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.

What inspires you?

When I started Social Status, I had to ask myself what motivated me to run this business? What are my passions? What do I believe would work? And how I could make my business work?

I knew that I always had a huge curiosity and I am the kind of person who is constantly reasearching, reading, looking up answers and finding information.

I knew that social media would be a great fit for me, because I love to communicate, I love to learn, I love reading (news items, blog posts, websites, content, newsletters, discussions ... you name it) I love new ideas, I love finding interesting people and learning from them.

I love how fast technology is, how many people are involved with and in social media and how there is so much information that we have access to.

When I thought about my business, I wanted something to stand out, that would show what the most important thing to me was and my tagline was born Be Aware of Wonder ...

I got it from the author of "ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN" by Robert Fulghum.

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!

Like what I do?

Social Media is a great way to communicate.

It is also a fantastic way to promote your product or service but for me, I use it to share what I have learnt along the way.

I work alongside small businesses to help promote their products and services online as well as updating what they do, or have done, or an event they are about to have and then put up pictures, say thank yous, really connect with their fans on Facebook.

Which means that their fans are getting information immediately. New event, a new fashion line, a competition, or special or giveaway, your Faceook fans who are following your business for a reason are getting what they want from the business, regular content and updates.

I like giving social media tips, things I have learnt and am learning along the way. The biggest tip I can give to you is update regularly, write blog posts, submit links, communicate, answer questions on social media, do SOMETHING every day.

Do an update, a blog post, a link, a list, an observation a review, answer questions on Twitter, Facebook, write on your blog and whatever other social media sites you use.

Because what I am really trying to teach you is that social media should be as NORMAL and as much a PART of your EVERYDAY WORK.

Updates, links, content, information, photos, blog posts should be part of what you simply do, to market your business, to promote an event or product or service or give away, to answer questions, to write content because you are responding to queries, because you are learning and reading and involving yourself on a DAILY level.

So if you want some social media marketing tips (click on) like what I do http://www.facebook.com/SocialNetworkingandMarketing

Oh the places you will go

Social Media is a great tool for single business owners and small businesses.

How many times have you heard the I don't have time for networking, for socialising?

How many small business owners feel like they are doing the same thing over and over without getting the results? And how many of you feel that social media means that you are playing around on the Internet and not in fact working?

When you get into work in the morning you check your phone messages, answer your emails, respond to queries, contact the necessary people and set up meetings.

Then you get to work, coming up with ideas, doing accounts, planning things, meetings, clients, sales and coming up with something, a launch, an event, sales, meetings, a show, a trade show, a buying whatever, accountancy, admin and then planning marketing, designing adverts ... it is a lot of work ... everyday.

So how about this?

You come into work and while attending to queries, you also read the latest updates and trends in your industry. Then you can answer queries and set up meetings armed with knowledge which you got via Google Alerts and general real-time search on Google.

During the day, while doing whatever you need to do so your business can be lucrative, you can also respond to queries via social media and then take things further by suggesting solutions or a meeting via email.

Then when you have an advert or launch or sale or whatever coming up, you write about it as a blog post and send links to relevant social media sites AS WELL as doing the traditional marketing i.e. putting out an ad, sending invitations (if necessary) putting info in the newsletter and sending the invite/details via email.

During the day, you look at updates, Google what people are saying about your business, and respond to all queries via email, telephone AND social media. This is your chance to offer advice, to answer something in public, to ATTRACT people to your business via content and BECAUSE you are using all forms of media, to stay current.

And occasionally now with social media you can see networking opportunities, you get invited to networking events in your industry which can benefit you even further.

It is an hour of work more a day. Writing updates, staying on top of all the media, answering queries, writing content, replying to emails ... it's all work.

But when you look at how beneficial the work is, how more current you are, how you are reading about the latest information in your industry and how you are using social media, to ENGAGE, to RESPOND, to be more ACTIVE in your business then eventually an hour of work will be incorporated into all the tasks you ALREADY do each day.

Social media is not playing around on the Internet. Google your company, look what content is already on the Internet.

Now using all forms of media from newsletters, to email marketing, to Twitter, Blogger, Facebook, YouTube ... try and you will see content and hits and information about your business everyday.

It feels like a lot more work. It helps promote and market your business like never before.

But oh the places you will go!

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.

What are your key words?

Go to http://www.wordle.net and find out your key words and what words you use for your business, marketing and communication with others. You can even put the words on your website or blog to remind yourself of what you are doing and can do more of and allow others to see what you do.