I often get calls from potential customers looking for the secret ingredient to make them “successful” in social media. I got a call yesteday from a gentleman looking for help with his Facebook Page. How did I quote him for my services? I simply told him to buy Facebook Me! and hire a virtual assistant if he didn’t have time to engage. I can’t teach those who don’t understand the value of social media, and they won’t fully understand my value, without them having experienced it for themselves. In such a way, business both large and small embark on the …
read moreIf you think of Facebook as just a fun way to keep up with old friends, think again. Facebook has turned into a major business tool. If you’re serious about your business, you should also be serious about making the most out of your fan page – and getting as many fans as possible. According to Facebook, the site has more than 500 million users! And, people spend more than 700 billion minutes on Facebook each month! Still think it’s a site that’s just for fun? Here’s how it can work for you – the more fans you have, the …
read moreIt’s 2011. Facebook is fun, but you wouldn’t want to waste a whole workday on there. Social media networks are your strongest means of self-marketing aside from a high-profile portfolio, but the bounty of social sites quickly becomes a burden when they all land on your daily to-do list. Unless you have a staff dedicated to your daily Internet presence, it’s best to set a few professional boundaries and goals. Your aims are simple, social media butterfly: you need to get the maximum visibility and presence for a minimum time investment. Six Social Media Marketing tips for 2011:
read moreAs I continue to speak to corporations, professional associations, as well as social media workshop attendees on the strategic value of Twitter for both B2C as well as B2B companies, I am finding many businesses starting to take the plunge and explore tweeting as a business tool. As you can imagine, becoming comfortable with a Twitter presence, especially for a business, can be confusing, especially if you’re just starting out and getting your feet wet. There are many different objectives that businesses have in embarking on using Twitter, but a common goal for many companies is to build brand loyalty …
read moreIt has been almost two years since I wrote my blog post recommending a list of 10 LinkedIn LIONs and Connectors to connect with, and I still receive thank yous from my readers for writing it. Well, it’s 2011, this blog has changed, my life has changed, and LinkedIn and social media in general have changed. If I was going to do a new list finding 10 new super-connected open networkers who I recommend that you follow or contact on LinkedIn, who would they be? That is the objective of this post, and because I have had the chance to …
read moreIt’s been awhile since I last blogged about how lawyers can use LinkedIn. As I just spoke on a UCLA Law School Alumni panel about the significance of social media for the legal profession, I thought it was a good time to summarize what I spoke on for all to hear who could not attend. One thing is for clear: Lawyers need to understand that social media is something they need to embrace sooner rather than later, the sooner the better it will be for them and their clients. So why are social networking websites so important to the legal …
read moreIt was hinted yesterday in TechCrunch that LinkedIn was about to make headlines, and seeing that today is the 1st day of SXSW 2011, the timing of releasing a new application makes sense. I have already been receiving Industry News update emails from LinkedIn for several weeks and thought they were useful. What I had no clue was that they were the precursor to their roll-out today of the amazing social news application called LinkedIn Today. I am one who understands why LinkedIn is more valuable than Facebook. If you are a B2C brand looking to get into the heart …
read moreWhenever I hear about a company who plan to “launch” their social media “efforts” with the help of social media interns, I always break out laughing. Well, not literally so. But I am amazed at how many companies think that college students who “speak” the language of social media are appropriate to represent their brand in the online world. Just as I pointed out in a previous blog post, I shouldn’t be doing other brand’s social media precisely for the same reasons that interns or external contractors shouldn’t be doing yours either: We don’t know you. Let me first point …
read moreAs Twitter grows to encompass almost 200 million users and businesses display almost as many Twitter icons as Facebook icons on their websites, you’d think that companies are starting to figure out how to better utilize Twitter to inform and truly engage with the public. While there are success stories of businesses on Twitter who are finding their own path in social media, it still amazes me as to how many ways businesses can improve upon their Twitter presence and stop making the common mistakes I often see. As I prepare to present at a virtual conference put on by …
read moreMy social media consulting clients always ask me as to who they should be trying to “influence” on social websites, and I always have to remind them that any social media user could potentially be an “influencer.” That being said, some people or businesses use social networking sites more than others, some have more reach than others, and some are considered to have thought leadership in their industries or professions more than others. So, although an exact measurement of social media influence is impossible because it will be different based on 1) the context of what exactly you’re trying to …
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