Don't let these social media mistakes happen to you!
Every business can benefit from social media – if your accounts are managed the right way. Take a look at three common social media mistakes below to see if your social media marketing plan could use a little help.
Not posting enough. If you’re too busy to post on your social media accounts on a daily basis, try to do it every few days or at least weekly. Any less than that and people will begin to feel like there’s no point in engaging with you or your brand because you’re account is largely inactive. Post a mix of content, images, videos, links to blogs, and marketing updates for your business on a regular basis to get the best results from social media.
Getting too personal. Social media does allow for greater interaction with your target audience, but getting too personal with your Facebook and Twitter updates can lose your brand’s message. Showing the human side to your company is always a good thing, but constantly posting updates about yourself, your day, what you had for lunch, etc., will make your fans and followers feel like they’re on a personal account; not a brand page.
Ignoring consumers. Once you have your social media accounts set up, make sure you remember to check direct messages as well as any posts your followers tweet or leave for you on Facebook. Completely ignoring questions, concerns, feedback, and complaints can make your brand look bad and make prospective customers think twice about choosing your company. You don’t have to answer every follower, but try your best to respond to as many as possible so followers and customers alike will know you’re a responsive company who welcomes interaction.
Do you have a social media mistake to add or a tip to share? Leave it in comments below.
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Filed under Internet Marketing by on Dec 24th, 2011. 
Social strategy and social operations are causing big changes in business today — online and offline. And, as usual with big changes, there’s no shortage of confusion in the market about exactly what’s happening, what’s working and what’s not.
Pundits and industry evangelists have spread their gospel and focused their energies on social media as a new, fast and cheap marketing tool. They’ve emphasized click-through and followers. They’ve created mini-plans for mini-opportunities which can yield short-term buzz but often fail to deliver long-term value. The tactical focus of most social media programs — with an emphasis on the “tool of the moment” — has caused many senior leadership teams to view social media as a transitory fad, if not downright frivolous. However, well-conceived social business is far from frivolous or transitory.
When confronting a complex issue or decision in the absence of certainty, groups will often move to the lowest common point of familiarity — usually something concrete and specific. In tech and marketing organizations, this is called “the valley of the tools.” So it is with social; everywhere you turn there is a marketing manager or millennial intern reporting (loudly) that the company needs a … (insert social tool name here.) But these advocates and tool suggestions are often rooted in a desire to play with new things and carve out a mini-speciality, and are just as often completely disconnected from company business goals and strategy.
Some of this comes from confusing the differing needs of consumer and business environments. For example, an individual Facebook enthusiast who has found the platform meaningful may use it as the concrete tool example for achieving a business goal– the application or tool du jour. But does this tool really match the vision for what social media can – and should – do for the organization?
The disconnect is not surprising; tactical and operational staff are typically not charged with developing a vision for the organization, even in rapidly-evolving areas. This is why it is so important understand and distinguish between the two kinds of work functions: strategy and execution or operations. Senior management has the charter to shape and form a social strategy — has it has for other key initiatives. They are the ones who architect the plan and define the objectives which, in turn, determine the tactics and tools used for execution.
So … review this five-step social strategy checklist before you go charging off with your social hammer, lest you end up whacking your thumb, or putting nails into the coffin of a once-promising marketing program … or your career!
1. Identify 2-3 significant strategic organizational goals a well-executed social operations program can support.
Do you have a strategic customer care objective that could benefit from social media? Are there R&D or innovation requirements in the coming year that would benefit from social input? Are you trying to reach a new audience with your products? A strategic social program could accelerate these activities.
2. Define the operational program.
Answer the key questions as you would with any implementation plan: mission, approach, costs (direct and indirect), program duration and — most important — the measures of success.
3. Identify the needed resources.
Who will execute the program? Do they have the skills and capacity to fulfill the duties? Who will oversee the work? Are there KPIs or MBOs associated with delivery?
4. Track progress.
Develop monthly or quarterly reports to assess whether the program is on track and circulate the reports to all who need to know. We recommend developing a RACI diagram to include departments who need to be informed about the outcomes (e.g. sales or customer service).
5. Sunset the project and capture best practices.
Review what worked and what didn’t, then document the findings to leverage your results, repeat successes and change those aspects which did not perform well.
Filed under Internet Marketing by on Oct 11th, 2011.
The Acute Action Figure Addiction Disorder Council of Australia released the following public service announcement about two years ago, but it is as relevant today as it was then. Please watch and learn how you can fulfill your life to avoid the serious addiction that adults sometimes develop.
The takeaway is clear.
If addictions can be developed from Boba Fett fascinations, then surely you can be afflicted from being on the internet too much.
Twitter and Google+ are not far behind.
You owe it to yourself and your family to spend time away from your computer and cellphone and inhale the outdoor air.
Filed under Internet Marketing by on Oct 5th, 2011.
Social media marketing (SMM), also sometimes called social network marketing (SNM), is a strategy that helps you build a network of customers and potential customers, stay in touch with those who are interested in your products and services, and ultimately build your bottom line in the form of additional sales.
However, many businesses do not know how to build a sound SMM strategy, or they make many mistakes along the way that actually do more harm than good. Here is a look at 6 mistakes you should avoid:
1. Too Little Content
Forming a social network presence takes more than simply creating an account on Facebook or Twitter. Too many businesses are of the mind that “if you build it, they will come,” meaning as long as there is an account, people will find you.
However, no one will find you, or want to stay with you, if you do not offer them quality content in your social media updates and posts. Rather, you should focus on sending quality updates and including links to video, pictures, podcasts, or other pertinent news stories.
2. Too Many Updates
While too little content will not help you build a social network, too much can turn them off to your efforts. Posting continuous updates becomes exhausting and makes your followers weary of your constant “presence.” Be sure to spread out your updates and make each one count for quality, not quantity.
3. Little or No Interaction With Followers
One of the reasons so many people around the world like social media is the interaction with others. Don’t fail to encourage and stimulate conversations with your fans and followers. Engaging your social community helps nurture your relationship and strengthen the bond and loyalty with your company.
4. Improper Competitor Approaches
Don’t think that you’re the only one trying to promote your type of business through social media. Ignoring your competitors puts you in a vacuum and prevents you from learning how your competition operates. Likewise, ridiculing or putting down your competition through SMM tactics can backfire and set your own fans and followers against you.
5. Failing to Analyze
Do you know how effective your SMM campaigns are? How many of your social media marketing updates result in clicks to your website? How many of those result in converted sales? How are your SMM updates being discussed and shared? These are just a few of the questions you need to answer in order to effectively re-evaluate and update your SMM efforts. Don’t fail to analyze your metrics.
6. Failing to be Authentic
Don’t try to follow trends and fads with your SMM updates. Many business bloggers and social media strategies simply try to repost or recycle something else that is the current most popular hashtag. Make sure your posts are 100% from the heart, and make sure each one gives your audience something of value.
Filed under Internet Marketing by on Jul 16th, 2011.
