One of the number one social media questions I hear from business leaders is "what should I tweet?" It's funny because most business owners start a business because they have a passion for something or at minimum have an interest in it enough they believe they can make some money providing such a service or product. However, when it comes to sending a 140 character tweet they struggle with it.
It's easy to get side tracked by all the geekdom in social. From looks (impressions) to likes, follows, retweets, influence scores, views, demographics, insights, conversions and the list goes on. Underneath all of the bits, bytes, and likes we can't forget why we like social media in the first place. Social networks connect human beings. They provide a way for us to better communicate, share information, learn, grow, and help others do the same.
So your company is great offline, your clients love you. Your partners love you. You have brand evangelists and a long list of customer testimonials. However, you have just one problem. It is becoming increasingly difficult to engage, inspire and connect with your network of customers, partners, evangelists as you did in the old days. People seem more busy than usual. They are carrying around a smart phone, talking with one another in 140 character tweets.
It is not news that Facebook just launched a big round of changes, yet again. One change is getting a lot of attention, which is the death of the Facebook default landing tab. I have heard tons of complaints on the removal of the tab. I've heard online marketers say the death of the Facebook tab is the death of their online marketing strategy? What? Seriously folks?
Attitude and mindset are often the key to success in life. With the right mindset you can learn new things, take on mountains, lead teams to success and accomplish more than you ever dreamed possible. Becoming a social business is no easy task. It's going to take smart thinking, dedication, teamwork, integration, getting real with the skeletons in the closet, and a "can do" attitude. The social ecosystem is still evolving and accepting that change is the only real guarantee is a good first step. If you are seeking benefit from social media but are having a difficult time in finding such, you might want to spend a day deep in thought and looking in the mirror versus a day of analyzing Facebook insights and Google Analytics.
You snooze you lose are what some are thinking after the grand finale of the 2012 Daytona 500. As if rain delays, crashes and jet fuel fires wasn't enough, we also got to witness a fluke accident with a service truck as well as a driver gain 140,000 twitter followers in just a couple hours. The 2012 Daytona 500 happenings are an amazing case study and testament to the power of interactive, social TV.
Tweet this way. No actually tweet that way. Don't talk to much. Talk or you are not engaging. Treat me like a human being. Don't ignore me. Share your best stuff. Invite me to your Facebook page. Don't spam me. Don't tell me what you ate for lunch. My oh my... no wonder the newbies get confused. As I read more and more blog posts recently it is becoming apparent how many conflicting words of advice are being given by everyone blogging, tweeting, Facebooking, and Google plussing. We could spend days just sorting thru what the actual truth is and what will help our business.
What is it about some blogs that you visit and you naturally have a tendancy to want to sit back in your easy chair, read and relax? It may make you feel inspired, relaxed, motivated, smart or even challenge your thinking. Then as soon as you are done reading it you feel empowered, ready to get out there and rock your blog and business? What makes a good blog? How can you rock yours? Here are 12 easy tips to rock any blog in any industry starting now. You don't need a developer to do most of these. With a little focus on your audience, your online brand presence and relevant content you can take your blog from zero to zoom speed in no time.
Think back five, four, three, two and even one year ...
There you sit in the executive conference room watching everyone nod their heads about the latest idea from the new executive on the block. He or she has a new idea that is going to "save the company." It could be anything from a random LinkedIn group, social media campaign, planned "go viral" video" or who knows what. The sad thing is nobody in the conference room has the guts to state the obvious... that there is no budget, time, or resources to implement the new random act of marketing or social media with any level of success. So, everyone in the conference room nods their heads, takes notes and smiles as if they are excited about the project. Under their breath they are thinking "how on earth am I going to get this #$@$%@ thing done!??
There comes a time in life when you must acknowledge social media, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn are all here to stay. Yes, the social network platforms may change. Facebook will eventually become the Myspace of yesterday. However, one thing is certain, social media, mobile phones, iPad evolution and technology in general is not going away.
You know the old saying "be a friend, to get a friend." Social media creates amazing opportunities to connect with real people. It doesn't have to be a fake world as some assume. I have personally met people on the social streams who I am now tightly partnered with based on life changing relationships. It is true that social media is about the people. It is something that I have preached since the minute I hopped on Twitter. However, you can't just say it's about the people and do nothing about it. Many people think if they just sit all day on Twitter and Facebook and talk to the "people" about "whatever" that it will bring result. For real results both personally and professionally, you need some skin in the game. This includes having a plan, objectives, understanding your audience etc.
There are some things in life and business that don't ...
Tweet this, retweet this, check out this blog post, click here, act now, subscribe for free updates, watch this, share this, like me, follow me, act now. Whoa! There sure isn't a shortage of folks telling us what to do in the social world. From bloggers, internet marketing experts, social media gurus, social rockstars, twitterati, to a-listers someone has something that is going to rock your world with a click, like, follow and tweet.
So you have a Facebook business page. You may have had it for months or even years. Or for you it might be a new shiny object you just started playing with. Many have big hopes and dreams when it comes to social media and Facebook business pages. They dream of a blue and white platform that is going to solve all of their business problems. They dream of being the most popular kid on the block. You know the one. The one who has all the likes, comments and highest edge rank.
With all this tech evolution it is important we not lose sight of why you are spending time on social in the first place! As I wasted my night away in social slacker land with all my fellow slacker geeks I was amazed at how many people are simply losing their mind. I guess I am so close to all of it that I forget how many business leaders, entrepreneurs and consumers are still learning. I saw everything from spammy Facebook, Pinterest & LinkedIn pages to a landing page that guaranteed me a first page Google ranking.
It is human nature to want to connect, feel needed, be acknowledged, be understood, appreciated for what we accomplish and contribute to our small circles and ecosystem as a whole. It's no wonder that social networks such as Facebook and Twitter have taken off as a force to be reckoned with. What are the successful social networks doing better than other networks? Why do people gravitate to one social network over the other? What makes them stick around?
Anybody who blogs can remember your first post, second post and the empowerment you experienced. The empowerment I felt after leaving behind a career of fifteen years in the corporate world to pursue my dreams as an entrepreneur and being free to write about what I wanted to write about was beyond words. I remember getting those little butterflies as I hit send and would wait to see if anyone read those early posts. I still remember the first nice man who commented on my blog.
As we spend time with businesses large and small, there is one common theme. They all know they want the the social spaghetti. The advanced businesses know they need to use a fork versus the spoon. However, when it comes to the art of what to do when and how much they struggle. What is a social business really? Can we point to even one business, any business and state "yes, that organization is the perfect example of a social business!"?
What would you do if I told you that the ...
