

Schedule 15 minutes twice a day into your work calendars.

For the first schedule in your calendar:
Check your social media accounts, write an update or two, write a blog post, answer queries, track your industry ( updates, news, comments)

For the second schedule in your calendar: Find information, articles, facts, news, updates so you can write blogs, updates and posts. Track your industry, answer questions, respond to comments on all  your social media accounts.

By scheduling in your social media, you are making the time to write about, market, promote and communicate about your business. You are staying on top of everything happening in your industry and you are keeping people up to date on what us happening in your business.

Social media is dynamic, fast, things happen and change so quickly. Social media accounts have become a good way to keep track of all kinds of information.

Doing 30 minutes of social media work a day will give your business results!

Make time to integrate and update

http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-You-Should-Integrate-Your-Email-and-Social-Media-Marketing&id=5965150 – Integrate your email and social media marketing, keeps you on track and reaches all your clients, customers and potential clients/customers.


A way to do this is via articles or newsletters updates or news via email and then linking readers to blog posts, Facebook, Twitter etc.


Then can even be a click on option to Like Facebook, comment on blog posts and subscribe to newsletters. Another option is surveys/polls especially if you are selling a service.


If it is community based, link to an event or happening within the next few months.


Ask people what they want to hear about. Do they want updates, events, education, news? Do they want to attend workshops? Do they want prizes such as cards, books, information packs on websites or social media? Ask questions, ask what they think, follow up with a question ... encourage communication.


Another option is to send important information and updates regarding websites or events happening in your industry which you are not directly involved with but which you would recommend.


All kinds of information can be used for updates and blog posts. The more you say, the more content you give out, the more you engage and communicate with your customers and clients via email marketing, social media, education, updates, news, content, other links and recommendations, the more you will drive users to your blog and sites.

Try to update as frequently as you can. Make social media a part of your marketing strategy and use tools to your advantage. Ensure you have relevant content and link to your social media sites, your website upcoming events or sites and information you have come across.

Now is the time to communicate and engage and build your social media and make it part of your business.

Read and learn

The one thing I recommend to people who want to understand social media and use it for their business, is that they MUST read.

Find blogs, technology information, articles and people in your industry and read what people are doing and saying online.

This will give you inspiration and can teach you how to use social media for yourself.

Follow your instincts. Remember you will be writing about, talking about, writing blog posts and updates about your own business - so read up and then decide upon the best social media practices for your self.

Here are a few articles which have caught my eye and should be of help to you:

Brief thoughts about social media for business -

http://www.socialmediadelivered.com/2010/05/11/brief-thoughts-about-social-media-for-small-businesses/

7 effective marketing tips for Twitter - http://www.twitip.com/7-tips-for-effective-marketing-with-twitter/

What is social media and how to use it for your business - http://ezinearticles.com/?What-Is-Social-Media-and-How-to-Use-It-for-Your-Online-Business?&id=5597819

Social media isn't (just) a popularity contest - http://socialmediatoday.com/thepaulsutton/249962/social-media-isnt-just-popularity-contest?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Social+Media+Today+(all+posts)

Common keywords are community, learn, monitor, build online and engage.

Find people in business who have common interests. Build your business and brand by really engaging with others.

And read as much as you can about online marketing, online marketing tools and the latest technology because I agree it's not just having random conversations with random people online, social media can show revenue, growth and community.

Goodbye 2010

Thank you for your support over 2010.

I am still open over the holiday period, so if you would like social media advice and assistance, please contact me.

January is a good time to start planning events, launches, workshops and activities for the next 6 months, so if you need business advice and assistance over the quieter period please get in touch and I am  happy to set up social media and assist with attending networking events and moving your business forward over the next 6 months in 2011.

Take the time to enjoy your holidays and to bring in the year ahead. Social Status will be holding workshops and attending networking events, to better advise you, so stay tuned.

Being social ...

Meet with clients and networking.

Social Media is about being social and making contacts.

I explained to a new client today that using social media is about reach. You never know who will be interested in your business and why.

It could be a work at home mum, a graphic designer, a CEO of a huge business, a person who wants to start their own small business and any of these people (and thousands of others!)  who just like what you do or the kind of business you have.

It could be anyone from anywhere and if someone asks them, do you know a business who makes cards or does social media for small businesses or does PR, then you can say yes I am a fan of theirs on Facebook, follow them on Twitter, I read their blog posts and I really like what they do. Or I like their blog posts, their Tweets, what they say, their passion for their work ... it is surprising why people follow each other.

Social Media is about communicating and making connections. It is about building up a profile and making contacts. Some businesses use social media to attract new customers and consumers and others use it to reach as many people as they can.

The money will come, it's more about being authentic and genuine and building up fans and followers. You will learn how to write updates, how to submit links to social media sites, how to add photos and do all the networking, promoting and marketing under the social media platform.

You become the master of your business, the captain of your business's soul.

And the reach of social media is extraordinary.

Introducing Aware Net Connect ...

As part of my business Social Status, I have seen the need to raise consciousness over the Internet (in regards to usage amongst all users, young and old)

I have developed an educational component called Aware Net Connect to educate users, small businesses, home based businesses, teens and adults, in fact every one who uses the Internet to discuss privacy issues, photos, work issues, social issues especially with parents who have young children and teens and what sort of information should be left private amongst real friends and 'privacy' of information on the Internet.

I would like to discuss and raise issues regarding, age, information, friends, groups, meetings, messages and how to keep young children, teens and even adults informed of and on the Internet.

I will be holding reasonably priced educational workshops and seminars with schools, parents, students and business owners regarding sites and issues I or others have personally experienced and raise all of our social consciousness together.

In the meantime, I have started a meetup.com group http://www.meetup.com/awarenetconnect/

Please feel free to tell your co workers, family and friends and contact me if you’d like any information about either Social Status or Aware Net Connect. 

Both parts of my business work alongside each other to make every user Internet savvy!

New website ...

I designed a simple website to use for advertising and marketing.

I kept it simple, included this blog link and  included really basic outlines of the type of work I can do for you.

If you'd like to please contact me on the website if you'd like advice and assistance with social media marketing and networking.