While it’s true that we are clearly in the “early adopter” stage of Social Media for Business, that does not mean that your gut feeling is wrong: SOCIAL MEDIA/INTERNET MARKETING is the Way We Will Do Business.
So the sooner your organization hops onboard, the faster you will be able to build the customer-concentric community that will inevitably lead to a more profitable business.
Here are some ideas on how to convince your boss that he’ll learn a whole lot on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook:
Ten Step Program
1. Listen and hear what people think about your company and your industry.
2. Discover that fear of public opinion is unjustified; your community simply wants transparency and authenticity.
3. With thousands of bright minds online, you’ll get lots of ideas and help formulating solutions for problems in your marketplace.
4. Honesty and generosity cost little, but reap Huge Rewards.
5. Garner “brownie points” just for being “out there.”
6. Experimenting is fun, necessary, creative, and guaranteed to produce positive results.
7. Successful companies will all be customer-centric.
8. Prospects will become customers; customers become loyalists; loyalists are your new influencers. You can’t buy that kind of advertising.
9. Get the jump on the competition. Everyone will be “out there”‘ get out sooner.
10. Finally, realize that isolation from your community cannot be a model for profitability. JUST DO IT!
And for those of you who have DONE IT, please add to this list of ways to convince the boss.
Part II: My notes on PRWeb Social News Release show
Images are now expected: photo by my friend Susan Ambrosini
For a long time I’ve been telling my students the “dirty little secret” that the term PRESS RELEASE is passè — and people-in-the-know have been referring to these outreach communiquès as NEWS RELEASES.
However in the New Media World, we now have the SOCIAL NEWS RELEASE with entirely new rules and capabilities. Naturally I was excited by the prospect of sharing the tips for online news releases offered in the PRWeb/Vocus webinar.
SNR’s — VITAL SEO TOOL
Here are three of the broad-based benefits of Social News Releases:
Their incorporated “links” build Google juice
They provide content for both news aggregators and bloggers
They can create viral exposure through social networks
The Webinar listed five steps for a Great Online News Release:
Focus on two or three relevant key phrases — and get one of those in the headline and the other in the first sentence.
Content is Key: Make certain that your story has news value and is not just a veiled sales pitch.
Distribute the release to all social media platforms including Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Optimize with key words and videos or images.
Use targeted anchor tags [URLs with recognizable labels].
It’s All About BACKLINKS
Go to slide #26++ on Optimized Press Releases for examples of SEO-enhanced social news releases. Notice the embedded video, social bookmarking, live search tracking, and embedded hyperlinks. Multimedia has become an expectation.
Here are two organizational points from the webinar transcript:
The Process has changed: new way of working, new approval procedures, new metrics
Leadership must discuss and adopt a new way of defining success for Public Relations
You can use this template for a Social News Release provided on the Web by Todd Defren, widely respected PR/Social Media expert whose blog PR-Squared debuted the recommended format. For more information check out this Fact Sheet on Todd and the relevance of Social News Releases.
A few weeks ago, I felt like I’d died and gone to Heaven.
That’s the sensation one has when a passion is being filled to the brimming [tipping?] point.
For a student of the Social Media Revolution, nothing could be more gratifying and fulfilling than to hear a panel of highly influential Social Media Mavens describe what’s happening “out there” . . . Now . . . and what’s likely in our Future.
EVENT DETAILS
Sponsored by The Next Bench, an official HP destination for innovation and computing enthusiasts.
Wednesday, Aug 19 – San Mateo, CA
Moderated by Tony “Frosty: Welch, Community Manager for The Next Bunch, responsible for Web, Community and Social Media Strategy.
Panelists:
Steve Rubel, SVP Director of Insights for Edelman Digital, div. of the world’s largest independent PR firm.
Richard Brewer-Hay, Senior Manager Social Media Strategy & Chief Blogger for Ebay
THE MORE YOU LOWER THE BAR, THE EASIER IT IS FOR THE WORLD TO GO ROUND
IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT CONVERSION — CONVERSATION IS CRITICAL
Selected quips from the conversation:
* Experts are looking to lower the bar.
* Being “Gracious” is vital to being IN with Social Media.
* The Social Media Revolution is like a fast-moving sushi train.
* The Four Basic Means of Measuring Social Media Value: (1) Reach; (2) Engagement; (3) Reputation; (4) Trial/Transaction
* The Top Ten websites from a decade ago had one social network site; today more than half are social media.
* Digital Embassy Strategy: Fish where the fish are — have Embassies in all the venues where your customers are
“People don’t buy products; they buy LifeStyles.”
* Companies are screwing up as they experiment with social media, BUT these mistakes don’t seem to hurt the Bottom Line.
* Innovation really matters: *****INNOVATE IN SMALL WAYS – Those who innovate and iterate in small ways are positioned to pull ahead when things go mainstream. When something becomes a winner, you’ll be there.
* Social Media is NOT YET MAINSTREAM!
“Those who innovate and iterate in small ways are postioned to pull ahead when things go mainstream.”
* Smart companies will take advantage of people with strong personal brands.
* Do not look at Social Media in a vacuum: Look at all stakeholders and determine where social media fits. Where’s the HIGHER PURPOSE?
* Social Media, conversation media, whatever you want to call it — it’s all about one-to-one.
* We’re on THE CUTTING EDGE: The Internet is always changing.
Frosty Welch, HP Panel ModeratorMichael, the Voice of Intel
With his distinctive voice and great tips for finding money and work, Marty Nemko was certain to be a household name — or so I’d thought.
But many people, whom I told that I’d be going to hear him at the Marin Professionals meeting this week, didn’t know him.
So that’s one of many reasons I wanted to share his advice and relate it to “our” journey down the Social Media Revolutionary Road.
WHEN “FEAR OF FAILURE” IS NOTHING MORE THAN L-A-Z-I-N-E-S-S
Many people try to work as little as possible, so they have time for family and fun, according to Marty Nemko, but that’s why they are either un- or under-employed. And that’s why they are neither passionate about their work, nor satisfied with their lives.
Marty wanted us to think about this:
The life well-led is lived by the person who spends as many hours as healthfully possible making the world a better place
Too many people are procrastinators, but they’re really just plain lazy. And laziness will NEVER cut it.
Our work is defined by how much we make the world better.
Marty feels that the “vaunted” family is over-rated and the best role models — both moms and dads — are those who work hard and then spend quality time with family members.
People who feel good about their lives are very productive. Focus and effort are key. Dabbling is suicide. Real passion comes from being the Go-To Person, no matter what the job title.
So how do I connect the dots from Marty’s advice to Social Media?
1) Developing an Online Presence, whether personal, professional, or for an organization will take time, focus, and effort.
2) Understanding the unique opportunities we have — as individuals — to connect with family, long-time friends, and brand-new friends through social media platforms can build deeper relationships more easily.
3) Translating these practices from the simply personal venues to the marketplace will bring much needed changes to our business lives– AND MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE.
I’m reminded of a golden lesson learned from Margaret Mead’s Coming of Age in Samoa: In her research, Mead learned that for the aborigines, “Work was Play, and Play was Work.” That was an idea, a message — a mantra, even — that I have never forgotten. And it really has made all the difference.
Two weeks ago I made a commitment to manage my online presence. Discipline is key, but broadcasting intentions into cyberspace has a way of keeping one on the straight and narrow. Too many people to make excuses to if objectives aren’t met.
So how have I done?
Below is my “roadmap” list, followed by my actions:
1) Make a list of WEEKLY goals {I believe I can hold to that) and check off my accomplishments EVERY Sunday night.
OOOps, I didn’t exactly write the list — except on my blog. But I am checking this Sunday night.
2) Prioritize those goals to make certain that the ones on the top of the list are done for sure.
The priorities were in my head since I didn’t write the list . . . except on the blog. Is this admission helpful to anyone? Maybe it’s a way to show the importance of ACTUALLY WRITING DOWN the list, especially if it’s a “check off” list.
3) My original intention, way back when I first posted onApril 23, was To Become an A-List Blogger — and that continues to be my Long Term Goal —
Blogging is my NUMBER ONE priority; the first week I only got to write two posts. This week, though, I’m doing well . . . one-a-day since Friday.
🙂
4) Next, because I really believe that Twitter will become all that its creators are envisioning, my goal will be 3-5 Tweets Every Single Day! I will continue to follow my own advice on What to Tweet.
I went to check on my exact progress by looking at my profile page @sharisax: That was actually Cool as it reminded me of some of the “insights” that I’d tweeted, especially one that was RT’d several times: “If success=receiving, then first comes giving.” Anyway, I met my goal of at least 3 Tweets a day.
Most of my Tweets are posted via Friendfeed, but not always. Even though both are “microblogging” platforms, I don’t personally feel they are “interchangeable.” Friendfeed’s capacity for conversation makes some updates more appropriate for that site.
5) Facebook is a HUGE priority, especially since my partner Les Ross and I are building our Social Media/Internet Marketing consulting business Performance Social Media, which recently set up a Fan Page. We’ll be including the opportunity for small and large companies to find social media interns through us, so I’ll be monitoring and updating both my Facebook Profile and my Facebook Page EVERY Day. That means NEW content on the Facebook page at least four days a week.
Check 🙂
I’m even adding more Business Apps to the Page, and I’ll continue reading everything I can on “Facebook for Business.”
6) I may be running out of time for Daily Tasks, but I thinking checking in and updating LinkedIn is essential. So besides that commitment, I plan to contribute to at least two LinkedIn Group Discussions every week.
OOOOps, I really did want to engage with LinkedIn groups, and TSK TSK . . . have not gotten to that yet. 🙁
7) Finally, my new Road Map will highly suggest that I check out at least one New social media tool, strategy or app every week; by checking out, I do mean more than reading about it.
HOORAY, this one I did in spades. My previous blog post is the proof: 15 social media sites my students and I checked out last week.
Looks like I get a few gold stars and a few TSK TSKs. But the great thing is that I’m traveling faster along Revolutionary Road. And I hope I’m pulling some of you along with me. Anyone else want to report progress in managing online presence? Let us know.
My SFSU Business Communication students learn three rules to Business Success in their first class session:
(1) Listen Carefully
(2) Read Carefully
(3) Follow ALL Directions
The suggestion to students — and everyone — that active listening is a skill can be easily disregarded as many people simply hear the tip and move on.
That is, they get ready for the next “rule” without really understanding the implications, and the difficulty, of what it means to really listen.
An earlier post of mine When communication adds up to a big fat zero proposed that all the new technology and accompanying tools and tactics were of little value if strategic planners did not first begin by Listening Carefully to online voices in their community.
This advice reverberates through the web in social media blog posts countless times every day. Today, in fact, a Brian Solis update on my Facebook stream pointed to PR 2.0 guest poster Michael Brito‘s rant against companies that listen but don’t act.
Rule Number One: LISTEN CAREFULLY
Last evening’s rigorous SFSU Business Communication class [we were learning to write business reports] was sweetened with an anecdote from one student who had really learned the power and rewards of LISTENING CAREFULLY at work that very afternoon.
New to his position in a downtown business, my student was invited to a meeting featuring a high level executive from headquarters. He [we’ll call him Adam, not his real name] had heard that this exec was noted for long, sometimes very dry speeches. But Adam was determined to pay close attention and practice all the “active listening” tips we had discussed in class.
“It was hard because lots of my coworkers were chatting and not paying attention, but just the same I wanted to focus on what was being said. I kept thinking about how important that was,” Adam told me.
The speaker did go on and on. And as hard as it was for Adam to keep his focus, he managed to do it . . .
And then the speaker stopped, looked around the room, and asked “Who heard what I just said?”
There was silence.
Adam cautiously raised his hand and repeated the last few facts related by the speaker, who acknowledged the response and asked Adam to stay behind after the meeting.
Adam was terrified, but not for long. After the meeting, the executive shook his hand, asked for his name and position, and said:
Good job, Adam. I’m going to be looking out for you. You are bound to go far in this company.
Adam was overjoyed and naturally was bursting to tell me. I was overjoyed and bursting to tell my audience — both Adam’s classmates and my blog readers.
What would our business and personal lives be like if we ALL made even small efforts to listen carefully when people were talking to us and with us?
Many of my students have begun blogs, and their first questions seem to revolve around, “How do I get more readers?” and “How do I get people to comment?”
My standard answers have been these three:
* Comment on other people’s blogs
* Announce your new posts on Facebook, Twitter, Friendfeed, and LinkedIn
* Enable a more user-friendly comment device.
However, after reading several of their posts, I have another simple answer — but, first, a story:
My Story about Peter
Several years ago, when I was teaching beginning journalism students at Southwest Missouri State, the students’ daily chore was to write in a log. And I read them.
Big mistake: both the assignment and me spending time reading them.
When left to their own devices . . . students wrote about such earth-shattering events as breaking up with their boyfriends and flushing letters down the toilet to buying a pair of boots at the mall to the scores of basketball games in the local conference. Needless to say, I was questioning my sanity for having asked for these papers.
Until Peter, that is.
Peter wrote plays and poetry. Peter analyzed the news. Peter shared intelligent conversations he had had with friends. Peter reported on books and articles he was reading.
And his writing was so flawless that I was envious.
But I loved reading his stuff and looked forward to every entry.
I was in awe of his talent and wondered what I could offer him.
So I went to several of my colleagues to ask their opinions; one comment stood out: “Peter’s stuff is good because he writes about things that are important and interesting.”
When you blog — and you want people to read and comment — WRITE ABOUT THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT AND INTERESTING.
Since Twitter will be changing all our lives, according to Time magazine’s recent cover story, I was thinking about how my use of Twitter differs from other Tweeple — and whether anyone could really publish a Best Practices for Using Twitter.
Don’t most of us think we are right most of the time?
If I, personally, was “right” on Saturday, May 23, when I posted my first tips on What to Tweet About — a blog entry that has so far been my most popular [732 views to date] — then I’d like to re-visit one of my Tweeting suggestions, i.e. “Share an insight that you’ve gotten all on your own and are dying to share.”
Today’s post will feature a dozen of the personal ideas I tweeted since joining Twitter this past March. My hope is that readers will find at least one of these thoughts that resonates with them in a way that invites validation through a personal story.
So tell me if any of the following ring true for you:
About Business in particular:
1 – People are NOT numbers. When businesses fully understand this, their strategies and tools will adjust.
2 – Participation is today’s Marketing & tomorrow’s Loyal Customer Base
3 – To be an effective manager: Realize that you are smarter OR wiser OR more knowledgeable than your staff . . . and coach accordingly.
About Blogging in particular
4 – Quality of content wins over fitting into someone else’s box.
5 – Content-rich means both “key words” and total substance.
About Life in general:
6 – Multi-tasking is vastly over-rated.
7 – Motivation often comes after the Hard Work is done
8 – A Work in Progress: doesn’t that describe Everything?
9 – One cannot give from a depleted state
10 – We are what we think about
11 – We like doing what we do well: when we focus our efforts on our strengths, we build our reputation and loyal followers.
The Future is NOT just “in the future.” The Future is NOW!
Dive in!
Just after New Year’s, a friend told me she was spending three hours a day on Facebook. “How could you be wasting so much of your life!” I’d asked her — genuinely concerned that she was “stupid” for getting caught up in all the silly buzz.
How dramatically my own life has changed in four months!
That’s the purpose of this blog — to help my Baby Boomer generation, and my retired friends, and my career-contemplating students all discover how this major New Media revolution is changing Everything — and for the betterment of all.
Here are 10 reasons why we — Baby Boomers in particular — should “Dive In”
1. Something “out there” for everyone:It’s not just Oprah, Demi Moore, Dave Matthews, and Barack Obama on Twitter. Thirty million other Tweeters plus around 300 million users each on MySpace and Facebook . . . and the list of social media participants goes on. A host of different platforms with a variety of advantages for people from widely different walks of life with a huge diversity of different interests. There is something “Out There” speaking to you — if you listen.
2.“Fountain of Youth”: Ask yourself what you “want” — to make you happier, more fulfilled, more connected, more ________________ [fill in the blank]. If you are one of the “elder” Baby Boomers like me, then one possible response might be: “I’d like to feel younger and, perhaps, more hopeful.” After having spent these several weeks learning/experimenting/engaging with the New Media and the communities of folks using them, I can appreciate the “Fountain of Youth” properties associated with being a young person just embarking on a new, exciting adventure.
3. DO something New:Laziness is not next to Godliness. Get off the couch and do something NEW.
4. Get “famous”:Think about someone like Susan Boyle – a 48-year-old Scottish woman with a magnificent voice, who thanks to the magic of YouTube and Twitter is now known worldwide and will get a chance to bring joy to multitudes. You, too, can be famous if you’d like. Read my first blog post.
5. Find answers:Is there anything you don’t know? I’m talking here to the men (who occasionally don’t like to admit lack of knowledge) as well as the women (who usually do know “everything,” right, ladies?) Not only are answers to your questions all over the internet, but you can discover new friends who share your interests by asking questions on Twitter, LinkedIn, and other platforms.
6.Be creative: Speaking of Twitter, it’s a very simple technology with tons of “applications.” That means any of us can shape the medium in creative ways. Lots of people may merely “text-message” friends and family, but some of us use it to discover new information available on the internet. It’s also a cool way to share personal insights that may be helpful to others. And its a great place to ask questions. On a more creative note, as an English teacher I found it useful in having my students frame a message of “substance” in 140 characters or less. I’d love to hear other creative uses people have for Twitter.
7.Keep in touch: Then there’s Facebook: you don’t have to spend three hours a day for this site to prove its value. Here are some of the ways it works for me: (a) keeping in touch with close friends and new acquaintances who don’t require phone calls; when you connect up with people on this site and they “update their status” you can make a comment and carry on a mini-conversation; (b) showing photos of your grandchildren; (c) letting family members know about the plays you saw on Broadway during your vacation — all at one time if they are on Facebook, too.
8. Start a blog. Set up your own soapbox and proclaim your views and knowledge to the world — online and, even, offline about any topics that excite you.
9. Be an explorer:Then there’s Friendfeed, Del.icio.us, YouTube, Digg, Flickr, Ezine, Squidoo, Technorati and the entire Blogosphere to explore.
10. Make Great New Friends:I made a new friend on Twitter one afternoon, and she said something that rang true for me, as well: “Honestly, nothing as exciting as this social media revolution has happened to me in decades.” Try it, you may feel the same.
Readers, do us all a great service: write a comment and share some of the reasons you believe Baby Boomers . . . of all ages . . . should embrace social media.
The last class of the semester will not be the end of studies for many SFSU marketing students.
What a wild ride –
Jumping off the PR 1.0 trail and on to PR 2.0!
And I’m happy to report that many of my 90+ students will be continuing our trek down Revolutionary Road. Below is a sampling of their semester wrap-ups:
Consumers create the buzz:
“I learned that people are changing the way information is given and received. Today Social Media is influencing all of us in ways never thought possible 5, 10, 20 years ago. Websites like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter are evolving into powerful tools. And companies are seeing this as consumers are now the ones creating buzz about products and places.
Today we all have the opportunity to use the Web to tell stories, to educate, to entertain, and, most importantly, to engage in conversation. We are only beginning to explore the many ways to communicate.” — Alice Ng
Social Media is our future:
“It is not only a way for people to connect and maintain relationships, but the Future for marketing and business, as well. Most of the population has hit their limit with mass advertising. People have figured out that everything is a selling gimmick and they have become immune. Marketing has become Word of Mouth — and what better way to facilitate the discussions than through social media.
If I am interested in a new TV, I want to hear real-life reviews and opinions — and with just a few clicks I can find them with Twitter. Or, if I want to know more about a person or organization, I simply go to LinkedIn or Facebook. As more people are realizing that everything is available online, more companies and people are adding valuable content to be discovered.” — Natalie Leadbetter
What’s just a fad?
“The number of social media websites id mind-boggling. The question is which ones are here to stay, and which ones will be merely fads. It’s frustrating that more and more aspects of life are moving to the Web. Personally, I find that staring at a computer screen for longer than a couple of hours at a time can induce headaches. Also, social media is killing privacy, and I have always considered myself a private person. I haven’t felt comfortable putting myself on the Internet for anyone to Google.
One of our speakers told us, ‘If I Google your name and nothing comes up, then you can forget about a job1’ I still have a hard time getting myself to put my name out there and start the multiple social networking profiles that are required for this class — and what now seems, required for life in general. Is there another niche out there for me to avoid this whole Web 2.0 thing? I DOUBT IT. I guess it’s time for me to bite the bullet and join the massive conformity that we call Social Media.” — Emilio Siqueiros
Personal Branding 101:
“I’m personally appreciative to have been immersed in the New Rules of PR. Communication has been revolutionalized and one of the most important lessons for me has been about Personal Branding. From everything I post online to my contributions to others’ web conversations, being Proactive is the Key. I now understand the importance of contributing to other people’s blogs as well as creating and maintaining online profiles — to connect with others and to contribute to the Worldview of Knowledge.” –Alvin Lee
Be careful online:
“When I first began this PR class, I hadn’t known what to expect. All I’d ever heard about PR were statements about making a company Look Good. But now my understanding has changed to the view that PR is more of a process of having a company do the kinds of things that will make it look good and earn that good reputation. And I can see how the internet — and everything we post online — can affect our reputation for the bad as well as for the good. Before this class, I’d tried Twitter when it wasn’t all the rage. I thought it was interesting, but it would fade away.
Now, though, I’m surprised that I’m Tweeting on my final — social media has grown so powerful that wherever I look, someone is bombarding me with some sort of advertising cleverly disguised as Tweets. Every action we take, we have to know that a potential client or contact is watching, and what we write online can make or break us in the Business World.” — Victor Atilano
Share your experiences with us. How has your life changed? Most of us believe that ours has improved? How about you?
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.
[read to us during yoga this morning — couldn’t help but think Social Media]
Joyous in flight
HERON by Leza Lowitz
Still as silence
what I hold in this life
is thousands of years of DNA,
the mystery of a moment
in which what falls away
is effort
and what changes
is everything
that grows longer
and stronger,
joyous
in flight.
From “Yoga Poems: Lines to Unfold By” by Leza Lowitz, (Stone Bridge Press)
Leza says: “Many thanks. I love sharing yoga and spreading the word about the transformative powers of yoga and poetry! Thanks for posting the link too. I have just finished a sequel to Yoga Poems and hope it will be published in 2010 or thereafter.
All the latest and greatest tools mean nothing — if you aren’t listening
I read several great blogs today — and would still be reading — if I didn’t want to share my own understanding of one important topic:
Effective social media marketing — aka REAL CONVERSATION — cannot happen without someone to LISTEN.
Let’s get personal for a moment.
Stop and think about the last time you thought you were having a conversation with a friend or significant other . . . and words later, the other person said something that clearly showed you she wasn’t really listening – no how, no way.
Frustrating, maddening, really.
Want to listen?
Stop Talking . . . both aloud
. . . and in your head
So now step ahead to someone in a business setting who says he or she wants to be of service, and you say, “Great, here’s what I want” and then that person just keeps on talking — and keeps on ignoring you.
Frustrating, maddening, really.
Businesses today want employees with Great Communication Skills. But many times they don’t even consider Listening to be one of the most important communication skills. Too bad. Without these critical skills, “the best laid plans of mice and men . . .” are all for naught.
In my Business Communication class, we actually have a few lessons on Active Listening. In addition to a great videotape where participants engage in activities like (a) continuing dialogues with the last words spoken and (b) carrying on conversations without using the word I, we discuss some important tips for becoming an Active Listener.
Some of these include the following:
1. STOP TALKING: Forget about what you want to get across and focus on the person speaking to you.
2. KEEP AN OPEN MIND:One sign of a critical thinker is being able to remain objective so that you neither hear what you want to hear nor dismiss the remarks of someone because you don’t like him.
3. LISTEN BETWEEN THE LINES: I love this one. As a former reporter, I got used to hearing propaganda; you really need to dig deep sometimes. Additionally, in our global society, the words of one culture may have different meanings than we are used to.
4.HOLD YOUR FIRE:This is a particular problem in a classroom where some people are always feeling the need to take the stage. You can’t listen to someone else when you are preparing your next lines.
5. PROVIDE FEEDBACK:This is KEY in business communication. It shows your degree of understanding of a problem or situation. This is the stimulus for the back-and-forth conversations that build relationships and communities.
So your job now is to Provide Some Feedback.
I know I’ve left out dozens of other Good Listening Tips. Have at me. I’m listening.
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— if you aren’t listening