Is it just me or are people finally starting to realize that social media is here to stay? Are they recognizing that communication is changing again forever and they need to embrace it?
Of course living here in Indianapolis, Indiana it’s impossible to really see first-hand what is going on in other parts of the world. You have to rely on outside sources to keep you updated. But still I get the feeling that people and businesses are finally starting to get it. I can definitely say that I have seen a huge shift in my connections toward people becoming less resistant. More are really starting to embrace this powerful tool we call social media.
I see people posting a new Facebook status every day that I never thought would be wanting to share updates with the rest of the world. Why? Because these are the same people that I was working with a year ago that ran for the hills when anyone mentioned Facebook. I, of course, did my best to explain the value but for a lot of people it’s really just a matter of time. Now they are making new connections every day and many share with me their surprise that it’s actually beneficial.
I see businesses every single day joining Twitter to find out what their customers are really saying and keep up with the latest news. Some are even running contests to grow their following and expand their network. They realize that this will later benefit them when those people are making purchasing decisions.
I see people creating events and promoting them through social media. They realize that it’s one of the best tools to increase awareness and attendance. Most seem to even realize that the people they meet at these events will eventually be their best friends and business partners.
Being in the Internet marketing/social media industry, I understand that not everyone will understand the full potential and that everyone will use it differently. I also realize that my small sampling of people is not reflective of “everyone.” Nonetheless I am still seeing a significant trend. The points above were not made to show great case studies, but to illustrate that people of all backgrounds are finally starting to come around. Posting a status on Facebook definitely does not mean you are gaining any type of value from your post, but it does show that plenty of people are finally there and more are becoming active users.
If you read blogs from anyone discussing social media, you will no doubt find posts all about convincing people who resist social media that it’s here to stay. You will see things like, “your business needs to change now, otherwise you won’t be in business much longer.” So let me ask you this – are people finally starting to catch on?
My theme for using social media for referrals: If you ask, you shall receive!
I am continually amazed at the ease of passing referrals using social media. Recently a co-worker of mine was looking for a realtor in the Washington Township area in Indianapolis. She is looking into purchasing a new home and needed a starting point. I offered to post this request on Facebook to see if my network of friends could help. It took just seconds to post my request online for all of my friends to see in my status update. Within 30-40 minutes I had a list over 10 realtors to give to my friend! But these weren’t just any realtors. These were all realtors that came highly recommended. And they were not just highly recommended by anyone, they were highly recommended by my friends and people I know. I was able to confidently pass along these names knowing that my friend will have a solid list of realtors from which to pick.
These requests are taking place every single day on social media networks. Keep your eyes open and take advantage of the opportunities!
One of the biggest stories in social media this week was Facebook’s plan to roll out @Mentions in status updates over the next few weeks. This is another update from Facebook that appears to be a page from the Twitter playbook of success. Nevertheless it will be very interesting to see how Facebook users adopt this new feature.
I have talked with many Facebook users that are not Twitter users. They seemed to be a little confused on exactly what the @Mention allows you to do and how it will benefit them. Will many Facebook users even care about this update? Let’s not forget how users have reacted in the past anytime Facebook makes a change. While this update will be nothing as drastic as a new design, the initial reaction to Facebook changes have historically been negative. At first glance, the same group of people who think Twitter is for stalkers are likely to think now Facebook is even further supporting Twitter’s stalker habits. Now not only can I tell you that I am have coffee with someone else – I can link directly to his/her profile from my status update.
My guess is that it will take awhile for native Facebook users to being adopting this new functionality. But once people within your network begin to use @Mentions as a part of their status updates on a regular basis, their friends will likely follow. The hope is that this will allow Facebook users to continue to connect to others within their network to share more meaningful information. Let’s see if this holds true.
I do think this will go a long way in helping the business brands on Facebook. It is now going to be much easier to share that you are going to eat @(restaurant) and link directly to their fan page. This will also encourage more incentives to be offered for customers as sharing becomes easier. I will continue to update my blog as this is rolled out to analyze the trends.
But in the meantime, what is your take on it?
Below is the breakdown on exactly how it will work from Facebook engineer Tom Occhino:
Now, when you are writing a status update and want to add a friend’s name to something you are posting, just include the “@” symbol beforehand. As you type the name of what you would like to reference, a drop-down menu will appear that allows you to choose from your list of friends and other connections, including groups, events, applications and Pages. Soon, you’ll be able to tag friends from applications as well. The “@” symbol will not be displayed in the published status update or post after you’ve added your tags.
Friends you tag in your status updates will receive a notification and a Wall post linking them to your post. They also will have the option to remove tags of themselves from your posts. We hope that tagging your status updates and others posts from the Publisher will enable you to share in a more meaningful and engaging way, and connect with even more people. We’re rolling this feature out over the course of the next few weeks, so you may not see the new feature just yet.
I ran across some quality links about social media tools such as Facebook that I just have to share with you. One is about managing your Facebook account. The other is about how social media is changing the way we communicate. If you have any links you would like to share, just leave them for me in the comments area.
Social media tools have allowed NBA fans to follow the NBA Finals like never before. Twitter, Facebook and Blogging bring a new perspective to the games that is sure to make any NBA fan highly satisfied. Below are just a few examples on how social media tools have become a big part of the NBA Finals experience:
Dwight Howard’s Blog See Dwight connect with fans and read about his thoughts on missing critical free throws during the game. It’s all here.
Follow Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on Twitter The NBA’s all-time leading scorer and Laker great was tweeting during the games with his perspective on the action. I bet he is happy the Lakers won!
Check Out the NBA’s Facebook Page Stay up to date with all of the action as the Lakers and Magic battle it out. Insider information, vote for player of the game, and create your own amazing NBA moments.
Doctors using social media during Hurrican Ike? Twitter being used to obtain medical care instead of the phone? Blogging to raise money for the homeless?
Below are a few online reading favorites I would like to share. Simply click on a headline to read the full article. Hope you enjoy!
Facebook Overtakes MySpace (Again)
We all knew it was just a matter of time. At the close of 2008, Facebook was breathing down MySpace’s neck in terms of social media popularity in the U.S. Well, now it is official- Facebook is finally number one. A co-worker of mine logged into MySpace just for the heck of it the other day… and logged out about 2 seconds later. Still a mess. Thank you, Facebook.
Debunking Six Social Media Myths
I found this one via Kyle Lacy on Twitter and highly recommend that you check this BusinessWeek article out. If you or your business hasn’t jumped head first into social media yet, I am sure you have heard all of the myths. Find out what is true and what is not. And even if you are already actively involved, there are some great links in this article you don’t want to miss.
How to Get ReTweeted
Tweets are great. But ReTweets…those are just awesome! ReTweets are the hottest thing on Twitter and the key to making your tweets as viral as they can be. Find out the secret recipe for scoring more ReTweets.
I want to take a moment of your time to explain my blog’s theme. Interactive. Multimedia. Expressions.
Interactive A blog should engage your reader and open up a two-way line of communication. While a blog is typically someone sharing his or her thoughts, it is important to invite your visitors to leave comments or any other type of feedback. Everyone wants to be heard in some way My blog is always open for comments and suggestions- that is what it’s all about.
Multimedia Content (typically in the form of text) is THE key ingredient for a blog to be found. But multimedia elements such as video and audio clips are the key factors that engage your audience once they have found you. Change it up a little. Giving your followers a chance to get more familiar with your personality helps build a solid connection. If you have any videos or other multimedia productions you would like to share with me, I’d love to check them out.
Expressions Simply put, a successful blog is an expression of one’s thoughts or feelings on a particular topic. It is shared in a manner that helps make your voice findable as well as viral. I could have set my blog up with ONE solid theme and posted about the same topic every day, but I chose to leave it open. While many of my posts are on social media, if something comes up that I want to share I do not want to worry about it fitting into my overall theme. I want to be able to post my thoughts on any subject at any time-to me that is a true expression. I also like to let my audience guess a little to keep things interesting. Predictable is no fun. I hope you agree.
Below are a few articles that I felt were worth sharing this week. Just click on a headline for the full article. Enjoy!
Steve Jobs Steps Down on Medical Leave- What Will Happen to Apple?
I had to start with this article. Nothing was bigger last week in the technology industry than the news of Steve Jobs stepping down until the end of June for health reasons. Twitter was absolutely insane with people posting links to different articles about Steve Jobs and how this change would impact Apple. Instantly people began to question Apple and if the brand would continue to live on. While the answers are yet to be determined, I am hopeful that the Apple brand is stronger than one person.
Tips for Building Your Social Media Resume
Following up with my reading suggestions from last week, this post provides some quality insight into creating an effective social media profile. My personal favorite is the concept of setting up a video resume with answers to FAQs. It is definitely interesting to see how social media is changing the interviewing process.
Below are some links and brief summaries to articles/posts that I found worth sharing this week. Click on a headline to view the full article. I hope you enjoy!
Get A Free Whopper by Deleting 10 Facebook Friends
Burger King has created an application for Facebook called the Whopper Sacrifice. The theme is “what are you willing to sacrifice for a Whopper?” 10 Facebook friends? Over 177,500 friends have been sacrificed so far. Many of us do have “fair-weather web friendships” and I guess 10 friends isn’t too bad for that flame broiled taste. This Burger King marketing campaign definitely breaks through the clutter.
SocialScope: Twitter and Facebook for Your Blackberry
SocialScope is an application for the Blackberry that is currently in Alpha testing. They have released 200 invitations to try this application. I was lucky enough to catch a tweet in time from @aaronaiken with a link to the invite. I currently have SocialScope running on my Blackberry Storm. It is awesome! Twitterberry and Facebook applications combined into one with near real time updates. I am in the process of working with the SocialScope developers to get permission to do a video review. I have been approved to do a review without video and screen shots. Look for that in depth review to come this week.
Blogging and Social Media Changing the Job Search Blogs and other social media tools are impacting the way people find jobs. More employers than ever are now looking at social media profiles of potential job candidates during the hiring process. People are reporting success from using their online network to lead to a job opportunity. Creating and utilizing such social media tools can demonstrate a level of skill and comprehensiveness that can help separate you from the competition. It is starting to look like the traditional resume may soon become a thing of the past.
I always try to respond to any comment or question that I get through my blog and other social media profiles. Recently, I had a friend from High School that I had not talked to in awhile tell me that she had watched my video blogs and wanted to know if she should get setup on Twitter.
I responded with the reasons that I am on Twitter and gave her a final “answer” that she probably didn’t want to hear. It depends. It depends on what you are trying to do and what Twitter would allow your to accomplish. Setting up a Twitter account merely to say that you are on Twitter would not be advisable.
Here is what Twitter has allowed me to accomplish since joining:
Gain instant access to a ton of valuable resources Every single day people in my Twittersphere are posting numerous links to articles about recent news that pertains to exactly what I do and what I am wanting to learn more about. This is the most beneficial use of Twitter in my opinion. It is like a buffet of valuable links waiting for you to pick and choose what you are hungry to learn more about that day. If you are like me, I am sure you like buffets especially one that will make you smarter and not fatter.
Increase my brand awareness and develop loyal followers
Twitter allows newcomers to get their name out to the masses quickly and effectively. Twitter is great at helping to promote your blog or other online presence. Not only have my page views gone up drastically since joining Twitter, but so have my blog subscribers. I have been able to expose my name and my company name to more people, more effectively in a short amount of time.
Ability to “broadcast” updates many places Twitter is compatible. It can be a nightmare to try to update all of your social media profiles and other online presences. Twitter works with nearly every social media platform. This means when you update your Twitter status all at once all of your other profiles are updated and your interactivity begins to increase. This gets your status updates out quickly and to a large audience.
Online networking and relationship building
Through my short time of being on Twitter, I have developed a small “conversation group.” These are Twitter users that I follow the closest as they have responded to one of my tweets, retweeted one of my tweets or sent me a direct message. I have in turn done the same for them. This is the group I have started to build a relationship with and will continue to network with. In a couple of instances, this has led to some business being passed and could continue to do so in the future.
So now that I have told you why I use Twitter, I am curious to know- Why do YOU use Twitter?
Below are some additional links about the benefits Twitter can offer YOU:
With an ever growing to-do list it can be difficult to set priorities in life, much less online. The online scene is a bit overwhelming at times. So many places to be, so many things to do. I have to get my web site designed, need to set up my Facebook account, time to finally get on Twitter. So, where do I begin?
I have a one word suggestion for you. Content.
It can be so easy to try to be everywhere at once and forget about what the driving force for your online presence is going to be. Content. Think about it- If you have the best looking web site in the world, the most friends on Facebook or the most followers on Twitter but you have no good content to deliver… what good is all of that work going to do for you?
Content is the common denominator among all online platforms. Content allows you to engage your target audience, promote interaction, and lead to conversion. If a potential client comes to your site and they are unable to tell what exactly it is that you do or why you are better than the vendor they are currently using- I doubt they are going to call you because of your cool web design with flash animation.
Go ahead and get some good content written without overwhelming yourself with all of the different social media platforms and other places to be online. Then take a look the message you are trying to get out there. All at once things start to come into place. Maybe it doesn’t make sense for you to be on Twitter (yes, you are reading this correctly). Maybe you should start with a blog to learn the discipline on what it takes to have an effective online presence then branch out from there. Realizing things like this can save you a lot of time and lead a more productive online presence. Give it a try and let me know how it goes.
CliffsNotes Version : Think about your content first, then set your priorities online. It makes more sense.
One of the key success factors to a blog is having “guest” bloggers help in producing content. This week I was fortunate enought to have Chip McComb, Director of Internet Marketing at Fusework Studios stop by the set and share some of his thoughts on customer touchpoints. Look for plenty more guest appearences from Chip on my blog. Thanks for tuning in!
With everyone talking about internet marketing these days, don’t get overwhelmed by all of the cool new toys and forget to actually interact with your clients. With Twitter, Facebook, blogs, email marketing, and tons of other social media touchpoints, the lonely little “comment” button is easily forgotten as companies try to market online. Don’t make this mistake!
Comments, @ replies, and status updates are easily the best way to begin having a relevant and profitable discussion with a new or already existing client. Why? Because it allows for you to engage… Watch the video and see what I mean.
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