Tag Archives: Social Media Strategy

Sharisax Is Out There

Can Social Media Predict the Academy Award Winners?

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Chicken or Egg: Which came first?

If I write this blog article about how Jeff Bridges should win the Best Actor Oscar for his authentic portrayal of a washed up, alcoholic country singing legend in the semi-romantic film Crazy Heart –

(1) Will my article get lots of new readers after he wins?

OR

(2) Will he win because I wrote about him?


If you join LinkedIn and completely fill out your profile, enter regular updates, answer questions, and participate in LinkedIn groups –

(1)Will someone find you and offer you the Job of a Lifetime?
OR
(2)Will you connect to some really bright, supportive people who help you create the life you always wanted?

If you spend an hour a day on Facebook –

(1)Will you be found by your long-lost high school buddies [or significant other]?
OR
(2) Will you participate in ways to deepen your current relationships?


If you keep your Tweetdeck desktop application open throughout the day and check it periodically –

(1) Will you accrue 15,000 followers
OR
(2) Will you discover amazing information AND people you could never have found any other way?


Which comes first?

Knowing how to do something OR learning what needs to be done in order to do what you want done?

Twitter

Counting the ways I loved “Twitterville”

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What a great read! — Twitterville by Shel Israel

twittervilleThis is likely to be a “Labor of Love” i.e., chatting with you about all the cool things I learned from this very personal, highly researched, inspirational Social Media MUST READ.

A friend just told me that her secret to reading loads of books is to look at  the beginning, the end, and then bits in the middle. But, PLEASE,  if you want to try that method, don’t start with Twitterville:

This is one book with loads of answers — none of which you will want to miss

In Twitterville, you are what you Tweet & 10 other things I’m going to remember:

1.Twitterville is a global communication community where conversations have power; but its environment is “homey” with a small town feel.

2. In good times and bad, companies can get closer to their customers with ease and at low cost. Twitter is a nonstop “feedback loop.”

3. Twitter is a golden moment in massive micromarketing — less mass, more personal . . .  ushering us from the Broadcast Age to the Conversation Era.

4. [From the final chapter, but a key point you shouldn’t miss]: The better our communication tools get, the less likely we will be to use tools of destruction. Countries that do business together don’t go to war against each other; therefore Twitter is likely to be an instrument for peace.

5. When you’re getting started on Twitter, you may want to lurk for a bit: this allows you to listen and watch to get a sense of the mechanics and rhythm of the conversations. Listening on Twitter will make you smarter.

6. If a tree falls in a forest, and it’s not on Twitter, did it make a sound?

7. Lethal generosity: the greatest influence goes to the most generous:

“If you join a community where a competitor exists, or is free to join and you give more to that community than the competitor, the other player is forced either to follow you or to abstain from participating in a place where customers spend time.”

8. Metcalfe’s Law: The power of the computer network grows exponentially as the number of nodes increases.

9. Followers have influence: they are “Feet on the Street.”

10. What Twitter does better than any other tool: Spreading the word with great speed.

Case studies:  Companies large & small have “gotten it”

Zappos: Tony Hsieh discovered he could stay closer with people who mattered to him on Twitter than he had been doing via email, phone or other social media platforms.

Comcast: Frank Eliason made it clear he was on Twitter to solve customer problems.

Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit: Doctors have humanized surgery by “live-tweeting” during operations.

IBM: More than 1,000 IBM employees are now active Tweeters. Management is delighted: Twitter saves time, brings employees and customers  together, and makes the company collectively smarter.

This has been just a “taste”

Shel Israel has chapters on personal branding, journalism, nonprofits, the dark side of Twitter, and the very basic Get Started Steps and Vocabulary.

What are you doing still reading this review? Go out and get the book and then get Tweeting.

FURTHER READING:

Twitter workshop cheat sheet

Sharisax Is Out There

Top Ten Reasons Why I Love Social Media AND Yoga

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humpty dumptyOK, I’m not David Letterman or Johnny Carson, but I think I might be able to come up with my own

“Late Afternoon Top Ten List”:

Why I LOVE Social Media & Yoga

  1. They are gathering places for like minds, hearts and souls.

  2. Someone gets up on a platform, and people follow.

  3. I stretch myself.

  4. Participation allows me to “touch” — and be touched.

  5. They are both quite in vogue these days.

  6. I can capitalize on the “moment.”

  7. Something new is learned every time.

  8. The benefits intensify as my involvement increases.

  9. They are both Addicting — but in positive ways.

  10. AND . . . I’ve made some Great New Friends!

Blogging

Use your Blog to become the GO-TO Source for Information

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hills and treesLots of people considering social media strategies for business and personal reasons [like job seeking] may not fully appreciate the value of blogging.

  • the TIME
  • the SKILLS
  • the COMMITMENT

Is Blogging Worth all That?

Absolutely, according to Dean Guadagni, Social Media Marketing/Director at Inner Architect and source for two of my previous articles — Networking Tips and LinkedIn Profiles.

Dean recently conducted a workshop on the value of blogging for a Group of Marin Professionals. He began with his own experience:

“My own career really took off after I started to blog. It created a platform for me to position myself.”

“All consultants should have a blog,” Dean advised.

“Blogs are the Hub or Centerpiece of your online presence.”

He listed TEN BASIC REASON YOU SHOULD BLOG:

  1. Publishing Platform
  2. Control your Message
  3. Delivery system for your Messages
  4. 24/7 Online Network
  5. New Skill Development
  6. Increased Perception through Web 2.0 Sources
  7. Visibility
  8. Reputation Management [your silence allows your critics to win]
  9. Build Google Presence
  10. Research required increases your Expertise

Here is my representation of a diagram Dean offered to represent the BLOG ECOSYSTEM:

Blog ecosystem

Dean also described six common myths that hold people back from blogging:

  • Length: Some people think you have to write a lot. But the truth is that blog articles can me any size that a writer wants or needs to share the message.
  • Daily consistency: Mistaken impression that bloggers all write every day. Some may, but most don’t. [See previous article with report on how often people blog.]
  • Fear: Natural human feeling: “You’ll get over it,” Dean said.
  • Resistance to new technology: Much easier than people think.
  • What to say?: “People wonder what’s new that they can say. Probably not much, but it’s how you say it. What is your differentiating factor?”
  • Who will read my blog?: Good question — No One unless you promote it.

For help in starting your own blog . . . from scratch, check out my two earlier articles:

How to start a blog – step by step

Choose a design for your blog

BONUS: Here are six of the most popular type articles:

  1. How-to’s
  2. Top Ten Lists
  3. Case Studies
  4. “Best of” Lists
  5. Interviews
  6. Breaking News

JUST DO IT — and when you have, please send me a link!

FURTHER READING:

Blogging Basics

Sharisax Is Out There

Handbook to guide your success in social media and more effective Public Relations efforts

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Cabo Arch

As both a PR teacher and professional journalist for many years,

I was blown away when I found the perfect new text:

Making News in the Digital Era

by David E. Henderson

If elections were held today for Social Media Expert, David gets my vote. His 2009  narrative/guidebook is perfect for helping learners on all levels understand — and properly apply — Best Communication Practices in this whole new social media world of ours.

Technology is changing our lifestyles on a daily basis . . .

so many would agree that claiming “Expert” status has to be “qualified,” i.e., conditional based on the newest data.

But let’s consider “qualified” in its other sense as well.

If anyone has built the chops to thoroughly discuss the news business, journalism, public relations, and social media marketing, then David Henderson qualifies:

  • Emmy Award–winning CBS News correspondent and public relations executive for dozens of years, David has been online with his blog www.DavidHenderson.com since 2003.

Some of David’s best advice:

  1. Let go of Old Ways and embrace Change.
  2. Present ideas for developing a company’s reputation with communication approaches that underscore transparency, openness, and credibility.
  3. Messages need to focus on audience benefits, not talking about the greatness of an organization.
  4. Avoid jargon and “gobbledygook” and use clear, direct, easy-to-understand language.
  5. Key communication practices: Listening, engaging, story-telling, and always speaking the truth.
  6. Today’s executives must be involved in online strategies that require inspiration, passion, purpose, and focus.
  7. Forego Mission Statements and carefully create a concise and appropriate Positioning Statement.

“Strategic communications in today’s fiercely competitive world mandates clever positioning, understanding audience needs and knowing how to craft timely and meaningful messages that excite people and create results” [p. 23]

My opinion: This is a book that ought to be used both in university public relations/communications courses as well as in the offices of every public relations organization and department.

Further posts from David E. Henderson’s book will feature tips, best practices, and insights on the following topics:

A)     Media relations

B)      CEO blogging

C)      Online newsrooms and other PR 2.0 strategies

Thanks, David, we need this handbook. Lots of PR and business execs don’t know where to start, and your book will surely help them.

Related stories:

David Henderson’s post on what he learned writing the book

My next post on Media Relations

Squidoo lens Discussing Social Media books

Social Media Biz review

Blogging

To BLOG? . . . or Not To BLOG? . . . That’s a good First Question

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The MORE of YOU, the better!
The MORE of YOU, the better!

Tomorrow I’ll be meeting with 10-12 friends to teach them HOW TO START A BLOG.

The first question I could ask — but won’t — is WHY do they want to start a blog.

I won’t ask because I suspect two things: (1) most of them know little about blogging at all and (2) the majority are most likely hungry for any social media knowledge they can get.

And I love that!

. . . more for me to teach.

So let’s consider that First Question:

SHOULD YOU START A BLOG?

Take a look at these nine questions before you decide:

1) Are you really really passionate about something?

2) Do you have either a personal desire to speak your mind OR a business need to put your brand presence online?

3) Can you commit to some degree of consistency — whether it is once a week, three times a week, or three times a day?

4) Do you like to do like Picasso, i.e., Always Do What You Do Not Know How To Do In Order To Learn How To Do It?

5) If you make a mistake, can you admit it, accept it, and move on?

6) Can you be patient about gaining a larger readership?

7) Will you take time to read and comment on other bloggers’ articles?

8- Can you participate in a conversation where you could get criticized?

9) Would you like to be an authentic, honest, interesting voice in the Blogosphere?

If you can give a sincere YES to each of those questions, then I say GO FOR IT!

And to help you get started, you can check out my post on HOW TO START A BLOG and another post by my favorite blogger Adam Singer 50 Blogging Lessons To Know If You’re Starting Today

Twitter

How to get started . . . using social media for growing your business

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“Overview of Social Media/Internet Marketing”

“Twitterville”

“Groundswell“

“Beyond the Hype”

Tyler in playpen 1“OK, already, I’m convinced.

Now what do I pick up first?”

So you finally “get it”:

You can’t Get It without an Online Presence.

But getting started is a lot like being a toddler put into a playpen with a bunch of new toys:

What to pick up and play with first?

Q: I’ve got a small business, and I want to begin using social media, so where do I start?

A: No doubt, there are as many answers as there are “experts” to advise you. However, what everyone agrees is that you just need to get going and DO IT!

MARKETING 101

1. What you SHOULD do is spend some time deciding What you want to accomplish with social media strategies:

Do you want to . . .

  • Drive more traffic to your website?
  • Build a closer community feeling with your customers?
  • Establish or change your organization’s reputation?
  • Find out what your competitors are up to?
  • Know how to find and hire the best employees?
  • Discover trends as they are happening?
  • Share your knowledge and expertise?
  • Monitor the marketplace to see what people are saying about you, your products, and/or your industry?
  • Learn how to be a better, more efficient, effective business person?

Or . . . do you just want to dive in to see what Social Media is all about?

2. Once you have chosen a goal — or goals — from the list above, then you may want to describe what achieving that goal looks like, e.g.,

a) Bring 40 new customers to your website

b) Engage 20 clients in a forum conversation

c) Find three skilled and motivated interns

3. This “description” can be your formal objective, for which you should set a time frame  — and then you can measure your results and evaluate your program.

SOCIAL MEDIA 101

Note: Of course the exact route you take can vary —  depending on your objective.

But here is a 4-step plan to develop a strategy and answer the question: What should we do first? second? third? fourth?

STEP ONE: Twitter

STEP TWO: Facebook

STEP THREE: LinkedIn

STEP FOUR: Blogging

Today’s Post will help you become a TWEETER

Twitter certainly is one of today’s most popular social media buzzwords, and a platform where businesses are finding real, measureable ways to listen to and engage with customers.

PLUS signing on to Twitter is the easiest social media effort you can make: To take this step, try to allow yourself at least an hour to (a) sign up on Twitter.com; (b) read some how-to information [the four Twitter 101 lessons listed below]; (c) and play — with FOLLOWING people, READING their tweets, and WRITING some tweets of your own.

Click for TWITTER HOMEWORK

NEWBIES: If you have any questions — or cool Twitter experiences — please share them in the comments section below. LOTS OF LUCK!


Facebook, Twitter

Yes, Shari, Micromedia can support and inspire great conversation

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See how things intersect & support
See how things intersect & support

When I first read chapter 13 in Putting the Public Back into PR, I had my doubts as to whether Twitter was really the place for great convo — i.e. conversation.

But two recent experiences convinced me that rapid-fire, off-the-cuff, succinct wordings could in fact power “engaging” and “enlightening” experiences — not to mention the opportunity for community-building.

Last night I moderated the #smbookclub discussion for Part 3 of Brian Solis and Deirdre Breakenridge’s Putting the Public Back in PR. This morning I participated in their discussion at #PRStudChat. Both complete discussions are archived and be followed simply by searching the hastags.

Content/conclusions from the book discussion:

“Relax and let chaos reveal its relevance to you.” Susanna Stinnet

  • The conversations [“convos”] are happening. If you are part of them, you can affect change and make a difference.
  • Companies that use today’s tools will be ahead of the game, even if those particular tools change or lose their vitality.
  • Social media will continue to evolve; it will not go away.
  • Social media platforms are great ways to meet people.
  • Before engaging anyone, first observe and understand the cultures and behaviors necessary to participate in these communities.
  • Marketing jobs have moved from monologues to dialogue.
  • Avoid the clutter and build relationships.
  • Build meaningful relationships that will contribute to company’s brand equity, resources, and overall bottom line.

“Twitter and Facebook are really good for listening and developing relationships — and then driving to where you can talk in more depth either via email or phone.” Paul Salinger

“Social media is forcing changes that should have happened a long time ago in everything related to business.” Cherisse Rivera


Notes for further “conversation/content”:

1) Check out #PRStudChat for hour dialogue between Brian, Dierdre, PR students and pros.

2) Read my reviews of Putting the Public Back in PR:

3) Join the chat next Tuesday on Tweetchat.com #smbookclub 8 pm EDT/5 pm PDT

For those of you who do check out #PRStudChat OR if you attended, please comment with your favorite quotes from that conversation.

Facebook, Guest Post, Twitter

Our Future Around Facebook and Twitter — guest post from Gen Y-er Zahid Lilani

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I couldn’t wait.

Sharisax Is Out There has been featuring a series of reviews on the book Putting the Public Back in PR, but one of my most conscientious SFSU students wrote this wonderful article on Gen Y and social media.

Without further ado, here is Zahid:

Guest Poster Zahid Lilani: Voice for Gen Y
Guest Poster Zahid Lilani: Voice for Gen Y

Social Media has changed the way we communicate and stay connected. Not that it will ever replace face-to-face interaction, still it has become a popular way to communicate for Generation Y. 90% of U.S. adults are online and 80% of U.S. online adults participate in social media.

“Social Media is no longer the cool and fun thing that fascinates imagination with all the bells and whistles, it is more like a necessity for Generation Y.”

Who is the Generation Y? I am the Generation Y, my generation created Facebook and Twitter and my generation will dictate the future of social media.

The idea behind Web 2.0 or social media revolution was to change the way our generation communicates, we now decide what’s worthy, what to vote up and what to vote down. Being more well versed with Facebook and Twitter, this is what I think our future will look like:

Facebook ID Implementation Across Major Platforms

Most websites are implementing an excellent feature on to their websites, it is called Facebook Connect. In plain English, if you go to a website and have to register to login, you won’t have to create another user id and password. You will be able to connect using your Facebook ID and Password. Still in its earliest stages, most developers are implementing this concept into their programming because of the immense power of social media. You can read more about Facebook Connect here.

Twitter Household
The idea behind Twitter Household is that everything in your house can communicate with you if you provide it with the right tool. The tools are still in its early stages but the technology is already there, it is Twitter. If that was vague, here are couple of examples:

Laundry: The Washing Machine Hack, created by Ryan Rose, sends text message (SMS) notifications over Twitter when clothes are done. You can follow his Washing Machine here.

Power Usage: In future, if you are energy conscious or plain curious about the power usage in your household, you can use Tweet-a-Watt which will update you using Twitter on your power usage.

Both Facebook and Twitter are immensely powerful in what they can accomplish and with time they will evolve and become more mature. What do you think your life will be like around Facebook and Twitter two years from now? What else do you think you will be able to do on Facebook and Twitter besides information sharing and gathering?

Check out Zahid’s blog: his most recent post will help you convert your WP.com blog to a self-hosted one at WP.org in five easy steps.

If you enjoyed this article, please consider leaving a comment or sharing it with your followers on Twitter! You can also subscribe by email for more cool interviews and articles from Sharisax is Out There.

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Sharisax Is Out There

Community Managers: Your organization’s guide along Social Media Revolutionary Road

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Center of Community, center of influencers
Center of Community, center of influencers

Hiring or Applying?

You’ll do well to check out chapter 15 in the social media/PR 2.0 book I’ve been reviewing  — Putting the PUBLIC Back in Public Relations by Brian Solis and Dierdre Breakenridge.

Who OWNS the responsibility of managing social media conversations for an organization?

Brian and Dierdre conclude that “every facet of a business is responsible for its channel of social monitoring and interaction,” and strategies and tactics for each department can best be directed by a community manager — or one of several other titles:

  • Community Advocate
  • Brand Ambassador
  • Social Media Specialist
  • Social Media Evangelist
  • VP of Social Media
  • Chief Social Officer
  • Community Relations Manager
  • Community Builder

The socialization of the corporate marketing infrastructure isn’t a matter of IF it should happen, but instead WHEN it will happen.

Marketers in every industry are agreeing with a core social media concept that People Do Business with People, not Entities: “Brands don’t engage with people — people engage with people.”

The dynamic of listening to and engaging in everyday dialogue is often referred to as the conversation.

The conversation is between the the organization representatives and the new influencers which comprise customers, peers, employees, partners, enthusiasts, bloggers, reporters, and analysts.

What is it that you learn by listening?

Whether the online conversations are positive, neutral, or negative, the insight garnered from listening and observing will reveal opportunities not just for engagement, but also for gathering real-world intelligence

— the type of information that is “ear to the street” and that you can feed back into your organization to improve the existing service, product, and management infrastructure.

The authors included a discussion of the Four Tenets of the Community Manager by Forrester social computing analyst Jeremiah Owyang:

  1. Community Advocate: represents the organization.
  2. Brand Evangelist: promotes events and products.
  3. Savvy Communication Skills: shapes editorial and mediates disputes
  4. Gathers Community Input: gathers and shares comments from marketplace conversation

Here’s a definition of the role of the community manager by a community manager — Connie Bensen:

A community manager is the voice of the company externally and the voice of the customers internally. The value lies in the community manager serving as a hub and having the ability to personally connect with the customers and providing feedback to many departments internally.

Community Managers: Please feel free to add your experiences and tips for organizations looking for individuals to fill this role AND for communications specialists seeking these positions.

Blogging

Social Media Tools — are just “tools,” not the all-important-strategies

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Part 3: Putting the PUBLIC Back in Public Relations

Add air to molten glass
Add air to molten glass

If you think about the title of this post, I hope you’ll get the message that even though it’s the SM platforms, i.e. Twitter, Facebook, Friendfeed, etc. that get the “Buzz,” it’s HOW YOU USE THEM that is their true significance.

Because Brian and Dierdre devote a lot of ink to individual tools in this section of PPBPR, readers should note that some of the content will be outdated by the time they read it — the Web is so dynamic, and the Social Web is even more so.

But that is the Key Point of this section:

“Remember that these are merely tools to communicate with others; they’re not representative of the strategies and methodologies for observing and communicating with people.” — p. 153 PPBPR

Four chapters in Part 3: “Participating in Social Media”

Ch 11 – Technology Does Not Override the Social Sciences

Ch 12 – Social Networks: The Online Hub for Your Brand

Ch 13 – Micromedia

Ch 14 – New “Marketing” Roles

Valuable re-quote from The Cluetrain Manifesto:

These markets are conversations. Their members communicate in language that is natural, open, honest, direct, funny and often shocking.

Whether explaining or complaining, joking or serious, the human voice is unmistakably genuine. It can’t be faked.

Most corporations, on the other hand, only know how to talk in the soothing, humorless monotone of the mission statement, marketing brochure, and your call-is-important-to-us busy signal.

Same old tone. Same old lies.

My take-aways:

  • Conversations will go on — with or without you. Watch that the competition doesn’t get there first.
  • Negativity in the conversation can present opportunity, e.g., to change a perception.
  • Basic PR has not changed: YOU are the communication bridge between your company and the people you want to reach.
  • Social media helps uncover relevant online communities: LISTEN, OBSERVE and, then, ENGAGE.
  • Reach out to individuals not audiences.
  • Everything you do online today, whether it’s personal or on behalf of a company you represent, contributes to public perception and overall brand resonance.
  • Social networks are forcing PR practitioners to evolve — to step out from behind a cloak of anonymity.
  • “Socialize to Survive” : The days of focusing solely on Web stickiness, eyeballs, and click-throughs is waning. These are the days of immersion, conversation, engagement, relationships, referrals, and action.

NOW FOR SOME QUESTIONS: (especially for those of you who may want to consider discussing this chapter next Tuesday, September 15, at the 8 pm EDT/5 pm PDT meet-up of #smbookclub)

  1. As a “communication pro,” how do you [or anyone] keep on top of Networks and Apps?
  2. What platforms and apps have you chosen to use and why?
  3. What success stories have you had/or heard about that have impacted the way you feel about social media?
  4. How do you feel about “lifestreams” and/or posting updates on multiple sites simultaneously?
  5. Can discussions really take part in micromedia?
  6. Where would you like to see Social Media go from here?

I hope to hear your thoughts in comments below and/or next Tuesday during our book discussion.

Next Post: Description of Community Manager role as organization’s guide along Social Media Revolutionary Road

Blogging, Twitter

No apologies from this PR 2.0 evangelist: Putting the PUBLIC Back in Public Relations

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We need happy publics

Many of us who have taught Shakespeare know that the Great Bard based his renowned plays on history or legend — in other words, his genius was not in the originality of plots, but in the art of his storytelling.

Art, imagination, creation are products of passion. Passion is the way we move forward. Passion is the way I, personally, am moving forward.

Book Review – Part One

This blog is a chronicle of my newly embraced career as a Social Media Evangelist. And one of the people most responsible is Brian Solis, who graciously and enthusiastically accepted an invitation to speak to two Public Relations classes at San Francisco State last spring — despite his hectic schedule advising clients, speaking at conferences, attending mashups, and promoting his most recent book Putting the PUBLIC Back in Public Relations.

To my mind, Brian’s book, co-written with Deirdre Breakenridge, is a conversation about a clash — the confrontation between old thinking and new realities.

Change is hard. People like the comfort of the Way it Was, and the Way They Know: but that is hardly a roadmap for progress.

How Social Media is Reinventing the Aging Business of PR

Below is a listing of passages I particularly liked from Part I: THE TRUE VALUE OF THE NEW PR

  • Public Relations has always been about building relationships. It should never have been about spin.
  • The first thing a PR practitioner should learn is to uphold integrity and credibility at all times.
  • Listeners make the best conversationalists.
  • PR 2.0 is creating a new toolkit with which companies can share content with new influencers as well as customers.
  • PR has begun to look less like a typical broadcast machine and more like a living, breathing entity capable of also participating in conversations with publics.
  • The new goal for PR is to understand the communities of people we want to reach and how to engage them in conversation without marketing to them.
  • PR is rooted in democratized content, strengthened by enthusiasm and market intelligence, and powered by conversation.
  • We no longer Pitch — we Participate. We no longer Sell stories — we Tell them.
  • The New PR is all about 3 T’s: Transparency, Truth, and Trust.

The Social Media Book Club discussed Part I of the book last week,  and here is an archive of the remarks. Tonight at 8pm EDT [5pm PDT] you can catch the discussion of part II: Facilitating Conversations: New Tools and Techniques on Twitter #smbookclub. Here is a Book Club calendar. For more info, contact @ready2spark