Social Media’s Return to Relationships

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Gerry Michaels

It appears the social space is making a U-turn in it’s course for adventure and exploration. It appears that the direction social engagement is heading is a new, yet back to it’s roots direction. As with everything there are those that are resisting the change, and those that are welcoming it, even embracing it. It’s a situation where it has always, been there, never left, but also a returning to basics type of thing. What the heck are you talking about Gettysburg Gerry, get to the point….Okay, what I am referring to is the “return to relationships” revival that the social space seems to be going through. A welcome change as far as this social media astronaut is concerned.

Earlier this year I noticed that many folks were talking and blogging about the value of

Social Media Outposts

Social Media Outposts (Photo credit: the tartanpodcast)

relationships. Clearly the true value in social media is the quality of your relationships. For a time there, there was a huge emphasis on getting and maintaining as big a “following” as possible on any of the social sites. Many resorting to “black hat” practices to get those numbers. There was lively debate about whether “the numbers” mattered, but in all that discussion and debate something happened, a paradigm occurred. Slowly but surely, people on both sides of the numbers debated began to talk once again about the value of social media relationships. Not just where personal accounts were concerned, but business accounts as well. The more people talked about it, the more people talked about it, and eventually the business world started to understand what many had been saying all along, it is not about broadcasting, it’s not about selling, it’s about building those online relationships through a number of different means that eventually does the selling for you.

Do Businesses Truly Understand the Value of Relationships

I often wonder if the majority of businesses understand the real value in building solid

Social spaces: Where hearts and minds meet

Social spaces: Where hearts and minds meet (Photo credit: Baha’i Views / Flitzy Phoebie)

relationships with the social space inhabitants. The real value is also the thing that can ruin a businesses online reputation. The thing that many businesses don’t get is that people in the social space do two things a lot….1, they talk, and 2, they share. So best case scenario, someone has a positive experience with a business or company online, and most likely everyone that person is connected with either directly or indirectly is going to hear about how great a company A was. Take that same experience and insert the word negative for positive and the same thing is going to happen, only with the reverse effects. The old adage, you only here from customers when they have something to complain about does not hold true in the social space, positive interactions are equally shared. So tell me again that you are not interested in building positive relationships with your online community. I cannot tell you how many times I have had that conversation with business people from both large and small companies, explaining that social media is not just about selling, selling and sales. It is truly about relationships.

So what are some tips for businesses to create positive relationships online. 

Do’s

> Do take the time to build the relationship before throwing that sales pitch out.

> Do develop a strategy of what your social media campaign is going to look like with your social media manager whether in house or out.

> Do understand that building a social media community that is buzzing about all things wonderful about your brand/business takes time. Social media is a marathon, not a sprint.

> Do trust in your social media manager, community builder, social media team etc. Listen to what they are telling you, it is their job to stay current on top what is going on in the social space.

>Do understand that some of what you are going to hear from your social media team is not going to make sense to you, simply because even though many of the tactics and practices used in traditional marketing are  the same in social media, often the application is different.

Don’ts

> Don’t use “machine gun” posting tactic’s, spread your posts out over time.

> Don’t Cross post across all social sites at once. Post different content, it is okay to once in a while post the same content across all the different social platforms, but steer clear of one button post to all practices.

> Don’t beg for likes, followers etc…have some dignity…LOL

> Don’t buy followers, likes etc., not even so called “seed” accounts, fake accounts are not going to be engaging with you….

> Don’t be aggressive, be polite, and friendly in your interactions

In my mind there is one golden rule, “be nice or be gone” ….nobody likes bullies..

For whatever reason this resurgence to relationships is occurring, this author is just happy it is happening. The social space really offers something for everyone, business or personal. Use it, enjoy it…..and use your manners….

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Social Media Influence: Have You Got It

Posted on March 19, 2013 by Gerry Michaels

Is There Such a Thing

But of Course

Of course there is such a thing, we all influence somebody in our own ways. However this article is more about a culture, how it perceives influence, and most importantly, can that influence be measured correctly, and what weight should be applied to it. The inspiration for this article comes from a wonderful piece by Mark Schaefer “Reflections on social media power and influence”, so first off…thanks Mark, always appreciated that you make me think. I suggest all read Marks article prior to reading here for context.

I’ve Grown Tired

I have to say that the whole influence score debate has become a bit weary, worn out and

Image representing Klout as depicted in CrunchBase

Image via CrunchBase Social Media Klout

tattered. This constant discussion surrounding the work of Klout, PeerIndex, and Kred  has become, well, in a word…inKredulous. Ah, see what I did there. Seriously, this debate has been going on longer than the Apple/PC debate, and it really doesn’t matter any longer. There are those that approach this debate with the attitude, here is my opinion, you can agree or you are wrong. That coming from both sides, the lovers and the haters. In all honesty, there is a middle ground. As Mr. Schaefer points out the playing field has changed with the introduction of the ability to publish on a broad scale, personal power is no longer for those with pedigree. A lowly serf with a laptop can rise to the social media crème at the top if he/she manages their social presence effectively. While there is bad information, as well as good information to be weaned from a Klout, Kred or PeerIndex score, putting substantial weight on the scores true meaning is,  well silly. Influence scores do have value, but beware to overvalue them, and certainly do not use a these scores as your sole source of decision. “Like credit scores, social influence scores are imperfect and not necessarily an indicator of future behavior”.

Don’t Stop the “Noise”

When I made my entrance into the social space, I did so with wide eyes, wanting to learn

A segment of a social network

A segment of a social media network (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

all I could. What I learned was, like all things in life, with the good comes the bad, and that the social space is not black and white. There most often is some common sense middle ground to be found however. When I approached people with my “newbie” take on how I saw the social space, I was met with quite a bit of nose in the air, silly man your doing it all wrong attitude. I was lectured often about “noise”, and how I should be be careful to not burden the social space with trivial posts, only quality content, do “it” this or that particular way. Instead of listening to the unsolicited advice, I formed my own plan of engagement, (sorry it just slipped out), working more on building relationships, meeting people from all over the country and the world, involving myself in the different social platforms. What became clear over time was this, those “social snobs” as I like to refer to them, many are gone from the space, refusing to be flexible and grow with the change that is social media. Still many others who lectured me about “quality” posts only, are now happily letting me know what lunch consisted of, or what their cat is up to, all extreme quality content, no? Here’s the though, in it’s own way it is. I still follow a lot of those that continued to engage, because along with those posts about Fluffy there are also some extremely creative thoughts and ideas that come shining through. I am interested in their ideas, as well as their lives. When I am with my IRL friends there is no rule, quality conversation only please, that’s a crazy expectation, why, because there is a relationship there. The same applies to the social media space, in the end it all comes down to the relationships. That lies at the center in being happy in the social media space. Plain and simple.

The Gift of +K and the Social  Media Hierarchy

What does all this have to do with social influence scores one might ask. Well, here goes.

Vector image of User:BrendelSignature's breakd...

Vector image of User:BrendelSignature’s breakdown of U.S. classes. I changed a few things to try and make it a bit easier to read. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The social class hierarchy is crumbling down, the social media Berlin wall is coming down,  those elitists who follow only those with a certain social influence score are being drowned out by a large majority who see the social space for what it is, on one hand an enormous and powerful business tool, and on the other, a powerful personal connection machine, BOTH driven by honest and sincere interaction. Many are realizing that those with scores in the 60’s, 70’s, & 80’s wake up every morning, fire up the computer and right click and left click the same as rest of us. Elevated social influence scores happen when you interact consistently, when you care more about your social community more then your personal stats, when you act like a good social media community citizen. It is healthy to have an interest in a good social media influence score, I get it, but it is unhealthy to base your social media worth around it. The Klouts of the world aren’t going anywhere, learn to coexist, they are not the big bad wolf, nor the golden road. I have been known to give the coveted +K for any number of reasons, serious in nature, as well as silly.  Seriously,  why would I do that if I obviously put little credence on the score itself, because Klout (as well as Kred, PeerIndex) are here to stay, and giving someone a +K is like giving a little gift, a pat on the back, it is a nice thing to do, and it feels good. It helps build relationships, which is what it is all about, if you don’t build those relationships, your not going to go anywhere in the social space…in my humble opinion.

The Real Rules

Pay no mind to the social media snobs out there, if you make an effort to connect and are rejected because you are deemed unworthy of a seat at a particular persons social media table, move on there are literally millions of fun, smart, creative folks out there to connect with. It is about growing those relationships, giving, taking, being a part. Honestly for me, there are only two rules, #1, don’t spam me, I don’t want to be inundated with tweets with links to Uncle Peters Penis Projector Pill, and  #2, something for which I am known for repeating often across all social media platforms…be nice or be gone…I have zero tolerance for bullies.

Like Sand Through the Hour Glass

Social Media is an ever changing environment, what was here yesterday, might not be here tomorrow. While I do not agree with all of Mr. Schaefer’s opinions, I agree with a vast majority, it is reality. One thing is sure, while the social space shifts and changes, the pendulum is going to swing over time, but I would bet that the likes of Klout, Kred, and PeerIndex will still play a part in the coming years. Be aware of such things, but don’t get caught up, if Klout says you are influential about grapes, then blog about grape jelly, or better yet…wine.

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Content, Are You a Creator or a Consumer

Posted on March 14, 2013 by Gerry Michaels

Tips for Both…

As with most things there are two sides to every coin, social media and the platforms that

Image representing Google Alerts as depicted i...

Image via CrunchBase Content Alerts

surround it are no different. In the social space there to two kinds of people when it comes to content, consumers and creators. Most often the usual arrangement consists of social media professionals on behalf of themselves or on behalf of a client creating content for the consumer. It is always a challenge for those that create to find the content that the consumer is looking for, hence the “listening” and strategy sessions so commonly talked and written about in the social space by social media professionals.

 

You never know what is going to fly…

I can tell you from personal experience that you never really know what content is going to hit home, what content is going to hit a nerve with that ever so precious target audience. Many a time you find something that you believe is awesome and put it out there for the consumer and nothing….crickets. Then when under the gun, and scrambling to get some content up, you put out something that you feel is clearly not your best work, and whammo….it goes crazy with attention. Many of my fellow social media friends will attest to this I am sure….

Does the consumer know how much work it is to get great relevant content, does the consumer even care? Finding consistently good content takes work, great tools, and patience. It takes time and analytics to understand what your audience is looking for, in the beginning it really is something like putting something up on the wall and seeing what sticks. Of course in a much more precise manner, with a plan for what you think that audience is looking for, but again, you don’t really know for sure. Many times you just have to play it by ear, and go with the trial and error method.

 

Tips for Creators:

So how, once you know what you want to use to fill the that precious status space where do you get it, well here are some tips.

Pictures: Nothing can grab someone’s attention immediately better than a great photo.  Best advice, take your own photos if possible. You don’t have to be a perfect photographer, but if you feel you need some improvement utilize any number of options to improve. Books, magazines, local colleges, local photographers, there are so many options available, you just have to get out that comfort zone and ask for help.  I use a high pixel Samsung with wide angle abilities, those pics need to be downloaded so when attending a live event I always have my trusty Galaxy Note Smart phone to take pics for immediate uploading.  I like to use teleportme to add 360 degree photos, it is different and always get’s peoples attention.

Videos: Please keep this in mind. You don’t need to be Francis Ford Coppola. I use a

Image representing Bambuser as depicted in Cru...

Image via CrunchBase Content Video

Kodak Play Touch, and am happy with the results. I use Windows Movie Maker to edit and add little extras. Works just fine.  I also love using Animoto, it is really getting things together and giving us social media folk an awesome tool to create with. I have been with Animoto from the beginning and love where they have taken it. You can also utilize Bambuser or Ustream for live video sharing. I am currently using drones to get aerial videos of events, it is different.

Articles: Okay, there are soooo many resources to find quality content.

Google Alerts: set up an alert to trigger utilizing keywords or phrases.

IFTTT: You can set up just anything in the known universe with this tool.

Flipboard/Zite: I use these from my smartphone all the time. Use it in connection with Hootsuite and you can send relevant content while on the run. Thanks to my buddy Anne Reuss for turning me onto these.

Stumbleupon/Digg: these content curating sites open up a whole world of content possibilities.

Scoop.it: get creative with your content sharing with Scoopit. Great site and oh so easy to navigate.

Bottom line is don’t be afraid to experiment with new things, if it doesn’t work perfectly the first time, give it a few more chances. When my wife and I go out I am usually towing along a complete array of electronic gadgets to get as much content recording of the event as I can.

 

Tips for Consumers:

The most important thing  a consumer can do in relation to content is, if you like the content, share it, comment on it, like it, let the creator know you appreciate their work. It is a nice thing to do. Besides it helps the creator better understand what people want to see, and hear whatever the case may be.

So that do you creators utilize to get your word out, what creative ways do you use to increase awareness, connection?

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Excuse Me…Are You Using that App

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Gerry Michaels

Breaking Up is Hard to Do

The Social Media Breakup

Say it isn’t so…

Well it isn’t spring just yet, but I have been on a spring cleaning craze the last few weeks. An app/tool spring cleaning. For many of us in this social media space we are constantly being served up the app of the week, and as you all know I am not talking appetizer. Often I am hit up by the developers of the latest and greatest new app that is going to change my social media world, asking me to give a whirl.  Of course the social space astronaut in me cannot turn down an opportunity to try something new and shiny. So we start, and more often than not eventually I head back to my old stand byes. There comes a time when you have to sit down and have that heart to heart with that app and just let it go…You explain that it is all you, it is not about the app at all, it is all on you. It is sad when you click on that folder in your toolbar, right click, and choose delete, but it must be done. There is simply not enough time in the day to use all of those “wonderful little toys” as the Joker would say, and it can become counter productive as well.

 

Sometimes it is About the Benjamin’s

Social Media Money

All about…

More often than not, most of the apps that I am introduced to offer a tiered pricing plan ranging from the free version to the gradually more expensive Pro or Premium product. For many who might be using their social space just for themselves, the free version of an app works quite nicely. However, for those that are managing several pages, sites, businesses etc, we often have to spend that extra $ to get the version that will suit our needs. Often a reasonable monthly fee. However here is where it gets dicey for many of us, $29.95 for this, $7.99 for that, $39.99 for the other….it all starts to add up. Just like any other business you need to keep an eye on expenses. There comes a time when you have sit down and take a good hard look at each app and decide if it is worth the money. Here is where the decision is made to take the relationship deeper, or cut ties. Is there value in the tool, or is it just not working out. No spark…

 

KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid)

Ah yes relationships can be so difficult. As with a lot of things, I find that keeping it simple, keeps me more productive. When there are too many ingredients in your social media stew, nothing stands out, it all just melts together and is awful. With that theme in mind I have been trimming the app bush so to speak. Snipping off those that I don’t use, as well as those I deemed not worth their salt. Some observations that I made throughout this exercise. Many of the apps and tools that didn’t make the cut had the same characteristic flaw. They did a great job for 95% of the time, but they were missing something that kept them from being a front runner, not able to load video, only allowing one pic per post etc. Seems there was something that many fell short on. So I made the hard decisions and cut, and cut and cut, turns out I saved quite a bit of money along the way as well. The outcome has been a much more focused, productive product…ME. I am no longer distracted by using this app to fill this need, and that one to fill that need.

 

The Tried and True

Social Media PB&J

PB&J

So once again I am left with my bread and butter apps, my peanut butter and jelly, go to apps. As I find often the same 3 tools/apps rise to the top for me, and I think I have learned that until that product comes out that clearly blows the barn door open, I am no longer going to try anything new. So what are my big 3, my Roosevelt, Stalin and Churchill? Hootsuite, BundlePost and SEOmoz. For content management their simply is no better one, two combo than Hootsuite and BundlePost. There isn’t anything else one needs, covers all platforms, generates wonderful reports, captures spot on content. All at a very reasonable price. For SEO work I see no better tool for the price than SEOmoz. With these three tools there is no social media task or service I cannot complete. Let me say that I am not paid by any of these companies to endorse their product, I am simply a satisfied user of all three., sharing my experiences.

What are Your Go To tools…..

I know not everybody is going to feel the same as I do, it’s what makes the world go round, so tell me what are the tools that you will never break up with.

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Social Media in Gettysburg, Pa Poses Contrasting Strategies

Posted on February 12, 2013 by Gerry Michaels
Social Media Pizza

The Social Media Pizza

Living in the Gettysburg/Adams County Pa area and working in the social media field one might think would be a challenge. When you think about social media, you usually think about the hustle and bustle of the urban area‘s, with their rich treasure of engagement opportunities. I am often asked by colleagues from those highly populated markets what practices might be different in this much smaller market area. SoMe at it’s core is the same whether one is working in Gettysburg or NYC, however there are different challenges that both ends of the spectrum face when embarking on a social media campaign. Let’s take a look, shall we..

Who’s Your Audience

The “Core” foundations are the same, strategy, target audience, content,etc.  Of course like any social media campaign those things need to be spot on to reap the highest rewards, and Gettyburg, Pa is no different. However there is a difference when you personally know the majority of your target audience, which is the case in the “off” season. The saving grace in working in Gettysburg, Pa, a major tourist destination for the U.S, it gives us a larger, bigger than life target audience for roughly 5 –6 months out of the year.  This advantage is especially clear in the restaurant/lounge, hotel/motel area, however almost all business categories can benefit. The strategies need to be able to be flexible to address the “tourist” season, and the “off” season for the locals. Two completely different markets, that require two completely different strategies.

A Different Kind of Challenge

Social Media across the country

Social Media From Coast to Coast

A challenge I have faced on the local level is educating the local Gettysburg business population that using technology is a smart move. Many of the businesses in this area are long time family businesses and the transition to tech is scary for a business that has not had a need for it in the last 60 years. I have spent a lot of time educating local business owners that the vast majority of tourist are armed with smartphones and use them for almost all tourist information. Add to that the local population has jumped on board the smartphone bandwagon, so the need is even greater now. Any of you that read this blog regularly know I am strong advocate of not only the power of social media, but it application in the mobile world. Whether you are a business in Gettysburg, Pa or Los Angeles, Ca, social media a medium you need to involved in.

Refer back some earlier articles about choosing a social media manager, follow what the Streamfeed Authors have to say, get yourself familiar with the world of social media. Think of Social Media as a one slice in your marketing pizza, you cannot replace a slice with SoMe, you need to make the pizza bigger to make room for this powerful slice of marketing.

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Jennifer Kane Creates a Breadcrumb Trail

Posted on February 7, 2013 by Gerry Michaels

Are you creating a Breadcrumb Trail

This week The Social Studmuffin was lucky enough to have Jennifer Kane of Kane jen5Consulting on board the spacecraft this week. Jennifer Kane does a great job explaining just what her place in the social space is, it is a bit different then what the vast majority in the space do. Jennifer works her social media magic on the corporate end of the world.

Jennifer and Gerry talk about social strategy, doing “social in secret”, bring that strategy from team, company, and world. Are you as a brand manager supporting your social media staff. Do you care that your social media manager is talking about CATS!!! Are you leaving a breadcrumb trail for you clients? Are you creating conversation that becomes relevant in the end game.  Are you in ABC (always be closing) mode? Listen in, enjoy, and hopefully pick up some pointers that will help you in your social media journey.

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The Post Office May be on to Something

Posted on February 6, 2013 by Gerry Michaels

Maybe they finally got it right.

 

But They May have it Backwards

 

I have been seeing from all the media world that the post office will no longer be delivering mail on Saturdays coming this August. I have seen posts on Facebook, Twitter, Linked In,Uspslogo heard it on the radio, and now just a minute ago on 3 different TV news reports. We all know the post office has been a completely mismanaged institution since it’s inception in 1775 with Benjamin Franklin as the first postmaster general. The institution has changed over the years, but much like the LIRR it has been a money pit since that first day. In it’s latest move the USPS is shutting down postal delivery on Saturdays beginning in August of this year. While this move is designed to save money, I think we as a culture have an opportunity to really change our culture as Americans, and put the post office in a positive place.

 

Hear Me Out

 

So the post office is shutting down letter delivery for Saturdays, package delivery will remain the same. Before we go too far, let me ask a simple question. When you go to your local post office to pick up your daily dose of mail, or maybe you get your dose delivered straight to your home, free of charge. When you open those gems of information, (bills) do you pay them immediately? I would presume that like myself, many place those bills in a basket or some other caldron to be dealt with later, usually at least a week later or more. After all, most of the important communication that comes your way these days comes via electronic delivery,email, text etc. I cannot tell you the last time that I received a letter, or important business document via “snail mail”.

Does Your Business Operate via the USPO

student_billsSo how much “business” does your business do via the traditional post office model. Is the post office even necessary anymore. The only thing that really comes through that pipeline in my business is bills, in fact there are two varieties of mail that dominate delivery these days. Advertisements, (junk mail) and bills. As explained in a previous paragraph we all pretty much handle the bills portion the same, but what about the adverts? I am willing to go out on a limb and bet we petty much all deposit those in the same file, the round file next to our desks. Like most my pile is separated right there, advert (trash) or bill (deal with later).  So there you have it, either put aside to be dealt with all at once at a later date, and tossed into the burn pile. Neither very necessary.

 

How About we Reinvent the Wheel

 

So lets do something crazy, lets rethink the whole operation. I think we are missing a great opportunity to not only make the USPO a profitable operation, relieving the American tax payer of at least one Government program that doesn’t work, but more importantly…a chance to affect our culture in a very positive manner.  These days we all talk about finding that balance, balance between the consistent work, work, work, mode that is a requirement for business success in this on demand technology induced society, and the all important family, or me time. There is so much talk in todays business circles about the need to de-stress from the business environment this technology driven world places us.  The need is there, and we have an opportunity right in front of us, lets take it….

 

Stay With Me

 

Here is the proposal seen through the mind of this social media astronaut and digital junkie. How about we turn the whole thing around. How about the USPO delivers mail ONLY onhappyFamily-Pardee Homes-Carmel Valley Saturday, you heard right. Deliver packages Monday thru Friday, but only the mail on Saturdays. Personally, I would love to get my bills delivered all at once as opposed to trickling in little by little all week. The majority of us are doing the same thing with those bills anyway, placing them in a pile to go through and pay on Saturday, the only day we have time to correctly deal with them. Think of the increase in business productivity that can occur when we are focused on making money all week, instead of being constantly reminded that we owe money. Think of the positive mental effective this would have on your personal life as well. Instead of coming home to a pile of daily bills, and a loving family, (that order is very often mis-prioritized). Yes instead, you come home to only a loving family to think about. Think of the positive impact that would have on your productivity as a human being. We are always talking about working smart these days, being productive as opposed to being busy. I know for me, this would increase my productivity in a business sense without a doubt, but more importantly, I know it would increase the quality of my life, what about you?

 

Crazy, Really What do you Think

 

So what do you think, think it could work, are you willing to step completely out of the box? We could make this happen, we the people have a lot more influence than you might think. I invite all comments either pro or con, because without the con, we can’t fine tune it and make it happen.

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Tips on Choosing a Social Media Manager

Posted on February 5, 2013 by Gerry Michaels

Thinking about hiring a Social Media manager?

With all the buzz surrounding all things Social Media, it is no wonder there are so many social media  “experts” and “guru’s” invading the social mSocial-Media-Collageedia space. For someone like myself who works daily in the social space this is major concern. As I see the numbers of individuals proclaiming themselves “Social Media Managers” I find myself worrying about the small businesses out there who have little experience with social media that are spending hard earned money on what can best be described as “snake oil” salesmen. It just boggles my mind when I look at the social footprint of some of these so called social media ninja’s. With that in mind I thought I might share some tips that business owners can refer to when looking into hiring a social media manager.

> One of the first things to look for is what social media footprint does your candidate have. Are they active in the social  space, do they have a presence? I can’t tell you how many times I have seen individuals teaching classes on how to “do” SoMe who have absolutely no presence in the social space. Business owners need to ask themselves, if they can’t build a social media community for themselves, how are they going to build one for my business?

> Are they offering social media “package” deals? One of the biggest red flags is the packaged deal…for $59.99 we will handle all of your social media needs…Package deals often equate to nothing more than bots bothering people in the space with outbound only interaction. Run away, run far away. Building a solid social community takes interaction, with the emphasis being on a two way communication process. If your perspective candidate talks mostly about what they are going to be broadcasting on your behalf, they are in the wrong business, and likely have little actual experience in the social  space.

pie> Are they promising pie in the sky social media immediate results? Another huge red flag. Reference any book, blog site (I recommend Steamfeed.com) authored by in the trenches social media professionals who are doing the job every day and you will see that one of the consistent messages is “patience”. It takes an ample amount of time to build an engaging social media community, anyone who tells you otherwise is “selling” you social media  snake oil.

> Read the contract. Especially if you are working with a firm that is online. I once had a client show me a contract for a company that was offering Social Media services for $79 a month. Upon reading the contract fully, it was stated that they “did not reply or respond to any Twitter tweets or Facebook posts”. Really, are you kidding me, that is the whole point entering the social media space, interaction and engagement.

> Are they charging for the initial consultation to evaluate your social space presence? This one is a pet peeve of mine. Why would a competent social media professional charge to do an initial consultation for a potential client? If the initial consultation is costing you, be aware that you aren’t going to be “nickeled and dimed” for add on services. A good social media manager will usually go the extra mile to make sure your SoMe campaign is rocking and rolling. The social media professionals that I am connected with (and there are many) take the job personally, they want to see your success more than their own.

In the end, the message is do your homework, don’t believe everything you hear, ask some questions. Don’t be afraid to spend a little money, a good social media manager will be able to help your business in a variety of ways.

Do you have any secrets that might help others who are thinking about hiring a SoMe manager? Please share.

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Do You Know Marketing Like Randy Bowden

Posted on February 1, 2013 by Gerry Michaels

This week The Social Studmuffin was delighted to have Randy Bowden of Bowden2Bowden LLC on board. It was a pleasure to talk with marketing and branding hot shot. Randy “gets it”, he understands the world of marketing, branding, and social media better than most. He so correctly states “social media is not a tactic, it’s a practice that requires long-term commitment to truly be successful”. I had a great time talking with Randy about where traditional marketing methods fit into the new social space. We discussed some of the big businesses that are making a successful transition to social media marketing.

Listen, laugh and learn as Gettysburg Gerry and Randy Bowden talk Social Media, Branding, and Marketing…this week we will be talking with Jennifer Kane from Kane Consulting  Just click the link below to listen in…

 

 

 

 

 

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Strategy, Consistency & Flexibility: Why Most Small Businesses Fail with Social Media

Posted on January 29, 2013 by Gerry Michaels
How often have I heard this phrase from small business owners, “I can take care of the social media work

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myself?” …So often I hear from small businesses owners that they are not really looking for someone to manage their social media (SoMe) department, they just need a pointer or two to get started and they can handle it from there. To someone like myself who works within that social space every day,  that is akin to saying, I don’t really need a chef, I just need a good cookbook and a sharp knife and I can handle it from there.

Time and time again I see small businesses owners choosing this approach to their companies SoMe management needs, thinking that social media is just starting a Facebook page and posting events, menu’s etc. A solid and successful SoMe campaign has at it’s core three things:
                 1. A strategy, without a solid strategy you might as well not even start. Who is your target audience, what are they talking about, how can you add to the conversation, define what you and your company bring to the social space table? What social platforms are appropriate for the audience you have identified.  A Facebook page isn’t always the answer.
                  2. Consistency is always an issue, all too often I see posting 15 times a day in an attempt to really get peoples attention. But, alas, running the business gets in the way and you have a week with no posts, no problem you think…wrong….big problem. Inconsistent posting is one of the major fails that I see from “DIY” small business SoMe community managers, not to mention over posting. Social media is NOT about broadcasting about you, it’s about building relationships. That takes consistent (I will use the word) engagement, over time.
                   3. What happens if your plan has a hole or two in it? Are you prepared, are you flexible enough to commit more time to make the necessary changes? You better be. As with most everything, nothing is a sure bet, and most things need to be “tweaked” until they are humming along. A SoMe campaign is no different, like anything worth while, it takes time and maintenance. Social Media is a fast moving medium and you can’t sit on your laurels.
A good social media manager is like a chef marrying all the ingredients of your social media stew to create an

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awesome end product. Many social media platforms work in tandem with each other, do you know which ones work best for you? Do you know which ones are most effective, and how to get the most out of each appropriate platform? You’ve worked hard to build your business and trusting your internet presence to an amateur (that includes you) is a risky move. Choose a SoMe professional that is willing to sit down and discuss your individual business and what platforms are available to help increase your bottom line.

The positive effects of a well run social media campaign can be very rewarding. Depending on your goals, there are many different things you can accomplish, almost all of which affect your bottom line. Increasing online appointments, increasing traffic to a particular event, improving page rank to name just a few. A good SoMe manager will sit down with you and discuss your needs, not sell you a packaged product. Every business is different, and they all have different needs that cannot be met by a one size fits all approach.
Next week we will be talking SEO and why it is such a major ingredient in building your SoMe presence. Have you checked where you company ranks on Google, Yahoo, or Bing? It’s something you should know…
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