Archive for social media
The philosophy behind social media
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There’s a certain philosophy to social media, and I’m always searching for a good summary/explanation for those clients who are new to the concept, or who have to justify their efforts to a doubtful management team.
A recent presentation by social media strategist Lon Safko in Phoenix was very helpful in that regard. Sponsored by Growth Nation, the event brought together an interesting collection of people who all wanted to learn more about how to apply social media in their businesses.
Following is a summary of Lon’s major points from the presentation, which can be found on his website at www.lonsafko.com. The only disagreement I had with the presentation was his contention that social media should not reside in public relations because PR people tend to pontificate. Public relations constantly gets a bad rap, and I admit, a lot of times it is justified. But the point I made to the crowd and will make on this blog is that you need to make sure your PR person/agency/consultant understands the difference between publicity and public relations. True public relations is not one way, but two-way, and represents the kind of relationship building and dialogue that is at the heart of social media. I am a strong proponent of making sure that social media includes team members from multiple departments, but resides primarily in the PR department. Read More→
Facebook as a portal and website for your business
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Facebook has passed the 500 million user mark, and if ranked as a country, would now be larger than the U.S.!
Internet marketing pro Jeff Bullas recently made 5 predictions about the future of Facebook, including this observation:
#2. Portals and Websites for Businesses
I have seen companies that have actually started using Facebook instead of their website as the first digital online Gateway for customers and online visitors. This has been facilitated by vanity and user URL’s that provide a more search engine and user friendly web address. This is dangerous because you don’t own the channel, you are only renting on Facebook’s terms but this will not deter some companies and I think that this may continue to grow and you may find Facebook encouraging this by adding more features and functionality that are business focused.
Jeff is right – you are only renting space when you create a portal on Facebook. If this enables companies to engage more with their customers, however, I believe this is a good thing. More and more people are gravitating to Facebook rather than to company websites and using Facebook as a one-stop platform in which to engage.
Yes, you run the risk of depending on Facebook and being left high and dry if anything goes wrong with the service. But there is great value in engaging with customers where they want to be. It’s similar to the number of Arizonans who have property in Mexico, where they can only lease the land for 99 years – they can never own it.
If you’d like to engage with me on Facebook, check out the Press Releases are not a PR Strategy page. I post updates on how press releases are being used and abused in PR 2.0, and seek feedback from fans in order to gather info for the next edition of the book. I’ll also be sponsoring a press release contest and book giveaway soon.
Photo credit: Ross2085, Creative Commons License
Finding your voice in social media
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Nathan Bransford, Literary Agent
There are many definitions of “voice” in social media. Here’s mine – the consistent, reliable, authentic and predictable persona that comes across in your blog posts, tweets, Facebook updates, and other social networking tools. Of those 4 traits, authenticity is the most important. I am still grappling with that “voice” in my blogs. I’ve found it for www.valleyprblog.com, where I’ve been blogging for several years ; I’m still working on it for this blog, which will be a year old this August.
I find it helpful to visit some of my favorite bloggers to check in and be inspired. Like the predictability of a brand, reading their posts reminds me of what they’ve accomplished in the “voice” of their blog. Here are a few of my favorites:
http://blog.nathanbransford.com/
Of these 3, I’ve met Steve Cody and Francine Hardaway – haven’t met Nathan Bransford yet, but he strikes me as someone who’d be great to have coffee with. Who are your favorite bloggers?
Claim your identity on multiple social media networks with claim.io
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Remember when all you had to claim in the 90s was just a website in your company or product name? Now there’s a rush to claim your identity on as many social networks as possible – a landgrab on the Internet.
You can do it all yourself manually, or use a service I just learned about called claim.io. In about a week for a one-time fee ranging from $129 – $329, they’ll register your name on anywhere from 100-300 different social media networks, saving you the time and hassle. They also have collected data on which are the most popular and current networks, so you don’t have to hunt and peck. Read More→
7 social media tips for new public relations graduates
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Thanks very much to Kagem Tibaijuka for posting these 7 social media tips from me at her site for new PR graduates, vox-popPRcareers.
The future of book publishing and ebooks
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Economic Futurist Joan Foltz
Those of us who attended Joan Foltz’ presentation at the Arizona Book Publishing Association luncheon yesterday left the meeting somewhat more encouraged than when we arrived, as the hot button in publishing today is what effect ebooks will have on our beloved traditional, physical book. Her talk was entitled, “What’s Up/Down with the Publishing Industry.” She was the perfect speaker for this topic, as she has a master’s degree in futures studies, is an “economic futurist,” and is in the process herself of putting out two books. She looks at industries and analyzes their cycles and what is changing the behavior and structures of those systems. You can find out more about her background and newsletter at www.edgyeconomics.com.
What’s our pulse now?
We are now in a state of “disequilibrium,” according to Joan, where we are trying to determine which is fad, and which is permanent change. Destruction is scary, she said, and some people will be knocked out, but it also represents new opportunity. Read More→
Social media use by age group
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You can find helpful social media analysis at www.briansolis.com
Conventional wisdom in social media these days is that you should:
1) Know which demographic you’re going after
2) Know which problem you are solving for them, and
3) Know where to reach them
Brian Solis, who writes about all things PR 2.0, has compiled some useful charts and statistics that can help you with #3 – determining which social media vehicle to use, based on the age demographic you are trying to reach.
Here are a few statistics from his latest post: Read More→
Podcasting can provide compelling content
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Farrell Kramer
Our guest blogger today is Farrell Kramer, founder and president of the PR firm Farrell Kramer Communications. We first met a couple of years ago when he conducted a podcast about my book, Press Releases are not a PR Strategy. He has been podcasting for himself and for clients since early 2006. You can find him on Twitter as @farrellkramer.
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The explosion in Twitter and Facebook by communicators of all types has created a desperate need for compelling content. In today’s world, you’re only as exciting as your last tweet or status update. But a steady diet Read More→
Search engine optimization and social media in 2010
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Sheila Koefkorn, President of KEO Marketing
At the recent #SMAZ conference in Phoenix, I had the pleasure of moderating a panel of experts that included Sheila Kloefkorn. She is president of KEO Marketing, a firm in Phoenix, Arizona that provides online marketing strategy and execution, including SEO, search engine marketing and social media. Her clients are in the U.S. and more than 100 countries around the world.
I asked her for some SEO tips for this coming year. Above all, she says, focus first on the content and the message, and don’t get so wrapped around the axle thinking about the social media vehicle.
“You’ve probably heard it said that there is nothing certain but change. Well that is certainly true of Search Engine Optimization and Social Media in 2010. Google is launching a new architecture for the back end of its search engine, code named Google Caffeine, in early Q1. While the details are kept private by Google, we do know that the algorithm, or mathematical formula, of how Google determines first page ranking for search queries, will favor ‘new, fresh, relevant content.’
This is great news if you have a content strategy that is focused on frequently updated useful information and if you are leveraging social media to get that word out and develop community.
Facebook news feeds on public company and fan pages, twitter streams and LinkedIn status updates are indexed by Google, Bing and some other engines in what is nearing real time. Blog posts are frequently showing up in search results within minutes and hours of being posted. Product reviews and comments on local search listings and sites like Yelp and Merchant Circle are also showing up quickly.
Today, effective search engine optimization and social media means having a content and engagement strategy that includes not only your website but all of the sites where your customers and prospects hang out online.
If you listen, you are authentic and helpful, and make your content compelling and easy to consume, you will reap dividends in both B2C and B2B marketing in 2010.”
How to use social media to promote your invention
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You can’t meet Peter Kertz without feeling some of his enthusiasm about his invention, The Sonic Seal. It’s a waterproof cover for electric toothbrushes, and he has been using social media successfully to get the word out.
- - Tell me a little bit about how you got the idea for sonic seal?
That clean feel of a Sonicare toothbrush has been a staple in my everyday routine, just like 10’s of millions of others around the world. One morning I was using my beloved Sonicare and noticed a very peculiar taste in my mouth. Peeking down my nose to the handle of the brush I noticed a brownish liquid coming out from under the replacement head. Immediately unscrewing the head, I saw a mess of bacteria and mold inside and it had been leaking into my mouth. The Sonic Seal waterproof cover was born. Read More→
