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In my last blog post, I promised to get "practical and tactical" with social networking.  What better way to begin that process than with a "Twitter 101" of sorts?

Twitter has been a media darling for a while now; 2009 was the certainly the year of the tweet!  Many of you reading this may have gotten all a-Twitter, hurriedly opened an account (everybody else was doing!), tweeted something like "trying to figure this out," then never touched the site again.  Everybody kept chirping, but your life rolled merrily along.  Surely Twitter was gonna put the "fad" in "fade."

Right?!...

Just when you thought all that bleating about tweeting mightdie down, the cacophony of Twitter news, usage and growth did an uptick.  So...  Maybe you should revisit the Twitterverse, now that the root system's grown and more of your competitors, colleagues or acquaintances are on board.

What the heck is Twitter anyway?  Here's how home page summary:

And if you're like most business people I talk with, that summary is likely followed by you furrowing your brow and muttering "Huh?".  So, let me try to encapsulate.

I refer to Twitter as the world's message board.  Tweets are conversation starters, not full conversations.  It's a place to get information, give information, glean ideas, share ideas, offer an update, get an update.

Here are the Twitter site basics:

- Set up a Twitter account (I'm posting a how-to tutorial on account set-up later this week!), and then you can follow anyone (well, anyone who hasn't "protected" their tweets).  There is no relationship vetting, whereby the person you follow must confirm or approve the connection (this differs from Facebook or LinkedIn).

- Following is not automatically reciprocal.  In other words, just because you follow Ashton Kutcher doesn't mean he will follow you.  Twitter connections may just be one-way, with reciprocal following totally at users' discretion.

- Twitter posts may not exceed 140 characters.  Mind you, that's "characters"—not words.  They call this "microblogging," because it's a miniature web log.  This forces everyone to be succinct; there's no choice but to keep those tweets short and sweet!

- Twitter profiles are very basic.  You can upload a profile photo that will be tiny when shown online, and your bio is nearly as character-limited as the tweets you can post.  You are able to upload a background image and alter the color palette of your profile page (I'm gonna offer a tutorial in my next post), so you at least may elude to your branding on the site.

Well, that's all fine and dandy, yet you're still wondering why in the world wide web you need to start following tweets on the world's message board.  Here're a few pointers for making your first Twitter experience manageable and potentially meaningful.

How to start using Twitter effectively:

- Start with the mindset that you're a guest at someone else's party (and you might not even be that cozy with the host).  You wouldn't show up at a cocktail party already in progress, tap your glass to demand attention, then pound everybody with your sales pitch.  It's about social cues.  When conversations are already midstream, it's best to shuffle around the room, ease into a circle where you sense you might fit in, and start connecting through smiling and responding to what others are saying.

- Decide why you're using Twitter in the first place. The reason you've shown up should give purpose to everything you do in the Twitterverse.  Are you hoping to grow business by connecting with potential or existing customers?  Are trying to learn market trends and buzz?  Are you hoping to follow the "who's who" of a certain industry, market segment or interest of yours?  Determine why you've joined Twitter so that you then know how to use it.

- Follow other Twitter users judiciously, always bearing in mind your purpose for participating.  Avoid that common newbie need to follow-follow-follow just to fill a Twitter feed that looks so lonely and empty at first.  Choose to follow only those from whom you'd really want to glean information or engage in conversation.  If you're uncertain who to follow, find a respected colleague or friend with shared interests,see who they're following and fall in line accordingly.

- Let those in your circles know you're now on Twitter and mutually follow one another.  Just as you start to seek out those to follow, it's certainly going to be nice to know at least a few folks want to follow you.  Going back to that cocktail party analogy, isn't it nice to find a familiar face in the crowd when you show up a little late?

- Be a listener first and foremost.  Again, you're new to the party, so please—take your time and get familiar with the workings of Twitter before you start bantering.  While you may end up the life of the party, it's wise to suss things out first, find out what you respond well to in the Twitterverse, and incorporate those moves as you ease into finding your voice in the conversation.

- Consider creating groups in which to place those you follow (again, I'll include how-to info in an upcoming post).  For example, if you plan to use Twitter for business and pleasure, grouping will give you quick access to targeted posts.  And it's best to start those groups at the get-go, because it's a chewy process to conquer after you've tallied up a large number of people to follow.

As somebody who's keeper of multiple Twitter accounts, I've learned so much about how to make the most of this unique social network.  Obviously, the Twitter tips above come from my experience and knowledge.  To back all this up, I'll soon be posting a Small Biz Big Time webisode  to share specifics about what I've learned in the creation, care and use of my three Twitter accounts.  Perhaps learning some insider tips can help you start on solid footing...to take your small biz big time!

Thanks...and back to you very soon!

Find me all a-Twitter:

http://twitter.com/smallbizbigtime

http://twitter.com/irenewilliams

http://twitter.com/designvine

It seems so contrary, that we would be “practical and tactical” about something identified as “social.”  Yet as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and the like grow deeper roots in our everyday communications, it’s essential for business people to (1) embrace social media and (2) learn to use it effectively.

Let’s peel that last thought apart.

(1)  Embrace social media:  Business owners should not create a Twitter account or start a Facebook fan page in a reactionary blur.  Instead, they should gain understanding  of social media and be able to place it in context of overall business communications, acknowledging it as a relationship building tool and starting social media efforts on solid footing.
(2)  Use social media effectively:  For social media to be effective, it must be treated as a long term commitment worthy of regular attention and nurturing.  Also, it must be integrated into a total communications program, so that all messages and branding are consistent.  Those business owners who hurriedly open accounts and create pages in a blur are highly likely to use them ineffectively and ultimately abandon them.  That’s no good for anybody!

A great study by Weber Shandwick published last November revealed that Fortune 100 companies are commonly missing the opportunities that Twitter could provide if used properly.  Of the accounts they examined, 76% had tweeted less than 500 times, while 50% had fewer than 500 followers.  Those number indicate lack of engagement and underuse.  

image: Weber Shandwick

If the Fortune 100 companies—presumably working with ample resources—are challenged to effectively use social media tools, imagine how small businesses working on the lean may amble or stumble in trying to use Twitter or other social media networks effectively.  From the results of the Weber Shandwick study, it seems many big time businesses jumped in the deep end of the social media pool yet aren’t even doggy paddling.

In other words, if you haven’t started to tweet on Twitter or collect fans with a Facebook fan page, that’s okay.  If you’ve waited to see if all this social stuff is for real (and surely by now, you’ve seen that it is!), there’s no need to rush now.  Round out your understanding, get a strategy in place and then join the conversation with purpose and personality.

To help you get ahead of the curve as you round out your knowledge, here are some interesting stats about why people follow companies within social networks as published by emarketer.com.

These findings show that average social networkers really want to know about specials, sales and deals, as well as new products and services.  These bits of knowledge will prove very helpful as you ponder ways to make practical and tactical use of social media for business purposes.

In my next few blog entries, I’ll aim to help you do just that.  I’ll give you some “Social Media 101” advice to get your ducks in row before you go-go-go.  I’ll break out specific ideas and tips for Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, showing you how each network interlinks to make a full program to take your small biz big time.

Until next time...

Thanks!

If you’ve spent any time tooling around Twitter, Facebook or the like, you’ve probably seen—and clicked—on shortened links to webpages.  The most common short URLs start with ‘bit.ly,’ ‘ow.ly’ or ‘tinyurl.com.’

With a URL shortener, you can reduce this:
http://smallbizbigtime.wordpress.com/2009/04/29/do-you-need-a-facebook-group-or-fanbrand-page/ (gulp!)

to this:

http://bit.ly/4IXYAc (ah!)

Such shortening is essential when posting links on Twitter, with its limited, 140-character messaging, as well as when updating your status on other social sites.  Those long URLs are clunky and junky.  The shortened URLs are lean and clean.

If you want to keep your links short and tweet, here are a few pointers about the most commonly used URL shorterners.

bit.ly
This service is the URL shortener associated with Twitter since midyear 2009.  Simply paste a long link, and the site will shorten it for you.  If you create an account on the site, you can link to your Twitter account(s) for quick, easy posting and view click-through tracking and post history.  I personally find it very helpful to see what links evoke the most number of clicks—very handy.  Also, you can create a custom name for your link so that it’s simple to remember.  The site also accommodates the uploading of files, though I’ve personally hit glitches when attempting this.

bit.ly - sign up to track your clicks, customize your links, post directly to Twitter accounts

tinyurl.com
This site, formerly Twitter’s default URL shortener, is another good go-to when you want to personal the shortened URL.  You don’t have to create an account to use the service, and you can customize your URL for memorability.  For example, I created this link for my singer-songwriter husband’s Facebook fan page:  http://tinyurl.com/jpfanpage.  You won’t be able to keep up with click-throughs or access a history of your shortened URLs with this service, however.

tinyurl.com - no sign-up required, custom URLs, no link history information

ow.ly
This service is associated with the popular Twitter client HootSuite, though you can access the site directly for quick URL reduction.  Like bit.ly, there are added benefits if you create an account (file uploads, direct posts to Twitter and other social networks), though you must use through HootSuite to have access click-through stats and link history.  There’s talk of making more features available to those who don’t utilize HootSuite, but we’ll see.  The ow.ly team touts more privacy on link creation data versus bit.ly, if that means anything to you (it doesn't to me, really; I create shortened links specifically for public use, after all).

ow.ly - best if used with HootSuite, easy sharing functionality to multiple social sites

For what it’s worth, I’m good with bit.ly these days.  I dabble with all three, but I stick with bit.ly because of the easy access to click-through history.  I suppose if I was a HootSuite user, ow.ly would be the way to go.

No matter what service you choose, bear in mind that nothing’s permanent in the ever-evolving world of social media tools.  Just as tinyurl.com has waned since Twitter aligned with bit.ly, there will certainly come a time when another new service becomes the preferred alternative.  Google’s introduced goo.gl, its own variant of this concept, usable only within itsproducts and the Firefox toolbar; Facebook’s toyed with its own link shortener as well.  More will surely come.

As a service may fall by the wayside, so may the links you once created.  The word for that is “linkrot.”  And in the biz of URL shortener, it just might be hard for any of these guys to create a sustainable business model long term, thus the links these services create may eventually become broken.

Yet as long as we have some way to shorten and share, our links will continue to be the ties that bind!

Thanks for dropping by!

Wanna know the big numbers for Americans who indulged during the month of November '09?

170,000,000 & 31,000,000,000

No, these strings of zeroes have nothing to do with the total pounds of turkey consumed or total weight gained due to too much pie eating last November.  These impressive figures reflect the number of Americans who watched video online, as well as the total number of videos viewed—respectively—for that month.

Yes, that's right!  170 million of us looked to the Internet for video, and while looking, we took in nearly 31 billion videos all told.  This is according to a news release by comScore, a leading provider of digital intelligence.

Suffice to say, online video is, uh, the real deal.  Just as big time advertisers are reaping the benefits of this truth, so should small and mid-size business owners.  With technology and resources, the online video playing field may not be level, but it surely is open—for businesses of any size.

Many proponents and providers of online video content are still throwing around stats from a 2007 poll conducted by the Online Publisher’s Association and Online Testing eXchange.  After all, it is compelling data.

- Americans watch about 16 billion Web videos each month
- that’s up 25% from just a year ago
- 80% of online viewers recall seeing a video
- 52% take action and
- 16% of online video viewers make a purchase

Considering the steady growth of this category since this report first came out, it's logical to presume there's continued effectiveness for online video content.  More and more retailers are adding sell videos, showing everythign from swishing skirts to blenders blending, to motivate response from viewers.

A recent story from OpenForum punctuates the role of SEO tagging to maximize video's impact on search rankings.  The reports states that this targeted tagging approach will reach beyond (or around) YouTube to drive traffic more directly to marketers' sites.

In my corner of the world, video has been a cornerstone of online content for many years, but the ante is certainly getting upped in twenty-ten.  More clients newly perceive video as "must" rather than "plus."  What used to be an extra element is now core content.

After I finish this blog post, I'll be working on what else but a video script!  This project's for a client convinced it's time to add some motivating motion and emotion to their website.  For someone who earns her keep writing copy that sells stuff, these are s-e-O, such fun times indeed!

Thanks for reading!

p.s. - All the inane, mundane, arcane, urbane, insane and write-brain tweets you can handle at http://bit.ly/7GkqvZ .

As 2009 becomes yesterday's tweet, I'm reflecting on 12 month's worth of professional adventures and social media endeavors. 

Back when '09 was shiny and new, I was already strapped in for a bumpy ride.  2008 had taken its toll, with nearly every client o' mine on budget freeze and retainer accounts devolving to project-basis only.  I opted to make use of the slow down to bone up on the emerging and increasingly relevant realm of social media.  'Twas an important decision, indeed.

By March, I had two Twitter accounts, this blog and a valuable involvement with my ultimate laboratory of social media learning: the Social Media Connection website.  I also started nurturing my LinkedIn account, launched a Facebook group and absorbed practical knowledge from any reputable source I could follow. 

Between these social media commitments, my day/pay job and an expanded freelance business, I often found myself working triple normal hours during the anticipated "slow down."  As attested by timestamps on emails and status updates, I was often up and blogging...or writing copy...or editing video at 3:30 a.m.  I lived a weekendless life much of this year.  First and second quarters '09 shall always be a sleepy, hazy blur in my memory.  And if I were to calculate an hourly rate on those nutty-long days, I'm sure I'd be quite humbled.

It was totally worth it.

Considering what I do for a living, social media is essential.  As a writer, I use social media to find and connect with readers, showcase my skills for potential clients and promote my career.  When wearing my PR hat, I use social media to broadly, efficiently purvey client news and directly interact with those who want or need to know the latest.  For marketing communications, I incorporate social media to give brands personality and build relationships and reputations.   I love the immediacy and trackability.  I love being able to shape messages directly and interact with audiences consistently.  I love adding punch to traditional tactics and getting better results.

The good news is that clients also love these aspects of social media, and they often need someone like me to make it all happen.  More marketing decision makers are admitting social media's not a passing fancy, thus I'm starting 2010 with a nice roster of social media projects.  Nearly 12 months of 3:30 a.m. start times, triple hours and lost weekends are bearing fruit.

If you want a more fruitful 2010, embrace social media. Inject your traditional and familiar marketing and PR efforts with an infusion of dynamic interactions.  And if you need help to make that happen, let's connect.  I'd love to help take your small biz big time in Twenty-ten!

Happy New Year!

751 LinkedIn connections.
1,443 Twitter followers.
410 Facebook friends.

Those are my stats as of this morning.  Trust me, I know there are countless people whose numbers make mine sound limp.  And trust me again, I know the numbers don’t mean much for anybody if the connections aren’t real. 

Collecting followers, fans and friends is an ultimately fruitless hobby unless something substantive happens after the point of “accept” or “approve”—or unless something substantive had already happened before the request was made.  Even as my numbers organically grow in my social networks, the most valuable online relationships are the extensions of real-life, three-dimensional, old-fashioned human contact.

As social media has taken hold in the business world, there’ve been those voices touting its use as a panacea for small business sales and marketing.  Of course, those voices typically follow their definitive proclamations with “act now” offers for webcasts, seminars or the like.  Fact is, social media is an amazing tool, but it’s not fairy dust.  Just like everything else, it takes strategy, hard work, skill and savvy to be effective.  There’s no secret formula for this stuff.  No matter how much we log on and rack up online connections, if we’re not making one-to-one connections with other people in substantive ways, it’s all for naught.

No matter all the social media, it still matters how quickly—and kindly and effectively—you respond to customer requests and concerns.  It still matters that you are in direct touch with what’s going on with your clients, hearing straight from them and nurturing the relationships established long before anybody had a LinkedIn or Twitter account. 

Here’s an example...  I’m a Comcast customer for wireless Internet service, and as a work-from-home professional, I rely on that connection for just about everything I do. When a felled tree took down our line and thusly our service, I scheduled the repair with Comcast, and waited patiently during the lovely three hour block of time in which they’d promised to arrive.  As the minutes ticked down, I grew wearier and tweeted my frustration. 

In no time, I had direct messages from a couple of Comcast’s Twitter watchers, stating they could help, etc.  Yet still I waited for the service technician to come reestablish the line.  When the fellow finally arrived—well out of the prescribed time window—he explained in very human terms that “there’s only one of him” and that one of him had a very full day.  In spite of the immediate response of the Twitter brigade, it was only the feet on the street that mattered. 

And frankly, I much more appreciated the realness of the on site technician, than the false hope of a couple Tweets from unseen people I’ll never meet. That technician has since been out to the house to remedy another issue, and we have had positive interaction that represents Comcast well.

My point? (and I do have one…)

Yes, social media is real.  Undeniably real.  It has an ever-evolving, ever-growing role in the business world, and business people are well-advised to embrace it and determine the best ways to incorporate it into their overall strategies.  However, it’s essential to maintain interpersonal contact—great service and solutions, face-to-face meetings, phone calls, personal correspondence—to forge the kind of relationships that will sustain for the long term, through the ups and downs, over time.

I just checked my email; I’ve got three new LinkedIn connection requests:  #752, #753, #754.  But that won’t mean much if I never relate one on one.

Thanks!

Social media groups are topic-specific communities accessible for ‘members’ via  popular social networks such as Facebook and the business-oriented LinkedIn.  Members of these virtual groups can post questions, discussion starters, even news and job listings.

I’ve previously written about starting, leading and nurturing virtual groups, but there’s also an art to being a member.  Master that art, and the benefits will be plentiful.  Here are some ideas to help you get the most out of virtual group participation.


It’s just as sweet to receive as to give!
It’s truly okay to be a group participant who’s more focused on receiving information than giving it.  Groups can be excellent sources of information and ideas, which is exactly why they may be worth your time. You are perfectly welcome to slip in the “back of the room,” so to speak, and simply take in the online banter. 

And if you’re new to the whole scene, I actually advise you focus on receiving first.  Observe, take in, familiarize, and then you’ll be ready with targeted questions and postings when the time is right.

What you put in is what you’ll get out.
This is not a contradiction to the “sweet to receive” point I just made.  Even if you’re only participating to receive information, you still have to be an active participant, putting in time and effort to cull through postings and determine what’s useful for you. 

LinkedIn groups generate daily feeds—a list of all the postings for the group—that are emailed to members for review.  You can customize how frequently (or infrequently) to receive those feeds, but you simply must look at those feeds in order to gain any benefit from being part of the group.  I get feeds from each of the LinkedIn groups I’ve joined via once-daily emails, and I do open those emails and scroll through the content.  I’ve established a rhythm of reading quickly, assessing and clicking through to items of particular interest.  I’ve learned of many useful things by reading the group feeds, thus it’s worth the time and effort I invest.

Facebook groups often require even more proactivity from members, as there’s no integrated mechanism for auto-email feeds as with LinkedIn.  I’ve also found that many people start groups and don’t nurture them; thus, I lose interest quickly.  I’ll only “put in” to groups that are proven to worthwhile.

Use; don’t abuse.
If you join groups with the aim to target messages to specific audiences, proceed cautiously and exercise wise decorum.  In the study of group dynamics of the three-dimensional kind, it’s quite clear the conversation dominators often alienate other members and end up isolated.  This truth applies to virtual groups as well.  Even online, share the floor, and never use a group as your platform for virtual advertising. 

The beauty of virtual groups lies in the shared interests and like-mindedness of its members.  By joining a group, you do gain lines of communications with members who may be potential customers or colleagues.  Don’t abuse that access; use it wisely.


Be a first responder.
Earn your chance to be heard in your online groups by offering genuine, substantive responses to others’ postings and comments.  If you have an answer to someone’s posted question, “speak” up with a timely response.  This is the heart of the art of conversation, engaging others at their points of need and interests to spark reciprocal exchanges. 

LinkedIn actually has an integrated rating/acknowledgement system that allows those who answer question to earn ‘expert’ status on the site.  When someone posts a question on LinkedIn, they can actually select what answer was most helpful.  If your answers receive top rankings frequently enough, you’ll be noted an “expert” with a green star on your profile.

Offering responses is an excellent way to become a presence, as participant and a resource to your fellow group member.  It’s a validating activity that adds value to the group in many ways.  After all, social networking is all about online conversation, and that means two-way interaction!  Commit to comment.


Bear in mind, I’m not a “joiner” by nature.  I’m prone to the impromptu, informal gathering rather than the structured kind.  Yet I’ve benefitted professionally from joining up and participating in social media groups, and my experience has been positive enough that I recommend other small business owners consider it as well. 

Invest a little time and effort, and you could experience a group dynamic!

Thanks!

I knew this was how it was going to be.

I knew there’d be seasons in which I’d get so busy I’d have to let my own blog take a backseat to my paid writing gigs.  As a matter of fact, that’s why I’d been a writer without a blog for years; I’m usually blessedly busy doing this stuff for other people who deposit money in my account for the effort.  So when I finally committed to starting my own blog—this very one you’re reading—earlier this year, I made my peace with the reality that busy seasons would come and I’d have to prioritize accordingly. 

Though I’d prefer to never have a lag between postings, it’s reasonably acceptable in my case because...

• This is self-governed blog.  Though I’m committed to writing for my readers, I’m not obligated to any sponsors, advertisers or clients who dictate my schedule on this endeavor.
• I’d established a good root system from the get-go, so the blog’s continued to be read even without fresh posts for a few weeks; I truly knew I’d be back on track as soon as my workload allowed.
  
• The blog itself led to some of the new work that, by necessity, diverted my attention. Thus, my goal with this blog—to share credible ideas that help small biz people and open professional opportunities for me—is already being achieved.
  
• Paying clients always come first, in a tie with my sanity.  There's only one of me, so something had to give over the last weeks!

According to Harper’s Index this month, 94% of all existing blogs have not been updated in four months.  That’s a lot of cyber space going to waste.  That statistic makes my four+-week hiatus seem relatively harmless.  But what about your the blog for your business?  When’s the last time you posted?

In these weeks that I’ve not written on smallBizBigtime, I’ve actually been blogging faithfully on behalf of clients for whom it would not be reasonably acceptable to not post in a month, let alone four. 

For branding and business blogs, it’s not okay to be among the 94% that are out-of-date and stale.  When you consider the reasons and strategies for blogging for your business, it becomes abundantly clear why you should commit to consistency. 

A business blog will help you...

• Establish credibility:  become the authority/the resource/ the idea generator/the facilitator, become the company that’s quotable and ‘repostable’
• Raise profile and visibility:  create fresh content to bolster web presence (SEO), use content throughout the social web to become a regular and welcomed fixture in customers’ lives, cross-pollenate with other sites/pages/online networks
  
• Inform, educate and motivate:  engage customers, inform in a timely fashion, invite interaction, earn the right to sell, make special offers
  
• Craft your message, build your brand:  be your own publisher, establish your own look and content style,   communicate within your own guidelines...to your own, targeted audiences
  
• Maximize content:  heighten other PR/marketing/promotional efforts by reusing content in other forums, ensure consistency of message, increase frequency of messaging, offer content to other media outlets (with assured attribution)
  

Obviously, there are many great reasons to not only start a blog, but to commit to one.  If you haven’t begun one yet, weigh it seriously before you dive in.  Are you prone to be momentarily motivated or intermittently committed?  Do you rarely have enough to say for your monthly newsletters?  Do you loathe writing?  Are you perplexed by social media in general?  Then maybe a company blog isn’t for you.  Or perhaps you should delegate the task to another employee or hire the help of someone like me to get you going. 

And if you do take on a blog, give at test run of a month (or two) before you promote it to the world, to make sure you’re going to be able to create great content on a regular basis.  Also note, there’s no rule about how frequently you must post, though “once a quarter” just won’t cut it.  Start realistically; slow and steady will win this race.

And if you’ve already got a blog but haven’t posted in a long while, consider whether or not to pull the plug.  Few things look less professional than a four-month old blog on your website.  If you aren’t ready to abandon ship, consider investing to get the help you need.

I’ll soon be starting a new blog on behalf of a client.  To get her rolling, I’m going to set up the blog—the account creation, the name, look and customization.  Then, I’ll write one post a week for her.  She can supplement as she has time or feels led throughout the week, but she’ll always be assured one healthy post per week.  We’ll be able to push that content out through her Facebook fan page, LinkedIn group and her company’s website.  I’ll be writing in her style and voice, so the brand will be enhanced in tandem with her credibility. 

This approach will cost her more than the total do-it-herself plan, but she knows full well she likely wouldn’t always do it if it were up to only herself!  But she believes a blog is another great way to take her small biz big time.

Thanks for reading today, and I promise it won’t be another four weeks until we meet again!

An interesting phenomena happened again the other day and while it's happened before, the intensity of the reaction this time made me smile... and think about an important feature of social media: Accountability.

A person on LinkedIn sent a spam message to all his contacts including me. The reaction was swift and severe. A great number of contacts sent him back varying degrees of negative feedback, some of it rather emotionally charged. As an added bonus, in this case, because some of the replying people copied everyone who received the original message, the "dope-slap" was public.

I think everyone will agree that spam is extremely antisocial and relies heavily on anonymity for its success. Since social media is anything but anonymous, participants must be accountable for their blog posts, emails, tweets and other public comments. If they are not behaving in a "social" way, they will find out very quickly.

So two important contributions result from the use of social media. First, good old spam will be severly curtailed and secondly, people wil be taught social behavior regardless of whether they come into the space knowing it ahead of time.

I have her email address and phone number.  She lives no more than a mile from me. However, I opted for direct messages on Facebook to set up our recent dinner outing.  Why did I communicate with my friend this way? 

Because I was already there—and she was, too.

Like millions of other Americans, my friend and I are spending time on Facebook.  Thus, I found it just as simple to reach out via Facebook direct message than to switch over to my email account to do so.  (And God forbid I pick up the phone anymore!)  In the end, Facebook successfully led my friend and I to some quality face time. 

While Facebook helped me stay connected to this friend from my zip code, it’s also been an incredible tool for reconnecting with friends spread across the globe.  Whether they’re in Houston, Singapore or any point in between, I easily, communally mix and mingle.  Gone are the days of blasting my friends via traditional email with a heavy assortment of attached photos to keep them updated on my life (after much debate about which of my pals would want to see said photos lest I feel like a spammer to my own circle of friends).  Now I post a photo album, and my friends can peek at their leisure.  I can share and receive updates with everyone in a single pass no matter physical location or time zone.

According to topline data from Nielsen NetView for June 2009, Facebook ranked first in terms of time spent per person on a site.  Internet users spent an average 4 hours, 39 minutes on Facebook.  That’s more than the time spent on Google, YouTube, AOL, MSN (WindowsLive/Bing), eBay or Amazon, and it notably exceeds the time spent on the number 2 ranking Yahoo!, at which users spent an average 3 hours, 15 minutes.

We’re leaning toward the collective connective for a variety of reasons.  I think the recent death of Michael Jackson and subsequent online communications frenzy is a good encapsulation of the shift (and likely could have impacted Nielsen’s June numbers).  Facebook experienced the crush of the communications rush when the news of Jackson hit.

The desire for interaction.  This key point hinges on the very human need to be heard and avoid being alone.  While Internet users may have first glimpsed or heard of Jackson’s death through other sources, they logged on Facebook in droves to share the disbelief and emote.  CNN partnered with Facebook to have real time comment sharing in tandem with the live coverage of the Jackson memorial service. 

The need for multi-dimensional information exchange.  Facebook served as a source for diverse perspectives and unfolding details, as friends clamored to share what they’d learned.  Friends from all points on the map received information from different sources and were able to convey details quickly.

The simplicity of sharing.  Just as email overtook traditional mail because of its immediacy and affordability, Facebook interaction overtook email messaging likewise.  During the hubbub of Jackson’s death, it was quite simple to share on Facebook because it converges and merges friend groups for streamlined sharing options, has no associated costs and allows for broad-sweeping messaging without being obtrusive. 

What’s the quick take-away for small business people?
Be where your customers are.  While I’m just a Facebook user and not a brand advocate, the numbers undeniably affirm that millions of people across every demographic are using Facebook.  Of course, there are other widely used networks, namely and famously Twitter, for example.  Business owners are wise to take note.

Evolve your communication methods.  Word in the world of online trend-tracking keeps buzzing about the fact that traditional email is fading in importance.  Messaging through Web 2.0 technology/social networks is on the rise, and with the launch of tools like Google Wave, it’s clear that the way we share information is evolving.  Email is not ready for mothballs, but it is likely being reassigned as modes of electronic communication advance and change with the onset of cloud computing and mobile technology.

Build relationships online.  There really are conversations going on all around us online, as Internet users seek out those they know to share in discussion.  It’s imperative business leaders plug in.  It’s not effective to be a strategic interjector; people are hungry for more substantive connections.  That’s why Facebook is a stronger draw than random commenting on various sites; we all want to be heard, especially by people we care about.

Think ahead about the collective connective.  Business owners always need to be one step ahead.  The reality is, we live in a Web 2.0 business world,  and even if some participants are still fumbling in 1.0, we’re not going to regress. Web 3.0 will be next.  In the evolutionary marketplace, the businesses that are in step with the times will thrive.  Those who are presently overwhelmed or totally disconnected may not stand a chance.

Suffice to say, it’s time to ‘face’ up to social media!

Until next time...
Thanks,

Windshields.  Cupcakes. 

In the gravel-spattered roadway of life, windshield fix-it shops exist to meet the needs of drivers.  A cracked windshield could pose a danger; it’s imperative it be repaired.  Thus, this service is pretty much a “must.” 

On the contrary, cupcake bakeries offer optional fare.  There’s really no “must” about a$3, 3-bite confection; this delectable is truly a “lust.” 

“Must” businesses often focus on advertising’s frequency more so than its creativity, knowing their messages must align with the steady stream of potential customers’ needs.  When that cracked windshield happens, customers will zone in on the most prominent, present advertiser and call the shop that’s top of mind. 

Promoting a “lust” business—goods or services that are truly optional in the course of life—is a different endeavor.  Generally, these businesses have to be creative in order to get attention and very convincing to motivate consumers to make the next move.  The art is to turn a “lust” into a “must,” and this can be challenging, especially in a beleaguered economy in which consumers are trying to stifle their desires for trifles. 

How can a “must” business such as windshield repair earn and hold position as the first-dial when customers have a need?  How can a cupcake purveyor elicit the budget-conscious to part with three hard-earned dollars for such a fleeting pleasure? 

Here are some ideas.

- Meet your potential customers where they are.
In person or online, find ways to be meet and greet the people who may love your product or service.  For example, consider my present fascination with cupcakes. 

I recently attended a networking event at which gourmet cupcakes were served.  Though I’d normally ration my cupcake intake, these delights had me revisiting the dessert table two...okay...three times.  Let’s just say I had my cupcake and ate yours, too!  And frugal as I try to be these days, I gotta admit I’d plunk down $3 for such yumminess.  This is a new “lust” I’ve personally decreed a “must.”   

However, I’ve since searched for the cupcakery online, to little avail.  They don’t use Twitter or Facebook, and their website is a one-page digital business card.  They’re highly praised on Yelp! and other review sites.  But if I could follow these bake masters on Twitter, I’d easily be lured by daily updates about fresh flavors.  If they had a Facebook fan page, I’d sign up without hesitation and rally pals to join as well.  This business “met me” at the event, but how can I ever really get to know them now?

Offer incentives to motivate response.
Even if you succeed in being where your customers are, you’ll likely need to do something to be heard over a cacophony of competitive marketing messages.  You have to stand out from the pack, differentiating your company by motivating consumers to take action.  Value savings, buyer advantages, special status, premium service—no matter what you offer, you need to show customers there’s something in it for them.

Have you ever gotten something that looked like a coupon, yet it had no discount or saving offer?  I get those duds every now and then in the stack of auto-generated coupons that are printed at the the end of my grocery store check-out or even in those Valupaks that are mailed to the house.  Why would a business invest to be included in the Valupak or in the store coupon program and not give potential customers a nudge? No matter how great your biz may be, customers will ere on the side of “discount” or “incentive” if given the choice.

The aforementioned cupcakery contributed a buy-one-get-one-free coupon in the swag bag for the event I attended.  That was a smart move, as that offer provided the extra nudge I’d need to go from ‘event groupie’ to ‘paying customer.’

Be consistent to stay ‘top of mind’ and ‘front of the line.’
Frequency and positioning matter in this message-a-minute world.  That’s why advertisers run repetitive campaigns with brain-burning jingles, celebrities show up for flashing cameras at every premiere and charity event and media moguls chime in on all the issues or tweet their most fleeting opinions 20 times a day.  Businesses or personalities that want to have last word often ceaselessly strive to stay top of mind and hold position at the front of the line.

For small business owners, being consistent doesn’t have to also mean being outlandish, brash or intrusive.  It’s simply a matter of being present on a regular basis.  Customers who are busy with work, family and life in general are constantly rattled and riddled with marketing messages.  Any business or service provider that becomes a voice of consistency can earn and hold top position in customers’ minds and benefit from being first in line when those customers need what the business has to offer.

That’s the beauty of social media.  Customers elect to participate in social media, and they exercise their right to select connections within those networks, sites and forums.  A business has an open door to create ongoing relationships, illicit interaction and become part of their customers’ daily lives.  The key is to be the steadfast voice in a sea of hit-or-miss messages.  That’ll help make a “lust” product a “must” purchase.

Again, if that newly beloved cupcakery were to join in the conversations on Twitter or Facebook, I’d definitely welcome them into my circles.  However, if I don’t hear from them soon, there will be another flavor to steal my attention.  I’ll get busy and diverted, and I’ll inevitably file the fact that I loved those cupcakes deep in my overloaded brain.  It’s in their court to remind me how wonderful they are.

Whether promoting something people want or need, social media, mixed with a strategic blend of traditional advertising and marketing methods, can be the icing on the (cup)cake for small businesses. 

More bite-size ideas coming soon...
Thanks!

“Has anybody figured out how to make money on here?” 

I’ve run across people asking this question on Facebook and Twitter quite often, and the topic even comes up frequently offline. 

Of course, this question isn’t coming from casual passers-by who’re just interested in reconnecting with their pals.  The question of social media monetization belongs to the business people, the entrepreneurs who’ve logged on with blatant or subdued hopes of cashing in.  And the question seems fair enough.  After all, we’re spending lots of our time and energy on these sites.  Will there be a pay-off...ever? 

My quick answer is “no and yes.” 

If the motive is the fast buck, good luck.  I’ll risk repeating myself to say that social media is not an outlet for ceaseless strings of 140-character classified ads.  If you deluge followers and friends with nothing but direct selling messages, you soon won’t have many followers or friends.  Granted, that tactic can work when playfully carried out by the occasional local pizzeria or bakery (hourly updates about what’s fresh out of the oven go over nicely with hungry Tweeters, I suppose) or retailers offering exclusive deals (i.e. - Dell’s successful Twitter sales pushes). 

Nonetheless, status is usually done for gratis. 

I liken the approach to social media to that of public relations.  In PR, we earn trust and presence with constituencies by bringing forth quality information and ideas on a consistent basis, offering pertinent and timely responses/input to current issues and substantively participating in communities.  PR is about building reputation, and try as we might to assign exact dollar signs to the value of a great reputation, it’s pretty much priceless.

Still, it’s fair to presume a business with a great reputation would have sales that reflect its positive market perception.  The dividends may not pay out in immediate, directly trackable and measurable ka-ching as would an advertising or direct marketing campaign, but the long term value is immense, impactful and important.

Social media lets companies be part of communities.  Social media extends business’ presence into customers’ lives.  It generates and facilitates conversation, connects friends old and new and adds dimension to what people know about a company. Ultimately, these things build attraction and affinity with a loyal audience that will take action (get a free white paper on this topic) by making purchases. 

There will be pay-off, yes.  But it will take time, patience and ongoing nurturing.

A recent Forbes.com article also delved into the idea of cashing in on social networking.  The article features an interview with Brett Hurt, founder of Bazaarvoice.  Bazaarvoice offers user-generated review platforms that can be incorporated directly into brand websites.  The business model contends that people go to brand websites to buy, thus it’s beneficial to incorporate social networking at the point of purchase.  Hurt likened participating in Facebook and Twitter to attending a cocktail party, with the punchline being that “nobody shops at a cocktail party.”

Very true.  When people are mixing and mingling in their favorite social network, they probably don’t have their credit cards in hand.  But they are trading ideas and information with friends and deepening relationships in real, though often subtle, ways.  And in the business world, there are some pros who have the knack for working cocktail parties to their great advantage.  A few biz cards collected at a networking event can lead to paying gigs down the road. 

My friend and colleague Paula Swift, owner of Prosper, Business Image Consulting, is a perfect example.  Just like Paula can work a cocktail party or networking event, she can work her presence on Facebook and LinkedIn.  When she makes a connection online, she’s savvy to take note of the person’s occupation, and if things align, she simply takes the effort to inquire further about what they do.  And now and again, that little extra effort pays off. 

Paula recently reconnected with a school friend on Facebook and noted he works in the promotional merchandise business.  She followed up by inquiring about ideas for promo items for one of her clients, just to keep in mind.  Months later, Paula knew who to contact when a specific opportunity arose, and the entire transaction occurred within Facebook.  Paula’s old friend from school landed an order, Paula was able to charge her agency commission, and thus, using Facebook really did pay off.

The great thing is, it happened organically.  There was no intense hounding, spamming or pelting sales messages.  Paula noted a professional synergy with a Facebook friend, the friend responded, and when the time was right, both benefitted from the connection.

Another phenomenal example of organic, social networking business combustion:  Help A Reporter Out, the brainkid of Peter Shankman.  Shankman is an NYC PR guy.  He has many clients and knows tons of reporters, thus he launched a Facebook group to connect meida in need of information with sources who could supply.  All this is for FREE, mind you.  The group exploded past Facebook’s allowable numbers, so Shankman shifted the burgeoning entity to his own website.  In just a couple years, this group—still FREE for participants—is a profitable venture.  Shankman sends three emails a day, chock full of media leads (you really should sign up!), with an amusing, paid ad at the start of each email.  Shankman started by giving...and continues to give, but he’s certainly gained in the process. 

That’s great news for Swift and Shankman, but what about the question at hand...for YOU?  Is there any money to be made here?  No and yes...

No, social media is not your marketing microwave, your online cash machine for new biz.  You’ve got to invest for the long term and be willing to give to get.  Yes, social media can nurture reputations and create and enhance relationships that pay out dividends in the long term.  It’s not the be all, end all.  Small businesses are well advised to invest in comprehensive marketing, including SEO, advertising, direct communications, traditional PR and in person networking and sales. 

Growing a business offline or on, it’s still true that the harder you work, the more successful you’ll be.  That you can count on.

Thanks!

A Facebook fan page can be a great tool for your business, personality or endeavor.  It serves as a fun way to update interested parties about what’s new and what’s news and is especially effective since so many people are already turning to Facebook as a means of staying connected. 

Before you create a Fan Page, make sure this is the right option for you.  Sometimes people confuse Facebook fan pages and groups.  I’ve blogged about this topic before (click here to read that post); it’s my most read blog entry, as people search for this information every day.  Here’s a quick recap.

Create a Facebook fan/brand page if
    * you want to build buzz around a brand name or create interest/support of a product or service.
    * you want to convey information to a core group of people who show interest in your specific topic.
    * you want a place for comments and feedback, yet with less focus on interactions and discussions.
    * you prefer to guide the tone and content of the page as it represents the person, company, product or service being promoted.

Examples of pages:
    * Musical artists, celebrities or public personalities
    * Businesses or brand names
    * Products or services
    * Events – for purposes of promotion, not planning

If you’re certain you need a fan page, here’s how to start it and make it work for your business.

Once you’re logged into Facebook, go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php.  You’ve got to be authorized to create the page, and filling out the preliminary information is self-explanatory.  Just be sure you’re making proper selections from the get-go so you don’t have to fret with corrections after set up. 

Populate your page with useful, interesting information.  Post some photos.  Add a few wall postings.  Don’t treat this page as a static profile.  For a Facebook Fan Page to be effective, it needs to be consistently injected with fresh material, news, images and information. 

After the page is created and populated with good content, invite people to become fans.  Whether you tap into your existing Facebook friend base or invite people not aligned with you within this website, all Facebook fans will have to first be Facebook users.  However, considering the ever-growing numbers of Facebook users, this shouldn’t create too much of a hindrance. 

Obviously, by inviting people you already know to be “fans,”  you’re really tapping into your network of “friends.”  Eventually, you’ve got to grow from having friends to having true fans; heightened success with your page will take place when you see people you don’t even know participating. 

So just how can you attract people beyond your existing friend base to become your business’ fan?  Here a a few ideas.

• Ask your friends/fans to ask people in their networks to join.  Sometimes it’s really as simple as making the request, and friends will rally.
• If you have employees, encourage them to help spread the word and support the page as well.
  
• Run Facebook ads.  Facebook ads can be very affordable, easily managed and nicely targeted to reach interested parties.  The ad can offer a direct link to the fan page, to encourage quick, simple affiliation.
  
• Add links to your Facebook page to existing communications, i.e. - email signatures, other profiles, websites, etc.
  
• Offer an incentive to fans via a membership drive.  For example, I’ve seen musicians offer a free download for all fans once the page reached a milestone number of fans (“help me reach 500 fans by the end of this month, and everyone gets a free download of my latest song!”).
  

And just why would you dare drive traffic to a Facebook fan page and not your existing website?  The reality is, you need to meet people where they are, and right now they are on Facebook.  This is about building relationships with your constituencies, not hard line, direct selling.  Think of this as great bonding time! 

Your fans are logging into Facebook to connect with friends, message each other and share information.  By capturing fans on Facebook, you then have the opportunity to message them (with good discretion, please!) about other news, links and products.  The fan page becomes a meet-them-where-they-are message board, and via that ‘board’ you can ultimately offer links to send them wherever they need to go to get the full scoop on your business, product or brand.

Long term. it’s up to you to keep breathing life into your fan page.  Personally, I’m a fan of many things of Facebook, but I rarely hear from the companies, artists or products I’ve chosen to acknowledge.  Never assume your fans will keep coming back to your page on their own.  Artfully remind them!  When you post something new to your fan page, send a quick, single topic message to all members; feel free to add a live link to your main website if you so choose (some people will click through). 

Even though we may now rely on click of mouse as much as word of mouth to share recommendations and information, we still value the input and perspectives of family and friends to find out about great things.  With the innate interconnectivity of Facebook, friends and family can help convert others into new fans.  And that’ll surely help small biz go big time!

Thanks!

A social media plan is not an à la carte menu, so if you’re using social media to help take your small biz big time, come hungry.  This stuff isn’t for snacking.  Maybe you can get away with some à la carte, pick-and-choose in a marketing plan (operative word:  “maybe”), but you simply must order the full course meal to get a social media plan’s impact.

For example, a solitary blog is like an island—hard to get to without a boat or a bridge.  A Twitter account unto itself will serve little purpose for many business people.  A Facebook fan page without the nurturing of fresh content or interconnectivity will wither and fade all too quickly.

Social media requires commitment to a process.  One link leads to another, like tributaries flowing into a river that’s flowing toward the sea.  Ignore one aspect, and the flow is affected.  Ignore many aspects, and the flow will ultimately cease completely. 

Have you been ordering à la carte when it comes to your social media?  Have you tried to sample things without investing time and effort to plan your work and work your plan?   That’s like connecting only select dots on the page and expecting to get a full picture.  There really aren’t any skippable steps here.  As I’ve recently blogged, social media is not a marketing microwave; steadiness and patience are required, but the potential rewards are great enough to merit the ongoing effort.

Of course, you can’t do everything “social” that’s out there.  But you can round out a plan that employs essential elements, to ensure connectivity and eliminate any missing links that might hinder your social media success.  Connect the main dots to reveal the big picture.  Then you’ll be able to fill in the details much more easily over time.

Here are the big picture, full-course basics you’ve must include from the get go.

- Fresh Content
If you’re going to be social, you need to contribute to the conversation.  Don’t build podiums without having something worthwhile to speak about.  Think about what you have to share, how you can add to what’s already being said and create content accordingly.  Your content may come in the form of a blog, a constantly freshened website, substantive tweets, pertinent comments on others’ sites/postings/discussions or all of the above. 

- Followers, Fans, Friends
Without making connections, you’ll just be talking to yourself.  You must incorporate relationship-building into your social media plan.  You could rally your existing contacts through direct messages, initiate followings on Twitter, join groups on LinkedIn or Ning to be part of targeted communities or invite ‘fans’ via a Facebook fan page.  Also, you’ve got to be a ‘friend’ to have a ‘friend’; start reaching out to others, and they will reach back. 

- Platforms for Posting
Once you create content and make friends, you need outlets and methods for staying connected, platforms for sharing what you’ve created.  This is where your Twitter account, your presence on LinkedIn, that Facebook fan page (or personal profile, for that matter), a FriendFeed, etc. comes in handy. 

- Mechanisms for Participating and Sharing
Not only do you need to share, you need to make it easy for your network to share alike!  Add “share” or “add this” buttons to your blog, your website.  Ask for retweets on Twitter.  Thank anyone you find who does forward your content on.  This is the essence of social media:  one link really does lead to another.

Does this give you something to chew on?  If you need specific ideas on how to get started, ask me!  I’ll gladly dig into specifics to help you go big time!

Thanks!

It seems many marketers still find “search” to be the engine for successful advertising and branding campaigns. 

In a recent survey of senior-level marketing and media execs conducted by Forbes, 75% of respondents ranked SEO and email/e-newsletters as their top digital marketing tools.  Likewise, SEO and email also ranked high in terms of effectiveness in generating conversions (48% for SEO and 46% for email/email newsletters).  Pay-per-click also ranked high in terms of use and success for participants of this survey.

Use of ad networks, attempted by 40% of total respondents, proved to be the lagger among digital marketing components according to this survey, with 44% of those who tried them indicating results did not meet expectations.

Mind you, this survey was definitely of the big biz - big budget variety; approximately 44% of respondents have $1MM+ digital marketing budgets.  Big bucks in the budget let companies try a variety of tactics, while most of us must pick and choose with more scrutiny.  Nonetheless, the information and insights are translatable for any of us.

This survey is a good reminder that SEO is still numero uno for many CMOs.  While social media (aka “viral marketing” for purposes of this survey) is the media and marketing darling of 2009, companies aren’t—and shouldn’t—disregard the value of investing in optimization for search engines.  And ditto that fact for email/e-newsletters; though these aren’t the newest, shiniest tools in the shed, they’re still helping collect the harvest for many marketers.

For many small businesses constrained by lack of staff, budget and time, it’s smart to make SEO point A on their marketing maps.  Truth is, social media tactics require plenty of hands-on nurturing in order to be effective, and that can be challenging for small businesses and sole proprietorships.  Worthwhile and effective as they may be, social media tactics may need to shuffle down in terms of priority to ensure room for the traction-building of a good SEO effort. 

The big biz respondents of this survey measure success of any digital marketing tactics primarily in terms of “conversions or sales.”  70% stated that a bolstered bottom line (“conversions or sales”) was the best assessment for success, with 52% ranking registrations/subscriptions to their sites as the second important measure.  For businesses big or small, the pay-up and the sign-up offer the best pay-off. 

What are the take-aways of this survey for small biz? 
- Digital marketing should sell ‘em or sign ‘em up—now! 
- Make sure customers can find you through SEO.  Let them come to you!
- Make sure you can find your customers through viral marketing/social networks and other tactics.  Find ways to go to them!
- Let your bottom line be the bottom line; measure ROI to ensure time, effort and budgets are spent well.

Searching for more details, ideas or solutions?  Let me know what you need to know to take your small biz big time.  Meanwhile here’s a link to a helpful article with some practical ideas.

5 Essential Steps to Make Your Site Search & Social Media Friendly

Thanks!

I have seats on both sides of the aisle as a member of the media and a PR person.    What a fascinating view, seeing firsthand how it works from either direction!  And now that view is bathed in the light of the social web, it’s as if the glow of a computer monitor is spotlighting the many aspects of PR in this evolving age. 

From either angle and in this light, I see clearly that the more things change, the more they stay the same.  The basic truths for earning coverage have really not altered that much, though the modes of communication and the face (and faces!) of journalism have.

Does “Spray & Pray” Pay?
The ol’ “spray and pray” PR approach hasn’t gone anywhere.  Ten years ago, the ‘spray’ of mass press releases came in the form of unsolicited junk mail.  Today, it comes as email spam.  Either way the ‘spray’ typically does not pay.  It’s rare thing to earn notable coverage from a faceless, graceless mass message.  (Thankfully, deleting emails doesn’t add to landfills, so at least PR2.0 is more environmentally friendly.)

Mind you, this tactic can work a bit like a big direct mail/email campaign; when you send to thousands, even a 1% response rate seems passable.  And if you’re pitching a general interest topic to a media list encompassing journalists of like beat and like audiences, this is not a wholly unacceptable approach. 

For example, I’ve done PR for home products for years, and it’s often worked very well to send new product announcements en masse to New Product Editors at shelter publications and home-related media outlets.  I send just what those editors need in these instances when the warm-fuzzies of a targeted pitch is simply not necessary.  They get a new product for one of their new product round-up stories, I get coverage for my client and all is well.

If you must go “mass” with a PR message, consider using a wire service.  Though there’s added costs involved, the mechanism of a wire offers vast distribution without you or your company being invasive. 

How to Reach Your Feature Goals
However, if you want to earn feature coverage, you should never rely on a mass message.  With my ‘both-sides-of-aisle’ view, I know this to be true.  As a PR person, I understand how daunting (and time-consuming) it is to try to get into the minds of specific journalists, producers, reporters, bloggers.  Yet pay-off comes only when I’ve taken time to get to know the person to whom I’m pitching.  Now that I’m also a columnist and blogger myself, I can tell you even a little effort to indicate genuine connectivity can make all the difference.  “Delete” is a common response I give to emails I didn’t ask for, from people who don’t know me and vice versa.

New Challenges Reaching the Media to Connect with Readers
These days it’s hard to find the right person to target.  In the past, I worked with journalists within a segment so consistently and for such a long time that I established very valuable relationships, as well as real friendships.  Even if a contact switched jobs, I knew their whereabouts and altered my communications accordingly.  Now many of those contacts have been laid off from their corporate media houses and have started their own blogs or taken on freelance assignments.  What was once a narrow and deep river of media has become a sprinkling of lakes and ponds.

Likewise readership has divested as well, and you’ve got to know where to find the loyal, responsive followers.  These days, PR efforts may be better spent with the top  three bloggers in a category, because those bloggers have devoted readers, rather than on one traditional media outlet. As I write for my blog and column, it’s inspiring to know that my message is being received and read, even if my numbers aren’t near the circulation of traditional media outlets. 

It’s Still a Matter of Good News
The quality and newsworthiness of the story conveyed is still the crux of PR success.  As a PR person, I never want to wear out my hard-earned welcome with a media contact with a story I feel is not worth the time or effort.  PR is not a cloak for an advertising message.  And now that I’m receiving pitches from others, it’s interesting to discern what’s really worth pursuing and what’s simply corporate jargon in disguise.  If there is notable, important news to be covered, reporters probably won’t fret too much about how personalized the pitch was; a good story is a good story.  Period.

New Measure of Success
Anyone still measuring PR success solely on total circulation figures or advertising equivalencies is missing the boat.  Big circulation numbers may not translate into responses like the smaller (and often indeterminate) numbers of a topic-specific blog potentially could, and advertising is such a moving target that it’s just too arbitrary to find comfort in assigning PR coverage a specific dollar-value (but that’s always been true!).


For anyone who’s wondered if PR was still viable and necessary in our Web 2.0 market, I assure you it is.  There is still an art to crafting a newsworthy message and conveying that message to the world.  Pitching is still required to earn coverage, and not just anybody can do that.  The skill of defraying impact of negative news and communicating in times of crisis is still essential.  Integration of PR into the core of any marketing communications effort bolsters the strategy and thinking and helps organizations get into the minds and hearts of its constituencies. 

For small businesses, PR can be an effective and cost-effective means of getting third-party endorsement, raising awareness and carving a presence with key audiences.  Tried and true, here and now—PR can help small biz go big time!

Thanks!

I’ve spent my career explaining—and explaining again—the difference between advertising and PR.  I’ve got the short answers down pat.

“We pay for advertising.  We create and control the message and place ads where we want them.  Advertising increases our visibility.”

“We do not pay for editorial coverage; we earn it through our PR efforts.  PR helps us gain credibility.”

It’s helpful to blend advertising and PR into a communications plan, to utilize paid messages to get attention and earn editorial coverage to build reputation.  Of course, the ability to do both (and do them well) often becomes a matter of budgeting, creative amperage and people power.  I’ve seen so many potentially powerful campaigns wither because the money was tight, corporate was antsy about allowing a message to be shared, and the staff was already strained under normal workloads.

That’s why social media is such a compelling component in today’s message-making.  Social media merges the abilities to be visible and credible.  It can offer great frequency and reach of message like advertising, yet it can also allow messaging to integrate into the daily lives of audiences, like an extension of a quality PR campaign.  However, because social media is so, well, social, it enables companies, personalities and brands to mix and mingle in deeper ways, to not just speak for themselves but to speak with the audience.  One connection really does lead to another in social networking.  Reach a few and you could ultimately reach thousands, all through the art of conversation.

Mind you, social media’s not a panacea for the aforementioned impediments.  It still requires investment of time, energy and money.  Social media is not a marketing microwave oven, a better, faster, cheaper means of telling and selling.  It is a slow bake, but its potential reward and long term results make it well worth while.  And over time, you can see the benefits of being both visible and credible swell into opportunity. 

How can you be visible and credible in social media?  Here are some ideas that’ll help your oven reach temperature.
Be a listener online.  Join groups on LinkedIn, get a Twitter account and starting following others, and peg some blogs you can benefit from reading regularly. 
Evolve from listening to contributing.  Respond when people ask questions,  Acknowledge things you like, and let your presence be known.
Create your own forums.  If you see a need, create a group on LinkedIn or Facebook,or start lobbing questions to folks on Twitter.  Engage others, not to pound them with your message but to hear and learn from them.
Create quality content.  When generating original material, think like your audience and offer information and ideas of substance.  You will be proud to draw attention—and be visible—when you know what you’re offering up is truly worthwhile and credible.
Be the stalwart.  Imagine all the companies and brands cranking up their social media ovens right now.  Imagine where they’ll be 6 months, a year from now.  These things take time, and you’ll be incredible visible and credible when you’re still present, reliable and viable down the road.  As others fade, you’ll be the one worth coming back to again and again. 

Thanks!

What’s the real scoop on the usage and effectiveness of social media for small business?  Between information from a couple of recent research reports and real life scenarios, it seems small biz is using social media primarily for telling—not selling.

A new white paper based on a survey of 151 small businesses using social media (sponsored by Sage and conducted by AMI-Partners) states that 64% of respondents spend most of their time in social media sites answering customer questions.  57% ranked networking activities as their most prevalent, while 44% indicated “reference/education” as their most dominant activity.

Only a few businesses indicated they were using social media sites for direct sales.

These stats hold true for Lars Hundley, gardenpreneur of Clean Air Gardening, an online retailer of eco-friendly lawn and garden supplies.  (Hundley, pictured jumping like nobody's watching above, was not part of the AMI survey.)  Because his is a web-based company, Hundley has long incorporated digital social media tools into his marketing and promotions and utilizes them daily.

“We’re not generating any measurable sales from Facebook or Twitter,” explains Hundley.

Instead, Hundley and his team have found social media to be most useful for customer engagement and product education.  The company’s Youtube channel is a simple medium for providing tips and how-to videos, and its various topic-specific microsites are hubs for customer Q & A.  The latter has proven to be an “awesome technique” for facilitating interaction.

While social media is second nature for a web-savvy business owner like Hundley, many other small biz people have been slower to dip toes into the water.  The April Discover Financial Services Small Business Index (a national, random survey of 750 small biz owners) revealed that 38% of respondents now report being part of at least one online social site, up from 22% in October 2007.  However, less than half of the 38% have used social sites for business purposes.

Likewise, it’s taken longer for them to feel comfortable using the tools.  The AMI study found that 65%  of respondents had grown more at ease with social media in the last year and that those who’d been engaged longer (over 3 years) were more open to social media use for the future. Obviously, usage over time fosters familiarity and increased skill.

(Of course, social media tools are moot points for businesses that don’t even have websites.  In the April Discover Financial Services index, 62% of respondents stated they don’t have websites for their companies.  Really?!)

On the flip side, there are some fun, inspiring stories floating around the blogosphere about businesses owners who’ve proven to be real social media mavens, integrating techniques into their companies’ inner workings or successfully instituting promotions that bring in the bling.  In particular, there’s the much-buzzed story about the Naked Pizza Twitter promo.  This New Orleans pizza purveyor did some sniper shot microblogs just to see what would happen, resulting in 15% of a day’s receipts came straight from tweets.  Not too shabby...

Overachievers aside, it’s clear that social media use for small biz is on the rise across the board.  As for the effectiveness of that use?  Only time will tell...or sell.

Thanks!

Games don’t go from being favorite pastimes to big business by having ambiguous rules and indeterminate winners.  Nobody’d show up for the World Series if there wasn’t a vested interest in a specific outcome:  one of the teams playing is gonna win. 

And so it is with social media.  I mean, let’s be honest.  Most of us aren’t motivated to be here—online, using these tools—simply for the challenge of articulating thoughts in 140 characters or less.

So why do you do this social media thing each day?  Why do you devote any portion of your day to tweet, blog, post, update, add, forward, link, bookmark, connect or click?  What’s the “win” for you?

Surely, or hopefully, you and I are here for specific reasons, for clearly defined gains.  Why suit up for the game if you’re never going to look at the scoreboard?  I contend that if we haven’t named our “win” in all this, we may as well spare the effort and go get a new pastime.

A few weeks ago, I blogged about having “one question” to help guide business decisions.  The whole idea is to identify the one thing you’re aiming for, and let everything else fall in line with that singular focus.  I learned this approach years ago from a client, and now I find myself using it with new accounts, especially as we’re incorporating social media into overall marketing plans.  Without focus and defined purpose, social media can easily be nothing more than a time zap (just like any other tactic in a marketing program). 

Can you state how social media tools are helping you answer the “one question” for your business? 

For any plan or proposal I create for a client, I begin by stating goals and objectives.  That way, it’s always clear that the details to follow flow from the goals, and we can be assured that everything we do—including social media—is done in context to achieve the stated objectives. 
 
When it comes to social media, we need to be in it to win it.  I don’t mean that in a ‘high-fiving,’ competition-crushing kind of way.  I just mean you’ve got to know why in the world it’s worth it.  Of course the “win” for your business may be something very different from the “win” for mine.  The main point is that we’ve all got to know when the scoreboard is reading in our favor, lest social media become just another pastime.

Thanks!

When it comes to social media, do you ever feel like you’re blowing a kazoo in the middle of a marching band brass section?  Or do you feel like your occasional trumpet calls get quick salutes but no lasting results?

As with any marketing effort, social media takes strategic, sustained creativity to get attention, draw attraction, spark affinity and build an audience that will ultimately take action.  We call it “earning all A’s,” and it’s what it takes to make the grade.

                              
I know firsthand that the “A’s” can be moving targets.  What might work during one season (or, heck, one day!) may become passé the next.  Just when you think you’ve got ‘em in your court, somebody else, with just as inviting a court, may come along.  If it’s not one thing, it will be another, and as the ever-evolving world of social media ebbs, flows and grows, those of us charged with the task of leading communications are in constant target practice.

However, it helps to keep our eyes on the A’s—to stay focused so that we go in order and  stay within the borders to effectively connect.

If you need to begin at, well, the beginning, I’m happy to give you five: “Five Elements of Social Media,&r