This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Waatp.com. All opinions are 100% mine. With so much public information about us out there in social media and on the web, do you ever start to wonder what others can find out about you? On the other hand, if you are doing social recruiting or looking to do business with or even get back in touch with someone, wouldn’t you like to take advantage of the public information that exists out there so that you can do due diligence in a background check or have a higher chance …
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As 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 …
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It’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 …
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Whenever 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 …
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I recently had a chance to meet the younger sister of a high school friend who was in transition for the first time since college graduation. “I used to always have jobs lined up for me and never had a challenge finding work.” Heard that one before, right? How about, “I received all of these LinkedIn invites, but I thought they were such a nuisance!” Indeed, the only positive thing to come out of not digging our wells before we are thirsty is to finally realize the power of LinkedIn in helping us build out our personal brand, professional networking, …
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My 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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As businesses embark on a social media strategy, I am finding that social strategy is being owned either by the Corporate Communications or Marketing Department. If you are one of the few companies that already have a Social Media Department, congratulations! If not, keep reading, because the advice is applicable to whoever is in charge of social at your company as well, regardless of department. Social media is only going to become more important for companies to engage in moving forward, but the question then becomes how is your company going to engage with the public on social websites? Sure, …
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With Seth Godin about to appear on stage in Orange County in just a few weeks time, there is a buzz around here about what new insights he will provide to us in 2011. And the event, in line with what Seth preaches about holding BIG events, is set to be HUGE – he will be speaking at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, part of the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, a location that is host to the likes of Natalie Cole and the Vienna Philharmonic. In my eyes, but more importantly the eyes of the event organizer …
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Businesses everywhere need social media expertise, but if social marketing is not being taught in our universities, who’s picking up the slack? A survey released just a week ago from the folks at Bazaarvoice made it absolutely clear that CMOs and companies in general are investing big in social media: …social media had become an essential component of executive marketing strategies by the end of 2010, with 90% of CMOs participating in three or more social activities. CMOs still focus on measurability and ROI but are recognizing there’s even more business impact to uncover. Nearly all (96%) are beginning to …
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As someone who consults and speaks on social media, I still get the newbie customer who wants me to “do” their social implementation for them. What does “doing” their social media mean? It’s means potentially representing every facet of their company with every potential new and current customer that are out there on the Social Web. Last I checked we were spending 22% of our Internet time in social media, so that’s a huge amount of influence that I could yield. Not to mention the fact that I can yield power controlling the brand image for a company, something they …
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