10 Perfect Social Media Gifts for this holiday season

If you are an addict, or you work in social media, or you just love digital technology - here are 10 perfect social media gifts for the holiday season.

1. Twitter and Facebook like cookie cutters

Have a bake -off at your office this holiday season. I adore these Twitter bird and Facebook like cookie cutters. They’re from CavidDesigns on Etsy.

2. Project your Instagrams

Get your own holiday slideshow done with this fantastic Magical Mini Projector: the slides are made from your Instagrams  so you can display your brand's pics at your end of the year function!

3. App coasters

These colourful app coasters from Etsy are a welcome addition. They're perfect for your end of the year workspace drinks.

4. Pillows for Geeks

These  pillows are a great addition for an office space. and they'd be even more perfect for the person who handles all of your social media and will need to rest! They're from Craftsquatch on etsy

5. Cameras 

People seem to love cameras and taking pics so it's the perfect gift for the person who looks after the Instagram profile in your office, or for the foodie, the designer, the photographer, or the blogger - here are 10 instant cameras for you to choose from  http://www.brit.co/instant-cameras/

I love the Fujifilm Instamax Mini it's tiny and compact and will be a great conversation starter when taking instant pictures at your next function, launch, or event. 

6. Facebook like stamp

Stamp your way through the end of the year party, or on all your completed paperwork. This like button will also make a great conversation starter. It's from Wacodis on etsy

I'm really partial to  this OMG stamp when you just don't have the words - perfect for that end of the year party and another great conversation starter -  OMG Stamp
 

7. Eat. Sleep. Tweet.

It feels that way sometimes. It's the perfect tee for your team - ladies size - from DesignDepot123 on etsy 

and I found a great star wars inspired Twitter tee for men - May the Tweets be with you by JazzyDesignz

8. Give Back

There are plenty of ways that you can give back to your community.

Why not host a #socialgood project at your workspace this holiday season?

You can pack birthing kits - http://www.bkfa.org.au/  - please contact the company to discuss how you can help or you can raise funds and donate as a team, or host an event by choosing an organisation or charity and pack kits, make toys, wrap presents, or hold a charity workshop lunch or afternoon tea for your end-of-the-year office party.

You can drop off dog treats, dogs and cats toys for  Give a Dog a Bone, Keep Kitty Happy

There are also plenty of retail outlets with gift-giving trees, where you can drop off gifts and cards for kids. Just Google what you can do/join/participate in to give back this holiday season.

If you need ideas of who you can help why not take part in #GivingTuesday on the 2nd December - http://givingtuesday.org.au/

 9. Do a Bill Gates

In 2013 Bill Gates participated in the Reddit Secret Santa gift matching. He gifted his elf with
a donation on her behalf to Heifer International  (as well as some other gifts) - http://redditgifts.com/gallery/gift/spoiler-alert-bill-gates-did-not-get-you/#pres440073

A donation to any organisation is a great gift for a coworker who you don't know too well or for someone in the office who you know would appreciate this. 
You can give cows, honeybees, goats, or a wide range of animals to a community through Heifer and the entire community benefits. There are plenty of other organisations you can donate to on behalf of someone else.

http://instagram.com/p/tl4BaClw79/

And 10. Attend a Party

Get your co-workers together and join a party who are raising funds for charity over the holiday season.

There are plenty of events, and fundraisers you can join - I love the sound of this one - Ugly Christmas Jumper Party

or 11. Just Make Stuff - the perfect gift really could just be a card thanking a coworker, a bunch of flowers, a box of chocolates, something homemade, or a batch of homemade cookies or biscuits. 

The holiday season is about giving - give your time - make a card with kids, host an event at your office,  wrap presents (so many organisations are wrapping presents and hosting gift events) or give your time by participating/volunteering in an event. 

Remember that social media never sleeps! - your social media will still be active and you will probably still be working but you can use these ideas to spread cheer, to be responsive, and to be interactive on all your social media profiles - http://www.verticalresponse.com/blog/5-terrific-tips-for-stellar-holiday-service-on-social-media/

Content, content, content (again!)

As a social media trainer; one of the most challenging things is finding content, and images, and posts, and updates, and Tweets, and videos, and stories (you get the picture) which is or will be valuable for your audience (or fans or followers)

I have been teaching my clients how to find content by focusing on keywords and stories or images or videos which their fans - the people, the humans who come to their accounts ACTUALLY want to read, or like, or share to their friends. (use Google Analytics or various insight/analytics tools to assess this)

So I was very very happy to put together all the things I like to read and share on LinkedIn Pulse app  - https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pulse-news-for-iphone/id377594176 - which is a really good way to share content that will be relevant for your brand and business.

So after saving about a million things to my http://getpocket.com - which is very handy if you use Twitter and want to save articles (to check and read later) - I have set up various Pinterest boards with articles or content which will hopefully help, motivate, or inspire me when I train or at least give me stuff to talk about (or share or post or Tweet).

Social Media is social!

 It is about sharing information which is relevant to you BUT it has to be valuable to actual people. When people like, or click, or ReTweet, or comment on, or share (across various accounts) it is then your role( as a social media person, or community manager) to actually engage with the people. (As you would if they were standing in front of you discussing a certain topic)

Back in 2005 I was blogging a lot! I had my own second hand bookshop and social media was not what it is now. It has now become a place where you can Tweet, post, save, like, share etc.I love it, I love how people are connecting, sharing stories and I also love seeing the impact social media is having on our lives (think social good - it is really helpful during natural disasters, world events, or for people who want to spread kindness and help other people)

While blogging was an interactive and very handy tool for me - I have now moved towards Twitter (where I stay updated on EVERYTHING) and save content to read, or post, or share later and Pinterest - which I have found highly beneficial.

I set up a Computer and Internet Basics for Seniors (older people) board and a Social Media Love board and I use these boards to not only train but to provide relevant and hopefully handy resources for my clients. I use articles from Pulse app. from the Flipboard app and from all over the Internet so I can share and save information - it is truly limitless.

So in order to find content for your own business or brand, please download some of these apps. Or join some of these accounts.

And don't forget to blog, to write your own original Tweets and Facebook updates (on your Facebook business page)! To start - then perhaps and if it is needed set up an Instagram account and perhaps join Pinterest - which has a great search feature and you will find information about everything and anything.

This is what was recorded in 2013:

http://www.mycleveragency.com/2013/07/qmee-find-out-what-happens-online-in-60-seconds/

So what does this mean as a brand or business?

Stop thinking that you are online and you HAVE to only sell or market your business and products. 

Please start listening to what your clients, and fans, and followers have to say. What is relevant to them? Why did they like or follow your brand or business? What do they want? What is important to them? 

What are they sharing, and commenting on? Are you actually answering them, talking to them or are you just not engaging? Engaging really means - someone has seen an article you put online, then responded to the article, "Wow I never knew that!" or "What an amazing idea." or whatever and you genuinely responding - we love that idea, or we (...), or I (...)

Imagine a person is face-to-face with you and have conversations. They don't have to be witty, or trying too hard, or insincere, or not like yourself at all - you can have genuine conversations with people offline (think of when a customer comes to buy your products, or how you talk to people on the phone, or how you meet people in a professional way) and START doing that same thing online.

Remember any content you create, write, post, and share is aimed at people JUST LIKE YOU.

Why do you follow a certain person or brand on Twitter? Why have you clicked like on something? What are you commenting on and responding to? What inspires YOU, motivates YOU, propels YOU to act - the people you are trying to reach are also doing the exact same thing.

Stop thinking of social media as only selling to or marketing towards current or potential clients and start being a person - and talk (both online and offline) to real people just like you! 

If you would like to know more or would like social media training or advice - feel free to contact me. ~ Elana ebbyeryan@gmail.com

Pinterest for resources and content

Have you tried out Pinterest  for your business or brand?

Do you struggle to find content?

First I would suggest setting up a blog for your business. A blog (try http://www.blogger.com/home) will help you drive content from your website to and from all your other social media sites. Blogging you will help drive traffic and it will help raise awareness of your business products or services.

My suggestion is to blog at least once a fortnight; but a lot of people choose to blog weekly or daily.

So now that you have set up a blog; you will need to find content which is aimed at raising knowledge and awareness of your business/brand's products and services.

So this is where Pinterest comes in handy. Search Pinterest for content ideas (by using keywords) If you don't know what keywords are applicable for your business; think of your products and services and then use keywords which will help individuals find your products and services. 

Here is some information about keywords if you have never used keywords before - http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2277087/How-to-Make-Your-Keywords-Fit-Your-Marketing-Messaging

Now most businesses should be creating their own unique content to drive their business. In other words; you want people to find YOUR business so here is a way to start creating your OWN content - http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/developing-a-strategy/

Social Media has become very visual so you can design your own content to share on your social media sites. 

Some great content tools or ideas are:

 - tips
 - infographics
 - images with quotes
 - information about your products or services
 - facts
 - tools
 - slideshares
 - images of your products or services

 and 88 other ideas for content - http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2195076/88-Content-Creation-Ideas-for-Better-Business-Blog-Posts-Images-or-Videos 

But the best social media practice is to SHARE tools, resources, tips, infographics from other trusted resources and that is why you need to make use of Pinterest for business purposes.

Set up your own board (so a board about your OWN business/brand) and then set up other boards and start pinning and sharing.

Pinterest is a great site to find content an to help you find ideas for your OWN content.

Here are some ideas of how to use Pinterest for small business - http://www.forbes.com/sites/thesba/2013/06/07/how-to-use-pinterest-for-small-business/

Make use of the search tool in Pinterest and look at the popular pins to see what content people like and why. 

Start using Pinterest for YOUR business and make sure that you pin your OWN content and SHARE content as well. The content ideas you use (or find or create) on Pinterest can be used on your Blog, Twitter, Facebook, Google + as well - just make sure that ALL the content you use (and share) links back to the original source.

Here is a Pinterest tutorial - http://www.theyummylife.com/Pinterest_tips and now start searching, sharing and Pinning!

source: http://www.theyummylife.com/Pinterest_tips

Be Creative this Year with Your Social Media

This is the year to be creative! 

Mari Smith believes that 2013 is the Year of the Video and uses her site to teach you how to produce high-value, quality video content. She also teaches how to distribute it effectively online and on mobile, and how to create measurable results http://www.marismith.com/yearofthevideo/

Use Video and Photography to highlight your business and brand online.

Make use of Instagram and Pinterest to interact with people and create a connection with people.

Here's info on how to use Instagram for Business  - http://instagram-business.tumblr.com/ and a free Ebook from Hubspot on how to use Pinterest for Business - http://offers.hubspot.com/how-to-use-pinterest-for-business

I've put together a board on Pinterest with examples of how businesses are using social media creatively by creating fantastic campaigns - https://pinterest.com/ebbye/great-use-of-social-media-for-marketing/

Don't forget to mix and match your content and to use different types of content to keep your audience engaged and interested. 

If you need ideas on which content you can use and why - download Hubspot's free eBook on how to Engage Fans on Facebook and use these ideas for Twitter and your blog as well.

Be creative with your marketing and sites this year! 

Don't forget to keep your fans and followers happy on Pinterest, a blog, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by creating and finding content which is fun, informative, entertaining, enlightening, educational, inspirational or motivational and which most importantly adds value.

Image from Hubspot on Facebook

Back Up Your 2012 Social Media

As the year comes to an end; it's time to back up all of your 2012 social media. Why should you backup all of your social media - Valerie Khoo answers this question.

It takes time to find content, images, links and data for daily social media on a variety of accounts and platforms. Social media as a whole is very labour intensive and time spent online, building a community, building engagement, creating content and uploading information often means that people who are managing social media are at the job 24/7.

If you ever need to find something from a few months ago such as reuse an image or rewrite a blog post based on changes in the industry - all you have to do is access your backups rather than searching for (and possibly not finding) the information you created or used online.

You are creating an easy paper trail.

And while you're at it, back up all your documents, folders, files, photos, passwords, emails, contacts and accounts - so you can keep and have records of all the work you have done over the past year.

1) Purchase an external hard drive - this will expand your computer's storage capacity and back up your data. it's great for making sure you don't lose anything important and is useful as a great storage system in case you buy a new laptop or need to restore your computer.

2) Use https://www.backupify.com to backup Your Personal Online Data. there are a range of options to choose from and provides backups of your personal Facebook, Twitter, Gmail, Google Drive, Google Calendar, Google Sites, Google Contacts, Flickr, Picasa and Blogger accounts.

3) Use SocialSafe to archive your Facebook timeline, Facebook Pages, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Google+ and Viadeo profiles. Everything is stored locally on the your PC or Mac.

3) An alternative for Twitter - go to http://www.allmytweets.net/ - copy and paste a year's worth of your Twitter Tweets into a Word document for easy access and a later search if necessary. AllMyTweets is also a fantastic resource if you are searching for a specific Tweet on Twitter.

4) For a Facebook Business/Fan Page - you can either use Backupify or SocialSafe or you can simply copy and paste ALL of your Facebook posts into a Word document - to save for a later search or analysis.
It is best to backup all your Facebook links, updates and images to have a record of your work done over the year.

5) I'd also use copying and pasting as an option for all your Blog posts and use an Excel spreadsheet to insert all your links for a later stage - especially if you have a social media team (or person) who should be making use of a weekly/monthly social media editorial/content calendar.
This Excel document or calendar will help you track your social media on all accounts - month by month.

6) Save all your images into a social media folder for 2012 and backup those images into an external drive. If you have purchased images or created your own images; these can always be reused at a later stage.

7) I haven't found any backup options for Pinterest as of yet. Go through your Pinterest boards and copy and paste the data you want to keep into a simple Word document; so you can access content at a later stage - *UPDATE - I have found a few options to backup your Pinterest pins using one of the following tools - http://socialwebnerd.com/blog/20-tools-to-backup-your-social-media-content/

There are two good reasons why you should back up all of your social media content and data for the past year:

1) It is good to have and keep the data for your own records and to assist you if you need to search for anything at a later stage. I'd advise that you look at this data in 3 months time and it will help inspire you to write blog posts about changes in social media, business growth and it will help you keep track of your social media as a whole.

2) This will help with social media training. By having accessible data from the past year; this could help a new employee view all of your content on each account and review your brand image online. By having access to a wide variety of information; your new staff member will be able to see exactly how your brand comes across online and what is expected of him/her.

Keep records of your social media each year and this way you can easily analyse your data and track changes from year to year.

Mine are all in simple Word documents saved in an external hard drive for easy access!

*UPDATE

Here are 20 Tools to help you BackUp all your social media accounts including several options to back up your Pinterest pins and links - http://socialwebnerd.com/blog/20-tools-to-backup-your-social-media-content/ 

My advice is to backup all your data on a monthly basis; especially if you work in social media or/and digital marketing as this will help you generate reports.

Image: http://www.handybackup.net

Social Media Gifts for the Holiday Season

Image created on http://www.pizap.com/ from TweetBookz and Firebox

Stuck on gift ideas for the workplace and office? 

Impress your clients with social media these fun gifts make great reminders and they are fun for clients and customers.

These are also perfect gifts for anyone who is addicted to social media!

Instagram Prints - can look wonderful on your work wall or at home - purchase and select your best Instagram pictures for Canvas Prints for your office or opt for the retro Polaroids - these Polaroids are great for end of the year parties!

I'm loving the idea of putting together an Instagram Poster which is a fantastic way to showcase all your brand images.

TweetBookz will make an adorable gift. This is a great gift for clients. Choose their Tweets throughout the year and present them with a keepsake of their best Tweets!

For more social media gift ideas for your clients have a look at Social Stand Media's Top 12 Client Social Media Gifts for 2012 - http://socialstrand.com/2012/12/05/top-12-client-social-media-gifts-for-2012/

Here are 276 gift ideas for anyone who loves digital, technology and gadgets - http://www.techinvestornews.com/Gadgets/Latest-Gadget-News/276-gifts-for-the-geek-in-your-life

I love the Crust Be Dreaming USB Hub! http://www.modcloth.com/shop/computer-accessories/crust-be-dreaming-usb-hub

Need ideas for Secret Santa or office gifts for your work colleagues? How about quirky stocking filler type gifts at affordable prices - http://www.stylist.co.uk/life/gift-guides/secret-santa-gift-ideas

13 Social Media Tips for Business

Here are 13 tips from Social Status on Facebook to help you grow your social media activities online and to raise your profiles!

1. Go Green! 15 Ways to Use Social Media for Green Good - http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/home/social-media-green-good.htm

2. 19 Twitter Tips for Newbies (or Helpful Reminders for Not-So-Newbies) - http://www.momeomagazine.com/19-twitter-tips-for-newbies-or-helpful-reminders-for-not-so-newbies/

3. Social Media Quick Tips Straight from the SMILE (Social Media, the Internet and Law Enforcement) Conference - http://www.lawofficer.com/article/news/social-media-quick-tips-straig 

4. Learn from The NSW Police - who have made excellent use of social media and formed a vast online connection with their community all over NSW.
With over 100 Facebook pages for each local area, a Twitter account, a YouTube account , 195 Eyewatch Facebook groups - NSWPOL has just won “ConnectedCOPS Award of Excellence at a Large Agency” for overall excellence in the use of social media.

5. Social Media Tips for Accountants - http://www.brw.com.au/p/sections/professions/social_media_tips_for_accountants_WcCPulm2kHz9L9vPJ2ALqN  

6. 5 Tips for Smart Email Marketing - http://www.grassrootsinternetstrategy.com.au/5-tips-for-smart-email-marketing/

7. Facebook Tip: Make sure all your privacy settings are correct. You can also choose what information you share on Facebook and with whom - http://thatsnonsense.com/blog/facebook-privacy-settings-get-your-privacy-settings-right/

8. Monitor all your social media accounts - respond to queries, respond to mentions, check your insights and analytics tools - http://www.ereleases.com/prfuel/7-tips-for-effective-social-media-monitoring/

9.  Clean out any spam accounts on Twitter, check your Facebook likes, check your sources on Pinterest, use a spam filter on your emails and check all the comments and responses on each account.

10. If you have a bricks and mortar business where people can walk in to access your products or services - Use Foursquare - http://fastblink.com/blog/2012/05/30/how-foursquare-literally-changed-the-game/

11. Use social media management tools to listen to and monitor/manage your social media platforms online. Here is a breakdown of some of the best social media management tools for small businesses http://www.convinceandconvert.com/social-media-tools/favorite-social-media-management-tools-for-small-business/

12. Seek Inspiration. Search quotes, tips, tools, resources, images or ideas for a potential blog post. Like and comment on other people's blogs, pages, accounts and profiles. Spend 5 minutes everyday on getting inspiration - here is a place to start - http://www.good.is/

13. Read as much as you can! Set up Google Alerts, Google Reader and a Flipboard account  - so you can keep track of news, blogs, Tweets, Facebook updates, comments, eBooks, guides, resources - the more you know the more in tune your social media will be!

For more tips, tools, resources and guides on how to use social media for business - find Social Status on:
Facebook| Twitter | Pinterest

Or contact Social Status

 

source: http://www.mirnabard.com/2010/03/7-simple-social-networking-tips-for-business/

 

Spotlight ... Bay Medical Australia

I’d like to draw attention to Bay Medical Australia and their use of social media to build their awareness and profile online.

Their Facebook page focuses on fun content as well as marketing their products.
They have made great use of unusual images and medical facts which they have found on the net, making their Facebook page an enjoyable page to visit.

They have made great use of National Days and used Lemonade Day to feature a lemon scrub driving attention towards the scrubs they sell and the people who will purchase their products.

They engage with their fans by encouraging making up captions for  images and make great use of humour.

They also spend a lot of time featuring links to trending news items and use information well for their content and focus on light hearted and informative content to drive their brand.

On Twitter @BayMedAustralia connects with people in their industry, makes great use of links to images and unusual quirky content such as medical facts and images and they actively respond to ReTweets or mentions and use  hashtags to drive their products.

My favourite is their Pinterest account where they actively link (or pin) a broad mix of content highlighting medical and fun facts, information, humour and share fun things that they have found. 

They have made amazing use of boards like Hot in Scrubs http://pinterest.com/baymedaustralia/hot-in-scrubs/ which appeals to TV and movie lovers -  I mean anyone loves a hot doctor in scrubs – right?

So why am I highlighting this brand? It is clear that Bay Medical Australia has a target market of nurses, vets, doctors and other medical personnel who purchase their products yet also need some light-hearted humour relating to their industry.

Instead of focusing on their products alone on each platform, Bay Medical Australia has broadened their content to include, facts, tips, images and humour to build a relationship with their fans, followers and other pinners.

By making their platforms interesting and focusing on the medical industry; they have proven that social media can be very beneficial when used as part of their advertising and marketing. The important thing is that they enjoy using social media and connecting with people and this shows!

Bay Medical Australia supplies scrubs to Offspring and Bondi Vet and throughout the month of September for every Teal scrub sold a donation will be given to Ovarian Cancer Australia. have a look at their range of scrubs and Workwear - http://www.baymedical.com.au/scrubs-and-workwear

Social Media can be part of your marketing package. It can be used to highlight your business, promote your products and reach a wider range of people. I happily follow Bay Medical Australia on each platform and they have inspired some of my own social media content.

Don’t worry about whether you can do social media *well; just start interacting and have fun. It really shows and it makes for a very pleasant and interactive relationship with a business.

*However, be aware of social media etiquette and practices as well as using each platform wisely. Make use of linking to others, cite original sources and adhere to each platform (or network’s) terms and conditions.

source: http://www.business2community.com

Social Media Tips

Lisa Galarneau who is a social media anthropologist and did research for Microsoft; explains what she has discovered about social media, this may be helpful for you - http://www.jeffbullas.com/2012/06/05/10-social-media-secrets-from-the-social-scientist/

She is fascinating - have a look at her site - you never know what you may learn from her! http://lgalarneau.webs.com/

Although she discusses sharing and engaging; she uses her Twitter accounts to ReTweet information while I still emphasise that you try build a community on every platform you use.

I understand that most of you use social media to promote your own business, have a look at your content, mix up content a bit more and start engaging with other people ( Use the search feature on each site to find relevant content, valuable information and even people/businesses to follow)

Twitter can be the most useful tool/platform for sharing and exchanging information; I highly encourage you to mix up your content (quotes, resources, your own info, other info, info which relates to your brand/content, images, videos, interesting posts, responding to other people, answering people etc)

I recommend Tweeting at least 1-5 times a day (although you can Tweet up to 250 times a day!) and when there is an event, festival or function which is related to your business/brand - you might find you are Tweeting more on some days and less on others.

Mix up your Facebook content (resources, news, images, videos, your own content, your own services/products, images, quotes and even ask your fans questions/respond to them) - communicate with your fans.

I recommend a Facebook update once a day in the mornings between 9am - 11:30am EST

Try to mix up content on a ratio of 10:1 (for both Twitter and Facebook)

 - 10 interesting, informative, fun, entertaining, educational, inspiring, motivational, links, images, videos, tips, tools, guides, how tos, other resources updates

to 1 brand/business, product, blog post, service, launch,  announcement, event or any other information about your business/brand update

If you need help with Pinterest - let me know. Certainly have a board or a few business boards with your content/products/blog posts but set up a few other boards as well. Connect with others (in other words find, like and comment on other people's content/pins)

Instagram is fast becoming a great photo sharing opportunity for brands to reach their audience. If you are interested in Instagram - set up a business Instagram account with your own images but branch out a little and connect/like/comment on other people's content too. (You can find other content or hashtags via the search feature)

Your business blog is essentially for your business. However think about your audience too and ask if they will be interested in the post. Is it valuable, is there a link to purchase something, to attend something, have they all the information they need?

Is the information timely and relevant? How are people finding you, what tags and keywords are you using? What do they want and what are they searching for? Is the post title relevant? Are the images attractive and does the entire post grab their attention?

I recommend a blog post at least once a week on a Wednesday or Thursday morning between 9-12pm EST - and then pop the link with an introduction (An interesting, valuable introduction to give people a reason why they should be clicking to read) onto Facebook and Twitter.

Search Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook ,sites and blogs for inspiration for your own blog posts (or newsletters, marketing ideas, launches, announcements etc) Find relevant images and content and don't forget to cite the original source and link back to the original content!

Social Media is about building a community and being social and offering engagement/ a different relationship with your customers and clients. Have fun using social media as a PR and communications tool while having fun answering your fans/followers and engaging with people.

If you have any questions about content and how to use different platforms please ask! You can connect with me on Twitter | Facebook | email me on ebbyeryan@gmail.com or even just call 0408 478 224.

source: http://www.toprankblog.com/2012/05/5-business-blogging-tips/

The Five Hats of Social Media

Edward de Bono’s six thinking hats are used to help people be more productive, focused, and mindfully involved  http://www.debonogroup.com/six_thinking_hats.php

So here are the Five Hats of Social Media:

1. Public Relations Hat (PR Hat) – This hat will help you deal with any mishaps, issues or crises – so be prepared by setting up a crisis management strategy - http://www.socialmediamarketing.org/social-media-crisis-management.html. 

(Red is for energy, war, danger, strength, power, determination as well as for feelings, hunches and intuition)

2. Content Hat – for creating,  finding, editing, sourcing, researching and generating content – this is very similar to the thinking cap – so this hat will help you when you need to write, strategise, think, and plan – Set up a content/editorial calendar to help with this - http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2136988/How-to-Create-a-Social-Media-Editorial-Calendar 

(Orange is for enthusiasm, fascination, happiness, creativity, determination, attraction, success, encouragement, and stimulation).

 

3. Customer service hat – This hat will help with all the customer service inquiries, queries and services needed - here's an eBook on social media and customer service from Brandwatch- http://www.brandwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/brandwatch/Brandwatch-eBook-Customer-Service-on-Social-Media.pdf 

(Blue is for trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith, truth, and heaven as well as aiding the thinking process.)

 

4. Advertising/Marketing Hat – This hat will help you promote, advertise and market your brand - Social Media/New Media still requires old/traditional media methods to reach your fans/followers/customers.  (TV ads, print ads, leaflets, flyers, mail drops, radio advertising, guerilla marketing, email marketing, launches, events, videos, campaigns etc.)

Focus on which method is appropriate for your business, test out different forms of media, use email marketing and reach a wider range of people. 

(Purple is associated with wisdom, dignity, independence, creativity, mystery, and magic.)

 

5. Communications Hat – This hat can be used for communicating, sharing information, building relationships, informing and exchanging information. This is the best hat for engaging with customers/fans and followers.

 (Green is for growth, harmony, freshness, fertility as well as possibilities, alternatives, and new ideas)

 

You will find that most days; you are required to do all the tasks above. By putting on a different hat; you will be able to focus and concentrate on each task.

Social Media is best when it is holistic, which means combining a whole range of skills, experiences and services when you work. Use each hat; to grow and develop your skills in each area.

By using different hats and by focusing on each task when needed; you will be providing a better relationship to your customers/fans/followers and focus on what is necessary and needed to get the job done.

source:  www.power-advertising.co.uk

 I used this website for an explanation of colours and what they represent  - http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-meaning.html

Social Media Optimisation

SMO is using links, fantastic content and sharing on different accounts to drive visitors to your blog/website.

Now don't get confused between SMO and engagement. SMO is making sure that your content is seen, by using tags, labels and keywords, writing excellent headlines, sharing on other accounts, linking to other accounts and communicating online.

Engagement is sharing with your fans and followers and building an online community. The more interaction you have with a community (whether it's comments on the blogs, likes and shares on Facebook, ReTweets and chats on Twitter) the more likely that your SMO will naturally increase.

One of the keys to understanding how SMO works for you is listening to your audience. You can ascertain when people are liking/commenting/sharing/asking questions. Once you have viewed Google Analytics, Blogger stats, statcounter.com and other social media listening tools online - here are a few which will explain how and when to listen - http://janetfouts.com/listen/ - you will know your audience, which posts they are clicking on and what kind of content they are responding to.

 - Here are the Rules of SMO: http://increaserss.com/the-rules-of-social-media-optimization/

 - The Strategies of SMO: http://increaserss.com/best-social-media-optimization-strategies/

 - And the Techniques of SMO: http://increaserss.com/social-media-optimization-techniques/

 - Engagement vs SMO: http://mashable.com/2011/11/13/smo-vs-engagement/

Now SEO - Search Engine Optimisation is sightly different from SMO. SEO works on backlinks, incoming links and ensuring that your website is found on searches. One way to do this is to find and work with relevant links, list your website in online directories and get other websites to link back to you. The more links you have the higher you will rank in searches. And if the links are trusted links (leading to sites which people trust, recommend and refer) the better this is for your website. Don't worry - the SEO superhero SEOman explains this is a really basic way - http://www.redevolution.com/seo-explained/

According to Active Warrior in an online discussion - here are the differences you should be concentrating on:

Link Building:

SEO – Inbound links are a large determining factor in rankings.
SMO – Links are a result of success, which means that SEO benefits from good SMO.

Page Elements:
SEO – Title tags, headers, image title, bold text and use of keywords are all influential on search engine rankings.
SMO – Coding and tags are not so important, while visual attention grabbers make a bigger impact.

Titles:
SEO – The title tag of a page tells the search engines what a page is about and carries a lot of weight in the rankings.
SMO – Titles and headlines are extremely important for grabbing attention and getting users to click-through.

Speak to an SEO consultant - he/she will know the best way to implement SEO.

  

Here are 15 steps you can take to increase your SMO:

1) Use share buttons

2) Enable YouTube videos - to be embedded or mobile so people can share them

3) Enable your blogs to be mobile; so they are easy to read and share when you're out and about

4) Tweet this, Pin This, Facebook like, Google1 - these buttons are gold, place them prominently on your site and blog

5) Use links, share links with others, put a link list on your blog

6) List your blog and website in free online directories

7) Answer questions on LinkedIn or Quora

8) Join online discussions

9) Comment on blogs - with a link back to your blog or website 

10) Take part in community activities online (MeetUps, chats, discussions, blogging events etc)

11) Communicate; update, post , Tweet everyday if you can and concentrate on fresh, unique blog posts

12) Mix and Match your content - use videos, quotes, eBooks, resources, guides, images, tips, tools, questions etc - enlighten and entertain your audience and focus on your brand

13) Share sites, resources, ideas, posts, Tweets, updates, videos,  etc.

14) Listen to your fans and followers; answer questions, provide social service and monitor all your accounts

15) Be genuine, don't focus on SMO as a rule; concentrate on engaging with others, building a community, enjoying social media and the clicks should come!

source: http://www.webmarketingagency.com.au/what-is-social-media-optimisation/