The Red Trolley, photo by Shayne Sivley (@munpeg)

I get together with a networking group that shares my interest in social media, and we swap war stories and advice. In my most recent meeting with the Trolley Team (named for the coffee shop where we meet), we talked about how we often run into people that could use our services. The problem, however, is knowing how to tell them they need our services without sounding like we’re trying to sell them something.

For example, Shayne, an “IT guy” says he recognizes potential customers by their e-mail address. Huh? When he started to explain, I was reminded of a blog I read recently called What Your E-Mail Address Says About Your Computer Skills. When Shayne sees a bad e-mail address, he sees it as an indication that that person may be missing other opportunities for optimizing their systems to strengthen their brand.

Still not sure what Shayne does at his company, Atom Creek, I asked him to explain. He said something about networks, systems and infrastructures. Again, huh? He then described a project in which he’d trained his customers so they could benefit from the IT work he just completed for them. You see, he set up the organization’s computer-based tools so these people could work more efficiently in their own jobs as well as with each other.

He also ensured that their hardware and software were adequate and appropriately configured. But that wasn’t the point. What caught my attention was that he made sure his customers understood that their technology was designed with them in mind.

Shayne’s an IT guy who’s not just concerned about the computers! That’s great. But if Shayne describes himself as an IT guy who cares as much about people as he does about computers, it’s only going to sound like a pitch – and that can be offensive.

Then I asked Chris – the creative energy at The Denver Design Lab – how he recognizes a potential customer. He says he only needs to look at a logo. He knows a good one when he sees one. And when he sees a bad one . . . well, how do you tell someone that without offending them? Good question.

After our conversation I looked at Chris’s website, his Flickr account and pictures on his Facebook profile. I learned much about his style and design sense. I also learned that he DOES have a good eye for logos; and has created some pretty nice ones, too.

Where am I going with this? Remember that our topic is “How to recognize your customers and not offend them when you find them.” I believe it’s an age-old dilemma. But I believe that, ironically, the ones who master it don’t ever deal with it. They let their reputations speak for them. More precisely, they let their friends and happy customers (aka organic networks) speak for them. Yes, the almighty influence of word-of-mouth.

Word-of-mouth has always been powerful. It starts with conversations – much like the one I had with the Trolley Team. These days, though, with the use of social media those conversations can be heard well beyond the coffee shop. We can blog about them or comment on blogs written about them. We can tweet about them and we can “like” them.

So help your friends and happy customers spread the word for you. Use social media to stay connected with your network. Then, give your friends and customers interesting and informative content they’ll want to share with others. (It makes them seem interesting and informative, too.)

Personally, I’ll look at e-mail addresses and logos a little differently these days.

You don’t have to “sell” yourself. Just “be” yourself. But be connected to your network through social media. You won’t have to recognize your customers, because they’ll recognize you first. And this leaves no chance for anyone to be offended.

If you have any advice on how to ignite the power of word-of-mouth through social media, or any comment on this topic, please contribute your thoughts, below.

First of all, I’m a communications consultant helping businesses adopt social media tools and emerging methods of communication. Consequently, my philosophy needs to be reflected on my website. I want people to be able see how I use social channels to connect on different levels with different audiences.

But what if you’re not in the social media business? What have you got to prove by sending visitors to your social sites? What can potential customers find on your social sites that they can’t find on your website?

Pondering those questions made me realize something. The website isn’t necessarily the ultimate destination anymore. It’s one of many destinations. The journey is no longer sequential. Your social sites and your website work together to keep your visitors engaged.

Displaying your social sites on your website sends a message

A business that uses social media and displays links to its social sites on its website is sending a message that says something like this: “In addition to everything you see on my website (which, hopefully, is valuable to your visitors), I’m also making it easy for you to listen to my conversations, ask me questions and see who I hang out with.”

Or, maybe this: “Here is where you can find everything about the company and our products and services. Also feel welcome to join us on our social sites and find out who we are as human beings. We’re looking forward to talking with you.”

Additionally, they may be sending this message: “Our company is forward-thinking. We recognize the value – and the power – of our customers, and we want to get to know you better and let you know us better.”

Conversely, a business that doesn’t display links to their social sites might be sending a message like this: “We refuse to accept the fact that our customers have a voice. If we don’t hear you, then we don’t have to listen to you.”

Or, maybe this: “All the information you need to make a buying decision is on our website. We only want to hear from you if you’re ready to buy. Nothing else you have to say matters.”

Displaying your social sites on your website sends visitors away

Sending visitors away has more to do with what’s NOT on your site than what IS on your site. If your site is boring, your visitor’s next move might be to your competitor’s site. If your site is interesting they’ll stay and learn and interact and maybe even buy. THEN, they’ll go to your social sites and spend even more time with you. Even if your site is boring but you have links to your social sites, there’s less chance that you’ll be sending your visitors to your competitors.

Social media is not just changing the way we communicate. It’s changing the way we do business. Traditional website theory might have stressed the importance of keeping visitors on your site. But emerging methods are giving you more options and ways to not just hold people’s interest, but engage them and increase their chances of coming back to your sites . . . your social sites and your website.

photo by pniebrzydowski

I showed my mom how to connect with her family and friends, how to comment on people’s posts, and how to locate and write on walls. She even updated her own status. Even though she seemed very pleased with the ease of use, I haven’t seen any activity from her since I left. It occurs to me now how overwhelming this technology must be for some people – particularly those who weren’t introduced to it until well into their years.

As part of the series of how-to videos I create for business users of social media, I am going to include some lessons that are written specifically for my mom. They will cover some of the basic skills. While I’m creating these videos with my mom in mind, they are meant for anyone who grew up using a manual typewriter and still remembers the days when we wrote letters and mailed them in an envelope with a 26-cent stamp.

There will be a day when using social media will be no more mysterious than talking on the telephone. But we’re not there yet.

SM 101 – Navigating your Facebook Profile #1

based on model by Jay Baer

You have a lot of stuff to say.  And,  a lot of your stuff is really good.  But what if no one ever sees it?  Here are a couple diagrams you may find helpful for creating content, organizing and scheduling distribution, and measuring your results.

Much of this information was inspired by Jay Baer’s blog, Convince and Convert.  His Content Ladder helped me to look at my own create-distribute-re-purpose cycle from a different angle, which is also diagrammed here.  I’m finding that both of these approaches have merit, and deciding which to use will depend on what you’re currently doing to get your message out. That will be your starting point.

Social Media Content Ladder

1. Understand Taxonomy: the most important link between social and search marketing; When creating and promoting social content, include specific relevant keywords and search phrases wherever possible.
2. Seek Content Inspiration (using keywords)
3. Understand your frequency schema; one rung per SM platform, a frequency (x/day) schedule allocated to each rung, and metrics you’ll measure.
4. Test and Track
5. Tweak and Re-purpose

There are several key concepts included in the five points above.  Understanding the value and importance of keywords — how to identify your own, how to use them in your content, and how to use them in your research – cannot be overemphasized.

Developing this understanding comes at the beginning of the social media learning curve.  Don’t skip it!

Creating a schedule for posting your content requires you to consider several elements.  Ideally, you want to post on the right day of the week, and at the right time of day. The “right” time will depend on your industry, your audience, and the platforms you’re using.  Dan Zarella, the Social Media Scientist, shares his techniques and studies on his blog, which is worth checking out.  But to know for sure what will work for you, do your own study based on your own unique variables.

Hub-and-Outpost Model

Social Media Outposting Model

Re-purposing, or reusing your own content has a number of benefits.  It allows you to make the same points but in different ways.  E.g., simplify the blog  messages for distribution on microblogs; summarize the messages for e-newsletters; personalize (familiarize) the messages for Facebook.  Same message.  Different audiences and platforms.

Re-purposing means you have to come up with fewer topics – which addresses one of the most frequently heard concerns from would-be bloggers and creators.

Also, each time you post on a particular topic, you can include a link to one of your other platforms.  An example of cross-posting is diagrammed here. (I also call it the hub-and-outpost model).

Worksheets for creating your own Content Ladder and Hub-and-Post plan can be found on the Resources page at 3D Communications‘ website.

If you have developed your own method for optimizing your content, let me know by leaving a comment.  Or, if you can offer suggestions for improving the models here, I’d love to hear them.

Twitter Stats

Social media metrics are important for many reasons. Related to your own objective for using social media, these metrics serve as an indicator and a guide for how effectively you’re using social media.

Twitter is one of the more widely-used social networking tools, and the ability to track Twitter metrics can be key to your overall strategy. Here are a few tools you can use:

Twitter Counter This tool will keep track of the number of followers you have and display that information in a line graph across a three month period of time. This allows you see the growth of your follower list. You can compare your growth rate with that of any other account holder by typing in their Twitter name.

Twitter Grader This tool by HubSpot, a company that provides inbound marketing software, is one of their many free resources to help you become a sophisticated user of social media. They will grade your Twitter account (on a scale of 1 to 100), and even offer suggestions for improvements you can make to your account. There’s also a link to view your follower and following history for the past three months.

Tweet Stats From the first time you access this tool, it will start tracking the changes in the number of followers you have and the number of people you’re following. Immediately, however, it will show you a number of different bar charts showing your tweet stats (e.g., average number of tweets per day, retweets, @ replies) and activity patterns such as density and frequency.

Although these tools are similar, they each have their strengths. Depending on what you’re tracking and why, you can use any or all of them. A Google search of ‘twitter ranking tools’ will give you hundreds of other options. But the three above are ones that I have found to be useful when setting goals and tracking my progress toward them.

If you use a tool for tracking your Twitter metrics that you like, please leave a comment here with the information so I can check it out.

3D Communications

Anyone who has a website or blog knows the importance of driving traffic to it. But how do you know how much traffic you’re getting and where it’s coming from?

I received a bit of advice through my Twitter feed this morning from social media maven, Guy Kawasaki. He provided four steps to track your social networking success . The first step very emphatically reminded me of the importance of Google Analytics. I was aware of this tool, but haven’t spent the time to learn how to use it. Today was the day.

I spent about 10 minutes reading and following simple instructions for getting started with Google Analytics and another 9 minutes watching a YouTube video about how to use the analytics reports. I’m feeling pretty smart for getting it figured out, but pretty dumb for waiting so long to do this!

The 10 minutes of reading included actually installing the tool on each of the six pages of my website. Honestly, it was a matter of copying & pasting code into the five Java Script blocks that were clearly marked and easily accessible on my website’s dashboard. According to something I read, it takes about 24 hours for the analytics tool to start capturing data. But, for some reason, data for my site was available immediately. After viewing the above-mentioned video about the reports and then reviewing my reports, I realize I need to look very differently at my whole strategy for my online presence.

Things I need to do to my website:

• Consider it an ultimate destination, and therefore, develop a plan for making it
  1. a valuable source of information,
  2. interactive,
  3. a place for creating connections (through a “call to action”)
• Include links to it in my social sites and activities
• Set goals related to keyword searches, page views, and time spent on my site that can be measured (a function of Google Analytics) so I know if I’m making the desired progress.

I still have much to learn, but by following the above steps I will be learning in a very productive way. Considering how much I value both “learning” and “productivity,” I’m pretty happy with this plan.

If you’d like to help me, please click on the link to my website so that I have some traffic to analyze. And, while you’re there, if you see something that needs to be improved, I’d love to hear from you. Suggestions, ideas, anything at all will be much appreciated!

Haytruck by Stewsnews

I have set out to turn “information overload” into “an abundance of options.” Doesn’t that just sound better?  Based on what I’m hearing and reading, we’re all feeling the pressure and the frustration, and it IS tempting to join the chorus.  But, the alternatives – censoring and regulated filtering – are neither desirable nor practical at this point.  With countless contributors who have unlimited access to the Internet, information will continue to be generated at lightening speed, and it could feel like “overload.”  But, the problem is not that we have too much information.  The problem is finding a way to manage it. That solution will be a little different for everyone.

I’m a strategist by nature and profession, so my approach to this problem looks like this:  I start out with my lists of objectives and values, and I let those be my guides.  I throw in a bit of discipline and time management and I’ve got the beginnings of a recipe for managing the information overload.  I complete it with the not-so-secret ingredients: tools.

I don’t mean to oversimplify the process because it’s really not simple at all.  In fact, it takes real effort. For me, the greatest challenge is in those elusive and constantly evolving objectives.  Fortunately, the values tend to stay pretty consistent.  The discipline is part of my character; and I’ve been developing my time management skills for decades.
Choosing the tools can be difficult because the options are extensive and you might find yourself in a chicken-or-the-egg situation with the overload of information about the tools.  But, this is where I did try to simplify the process.  I started with tools I was familiar with and then added a couple more that seemed to keep coming up in conversation.

Here’s how it all plays out for me:

Objectives:

• To learn how businesses integrate social media into existing strategies and practices
• To become familiar with valuable resources and thought leaders in the field

Values:

• Continuous learning
• Productive use of time

Time management:

• Pre-plan a realistic weekly schedule for reading and research
• Document every session related to the purpose, the amount of time spent, the outcome, and how new information will be applied to the progress of existing projects.

Discipline:

• Ensure productive use of time (see values) by consciously committing to objectives before each work session
• Make weekly schedule a strict priority (see time management)

Tools:

• Microsoft Outlook® To-Do List, Journal and Reminders
• Google Reader (for RSS feeds)
• Bookmarking functions found in Google (stars), Delicious and Twitter (favorites)
• Amazon.com wish list
• iTunes (for subscribing to podcasts)

The process I use is pretty structured and disciplined.  But, it has been extremely effective in turning information overload into an abundance of options.  I know this because I’m making good progress toward my objectives, and my interest and enthusiasm remain high.  What’s more, with an eye on the prize, it takes only a little conscious effort to resist the temptation to wander off my path.
While I have been practicing this strategy for a long time, writing this blog has reinforced my commitment to it.  Although everyone’s own strategy will be unique, I would recommend writing yours down and making it work. Don’t allow the perception of information overload keep you from the abundance of options that await you.

Inspired by a blog posted today by @ShelHoltz (Six questions to ask before launching a Facebook Page) and a question that was posed in a webinar presented by Marketo today – The Definitive Guide to B2B Social Media – I’m pondering two points I most frequently hear from non-users of Social Media. They relate to ROI and “Why?”.  These reactions to the suggestion that social media be used as a business tool seem somewhere between clueless and incredulous. I’m wondering if people think that because social media is free, it shouldn’t be taken seriously.  Maybe that’s why it’s not respected like any other business tactic – and should be viewed as a calculated risk.

Let’s break that down and make it simple. We’ll start with calculated. Definitions for “calculate” provided by dictionary.com:  1. to determine by reasoning, common sense, or practical experience; estimate; evaluate; gauge.   2. to make suitable or fit for a purpose; adapt.

In other words, a certain amount of thought and reasoning needs to be part of any business tactic – whether you’re planning a tradeshow exhibit, customer focus groups, a training program, a sales presentation, or a Facebook Page (as highlighted in the above-mentioned blog).  Any one of those maneuvers requires a plan that is aligned with an overall strategy.

And then there’s risk. Dictionary.com gives us: exposure to the chance of . . . loss; a hazard or dangerous chance.

It’s no secret that dumping tens of thousands of dollars into a marketing blitz is no guarantee that you will get hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales . . . or any sales at all.  Whether your marketing blitz involves television ads or radio spots, glossy flyers mailed to the ends of the Earth, flying monkeys branded with your logo, or a Twitter stream posting coupons for free stuff, your campaign is still subject to risk.  Of course, the more you put into the “calculated” part of the equation (no pun intended), the more likely you are to reduce your risk.

That’s not to say that I don’t give credit to the prudent business person who must ask about ROI and question the reason why. But appearing incredulous or clueless on the subject of social media is not going to be tolerated much longer.  If one wants to protect his or her own professional image, one should at least be aware of how the consumer is using social media – and that can best be done by spending less than 30 minutes setting up an account on a few social sites and looking at them for 10 minutes each week. Even in that little amount of time it will be easy to see that businesses ARE using social media successfully and that it IS being taken seriously as a business tool, and as such, is a calculated risk.

I predict that in the very near future, when the topic of social media comes up, resisters will be expected to defend their position for not modifying their use of traditional communication methods. The tables will be turned, and they will be the ones having to respond to questions related to ROI and “Why?”

The subject is actually quite deep, and I still have much to learn. However, I feel I’ve at least scratched the surface on the subject, and am qualified to provide a few easy pointers to the 101-level social media users. They are:

1. Identify keywords that are broad yet unique
2. Know where to put your keywords, and how to put them there
3. Use your keywords to do your own searches when wanting to learn more or make connections

Keywords are just that: key words; words that describe and relate to your area of specialty. As simple as that sounds, I was surprised at how difficult it was to come up with my own key words. After all, “communication” and “social media” are pretty broad; and considering that my keywords are how people are going to find me on the Internet, I knew I was going to have to come up with something clever. I was relieved when I finally learned about Google’s Keyword Tool.

Identify keywords

Click on the link above, or use Google search to find the Google Keyword Tool. Then,

• Enter one keyword or phrase per line in the box provided (for me, I entered social media on one line, then organizational communications on the next line, and followed with two or three other equally broad keyword phrases)
• Click the check box in front of ‘Use synonyms’ to use this option
• Click the button marked ‘Get keyword ideas’

This tool provides lots of information, but for your purposes, use the list it provides you for some ideas when choosing your own keywords. You will likely find several you hadn’t thought of before.

Where to put keywords

If you are using your website as a hub for your online presence, you’ll definitely want to make it searchable; i.e., have your keywords properly placed in the code of your website. This article, Implementing Keywords Into a Website is helpful.

Keep in mind that the keywords listed in your source code must, in fact, appear in the copy text of your website – and be used appropriately and legitimately. Search engines monitor keyword density, which is the percentage of times keywords are used within the total indexable words on a web page. Misuse or misrepresentation could result in banning by the search engine.

Use your keywords in your blog titles and headings. Your keywords should also be listed in the tags that most blogs allow you to highlight. To gain further visibility, use keywords in status updates on Facebook, Twitter and any time you contribute to your digital sites (e.g., YouTube and Flickr). In fact, Google is now transcribing and indexing audio, including the audio track on your videos.

While it’s claimed there is no “black magic” to SEO, every search engine has proprietary methods, and they’re constantly being updated and refined. In my humble opinion, maximizing the strength of keywords is a balance between a well-designed strategy and natural occurrence in your conversations and content.  So, don’t contrive your use of keywords; at the same time, don’t miss an opportunity to use them, either.

Use keywords to search

The most obvious use of keywords is to do your own searches using services such as Google, YouTube and Bing. One trick I found very useful when typing in your search is to precede your keywords with “allintitle:” to get a list of pages that include the words in the title of the page, video, etc. (ex: allintitle:landscaping Denver). Some other tips can be found in this article: 12 Quick Tips to Search Google Like An Expert

One of my favorite demonstrations of search-in-action is this Google Ad that aired during the 2010 Super Bowl.

As I mentioned, I have much to learn about keywords.  An entry in my Facebook Notes, aka The Learning Curve documents how I’ve gotten to this point. I’d also like to thank Mimi Tenace of Video-Web-Marketing for her insights, guidance and great notes!

(photo:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/cambodia4kidsorg/260004685/)

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