Jan 02
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The 6 Most Annoying Mistakes Made in Social Media

By Social Media

This is a list of six mistakes I find people and businesses making social media on a regular basis. I’ll bet you have more, so let’s keep this list going as a cautionary document for those new to engagement online.

  1. The blog that died. In 2009 the New York Times estimated that 95 percent of blogs have been abandoned. That’s sad, especially because businesses that are blogging or individuals who blog as a way to increase business are probably still churning out content in the form of advertising, marketing materials or news releases. A blog that hasn’t been updated in months is a death knell for a company.
  2. The Twitter account with no biographical information. You’re who? You do what? Even worse are the accounts with no image. Let us see your face!
  3. The blog that doesn’t allow comments. In my opinion, if it’s not a two-way conversation, it is not a blog.
  4. The automated follow, reply or repost. See Automation Sucks.
  5. The rolling tumbleweed, the sound of crickets; that is, the lack of response when someone is contacted via Twitter, Facebook, online form or e-mail. Be responsive.
  6. The unattended LinkedIn profile. Business people have a responsibility to be aware what they look like online. Completing a LinkedIn profile has to be one of the easiest steps in social networking. It’s important, because it’s searchable and represents you as a business person online. Get it up-to-date today.

Your turn! What social media/networking mistakes are like nails on a chalkboard for you?

Jan 01
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5 Ways Social Media has Worked for Me

By Social Media

I was reading my friend Ken’s post about his community and all the amazing ways the members of the community have come together to help one another.

I have a deep appreciation for the benefits I’ve received from being a part of an online community. I know how much having a broad social network has helped me develop new business and assist others to find jobs and other opportunities. I, of course, realize the benefits of being a content creator and have enjoyed the payoff in the form of friends, great working relationships and the kind of support that has lifted me up and given me confidence, fresh ideas and inspiration.

Here are five personal stories of my social media success:

  1. One of the longest-term clients I’ve had knew me first because of my personal blog (where I used to write a lot more about social media till I had this blog). She was delighted to learn that I lived and worked only a few miles away from her business. A mutual connection in our social network introduced us and the rest is history.
  2. I am very good about keeping my online social network up-to-date, entering new contacts into LinkedIn and connecting with new people I meet at conferences and networking events as soon as I can. This practice has led to speaking engagements and the introduction to new clients. I’m also pretty committed to providing recommendations to others on LinkedIn, allowing me to also receive endorsements from others with whom I’ve worked. It’s a wonderful boost to my business to have these online “testimonials” about the work I’ve done.
  3. In a wonderful mash-up of more traditional media and social media, I’ve worked with a local affiliate of three television stations as a blogging expert and social media correspondent as well as providing guidance as a consultant to the news staff of the stations. This mutually beneficial relationship has allowed me to develop relationships with a wide local audience and helped the television media use a social presence to expand their reach and build more solid relationships with their audience, a very gratifying experience indeed.
  4. On Twitter, I have met, followed and learned from many people in my industry. A few of these have included Gini Dietrich, Jay Baer and Ken Mueller. I’ve contributed guest posts to Spin Sucks and to Inkling Media’s blog, helping me increase my reach to new audiences. Not only that, but all three of these people are dear friends whom I’ve enjoyed knowing, reading and talking to often.
  5. There’s the misguided perception among the uninitiated that is that the social media active live their lives online. Those who aren’t engaged online seem to think that those who are conduct all communication via Twitter, Facebook and other online networks. What they’re missing is the moment that two people who have known one another well via an online relationship meet in person for the first time. Kismet! Joy! Bonding! A relationship cemented with a handshake or a hug. One of my favorite instances of this is when Self-Made Mom and I kept e-mailing and Instant Messaging (this was in a pre-texting era) to find one another across a room full of hundreds of other women bloggers (“I’m wearing polka dots!”) until we spotted one another and beamed the smiles of people who were already friends.

When people wonder if social media and social networking “really works” I can answer that with real stories of my own (and these are five of dozens that I have and love to share) and those of clients with whom I’ve worked.

I continue to be surprised and delighted by the connections and re-connections formed via social media, like the opportunity coming from a high school friend and another coming in from my sister’s college roommate — don’t discount the reach of your entire network. You just never know where the next opportunity will come from.

Tell me: what are some ways social media has worked for you?

Dec 29
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My Top 10 Social Media Posts of 2010

By Social Media

2010 was a great year for social media inspiration, with no shortage of great topics to address and questions to answer. Here are the top ten posts from this blog throughout the year:

  1. Time vs. Newsweek and the Demise of the English Language in which I freak out over the misuse of peak (peek!).
  2. Twitter: Why We Care What you Had for Breakfast I recognize that there are people who still don’t “get” Twitter (while only an estimated 8 percent of the population uses it, 100 percent knows what it is — this validated by the “Mom Index” which is determined by my mom saying “I know what that is.”)  I hope this post helps people in business understand why Twitter is an important communication tool.
  3. How NOT to use LinkedIn: Three D’oh!s from a Real-Life Example In social media consulting, we don’t spend a lot of time talking about LinkedIn, taking it for granted that people know how to use one of the first business social networking tools. It is only when someone steps so far out of line that it becomes necessary to outline the offense and make sure others don’t repeat it.
  4. Five Steps BHG Real Estate III Should Take Right Now I enjoy these social media case study opportunities that pop overnight and result in people sending me links and asking me to provide my thoughts on the situation. This one was pretty shocking and I think it’s been so popular because the lessons are applicable to any crisis or communications faux pas that any company (or representative) unfortunately might make.
  5. Five Ways to Avoid a Social Media Spanking I don’t know if the term “spanking” led to additional traffic on this page, but no matter — this is helpful advice for anyone posting content on behalf of a company.
  6. But Honestly Monica, Five Things Cooks Source Should Do Right Now The Cooks Source debacle was classic — probably the best foot-in-mouth social media episode of the year. Pretty much everyone wrote about it; I couldn’t resist throwing in my two cents.
  7. 10 Things to do on Your Facebook Fan Page I’ll admit it — I think I wrote this post more for me than for you — it’s something I get asked regularly and rather than repeating myself, I share the link to this post often. Of course there’s MORE you can do on a fan page . . . and this might lead to a Part Two post in the future.
  8. Charlottesville Car Dealerships and Social Media: A Study of Four Automotive Brands This began a series of reviewing service providers in my community and their use of social media.
  9. Ambassador You: An Employee’s Role in Social Media Also the topic of a presentation I’ve given to networking groups in several locations, the Ambassador You concept continues to be relevant and valued by businesses and marketing professionals.
  10. We’re Not Really Friends: Six Ways to Balance the Personal and Professional on the Social Web The “how do you separate the personal and the professional” question is one of the most frequently asked during my speaking gigs. This post helps explain my approach.

Thank you to all of you for a great first year of blogging about social media on Change the Conversation — keep reading in 2011 and feel free to let me know if you have any questions, case studies for me to review or would like me to come speak to your company or organization.

Dec 28
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Charlottesville Salons and Social Media

By Social Media

I would like the works: haircut, color, keratin treatment. I’m living frugally (after all, it was just Christmas and I have recently started a new business) and looking for special offers from local salons. So where do I go? To the social web to find my friends’ favorite salons and stylists, online specials and social communities to get an idea of which salons have the best reputations.

My friend Jen swears by Moxie and her personal stylist Richard the Hair God. I sort-of feel like any salon that calls itself a hair and body lounge might be a tad pretentious. A review of the salon’s website led to a buried mention of its Facebook presence (which is a profile, not a page, one of my pet peeves). Even though the approach is all wrong, the salon seems to have a lot of “friends” and lists in a status update the specials for the month.

The next salon I found with a social presence is Salon Cielo and Spa.  To my great relief, they have a Facebook page (not a profile) and even a Twitter account. Unfortunately the two cross post and are 100 percent redundant (a lazy approach to social web integration). The salon is part of a chain with multiple locations in four states so there’s really no reason to not have a more robust approach to web marketing.

Bristles is another popular local salon — many of my friends seem to like it, judging by their Facebook page. I can’t visit their website, however, since my virus protection software has flagged it as a risk (hey Bristles — something’s up with your site — you might want to check that out.) They have also been voted Favorite Hair Salon in Charlottesville for 13 years — that’s a good sign. I can’t tell what prices are, however, and no specials are evident on the Facebook page, so I’m less inclined to follow up with them.

What about you? How do you find a hair salon/stylist or another service in your community? Do you take your search to the social web?

Dec 22
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Begin by Being Personal

By Social Media

“Whatever anything else is, it oughta begin by being personal.”  — Meg Ryan as Kathleen Kelley in You’ve Got Mail.

It’s a charming little romantic comedy and if you haven’t seen it, you should. You’ve Got Mail was on TV and so I was drawn in long enough to see the last quarter or so of the movie.

The line above comes in response to Tom Hanks’ character, the guy who is owner of a big box book store, whose company forced the closure of Meg Ryan’s characters little Shop Around the Corner, an independent bookstore. Hanks tells her that it was just business, that it wasn’t personal.

I’ve always found it interesting that people go out of their way to separate business and personal, as if when we show up for work, we’re no longer human beings, just employee-bots focused on business and business alone.

I would like to think the culture of social media is changing that. It is in my circles and I believe it is happening at the community level in many places. Individuals are starting to turn the corner as well, realizing that making business personal is a way to create and grow relationships — and those relationships lead to increased business.

The distinction I think people have trouble with is making interaction personal without becoming overly familiar, or introducing what should remain private. It is possible to be professional yet create interaction that focuses on customers as individuals — that, and interacting as a person, not merely a representative of a company — is what makes it personal.

What do you think? Has business become personal for you?