Saturday Sharing: 10 Tips for Twitter Marketing

With more than 271 million users creating more than 500 million tweets a day, if you aren’t using Twitter to promote your brand, your book or your blog, the only question I have is why? Because of it’s size and the mass amount of content, using Twitter can be challenging to anyone new to Twitter, especially with being confined to 140 characters.

CIO Whitepapers offers an ebook titled “10 Things Marketers Should be Doing on Twitter” which promises to teach you what you should be doing to get more retweets, followers and business prospects as well as best business practices for Twitter.

You can acquire the 13 page ebook/whitepaper here: http://research.ciowhitepapers.com/?option=com_categoryreport&task=viewabstract&pathway=no&title=50414&frmurl=http%3a%2f%2fforms.madisonlogic.com%2fForm.aspx%3fpub%3d162%26pgr%3d977%26frm%3d1676%26autodn%3d1%26src%3d10873%26ctg%3d2%26ast%3d50414%26crv%3d0%26cmp%3d16778%26yld%3d0%26clk%3d6160158076151597188%26embed%3d1

Monday Funday: January in Review

The first Friday of each month, I do a quick article reviewing topics from the previous month, including links to the articles, breaking it down by platform and theme as well as providing a link to read the full article.  Unfortunately, while I started the article on Friday, I didn't get to finish it till Sunday night, so it's not going up till Monday. A wee bit late.

As always, I'm glad to answer questions folks have and look forward to more questions coming my way.

The Monday Search - These are the job listings I posted each week.

• The Monday Search: Job Listings Current as of 01/05/2015 
• The Monday Search: Job Listings as of 01/11/2015
• The Monday Search: Job Listings as of 01/19/2015
• The Monday Search: Job Listings as of 01/26/2015

Tuesday Tips: All

• Jan. 20: Tuesday Tips: Don't Give Up - A brief discussion about not giving up on social media even if it seems like what you are doing isn't working. Remember it takes time to build a brand, build followers and build followers who engage and interact. Give it time.
• Jan. 27: Tuesday Tips: Watch and learn - Another quick tip, which relates to all social media platforms, is sometimes to sit back, watch and learn how the platforms work and what engages people the most. Sometimes watching and learning is your best bet to learn as you go.

Tuesday Tips: Facebook

• Jan. 6: Tuesday Tips: How to Learn More About Facebook Changes - A guide to learning about all the recent changes to facebook.
• Jan. 13: Tuesday Tips: Articles Explaining Facebook's Changes - An article linking to all the articles that cover Facebook's changes. 

Wednesday Words: All

• Jan. 7: Wednesday Words: Social Media Policy - Does your company have a social media policy? If so, do you know what it is? If not, do you need one?  Learn more about social media policy via this article.
• Jan. 14: Wednesday Words: Social Influencer - Learn about social influencers and why they are important.

Wednesday Words: Google+

• Jan. 28: Wednesday Words: Extended circles - You know about Google+'s circles, but what are extended circles?  Hint: It's kinda like friends of friends on Facebook.

Wednesday Words: Twitter

• Jan. 21: Wednesday Words: Twitterverse - Welcome to the Twitterverse - a universe of tweets and twitterers. 

Thursday Tutorials: Facebook

• Jan. 8: Thursday Tutorials: How to Create a Milestone on Your Page - A quick how to guide on creating a milestone for your Facebook fanpage.
• Jan. 15: Thursday Tutorials: Adding Apps to Your Facebook Page - A quick how to guide on how to add apps to your Facebook page.
• Jan. 22: Thursday Tutorial: Changing the Order of Sections on Your Page's Timeline - A quick how to guide on changing the order of sections on your Facebook Fanpage's timeline.
• Jan. 29: Thursday Tutorials: Changing Order of Tabs on Your Facebook Page - A quick how to guide on changing the order of the tabs on your Facebook Fanpage's timeline.

Other Posts

• Jan. 1: Happy New Year! - A quick New Year's message. Nothing special.
• Jan. 9: Friday Facts: 7 P's Of Social Media Marketing That Drive Results - Links to an infographic of same title found on Pinterest.
• Jan. 10: Saturday Sharing: 5 Social Media Studies That Can Make Your Social Media Marketing Strategy Better- Links to an infographic of same title found on Pinterest.
• Jan. 16: Friday Facts: 21 Rules for Effective Social Media Marketing Strategies- Links to an infographic of same title found on Pinterest.
• Jan. 17: Saturday Sharing: 10 Steps to Creating a Winning Social Media Strategy- Links to an infographic of same title found on Pinterest.
• Jan. 23: Friday Facts: How To Convert Traffic From Social Media Into Sales
• Jan. 30: Friday Facts: The History and Power of #Hashtags- Links to an infographic of same title found on Pinterest.
• Jan. 30: Social Media Marketing: Tips and Hints All Time Blog Stats - A look at the most popular posts for this blog for the past year.

Thanks for reading!  Posts will continue to roll out this month and on-going.  Please leave any comments, questions, etc. in the comment section below!

Social Media Marketing: Tips and Hints All Time Blog Stats

I'm one of those weird people that like looking at stats and seeing what posts have been the most popular in the last year. This helps me get an idea of what people are interested in reading about, but also tells me what I did right (perhaps) in marketing those pieces. Since I launched the blog in Nov. 2013 and it's now Jan. 2015, I figured it would be a good time to look at the five most popular posts between then and now.

The most popular post, beating the next most popular post by 69 hits, was "Tuesday Tips: Spell Check Before You Post".  This post had a total of 167 hits as of Jan. 28, 2015.  It was published July 8, 2014, and, honestly, just gave a common sense tip - to spell check before you post so you don't make a bad impression on your fans. As I recall, it was a pretty heavily retweeted post, which kinda mystifies me.

The next most popular post was "Wednesday Words: Social Lead Generation" and had a total of 98 hits thus far.  It was published July 2, six days before the above post was posted.

The third most popular post was a post I posted this year on Jan. 17 - "Saturday Sharing: 10 Steps to Creating a Winning Social Media Strategy."  I think I can attribute this to the SEO - especially the fact Social Media Strategy is in the title.  Still, it's pretty impressive to see this post has 81 views in the 11 days since it was posted.  At this rate, in a year it should still be in the Top 5 posts on the site.

The fourth most popular post was another "Tuesday Tips: Gain More Followers" which had 72 hits and was posted May 20, 2014.  I can understand why this one was popular - many people and brands want to know how to gain more followers on Twitter as well as other social media.

The fifth, and final, most popular post was one "The Monday Search: Job Listings Current as of 12/29/14".  While the job search/job posting posts are the most popular on a weekly basis, it was pretty surprising to see this one rise into the top 5 - and stay in the top 10 for the past few weeks - with a total of 60 views thus far.  This one I am a bit confused on.  I'm not sure what made it more popular than any of the other Job Listings, which average around 30ish hits total.

I look forward to looking back in six months and a year from now to see what's at the top, what's replaced what and what's trending then.

Wednesday Words: Social Media Policy

While today's word isn't necessarily dealing with social media sites, it has to do with policies many workplaces have in place regarding social media.  This is often referred to as a social media policy.

A social media policy is a cod of conduct which provides guidelines targeted at employees who post content on social media.  This can be limited to posting as part of their job or can even cover posting as a private person (ie, you shall not name this company when posting on your personal social media, you shall not speak ill, etc.).

Every company should have a formal social media policy in writing so that employees, and employers, understand what they are allowed and not allowed to say on behalf of the company - either as the social media manager or as a private poster, as well as how to respond to social media crisis.  This would cover some of the uncomfortable situations seen publicly in the past - where someone gets fired for badmouthing their employer on Facebook or Twitter but there not being a policy in place (yes, common sense says don't mouth off, but common sense isn't so common).

If you are in charge of your company's human resources department and you are looking into creating a social media wing or looking to address the lack of a social media policy, there are several places to consult, including:

• How to Build a Social Networking Policy
• How to Write a Social Media Policy to Empower Employees
• Creating a Social Media Policy

Or just Google "How to Create a Social Media Policy": https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS533US533&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=how%20to%20make%20a%20social%20media%20policy

Wednesday Words are a series of definitions released on Wednesday each week regarding a word found specific to Facebook's social media platform, or may be a generic word dealing with social media. These definitions are to help provide you with a better understanding of common and uncommon terms associated with Facebook and social media. You can find all the Wednesday Words by clicking on the Wednesday Words tag below.

We're Back...just in time for the holidays

As mentioned in a previous post somewhere, we were moving and I got some of the posts I wanted done to post, but not all.  So here we are, in December with Christmas a few days away and I'm just now able to get back into the swing of things here.

We will have posts this week, but only generic posts on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Keep in mind, we are also looking for guest bloggers so if you're interested, gimme a shout.

Thanks for checking out the blog the last month despite the limited number of posts.  We do appreciate it.

Fewer Posts Last Few Weeks - Picking Up This Week

The last month has been hectic with school starting with my son and a new project starting as well as work.  If anyone tells you writing for a living is awesome, they obviously don't write non-fiction as well as blogs and attempt to write fiction too.  It's crazy hectic and all to often time gets away from me and when I've intended to sit down and right ends up getting distracted with Facebook or Pinterest (note: both of those browser tabs were shut down so I could focus on writing and not Pinning or Facebooking).

The new project, SciTechNerds.com has been a bit behind as well due to work and other things.  If you like science and technology, check this new endeavor out.  We promise, no click baiting and no obnoxious advertisements.

That being said, I am writing and scheduling posts and should have daily posts (or often twice daily posts) for the rest of this month, except for the weekends and even then I should have a smattering of posts.  I may also, occasionally, post links to what I've been working one elsewhere in case you're interested in checking that stuff out.

I've also been invited to publish on LinkedIn, so you will see some of these articles pop up over there from time to time.

As always, I welcome questions and suggestions for articles and would love to have a guest author (or two) as well as another social media blogger to write with me as well.

Happy Monday!

Saturday Sharing: Bizarre Things People Addicted to Social Media Do

If any of the things mentioned in the article below are habits you find yourself doing, you might want to have a personal intervention.

While I admit, I look at my social media accounts when its not interfering with my day job, driving (I never, ever check social media while driving.  Please don't do it either.), talking with friends and family, etc., I do have a habit of checking Facebook via the phone when I wake up or when I get a notification, etc.

I can honestly say, I haven't done any of these 29 bizarre things myself, but I know people who do - and I know members of younger generations who do it without even realizing they're doing it because it's just a part of their life.

Check out this neat article.  are you guilty of any of the things mentioned/  What are some things you do that may be a sign of being addicted to social media that isn't mentioned in the article?  Share your responses in the comment sections below or on our Facebook page.

To read the full article: http://kimgarst.com/29-bizarre-things-people-who-are-addicted-to-social-media-do

The Power of Social Media and Crowdfunding

Butterfly in the sky,
I can go twice as high...

Anyone who recognizes the first two lines of that song knows what show that it is for - Reading Rainbow.  Anyone who has been on social media today knows that LeVar Burton is raising funds to bring Reading Rainbow to future generations and seeking a hefty sum of money to do so through Kickstarter.

Not even a day into the fundraiser, as of this posting, more than $680,000 and is likely to break a million before the day is done.

That, my friends, is the power of social media.  All of us that grew up watching the show are donating and sharing on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest - anywhere we can - because we want to see the project funded and we want to see future generations be turned on to reading.

If you don't believe me, check out #ReadingRainbow on twitter.  Reading Rainbow is trending on Facebook.  See the posts about the fundraiser.

if you haven't even looked at it yet, check it out: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/readingrainbow/bring-reading-rainbow-back-for-every-child-everywh

It's going to meet it's goal, but we can make it better.  Consider donating when you have the funds.

Let's make Reading Rainbow great for our children and our children's children.

Wednesday Words: Social Synergy

You often hear about synergy when in the work place.  Synergy can also apply to social media, which involves today's word "Social Synergy."

Synergy is defined by Dictionary.com as "the interaction of elements that when combined produce a total effect that is greater than the sum of the individual elements, contributions, etc.; synergism."

With that in mind, social synergy is when two or more social entities work together to create something larger than their individual efforts could create.  Or, in layman's terms, online teamwork.

Social synergy isn't complicated and you can often see it in contests on Facebook and websites.  "Like this site" and "Like us" to enter to win.  Follow these groups on Pinterest/Twitter, then put in your handle so they can make sure you've followed them if you win their prize.

Any brands that have partnerships will often cross promote the other brands social media as well.  "If you like what we're doing, you should also check out ______"

So if you're looking to have a bigger reach, you might look into social synergy and working with friends to help expand both of your reaches.

Wednesday Words are a series of definitions released on Wednesday each week regarding a word found specific to Facebook's social media platform, or may be a generic word dealing with social media.  These definitions are to help provide you with a better understanding of common and uncommon terms associated with Facebook and social media.   You can find all the Wednesday Words by clicking on the Wednesday Words tag below.

Back in the Saddle

April was a crazy month.  A lot of things happened that were unexpected or didn't go according to plan, which meant time I had intended to write and schedule posts out weeks in advance didn't happen.

That being said, I apologize for the lack of regular updates during April.  And seeing my travel schedule for June, I'm going to try to work ahead and get posts done.

Something that will help me - immensely - is if people who read offer comments or suggestions - especially when I have posts asking for questions of input.  That will encourage me to try and get these done ahead of time so they'll be on schedule.

We'll ignore the fact other projects and writing keeps intervening.

Thanks in advance!

Tuesday Tips: Remember to be Social with Social Media

While the whole purpose of having social media is to promote and support your brand, you also have to remember to be socialable with your brand's/individual's social media accounts.

All too often people posting with brands forget to be socialable and engaging with their users.  It's okay for a brand to have a bit of a personality.  It actually helps a bit, especially if someone is upset about something and you're trying to smooth things over as best you can via social media.  Having a positive social media personality can go a long way.

The important thing to remember, while you should talk about yourself, you should also ask questions that engage your viewers and fanbase as well - and it doesn't necessarily have to be questions related to your brand (but it can be).

Some ideas to help be social and engage your fanbase include:

• For local brands/businesses, talking about local things going on - whether it be the weather, a sale at the store, local news or something related to an upcoming public event.
• Ask people to share photos if they've been to your business.
• Try out the new Q&A feature Facebook has rolled out to select pages.
• Hold contests/give-aways.

Always remember to be polite.  Please and thank yous go a long way in this digital world.

Tuesday Tips are a series of tips released on Tuesday each week regarding a hint or tip to help you manage and market your Facebook presence better.  You can find all the Tuesday Tips by clicking on the Tuesday Tips tag below.

First Friday: The Month of February Review

The first Friday of each month, I do a quick article reviewing topics from the previous month, including links to the articles, breaking it down by platform and theme as well as providing a link to read the full article.

As always, I'm glad to answer questions folks have and look forward to more questions coming my way.

Tuesday Tips: All

• Feb. 18: Choose Your Images Wisely - This post discusses why it's important to pick good images for your Facebook profile, cover images, avatars as well as for posts and other social media.

Tuesday Tips: Facebook

• Feb. 4: Schedule Posts - A reminder that scheduling posts can help keep your page active without making you post new content every day.  
• Feb. 11: Like Content As Yourself - Liking your content you post as yourself instead of your page counts as interaction and engagement.  So do it.

Tuesday Tips: Google +

• Feb. 25: Format Your Posts in G+ - Tips on how to bold, emphasize, and strikeout text in Google+ posts.

Wednesday Words: Facebook

• Feb. 12: People Talking About This (PTAT) - An explanation of what this statistic means on Facebook and why it is important to you.
• Feb. 19: Avatar - Definitely not the blue aliens from the movie Avatar.  This talks about the image used in the tiny square on Twitter, Facebook and other locations.

Wednesday Words: Google+

• Feb. 26: Circles - We threw in a Google Word this month - Circles - which is basically the way you sort your friends on Google+.

Wednesday Words: Twitter

• Feb. 5: Follow Friday - Just what is #ff?  If you don't know, this post explains it.

Thursday Tutorials: Facebook

• Feb. 6: How to Schedule Posts via Facebook - This is a step by step tutorial explaining how to schedule posts using the post interface via Facebook pages.  A useful thing to learn how to do.
• Feb. 13: How to Change From Using Facebook as Your Page to Your Profile - Per an article above saying you should like your page's content as yourself, this guide explains just how to do that - as some people didn't know how to change from liking as their page.
• Feb. 20: How to Find The Info for Optimizing Posts - Information on how to find statistics so you can figure out what times of the day are optimal for creating posts so they will be seen by more fans.

Other Posts

• Feb. 7: Nifty Infographic with Sizes for Social Media Graphics - This article links to a very useful infographic that I now have bookmarked because it tells me what dimensions are needed for every form of Social Media graphic spot.  Good stuff to know.
• Feb. 14: The Hard Truth About How The Facebook News Feed Works Now - Another good article linked from this article talking about what's changed with the Facebook Feed since December.
• Feb. 21: How 6 Hours of Social Media Marketing Can Increase Your Sales - Another article being linked to that explains how just as little as six hours of social media marketing can increase your sales.  A must read for anyone marking sales in social media.
• Feb. 22: Weekend Sessions - Answering questions on whether or not Facebook pages are tied to a specific admin's account, can admins charge other admins for ads and more.  Some good to know info in this weekend post.
• Feb. 24: The Monday Search: Social Media Job Openings Available as of 2/24/14 - A list of social media job openings for those seeking jobs.

Thanks for reading!  Posts will continue to roll out this month and on-going.  Please leave any comments, questions, etc. in the comment section below!