Social Media Marketing Is Not Direct Marketing

Creative Commons photo by Rosaura Ochoa via Flickr.

Social media for business is difficult. I don't mean difficult to do, because using social media in general is pretty easy. It's a different ball game from a business viewpoint, and learning how to use social media for business can be overwhelming if you don't have any direction. Either they run their business accounts as a personal one (posting too much, being too casual), or they only push their product with no other interactions.

I understand where a business is coming from. The goal of a business is to sell a product. Every move it makes, every step it takes (h/t The Police) is calculated and designed to reach that goal of making the sale. A business should have marketing systems in place that do this; whether T.V. or radio spots, fliers in the mail or email. A social media marketing campaign should help support these other systems.

Support. That is the key word to remember.

I have heard of businesses who do business strictly through social media, but it's a rare occasion and should not be considered the norm. Facebook in particular continues to make the site more business-friendly, adding options for shopping and signing up for newsletters right on the main Page. In essence, it could be used as a website, but I wouldn't recommend it.

People are on social media first and foremost to find other people. No one joins a site with the thought "Wow- I really want to join Twitter so I can follow Pepsi and Nike!" They join social media to follow people, discussions, to learn more (from other people) about something. Adding businesses is secondary, because once they are using it, they see the ease. It's easy to communicate with other businesses in this way, and it's more passive than talking to a customer service person on the phone, yet there is still interaction.

Things to keep in mind when using social media for business:

1. Be social, yet remember you are a business. If you run your business social media like they are personal accounts, you are going to turn people off. Decide based on what your business is how personal you want or should be, and then go from there.

(Some ways to be personal on social media: Photos of the office, highlighting team members, acknowledging birthdays and work anniversaries. I'm also a firm believer in the Throwback Thursday.)

2. Be a place of information. Rather than sell, inform. You know your product better than anyone. You know that everyone would benefit using your product. Show that you know what you're talking about and be on top of trends, reports, and other things pertaining to your industry. Give your thoughts whether you agree or disagree about what you are finding.

3. It's not direct marketing, it's PR. Remember the key word from above: Support. The goal of social media is not making the sale, it's making people want to buy. There's a difference.

Every business is different, and I'm always open to talking more about your business in particular and helping you bring your social media marketing to the next level. Contact me anytime dcutler@danicutler.com. For general tips and tricks, subscribe to my monthly newsletter.

Have fun!






Thanks for reading! If you feel so inclined, you can follow my daily ramblings on Twitter, and get all sorts of information from my Facebook Page! See you around the interwebs!

The Best Way To Check Facebook Privacy

Many of my friends worry about privacy on Facebook. You can see how your profile looks to non-friends by choosing the drop down menu next to the View Activity Log. Choose "View As" and it shows your public profile. You can also choose to view as as specific person and see your profile as they see it. Then you can adjust your privacy settings accordingly. Easy-peasy!

Keep in mind however that this does not cover privacy settings in regards to tagging of photos and posts. "Friends of friends" are posts that can be seen not only by your friends, but also their friends if you are tagged in a post or photo. You can alter those settings as well. These are good things to keep in mind if your child is on Facebook. You might want stronger privacy settings for them. Many skip over settings that go beyond the main profile page, or they don't set up privacy at all since Facebook doesn't automatically set up your profile as private when you join.

There are many complaints about Facebook privacy, but you do have control over who sees what. You just have to be pro-active in how you set up your account.







Thanks for reading! If you feel so inclined, you can follow my daily ramblings on Twitter, and get all sorts of information from my Facebook Page! See you around the interwebs!

In Support Of Local Bands On Facebook

I tend to not blog very often, but there are times when something crosses my feed and good or bad, I am motivated to write. Tonight was one of those times, thanks to a post from the Phoenix New Times' music blog, Up On The Sun. What caught my eye was the very well-worded link bait about why the author will not like band Pages on Facebook.

What? How can this be? It's a music blog, supporting the amazing musicians and bands we have in the Phoenix area. Why wouldn't this writer want to continue that support in one of the simplest ways possible? When I read his 6 reasons, it was understood. It was more of an "I hate Facebook" post than anything else.

Local Phoenix band Kongos, taking a break from their
world tour to do an acoustic set for a small group of fans.

I happen to have some knowledge of Facebook, and also support the local music scene with my work at KWSS 93.9FM. I felt compelled to respond. Here are his six reasons, and what I think.

6. Extorting money from bands.

Wow, that's quite the accusation. Should we call the po-po? Basically the reasoning is because of the algorithm, reach isn't quite as good unless you boost posts or create ads, which cost money. While yes it is correct that paying for advertising will get more engagement, it is certainly not necessary. If you like a band's page, and they have a good amount of activity (many local bands do, fans love to interact with them on Facebook, and vice-versa, here's an example), you will see it in your feed. If not, you can choose to get notifications of posts, or even add the Page to a "Pages" list so you can see it in your news feed. If you know how to use Facebook properly, you won't have to spend any money at all.

At times yes, spending a few dollars a day to promote an upcoming show or album can help, but Facebook is by far one of the least expensive ways to do so. 

5. Doesn't know what a band sounds like

I'll give him this one. A semi-decent music player on Facebook pages would be a nice addition. However, if you click their About section, you will probably find a link to their website. I bet there's a music player there.

4. Buying Facebook "likes"

I will give part of this to him. What it comes down to is again a lack of understanding of Facebook and what organic vs. paid likes are. Likes are definitely not the important part of a Facebook Page. Bands as well as anyone who runs a Page needs to have basic understanding of how likes work, and buying them doesn't do anything. It's how you engage with the audience you have, whether it is 50 or 5,000. 

3 & 2. Liking a band name makes him look dumb, and everyone look dumb (I combined two here)

No, liking bands on Facebook doesn't make you look dumb, but not supporting bands simply because you hate Facebook does. The idea is that he doesn't want to like a band page because it looks like he supports a band that isn't very good. Simple solution, don't like their page! Of course you don't have to like every band that asks. If you listen to them and like their sound, by all means like the page. It's ok to be picky. Don't be unsupportive of local music trying to get the word out for this reason. That would be dumb. 

1. He doesn't care. 

If you don't care, you shouldn't be writing for a music blog. As much as Facebook is a place for mindless drivel, it is also a place of great information. More people get their news from Facebook than from other major news sources. You can get all kinds of deals and information about your favorite businesses from Facebook. When I want to know more about a place or find a location, I go to Facebook before Google. This is also true of band pages. It's not only support, it's finding out more about them, where shows are going to be, ticket offers, etc. 

Facebook is still the top social networking site, and if you are a band, it's a smart move to have a Facebook Page. Making some grand statement about how having that Page doesn't matter is a disservice to the local bands that are out there working their tails off for a craft they can only hope to make into something lucrative. Not everyone can be the next Gin Blossoms or Kongos, but exposure and support everywhere you can doesn't hurt. 

Thanks for reading! If you feel so inclined, you can follow my daily ramblings on Twitter, and get all sorts of information from my Facebook Page! See you around the interwebs!

The Crazy World Of A Teen Fan Girl On Twitter

Of course you bring cake to a tweet up!

We all know the basic rules for Twitter. Even if you are new to the social media site, there is still a basic etiquette. Don't post 100 times a day, post meaningful content, engage and interact with other users. Don't spam, don't beg for follows, etc. etc. 

Unless you are a teen girl obsessed with her favorite band on Twitter. Then all of the "normal" rules go right out the window. 

My daughter is your typical teen girl, and obsessed with the band you see in the photo, 5 Seconds of Summer. I mean, obsessed. Magazines, posters on her wall, videos on You Tube. Reads almost every bit of fan fiction written. Photos on her phone are nothing but screen shots of them. Then there is Twitter, and that's a popular place for bands. It is also where all the fans go to connect with this band, its members and other fans. I was looking at my daughter's Twitter account, which is just a fan account. She connects with other fans, tweets at the band members, and yes, begs for follows. By beg I mean, spams this account over and over.

At first this freaked me out. Why is my daughter being such a spazz online? Doesn't she know this is going to follow her around forever?? Then I started clicking on the accounts of those she follows and re-tweets. They are all exactly the same, and do the exact same things. No one uses their own names (including my daughter), accounts are just some morphed band name or band member name. Profile photos are pictures of their favorite band members. My rule is no last name, address or phone numbers. No personal identifying information. I also check to make sure location tagging is off. It's such a cesspool of crazy teen hormones, as I read through tweets I can hear squealing in my head. I don't know how the band can stand it. It makes my head hurt describing it to you.

The crazy part is, the band members encourage it. They will tweet teasers letting everyone know they are going to start adding followers. Then this part of the Twitter universe explodes with the clicky sounds of millions of teens spamming the band account asking them to follow. Then when someone gets a follow by a band member, they tweet about it and that takes on a new surge of tweets begging for a follow. It's brilliant if you think about it. I imagine they have lists set up (or probably pay someone else to manage it) so who cares if they follow thousands of fans? It drums up excitement and gets everyone talking about the band. 

The most interesting part of this for me is the way engagement works. My daughter has 8,000 followers, including one of her favorite band members and the official band account. Her Klout score? 59. That's higher than mine, and I have a pretty respectable score. It is one big group chat about the bands, music, which one is the hottest, why don't the other members follow, and on and on. They interact. Continuously. ALL THE TIME.

When she told me there was a tweet up (I'm not supposed to call it that, that's the 'old people' term) for fans of 5sos at a local mall I raised an eyebrow. I mean, I don't know who any of these people are! Visions of middle-aged sex offenders stalking girls online flew into my head. I asked my daughter to show me who the organizer is. I received a photo with a girl my daughter's age holding a sign saying "I'm not a serial killer." 

So I took her. Of course I stayed at the mall, but my other daughter and I went shopping and avoided the group. It was quite a group too! About 20-25 girls gathered, and someone even brought a cake (the photo above). My daughter made new friends and met some of her online friends in person. They took a big group photo and tweeted it to the band. They ate cake. It was a good afternoon. 

I don't interact with my daughter online, but I watch. I will talk to her offline about things she posts (mostly good, there have been a couple of tweets I told her were a bit over the top). I stay indirectly involved in her online activity, because not only can I step in if something is amiss, but hopefully when the fan girl stage ends and she wants a more permanent Twitter account she will have learned one or two things about how to use it.

It is such a different world now from when I was my daughter's age. Some would argue it is more dangerous. I look at it as not so much more dangerous but simply... different. The online world is here to stay, social media is here to stay, and it's up to us to be aware of the younger generation and what they are doing with it. Embrace it, learn it, and always pay attention to what your kids are doing online. 

Thanks for reading! If you feel so inclined, you can follow my daily ramblings on Twitter, and get all sorts of information from my Facebook Page! See you around the interwebs!

When Your Name Is Your Brand

Taking the leap to running your own business has many challenges. Do I have the money to do this? Do I incorporate or become an LLC? Do I need an employee? Do I need a name? What if I fail?

When I took the leap and started my business, I toyed with many different names, but nothing fit. The few ideas I did come up with were taken (which questioned my creativity, because they sure seemed original to me!). After awhile, I realized that I was trying to brand myself by coming up with a business name. I then decided I didn't need to come up with a name, I would just use mine. I would be my own brand.

Being your own brand has its own set of challenges. It’s the first and foremost way you will advertise your business, always. When I first made this decision, I had a small panic attack. I’m a very open person online. I pretty much communicate online as I would in person, what you see is what you get.  No one has ever said to me “you are not how I expected you to be!” when they meet me in person (other than the occasional “you’re shorter than I expected.”). I’m actually proud of that, because it is my belief that you should just be open and honest, good or bad, in how you present yourself online. But that is a different post for a different day. However, I noticed I was beginning to be a little more conscious of how I interacted and presented myself online.

Here are some tips for having a strong personal brand:

1. Google your name. The first thing you need to do if you want to use your name as your business is see what comes up in a search. Is it public photos from your last weekend in Rocky Point? The weekend you have fuzzy memories about? That’s probably not good. Is it the Twitter account you created so you can talk politics and argue rudely with anyone who disagrees with your position? That might not look good either. Here is another reason to have a good online profile. A Google search of your name is a great start to figuring out the next step, which is-

2. Have a Facebook Page for your business. Facebook is still the most used social media site. If you don’t separate your business from your personal account, you’re going to get in trouble. I have a Facebook page for my business, and that is the link that comes up when you search my name on Google. The same applies to Twitter.

3. Know your business. If you are a media personality and your shtick is to be outgoing and offensive, then these tips probably do not apply. If you are a bikini model, then scantily-clad photos probably won’t hurt your personal brand. If you are an attorney who practices family law, that’s a different story.

4. Decide overlap. I have friends who knew me before I started my business. I also have made new friends who found me after I started my business. Some I add as friends on my personal Facebook page, and some I don’t. It’s really your discretion. Facebook has the best privacy settings of any network. I have lists, and have control over who gets to see what in my personal life. I also do not need everyone who I friend on Facebook knowing everything about my life, so I make sure I have the proper settings for anything I do online. Twitter is the same way. Many posts are the same, but I also know it is a more public forum, so I take more discretion when posting things there. My life is mine, and I will choose how I want to share it with you. 

5. Stay true to yourself. Never change who you are because it might cost you business. If you know your brand, and for the most part keep your business separate from pleasure, you should be fine. Also go with your gut. If you question something you are about to post, maybe you should think twice about posting it. Things can always be interpreted the wrong way, and you have no control over that. If you are ok with what you are posting or saying, then don’t worry about how it will be perceived. If someone has an issue with something, most likely they will come to you anyway. If it keeps someone from doing business with you and you don’t think you did anything wrong, then you do not need their business.

Do you have anything to add? Tell us in the comments! Being your own brand can be a little terrifying if you aren't used to being so exposed. Be conscious of your actions, follow these tips, and always have confidence in yourself and who you are. That is what is going to bring you business, and success.

Thanks for reading! If you feel so inclined, you can follow my daily ramblings on Twitter, and get all sorts of information from my Facebook Page! See you around the interwebs!

Your Online Profile Matters

Daughter only likes to take advantage of Mom's
open Instagram account.

Being accused of something you didn't do is never a good feeling. It happened to me this week, and I wanted to share my experience.

Earlier in the week I was browsing around, and an email receipt popped up from PayPal letting me know about my recent transaction. This was curious because I didn't make any transactions recently. Turns out there were about 6 different transactions made within 20 minutes, all for bit coin. I had been hacked. 

You could say an advantage of being online constantly is that I caught it immediately. The next thing I did was get on the phone with PayPal. They were very quick about stopping payment on the transactions and sending them to their Resolution center. Basically this works like a mediation, they get in touch with all the sellers, then PayPal decides whether to refund my money. They also encourage buyers and sellers to work it out on their own. After CHANGING MY PASSWORD***, I felt better. 

The next day I received an odd email, asking me why I was stealing from him. I responded politely, apologizing for the inconvenience, and briefly explaining that my PayPal account was hacked. He didn't believe me, responding that I had the transaction sitting in my Ebay account for over a week so I had to be lying. 

Ebay? I don't have an Ebay account, so now I had somewhere else I needed to check and see if someone was using my name. I responded again, once again explaining that I was hacked, and now I will have to check and see if I have an account on Ebay that I don't know about. 

I would have liked that to be the end, but he again responded in an accusatory manner, telling me the account is active and he has reported it. He ended this email snarkily, telling me to enjoy my "ill-gotten gains."

Now I was getting more frustrated. One, I have over $100 that I am trying to recover from this. Two, I have some guy I don't know at all accusing me of stealing. I know I shouldn't care about what a complete stranger thinks, but I do have a business that I run online, and I really don't need anyone spreading falsities about me. At the same time, I was finished going back and forth with someone who obviously doesn't want to listen or be reasonable. I responded one more time. I probably should have stopped responding two emails prior, but I was happy with how I left it. 

"I am sorry you don't believe me but there's not much I can do about it. I had over $100 lost over this that I'm trying to get back. I don't know you at all and I tried to explain thinking you might understand. Not much more I can say since you refuse to take my corresponding with you as a sign of good faith.
"I appreciate you reporting the account, because I couldn't log in at all. It didn't recognize any user names or email addresses I have. So I hope they shut it down.
Take care of yourself, and I hope neither of us have this happen to us and our money again. "

I sent it and went to bed. The next morning I woke up to this: 

"I have been looking into the buyers account and I noticed it is in Va. and you are in Az. Then I googled you, and I see you are dynamic and successful person. I was obviously mistaken about you and I do apologize. Ebay will put 2&2 together and get him. I hope you are able recover all of money."

This is why I wanted to write about my experience. He Googled my name to find out about me, and that is what changed his mind, along with not losing my cool and remaining calm in explaining the situation to him. I understand that he has a business too, and it sucks to have someone steal from you. I don't blame him for accusing me, and I am glad he finally did a little more research to see that I am legit. 

The bottom line is this: Keep a good online profile, especially if you are a more public person or run a business online, like me. We are in a world where someone can find out more about you in just a few clicks. What do you want someone to discover? 

***CHANGE YOUR PASSWORD!!!

Thanks for reading! If you feel so inclined, you can follow my daily ramblings on Twitter, and get all sorts of information from my Facebook Page! See you around the interwebs!

New Year, No Resolutions

Photo by nImAdestiny via Flickr

Happy New Year! Many people look at the beginning of a new year as a time to have a fresh start. A clean slate. New beginnings in general.

I don't do that. There are some things that work out well to begin at the new year. For instance, putting away your holiday decorations is a perfect time to give your house a good cleaning. It's also a good time to get your finances in order (only 4 months until those taxes are due!). I personally can't subscribe to making resolutions at the beginning of each year. It only sets me up to fail.

Every day is a clean slate, and I prefer to set up goals throughout the year rather than a sweeping statement about what I'm going to do in the new year. It also gives you an excuse to wait. All throughout the month of December you could have started on the things you wanted to change or accomplish. Now it's January 2. Many are already making excuses.

"I'll start on Monday, it's the first full week of the year!"
"I can't get to the gym until _____ to sign up."
"I can't get to the store until _____ because of work."

Then it's February.

There is also the let down of a habit not being formed, which can discourage and lead you to fail at your resolutions. There is a saying that it takes three weeks to a month to form a habit. That's a myth. It takes work every day, every month of every year to achieve your goals. It goes up and down too. You might think something has become habit, then things get in the way that make you doubt yourself. Or perhaps you are not seeing the results you hoped for. Then before you know it you've reached the Fall, and then another December sneaks up on you and you're making the same promises again for the new year.

I found a better way to achieve the things I want to accomplish in my life. Maybe some of these ideas can help you!

*Think short term. Say you want to have a healthier diet. Do you instantly throw out everything unhealthy in your house, then spend hundreds of dollars on food that will probably rot in a week? No. Change takes time, and small steps. Plan on eating one healthy thing each day, then increase it to a meal. Gradually you will find that you will naturally gravitate toward eating healthy items over other things.

*Set backs are okay. Continuing with the healthy eating example. Did you find yourself at a party where you did nothing but binge (the Superbowl is coming, you know)? Allow yourself to do so, and plan on eating something healthy the next day to balance yourself. Life doesn't end because you do not stick to your plan each and every day. Remember, every day is a clean slate. Focus on the now, and move on from there.

*Buddy up! You don't need to have the same goals. I have a friend I do an Agile Lifestyle plan with. We write down our goals on a Google Spreadsheet, then check in with each other to see how we are doing, and discuss ways to figure out the things that are blocking our progress. The best part of this? He's in another state. Which leads me to my last piece of advice:

*No excuses. We are naturally drawn to making excuses to prevent us from moving forward. Work, school, kids, we procrastinate then can't understand why we didn't get anywhere. So stop it. I'm willing to bet that you already know what keeps you from achieving your goals. I know what stops me, and it isn't my job or my family.

Still feeling stumped? Get in touch, I love to brainstorm ideas. You deserve everything, and it's all about baby steps.

Every day is a clean slate. Don't just resolve to do it. Just do it.






Thanks for reading! If you feel so inclined, you can follow my daily ramblings on Twitter, and get all sorts of information from my Facebook Page! See you around the interwebs!

4 Reasons Why Every Business Needs A Facebook Page

Like it or not (see what I did there?), Facebook is relevant. Friends in your news feed can grumble all they want (remember, they are complaining about Facebook ON Facebook), your kids can roll their eyes, but the numbers do not lie. Currently, people use Facebook more than  any other social media site.

Users also grumble about businesses on Facebook, but again the numbers tell the truth. There is statistic after statistic showing that users find out about businesses via Facebook. The Pages their friends like? We tend to lean towards those brands when we are looking for something specific. Facebook is where it's at!

If you are a business, a non-profit, a writer, or anyone who wants to get the word out about their particular product, you need a Facebook Page. Here are some reasons why:

1. It's separate from your personal page. If the goal here is promotion, you want to reach beyond your circle of friends. You do not want to become friends with everyone on Facebook, because there might be things you would like to not have the entire public knowing about. A Facebook Page allows you to keep it strictly business, or at least control what you allow your fans to see, while your personal page is still free to rant and rave and post pictures of your family in a (somewhat) private setting.

2. Less confusion. Most people have their personal pages locked down to "friends only." Yet I see many friends in who post things to promote their business, and I can't share it on my page unless their settings are "friends of friends." I have also seen people make their business posts public, but why have the hassle of changing your privacy settings every time? What if you forget to put it back to a more secure setting? Better to just have a Facebook Page, and then you can occasionally cross-post over to your personal one. Plus, having a Page for business looks more professional than using your personal one.

3. Other Pages can't share your content, or link to you. Having a Facebook Page is all about networking and sharing, but you can only do it with other Pages. I love promoting other people and their business on my Page. If I can't link to you, no one is going to find out more. Remember, people read Facebook news feeds primarily on their mobile devices. Even if I link to your website, the chances of someone clicking over on their phone are slim. You have a much better chance of getting a new like on your Facebook Page, because it's easier to do when you're mobile.

4. Even if you don't think it's your demographic, it is. Let's say you have something you sell in which the target demographic is ages 10-15. While Facebook does get the most usage, more and more teens are hitting Instagram and Tumblr and not even giving Facebook a thought. However, all of those kids have parents. Parents and other family members who are always looking for gifts, or ideas for their kids. Or they just want to know more about what their kids are into, and they are having a hard time with the speed of Tumblr/Instagram. Facebook is a better pace for that age group.  ;)
Besides, how many parents do you know who are into the same things their kids are? Books, movies, clothes, music? I bet you know plenty, and they're not just doing it because their kids are into it. They really like it too. At times even more than their children.

Time to get that Page up and running. It takes some work up front, but maintaining is easy. Let me know if you need some help, I'd be happy to!





Thanks for reading! If you feel so inclined, you can follow my daily ramblings on Twitter, and get all sorts of information from my Facebook Page! See you around the interwebs!

Five Things Organizing Gangplank Brownbags Has Taught Me

Today I have a guest post over on the Gangplank HQ Blog!

I don’t need to dwell on what Gangplank is, and what it means to the community. Pretty much everyone reading this knows. If not, here’s a great introductory video to check out.

One way I was able to give back for a time was running the Gangplank Chandler Brownbag presentations each Wednesday at noon. I have been using what Gangplank has to offer for a couple of years prior, between Gangplank Jr. events, podcasting, and using the space for other reasons. When asked to take on the Brownbags, I was fortunately in a place where I could. It was one of the most fun and challenging things to experience. Here are some ways coordinating Brownbags has helped me grow:

1. Networking. You will meet many people this way. Not just the brownbag speakers, but also in those who use the space on a daily basis. It’s a wide variety of people with an endless variety of interests.

2. Learning. When you are coordinating the show, you get to see all the performances. Not only do you get a wide variety of presentations to learn on a business level, I’ve also learned more about local food, the music industry, philosophy, community events, and have even done a little yoga. We’re talking real-world application here.

3. Boldness. I learned really fast that if you need something, it’s better to just yell it out than try and figure out which individual person to talk to. As I was learning how to use the sound system and the projector, I yelled often. Not to mention the practice speaking in front of people once a week. After all, you do have to introduce the speaker, and let people know what is coming up in the future. Side benefit- it’s ok to ask for help.

4. Leadership. Before taking on brownbags, I had been on committees, and have volunteered my time. I was even President of the PTO at my daughter’s school. However, that was a nearly a decade before this, so I was rusty. Coordinating brownbags helped me gain some confidence back and not run away screaming when all eyes were on me looking for guidance. In fact, all this confidence led me to head the organizing committee for TechPhx, a low-cost technology “un-conference” held every November in Tempe.

5. Started my own business. Probably the biggest thing being a part of the Gangplank community has taught me is that if you can’t find it in someone else, create it yourself. I had been looking for employment for several months without any luck. What spending a year consistently being around these amazing people in this space showed me that I have the skills and the experience to branch out on my own. So I did. If that’s not a definition of “Be Dangerous,” I don’t know what is.

Thanks, Gangplank! 

Thanks for reading! If you feel so inclined, you can follow my daily ramblings on Twitter, and get all sorts of information from my Facebook Page! See you around the interwebs!

TechPhx Update!

Explaining the finer points of the weekend at
last year's TechPhx (Photo by Snapping Fire Dragon)

One of the many places I volunteer my time is TechPHX. If you don't know, it is a weekend unconference covering just about anything technology and social media related. Podcasts, video, photography, code... sessions for anyone who wants to learn a little more about these things (and more) and apply them to what they do. This year it is happening November 16 & 17.

What you do can be anything as well. To the casual blogger who needs to learn some WordPress basics, to the Podcaster who wants to learn more about editing software, to the business person who wants to make better use of social media, I can't think of any person that wouldn't get something out of attending. It's about community first, and building that community to bring us all a little closer together. You can learn more about TechPhx here, and also check out last year's sessions here.

Since it is community first, we have always had pride in the fact that we could remain low-cost. Conferences can get very expensive! We also know that paying more doesn't necessarily mean you will get more out of it. This is why attending for the weekend is a mere $10, basically to just cover some prizes and supplies that sponsors do not. This week however, we are having a special registration discount for You Tube's Geek Week- FREE registration using the "GeekWeek" promotional code! You can read more about it on the TechPhx blog.

TechPhx is one of my favorite events to volunteer for, because I know first-hand the value. Technology and the Internet isn't going anywhere, it will only keep advancing and growing. It's important to have a place where you can learn to handle it, and share what you know with others. AND have a good time! TechPhx is all of that rolled into one weekend. Check out the website, register to attend OR speak, and I'll see you in November!









Thanks for reading! If you feel so inclined, you can follow my daily ramblings on Twitter, and get all sorts of information from my Facebook Page! See you around the interwebs!

Why An RSS Reader Is The Most Important Tool For Your Social Media

Photo by TEIA MG via Flickr.

Content, content, content. It's what every blog post you ever read about how to run social media for a business will include. You need content, but it can't all be about your business. Following other social media Pages that are related to your business will certainly help in this regard, but your fans and followers are going to get really bored with seeing the same items shared over and over. Memes are fun, but you don't want to overdo that either. What you need is relevant content that will keep people reading your page, and sharing what you post with others.

The very best way I have found to do this is with an RSS reader. RSS stands for Rich Site Summary, but it is also known as Real Simple Syndication. This makes more sense because that's exactly what it is. Every blog or website you read (news, blogs, podcasts, photo) has an RSS feed. A reader allows you to put your favorite things to read in one place for easy access and... reading!

I'm sure you see where I'm going with this. I am usually flipping through feeds anyway just to catch up on news and my favorite blogs, but now I add on more time to go through feeds I've picked to help me generate content for the social media sites I manage- as well as for my own sites. It's a simple and convenient way to find content and keep your followers engaged!

There are many readers out there, and more have popped up since Google Reader recently shut down. I use two readers. One is Feedly, and the other is Flipboard (which I use on the iPad). Feedly also has phone and tablet apps, but I find I get useful information from both.

It takes a little time up front to set up your account and subscribe to the feeds you want to follow, but once you are up and running, staying on top of the latest information for all of your social media sites is, well, really simple!





Thanks for reading! If you feel so inclined, you can follow my daily ramblings on Twitter, and get all sorts of information from my Facebook Page! See you around the interwebs!

What Exactly Do You *Do*?

Random Instagram Photos. Yes, I love social media!

I get that question alot. I'm new at this business thing, and I've blogged recently about how I finally made the decision to branch out on my own. Still, I haven't done a whole lot of advertising. I cross-post things occasionally on my personal Facebook page, but for the most part I don't want to turn people off by talking about my business all the time. I even feel weird blogging about it now, though I absolutely love it. I've always been a connector, and social media is all about connecting with others. It just fit to help small businesses do the same.

So, as my business Facebook page says, "Content Creation and Management." What the heck is that? It's exactly what it says. I create content in the form of posts, tweets, updates, photos, memes, podcasts and video for use on social media. I've been volunteering my time for many years now with KWSS radio and TechPhx, and running their social media. I've learned so much, and am fascinated with the way social media works, and how people respond to it.

It's also interesting to see how small businesses use it, which is another thing that prompted me to start this business. Number one thing I see? Businesses don't put enough into their social media. This is not their fault however. As one of those small business owners, I get it. Time is hard to come by. When you are out there working on the other 5,000 parts of your business, you can't exactly stay connected 100% of the time on social media. You've got things to do!

This is why I made my business social media. I make the posts, I check the comments. I interact with other people and businesses for you. I find information to share that is relevant to your brand, so that you become a valuable source of information for anyone who follows you. My philosophy is if people get to know you and what you are about, they will want to know more about your business. After all, we started our businesses because we have something worthy to share, right? That's what you want people to see, and I help make that happen. I help you be seen.

I can also help you be heard. With years of audio and podcasting experience, I know the value of using a podcast to further your reach with current and potential clients. People love to listen to stories and learn more about who they are seeing in their social media feeds. Podcasting is the perfect compliment to social media promotions.

So that's really it. That's my business. My business is helping small businesses be seen and heard. I help them make it more personal and engaging. There's alot of content out there, and my goal is to make a small business stand out from all of the other content out there, so their name is what comes to a person's mind when they are looking for something specific.

Not only do I do this to help businesses be successful, I want to get to know you too! Social media works for me because I'm so social! Find me over on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

You Deserve A Break Today

The only television channel available.

This past weekend I, my husband, and kids drove up to the Cutler family cabin just north of Pine/Strawberry. My husband's grandparents bought the land over 30 years ago, and as he was growing up they built the cabin from the ground up. They also never put in satellite or any other luxury other than electricity and water. It's a wonderful escape for a day or two, because there is also no internet and cell phone service. You are forced offline.

Usually it's nice to get away out of the Phoenix heat, but this time even at nearly 90 degrees in the afternoon, it was on the warm side, so we decided to come back down a day early. I had originally prepared in advance to cover client accounts through Monday, as well as my time on the radio. Sunday night we returned home, instead of Monday afternoon.

I nearly went on the computer to check email, and then I paused. No one knew I was home yet. I was caught up through the next day, and all my clients knew I was out of town for 24 more hours. Even the auto-response on email was still on.

So I didn't check my email. I made a small list of things that I have always put off doing around the house because work was either in the way, or by the time I was finished with work, the last thing I wanted to do was something around the house. That is how I spent Monday, and it was great! Monday night I went and checked in because that was my original plan.

What alot of people don't realize is that managing social media is a 7 day gig. If you don't post something every day, thanks to the lovely Facebook algorithm, the stats drop. It only takes about 24 hours for that to happen. You don't have to post as often on the weekend, but a business still needs to maintain a daily presence. Luckily you can schedule posts in advance, but you need to watch and interact and respond to your followers.

When I don't have internet, I play!

I've now decided that once a month, I'm going to take a free day. Take the extra time to prep everything for clients and the radio in advance, and take a true day off work. Whether I use it to catch up with things around the house, or do nothing, or both, I found that the break was needed and I was ready to get back to work!







Thanks for reading! If you feel so inclined, you can follow my daily ramblings on Twitter, and get all sorts of information from my Facebook Page! See you around the interwebs!

If You Don't Invest, You're Going To Miss Out

See full infographic HERE

Do you find yourself searching on social media for a business more and more? You're not alone, according to this Infographic from Balihoo, 91% of local searches use Facebook to find a business online.

Ninety-one percent. That is saying pretty much anyone who has a Facebook account has searched for a business while browsing around on the site. I know I do it- and most of the time I get better information from their social media pages than I do if I visit their website. Or *shudder* call them on the phone.

In another infographic, it states that 81% of small businesses see the value of using social media as a business tool. In this quarterly Small Business Wellness Index survey from Mantra, it states that 80% of businesses have increased or kept their time invested in social media compared to a year ago.

Look around as you're out and about. What is everyone doing? They are scanning their social media feeds. On their phones. On their tablets. On their laptops.

If you don't make a true investment in social media, and budget appropriately, they are not going to see you. When they need your product, they are going to choose someone else.

Social media is a science. It takes work. It takes an investment of time, and yes, money. Here's some motivation, the top brands using social media and their growth. Here's another list of the best brands on Facebook. Here's a list of the most engaging brands on Twitter.

It's worth it. Don't miss out.





Thanks for reading! If you feel so inclined, you can follow my daily ramblings on Twitter, and get all sorts of information from my Facebook Page! See you around the interwebs!

You never forget your first... client

I was thinking the other day that I have now been running this business for 7 1/2 months. It's been a very exciting ride so far, and really I have my friend Cheyenne to thank for helping me decide to take that step.

I say "helping me decide", but what she really did is give me a push. Back in September she was still in the beginning stages of her own business, My AZ Kitchen. It was in the very early beginning stages over the summer, and I gave HER a push to join Startup Weekend Chandler and really get it moving. It worked too- by the end of the weekend she had made so many connections, she not only had her online tools, but funding  to get a space open as well.

Cheyenne and I at a Yelp event in 2012.

During this time I had been looking for work and sending out resumes, and not getting anything back. It was actually pretty frustrating. So when Cheyenne came to me looking for a social media manager, I was excited to discuss the possibility with her. She wasn't able to hire me as staff, and that is when the suggestion came up that I just make her a client, and start my own business. My response? 

"Well, ok then!" My business was born. 

Now, many people say that you should never do business with friends you want to keep. I admit I was a little worried. Our daughters are also good friends, and going into a business arrangement with a friend could certainly turn into a train wreck if you're not careful. However, we both seem to know each other's personality pretty well, and it turns out we complement each other with our strengths. We also have a similar belief system, and I know her mission. I knew how to properly voice this online. She also gave me the freedom to take control of the kitchen social media and really figure out what works and what doesn't in regards to gaining a following. She put her faith in my abilities, and I am forever grateful to her. My work for her has helped me gain clients, because that is the first thing people are going to look at when they want to hire someone in social media- they want to see how you you actually *do* it. 

Now that our contract is up, I'm a little sad. I had a lot of fun creating content for the kitchen! I like to think it showed in the postings, and in the engagement with other fans of the kitchen on Facebook and Twitter. How can you not have fun with food, right? I will always be thankful that we could mutually help each other and get our businesses moving! 

Best part of all? Cheyenne and I are still friends, and I think even closer now that we've worked together! She has so many amazing things lined up in the future, something tells me we will be able to do business together again.

Thanks for reading! If you feel so inclined, you can follow my daily ramblings on Twitter, and get all sorts of information from my Facebook Page! See you around the interwebs! 

Building A Trusting Relationship

Trust Exercise. Photo by Joi Ito

One thing I've noticed managing several social media accounts over the past few years is that the more freedom you give your social media/community manager, the better the results. Your reach with fans goes so much further than if they are micro-managed.

I know, it's difficult to give up control. After all, these are not personal sites where you talk about what you had for dinner or how your child made the honor roll (though in some cases, you could certainly talk about them!). These sites represent your business- your bread and butter- and you want it to be the best reflection of your product or service as possible. In that respect, yes, it is personal. Your business is your baby.

So how do you do it? How do you give someone the power to be your voice, and trust that they are going to post the things that will generate interest? How do you not check every 5 minutes to make sure they haven't said something out of context, posted a NSFW photo, or created some controversy that will only leave a negative mark? 

How do you let it go, and put your faith in a social media manager (SMM), whether it's to work exclusively in your company, or you bring in someone freelance? Here are some ideas!

1. Check their social media. If they are in the business of social media management, then they have accounts. That also means they should have a public Facebook/Twitter page (or more) for their business. That is your first window to see how they would run yours. Bonus- if they have other client accounts, check those out too. 

2. Be casual. Social media is casual. It's a conversation. It's coffee or lunch with friends, but still talking about things that relate to your brand. If your prospective SMM can't engage you offline, you can't expect them to engage others online. Go and have coffee with them. Ask them a few of these questions, too! 

3. Make sure they believe in your product or service. Heck, make sure they know what your product is! While having that coffee, ask them what they think of your product. Why do they want to help you?  If you aren't getting any passion from them, it's not going to show up online. I mean real passion and excitement. Don't worry, you'll be able to tell. 

4. If it's a freelance situation, make sure there's a contract. READ that contract. Make sure their breakdown of duties includes how they are going to represent not just your business, but themselves. For instance, I have included in my contracts that I will maintain a professional and high-quality profile, and will not use any accounts for personal use. If there is something additional you want added, make sure it is in there. Hopefully everything will be in place after having coffee with them! This is probably the most important item. Although it is not a 100% guarantee, it's a huge sign that your SMM wants to do everything they can to make sure you are happy. After all, it's their business too, and they want to best reflect their services as well. 

5. Make sure they are in the know. If your SMM is good- they will arrange meetings or check in to find out any new events or items that need to be added to the rotation. However, it's always good to let them know when new things arise in-between!

6. Check in on your sites. No, you don't have to check all the time, and at the beginning it most likely will be more than less. It's a relationship, and everyone is nervous as they get to know each other. Ask questions if you're wondering why something was posted. Check your Insights and stats. If you're not sure how to read them, your SMM should know and can show you.

I'm sure there are many more things to add, but these have come to mind as I've been working with a wide variety of businesses. What would you add to the list? I'd love to know!

Thanks for reading! If you feel so inclined, you can follow my daily ramblings on Twitter, and get all sorts of information from my Facebook Page! See you around the interwebs! 

Big Facebook Secret Revealed!

Ok ok, I might be exaggerating a bit with this title, because it's certainly not a secret. This is more of an addendum to my post about how a lot of Likes on a Page mean little if no one is engaging with the page. Did you know you can check basic stats on any Page?

If you ever want to see what sort of reach a Page has, click on the "Likes" section under the name of the page (I circled it all nice and clear for you in the photo). It shows you some basic insights of the page, including a graph of activity (bonus fun- hover the mouse over points on the graph). You don't have to be a page manager to see it! Just one more thing to distract you as you play on Facebook!

Remember, if your favorite pages aren't doing so great, you can help give them a boost just by liking, commenting, and sharing their posts a little more. The more you engage with a Page, the more of that Page's followers will see all of their great posts, and will encourage more of your friends to check out more Pages! I've found many a new page to like because of my other friends engaging. 

Now get out there and like something! As for me, I'm going to hunt around and see if I'm supposed to even use Page as a proper noun.

Thanks for reading! If you feel so inclined, you can follow my daily ramblings on Twitter, and get all sorts of information from my Facebook Page! See you around the interwebs! 

Posting Etiquette: What's Right And Wrong?

I read many posts about the correct way to post on Facebook and Twitter. I'm using these two as the example because they are the two most popular, but it really applies to other social media sites as well (Google+, LinkedIn, etc.). There are some things that those of us who manage sites are in agreement with, such as knowing your audience and knowing how each site works so that you can get your posts out there and seen in the best way possible.

One thing I vary on with my colleagues is auto-posting directly from Facebook to Twitter and vice-versa. I have read in several places it's considered a huge no-no. Business-killer. Makes you look like an amateur. I agree with this assessment, but only to a point. While I agree that you should not post as actively to Facebook as you do Twitter, in some cases it is ok to have updates automatically post from one place to another.

Facebook now allows you to choose the type of posts you would like to automatically go to Twitter. I keep mine at Photos, Video, Notes, and Events. Status Updates are definitely a no-no because you need to keep posts to less-than-10-a-day (some say 5, I say it depends on your business). There is also a different dialogue on Facebook versus Twitter. At times you will talk about the same things, but you have to present them differently. Not to mention if your all of your Facebook updates post automatically to Twitter, then you are never on Twitter (and again, vice-versa). How would you know if someone is responding to your posts, or trying to connect with you?

Links are are also bad to auto-post. On Facebook when you post or share a link, you can set up the link in your status with a comment. Most of the time that goes way over 140 characters (I always try and say a little something about the link I'm posting, rather than just share with no comment). When that link is automatically posted to Twitter, your words are cut off, and the link will go to whatever story or blog post you were talking about. It takes away from your message, and looks sloppy. It's better to make two separate posts.

Again, and I really can't stress this enough, you need to know your business, and more importantly your audience. For instance, if you are a photographer, it could be a good idea to have your photos automatically go to Twitter. I would hope in this case you are using Twitter for more than just a Facebook post dump. People are looking for different things on each site, and cross-posting can work if you use it smartly.

This post applies to Facebook Pages. I'm not a big fan of suggesting how to run your personal page, because that's YOUR playground. You do with it what you want, and your friends can decide if they want to see it or not. To me that is a completely different thing than promoting a brand.

Thanks for reading! If you feel so inclined, you can follow my daily ramblings on Twitter, and get all sorts of information from my Facebook Page! See you around the interwebs! 

Size Means Nothing If No One Sees It!

I see a lot of posts on Facebook pages patting themselves on the back for reaching milestone followers: 100, 1,000, 10,000, etc. When I first look at a Facebook page, I don't look at how many likes, but the number next to it. I want to see how many are talking about a page. What exactly does that mean? Well, here's how Facebook describes it:

People Talking About This: Number of people who have created a story about your page. Story is created when someone likes page; posts to wall; likes, comments, or shares page post; answers a question; mentions page; tags page in a photo; checks in at location or recommends.

Basically the point is this: A million people can like a page, but if no one is sharing or talking about the content, it doesn't matter. 

 Now don't get me wrong. Likes are a good thing, and they will increase stats- temporarily. It gives the page potential when people are interacting.  The more likes, the more people see content. If only 10 people like a page, then sure, if 5 are talking about it, that's a great percentage! Yes, having people like the page is very important.

Think about your News Feed for a minute. What are the things you see when scrolling? You see a mixture of posts from your friends, pages you follow, the same photo shared 10 times. What else? You see what friends comment on. You see what statuses friends like. You also see what PAGES friends like, as well as comments on pages. I've found many a page to like because of someone else liking it. 

Businesses- if you want more people to see your page, you have to create the content to make interaction possible. Sometimes a few "likes" are all you need to get that ball rolling. Encourage interaction. Ask questions, have a "call to action" in the post. People love photos and video. Links are less likely to be seen. Don't slam your page with posts, either. If you start going over 5 or 6 in a day, people might not like that in their feed. Then again, it all depends on your business and what you are posting.

It's important to know your audience. As you see, some pages have more talking about them than likes!

Casual Users- A simple "like" can go a long way. If you believe in a business, or want to support one, all you have to do is like a status occasionally. Leave a quick comment. Share something they have posted. You all ready know it doesn't take any time to do it. Now you also know that you could be helping that business increase their presence, and in turn helping them grow and become successful.

PS- all the pages here in my examples are great pages, and should be given a look- and a like. Look them up!

Thanks for reading! If you feel so inclined, you can follow my daily ramblings on Twitter, and get all sorts of information from my Facebook Page! See you around the interwebs! 

5 Positive Things About Social Media

Who knew that a little website helping students at a University stay connected would become what we know as Facebook today? Or that the stream of consciousness known as Twitter would not only let us know what you are having for lunch, but keep people aware of what is happening when their entire country is falling apart?

It's no secret at all that I absolutely love social media. You don't make it part of your business if you don't like it! I see the value in it, personally and professionally. Recently there have been some negative things circulating about the social media world, and being online in general. Some I have all ready addressed on this blog, and some are earmarked for later. At times it feels like an uphill battle dealing with knee-jerk reactions to every single bad thing that happens via social media. So, that being said, I'm going to give you 5 positive things about social media, on the personal side, and the business side. These are some of the reasons I love social media!

Personal:

1. I can keep in touch with my family, spread out all over the country, and they can keep in touch with me. Any time we want. Day or night. Time zones do not matter!
2. Information. I love politics, news, and information in general. I also love telling others about it. Sharing this information has never been easier with social media. Learning information from others is also a plus.
3. Living vicariously through others. My brother is an avid traveler. I am not, but I love watching his adventures unfold when he posts photos, status updates or blog entries.
4. It takes a village. Once a friend's daughter posted some scary stuff on her Facebook page. Red-flag stuff. Immediately three of us started messaging to see if anyone had contacted the parent yet about this. It turns out the child was just playing an attention card, but what I take away from that is how quickly we came together to figure out what to do, should it have been a real emergency.
5. Silliness. I love the memes, music videos, check-ins, and everything else that you never even thought to share with others BI (before internet). It makes the world seems smaller, and I feel that's a good thing.

Business:

1. Everyone is using social media in one form or another, and they are looking for your business.
2. You can communicate and engage with customers or clients at any time day or night, not just during business hours. Again, time zones do not matter! If you are doing it right, they will see what you're posting.
3. Social media is the greatest opportunity to show customers that you care about them, and not just getting their business.
4. Social media draws traffic to your blog and website.
5. All of these social media sites are available for free!

There are many more positives to social media, but this is a good start. This is a way of life now, and I don't see it dying off any time soon. It's better to embrace it, understand it, and use it to your advantage than fear it. Happy socializing!

Thanks for reading! If you feel so inclined, you can follow my daily ramblings on Twitter, and get all sorts of information from my Facebook Page! See you around the interwebs!