Puzzle Piece #4: Site Management

Now that everything is up and running, you will need to take some steps to ensure your sites work for you. Once those profiles have been created, use ping.fm to manage your info through broadcast and inbound. It will send updates to your statuses, blogs and microblogs. (Note: When signing up for social networking sites that allow you to connect or link with others – don’t! Ping.fm will do this for you, and choosing to connect will only double post – a big “no no” in the social media world.)


•Format Google to show your most important information – on your homepage.
•Simply install iGoogle on your desktop and select the Google Gadgets you want on your homepage.
•You can download gadgets that allow you to see Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook updates. You can also keep ping.fm open, which allows for quick updates.



•RSS feeds: They’re a way for you to get a quick list of the latest story headlines online from all your favorite websites and blogs all in one place.
•Use these to your advantage. People who like what you say can subscribe to your messages and get your updated material on your blog, for example, instead of subscribing to an e-mail blast that constitutes interruption marketing. Anywhere there is an RSS icon, readers can simply click on it and receive your updates.
•Internet Explorer has RSS capabilities built in. Users can subscribe by clicking on the icon and receiving updates via their RSS Reader of choice.


•A program such as FeedBurner (the best we have found so far) can grab the code from your blog, for example, and post it in the areas you deem useful, which broadens your reach.
•Note: Watch out for duplicates with FeedBurner; if you have it automatically post updates to some sites and you also use a connector site such as ping.fm, overlapping can occur.

Puzzle Piece #3: Reaching an Audience

Once you have completed the setup, it is time to put these sites to work. Below you will find the recommended sites, their uses and the recommended steps you can take to get things rollin’.

MySpace: do not disregard this site – you may not see it as your target audience, but with over 68 million people visiting a month, can you afford to ignore it?

• This site has heavy traffic in terms of music and visual arts -- interactivity is a huge part of its success. If you have videos or graphic design work, this is the perfect place to display it.
• Make sure your profile contains a link to your company site.
• Find friends by searching by name, e-mail address or display name.
• Expand your network by searching profiles for people with similar interests, and perusing groups applicable to your business.
• Maintain a personality on the site by updating your material often (at least twice a week), joining groups and conversing with people who take an interest in your posts.

Facebook: this site is perfect for grabbing the attention of educated professionals.

• To reach out, you can import your contacts from Outlook, import your AIM buddy list or Windows Live contacts, or search via a specific school or company. The site will also recommend new connections based on your own network and information.
• Make sure your profile contains a link to your company site.
• Post new material at least twice a week, and join and participate in groups. Use the events, photos and notes features whenever possible to keep your page current.
• Create a business page in addition to your personal page by simply clicking on “Advertising” at the bottom of any Facebook page, then “pages,” and “create a page.”
• We recommend creating a company page with an interesting, catchy angle. Have your creative topic be the name of the page, and your company’s name the secondary title.
  
  

LinkedIn: This is the go-to site for when you want to reach a skilled audience, as it allows networking among professionals.

• Find connections by importing your e-mail/address book connections. Also, once you enter your company information, the site will recommend new contacts.
• Make sure your profile contains a link to your company site.
• Maintain a presence by joining relative groups and participating in the questions and answers section. Pose thoughtful questions, and only answer when you truly have something helpful to provide. Browse this section regularly.
• Other apps allow you to upload and share presentations, collect data for polls and more.

You Tube: use this site for viral marketing.

• Post videos your company has created to an audience of millions.
• Be sure to link back to your website or embed it in your site or blog – this directs viewers back to your company.

Flickr: Share visual content in a way that engages viewers.

• Upload pictures and videos to share with your audience.
• You can organize and tag them, which makes them easier for others to find.
• Join groups and create new contacts as you become more involved in the site.

Twitter: This is a hugely popular service that is not going away any time soon. It is the best vehicle for frequency outreach and reaching the masses. It truly is the billboard advertising of today – minus the cost.

Finding a market

• Twitter has search capabilities, so use them – find people you know, people you think sound interesting and people you think want to hear what you’re all about. Research shows about 15 percent of the people you follow will then follow you.
• Tweet using the budurl service so you can track readership numbers.

Fixing the numbers

• Once you have a base of followers/ followees, use Twellow.com to find industry-specific people to follow.
• Employ the Twubble service (http://www.crazybob.org/twubble/) to expand your circle. It searches your friends’ friends and suggests new twitterers for you to follow. Remember, it’s quality, not quantity.
• Twitter Karma gives you a full list of who you follow and who follows you, so you can see how they compare. You can filter the results in different ways and it shows you how your numbers are stacking up so you can do some purging if need be.
  

Blogger: there are many blogging sites out there (WordPress, Blogdrive, LiveJournal), but Blogger is our personal fave.

• Use your blog to create personal brands, which can then in turn add value and credibility to the corporate brand.
• Make the content useful and entertaining. Do not simply blog about company achievements – make the copy personable, and give readers a reason to return.
• Make your blog title catchy and your headlines creative.
• Keep is short and sweet.
• Include links and keywords.

Add the “Add This” function to your blog. This will allow others to share your posts.

1. First, log into addthis.com and click on “Get Your Button.”
2. Select the options you want. For our purposes, we selected the following options: What kind of button? Sharing/bookmarking. Where? On a blog. Performing platform? Blogger
3. Open a new tab for blogger. Log in and click on “View blog.”
4. Select “customize,” then “edit HTML.”
5. Click on “expand widget templates.”
6. Go back to the AddThis tab and copy the code you were given for your blog.
7. Return to the tab that contains your blog. Insert that code directly after <div class='post-footer'> tag within your blog's HTML.
8. Save your settings. Now the AddThis button will appear after every blog post you write.


Add the Simplaris Blogcast application to your Facebook account.
Search for and add the application within Facebook.

1. Search for and add the application within Facebook
2. Within the settings, add your blogspot address.
3. Recommended settings: times automatic, one paragraph, send to my blog, show pictures

Note: If you use Blogger, you cannot have ping.fm update your blog on Facebook. Instead, download the Simplaris Blogcast app in Facebook using the above suggestions and your friends will be alerted when you create a new post.

Twitter Gives Light to Community Outreach

What was life like before Twitter? I can hardly remember the days before I received HotAmishChick’s updates (example tweet: “Tobias: ‘Wow! How many bonnets can one girl own?!’ Me: ‘Four.’ We lead a simple life.”), and Meanbot’s mean-but-funny retorts (Meanbot is “seldom misquoted by her children. In fact they usually repeat word for word the things she should not have said.”). But all jokes aside, Twitter had proven some very real worth in the business world, and it has also opened the door to some great things going on in the field.

Case in point: While perusing Twitter this month, I saw some tweets about an event aiming to help school age children in Texas get healthy. For some reason or another it caught my attention, and I decided to dig into it to see what it was all about. Some quick research showed me this: The National Dairy Council, in conjunction with numerous other organizations like the Houston Independent School District, spearheaded a “Healthy Kids, Healthy Schools” summit this past weekend. This working session brought together forward-thinking individuals willing to take charge in eliminating childhood obesity. Suggestions were made, projects were defined and challenges were addressed – all in an effort to help Houston-area students be more fit and healthy.

A recent blog post by Seth Godin (http://sethgodin.typepad.com/) included this paragraph: “Just like every powerful tool, the impact comes from the craftsman, not the tool. Marketing has more reach, with more speed, than it has ever had before. With less money, you can have more impact than anyone could have imagined just ten years ago. The question, one I hope you'll ask yourself, is what are you going to do with that impact?”

In my eyes, the National Dairy Council decided to use its impact to do the best type of marketing: the type that helps others. It is a great principle on many levels, as the National Dairy Council will be affiliated with a summit that is all about creating change – and members of the council are taking time to educate people in the hopes of bettering their lives. The council attained quality face time with the community, but the fact they are taking time to make a difference is something great to have associated with its name. Companies can often seem unattainable and impersonal, but through efforts such as this, they can attach a community-outreach persona to their name while helping our youth improve their futures. I’m glad to see there are still some organizations out there that are promoting good.

Puzzle Piece #2: Social Networking, Microblogging and Blogging Sites

Once you get the gist, it’s time to get rolling. First, you will need to create profiles on the following top social networking, microblogging and blogging sites:

Social Networking:
1. MySpace
2. Facebook
3. LinkedIn

4. You Tube
5. Flickr

Microblogging:

6. Twitter

Blogging:

7. Blogger/Wordpress

And, just in case you are wondering what the microblogging/blogging is all about, here is some background for you:

• Microblogging sites (i.e. Twitter) allow you to post short versions (around 140 characters) of what you are up to. You can post a new article, blog entry, or article as a “tweet,” status update, etc, which others can then view.
• Blogging sites allow for more room and greater versatility. Write relatively short posts that will engage the reader
  

Puzzle Piece #1: Intro, Overview and your Company's Web site

Those of you who have been reading my blog know I am pretty heavy into social media. Recently I posted a PowerPoint presentation that was a year in the making; it went into the nitty, gritty details of not just why but how you should go about using social media for your business. We call it the “Social Media Puzzle,” and it is our humble attempt is trying to piece it all together. Granted, new applications are coming out all the time, so things might change as some programs become outdated. But for the time being, this is our process (broken down into text). Here is section one – stay tuned for more!

Social networking truly is the new way of the world. With print on the decline and the number of bookmarking, sharing and blogging sites increasing every day, this is one medium that is demanding attention – and it’s either get in or be left in the dust. When used correctly and effectively, these sites have the power to deliver news to more people than you ever dreamed possible. However, it is quality over quantity, so the following are our notes on the best way to get your message out to an interested audience.
The process is simple – here is an overview:
1. Build your Web site to talk to others by making sure your home page has “Add This” features.
2. Post links and news (such as press releases and authored articles) on your
company’s home page.3. Reach an even greater audience th
rough Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.
4. Push your info out by posting those same URLs via ping.fm on social networking sites via personal and company-related outlets.
5. Employ the use of RSS feeds to update your info.



Your Web site:
First and foremost comes your company website. When people are googling and find your company’s site, you need to make sure it delivers by outlining more than just your services. Promote your news and social media connections by:
1. Posting your news on your Web site
2. Providing quick links to social sites on your Web site
3. Adding bookmarking tools such as the “Add This” feature to your news, events and blogs


When thinking about the best way for your company to go about this, keep this in mind: You want people to be able to view your information where they feel most comfortable. Whether that be on Facebook, MySpace or any other medium, you want to give them that option. Additionally, you want them to be able to share your news and blog posts. The ability to send the info outward is important, as is the ability to get the info when it’s wanted. RSS feeds allow this.

The Social Media Puzzle: A Noble Attempt at Piecing It All Together

Social Networking Ppt

Publish at Scribd or explore others:

Top 10 Oddly Entertaining Twitter Moments

1. http://www.vimeo.com/1426538.
Actress Felecia Day of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Bring It On was in attendance at a Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog panel. She had a part in the internet musical, and the stars were in attendance to talk about the movie. When asked a question, however, Felecia appeared caught off guard -- then admitted she had been “twittering” under the table. Laughs ensued (come on, you know your mind went there too), and her reaction just makes you want to give her a hug... or two.
2. http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2009/01/twits-get-phish.html
First, let’s set the record straight: the Britney Spears and Barack Obama tweets sent out by a hacker – not so funny. However, while we do not in any way condone phishing of any type, the Bill O’Reilly “is gay” tweet just has to make even the diehard Fox News fan chuckle  – especially when you imagine the rage that inevitable followed .
3. http://mashable.com/2008/10/31/great-twitter-moments/
So a girl is on a date, thinking everything is going great. Conversation flows, laughs are shared and a follow-up is already planned. Since he mentioned he is a Twitterer, she logs on to thank him for an evening well spent – only to discover every time she got up from the table, he was tweeting about how, well, not great you are. Sound like a nightmare? It happened to Andrea (real name and Twitter ID withheld). Moral of the story? Aw, heck who cares… let’s just leave it at this: he's not going home to mother.
4. http://twitter.com/MeanBot
For those out of the loop, Twitter Bots are Twitter users that basically generate information, whether that be by request or just whenever it becomes available. There are Bots that give stock market updates, Bots remind you when you have an important meeting and Bots that tell you how much you should tip. But there is one that stands out from the pack – it is guaranteed to make you laugh (ok, or cringe). With the moniker of MeanBot, it should be no surprise that comments include“…is wondering: Why is it that most nudists are people you don't want to see naked” and “…has teeth that are so yellow that when she smiles the cars start to slow down.” Follow at your own risk.
5. http://www.quickonlinetips.com/archives/2008/11/girl-in-your-shirt/
Girl in Your Shirt like the classier sister whole of the “getting tattoos of a company’s name for major moolah” craze. For as little as $75, Jenae will wear your company’s T-shirt, talk about your company, and create promotional postings for Twitter (as well as Flickr, YouTube and various others). While the idea might seem crazy, it has taken off like crazy – and even spawned some copycats (yes, Jason Sadler, we are talking about you). Getting paid to wear T-shirts might seem funny… but don’t you wish you had thought of that?
6. http://www.alleyinsider.com/2008/12/getting-fired-at-yahoo-a-twitter-log-reprise
Instead of going out to the bars for three nights straight like some might do when fired, Ryan Kuder decided to make his experience enjoyable to others by tweeting about it. During a time most others would be maintaining a delicate balance between rage and fear, he released such gems as “On the plus side, my commute just got a lot shorter,” and “Thanks to everyone sending the positive tweets. I've got plenty of free time now so just let me know if you want to meet up for lunch.”
7. http://garyvaynerchuk.com/2008/04/02/april-3rd-2008-is-good-people-day-pass-it-on/
Here’s a trend with a heart: April 3, 2008 was deemed “Good People Day” by Internet celebrity Gary Vaynerchuk. He thought it was due time to give credit to those people who are important but might not get told they are appreciated. Gary told others to use various forms of social media (hello, Twitter!) to sing the praises of the great people in their lives. Using the idea that “we are the media,” he pushed others to take control – and that they did, as the day was a success. (Thanks to Doriano Carta at Mashable for this one! http://mashable.com/2008/12/19/twitter-2008/)
8. http://lordmatt.co.uk/item/1219/
The Lord Matt Borg is another attempt at a Twitter experiment, though this one is less game-oriented and more, shall we say, alter ego focused. Lord Matt (I kid you not) created this account to showcase how it works when you try to completely automate social networking profiles and responses. Matt hopes the Bot will eventually @reply and make sense, as well as be seen as fun and useful – much like himself, though less cool, of course. This is one experiment worth following.
9. http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/03/16/a-funny-moment-at-the-flickr-party-tonight/
Michael Arrington was @ a flickr party when Dan Farber, editor in chief of CNET, mentioned he recieved an e-mail saying his company bought another for $58 million. The report came from a post seen on Twitter and was definitely news to him, so he and others at the party began making some calls, sending e-mails and contacting people at Digg. The rumor was squashed, but it was enough to send the party into a downward spiral for a handful of people – and enough to bring some Twitter ridicule to the man who posted the rumor that sent shockwaves. (We will have some pity on the poor guy and leave him unnamed!)
10. http://colorwar2008.com/March 2008 brought about the launch of an experiment by Zefrank. The premise for Color Wars was simple: internet teams compete for prizes (a la color wars at summer camp – remember that?). Hundreds of teams formed, and games such a rap battle remixes and scavenger hunts quickly became all the rage. However, the sensation was short lived and chaos ensued – bringing an end to what might have been the supreme adult playground. (Thanks again, Gary! http://mashable.com/2008/12/19/twitter-2008/)