Exploring the Business Side of Social Media

It happens to everyone about this time of year. All those shiny new New Year’s resolutions don’t look so pretty any more. Those 5:30 am spinning classes just arent’ as much fun as they were back in January and the diet…well, let’s just say that I’m still eating ice cream at night.

The key to keeping any resolution is to get over the February hump. By March, what once felt new and different in January is becoming a lifestyle change and the further and further you go, the harder it is to get back to your old routine.

With that in mind, what better way to get over the February hump then to do a quick check to both monitor progress and make needed adjustments. If your resolution involved blogging, now that you’re a month in, it’s a good time to step back and give the blog the old fitness checkup.

Here’s 10 things to do to check to be sure your blog is on the right track:

1. Forget the traffic numbers
In the beginning, we all get addicted to the traffic. Most new bloggers check in over and over throughout the day. At this point, don’t worry about it. Instead, be sure that you’re doing everything now to build the foundation that will help your blog continue to grow.

2. What has worked so far?
Here’s the one place where traffic numbers can help. Go back and see which post is getting the most action. What is it about that post that is bringing in the traffic. Determine what people like about the post and use that information to guide you in future posts.

3. Is the Blog User Friendly?
How easy is it to navigate your blog. Is it open to comments? What gets in the way of reading and commenting on the blog. You want to make your blog as open and as easy to use as possible. Anything that turns a reader away may turn them away for good.

4. Is your RSS feed working and is it easy to find
With the recent change from Feedburner to Google, it’s probably a good idea to check in to see that everything is working and links are active. Also be sure that your RSS feed is clearly marked with an RSS icon. You want to make it easy for repeat readers to keep in touch.

5. Do you share well with others?
Is it easy for users bookmark your posts or share them on Digg, Facebook or other social networking sites? If you’re using Wordpress, be sure that your Socialble or Share This plugin is working and offers the most commonly used services. Those little icons on the bottom of the post are one of the most powerful tools you can include on your blog

6. Are your URLs search  engine friendly?
Your blog headline is one of the first things a search engine will read. If you’re using Wordpress, the default URL setting uses numbers which is about worthless when it comes to SEO.

Also be sure to use search-engine friendly headlines. With Wordpress, you can easily change the URL and fill it with key terms. Keep it simple and to the point but be sure the terms are there. For example, notice the headline on this post and the address in the web browser.

7. Is your blog roll healthy and up to date?
When I’m not blogging about social media, I also blog about the Ohio State Buckeyes. My Ohio State blog is very well indexed on Google and other search engines. One reason may be the number of incoming links and the strength of the blogroll. By working with other Big Ten bloggers, I’ve been able to build a very strong blog roll and have received a number of very strong links.

I don’t know if this is what has pushed The Buckeye Blog to the top of the Google results but I bet it has something to do with it.

This is the number one mistake I am making on this blog and is the first thing on my list (when I get time). When you add a blog to your blogroll, the blogger will see it and will often return the favor. It also never hurts to send a nice letter asking for a link exchange - especially in the early days of a blog.

8. Are you using appropriate categories?
Search engines like categories. Be sure to use key word appropriate categories and categorize your posts. It also makes it easier for readers to find related information on your blog.

9. What’s on your “About Me” page?
Your About Me page doesn’t need to say much. However, people read a post and they often want to know more about the voice behind it. Sometimes, they just want to verify that the information comes from a knowledgeable source.

Be sure to also include a way for readers to contact you. If you’re worried about spam, use a contact form (there are a number of good plugins available).

10. Is your blog integrated with your other social networking activities?
If your using other social networking sites such as LinkedIn or Twitter, let the world know. Include easy to find links where readers can connect. Blog readers like to engage and talk to others. Make it easy for them.

Seeing how SocialMarketing20.com is a fairly new blog, I’m sure that you can spot a few areas I need to target. If you’re like me, it looks like I’ve got the start of a pretty good “to do” list. I’ve you’ve got any other tips or ideas, please share them in the comments below.

Jim Lodico is a freelance copywriter and social media consultant. Contact Jim to find out how he can give your business a boost at jalodico@bizwritings.com

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A year or so ago I sat in on a presentation with the Baltimore Sun’s internet division. One of the most interesting things to come out of the presentation was that they time their editorial content to follow the workday distraction.

In other words, they see heavy traffic in the morning, things pick up again shortly after noon and taper off only to be followed once more around 3:00 or so in the afternoon. Knowing this pattern, they try to update stories to fit the ebb and flow of the typical work day.

And while I don’t remember the exact schedule of the traffic flow, I thought it was pretty amazing that you can pretty much determine office productivity by the Baltimore Sun’s online traffic patterns.

With that in mind, its Friday so why not do a little surfing around the world of social media:

Papa Johns reaches 200,000 through Facebook campaign
Interview with Bob Ford, Director of online marketing for Papa Johns. If you still don’t understand the power of Facebook, consider “fans” who are happy to receive your advertisements.

How to Use Facebook to Market Your Blog- good tips for integrating a blog w/Facebook. Be sure to check the comments as there are a few more buried in there also.

How to Grow Bigger Ears in 10 Minutes - Still don’t know how to monitor social media channels? Chris Brogan has a primer.

300+ Cases of Social Media Marketing

How I use Social Media to Promote My Business - Social Media and Time Management an issue? Mark Haward shows you how he fits it into a busy day.

The Day 250,000 People Showed Up at My Blog; A Case Study - Oh to have such problems. Darren at Problogger analyzes the impact of digg and other social bookmarking sites.

U.S. Air Force Guidelines on Responding to Blogs - Your company still trying to figure out how to handle commenting on blogs and forums? Leave it to the military to develop a hierarchical response (and I think it works)

You’re Doing It Wrong - Another gem from Chris Brogan. Everyone get’s so concerned about the rules of social media, how about doing what works for you?

Twitter’s Massive 2008: 752 Percent Growth - Yep, Twitters hot right now.

50 Ideas on Using Twitter for Business - More Chris Brogan. He must have had a good week.

How Not to be a Key Influencer - One lapse of judgement on Twitter and suddenly your big news. The question remains, would it be news if not for the Twitter discussion that followed.

How to Track Twitter Clicks and Conversion Data - a simple solution for measuring Twitter

40 of the Best Twitter Brands and the People Behind Them - more good examples of Twitter in action

How to Use TweetDeck - Still don’t understand how to use Twitter. Step 1 - use TwitDeck or another 3rd part application. Step 2 - Here’s the directions for using TweetDeck.

1981 Primitive Interview Report on Kron - remember telephone modems and TRS 80 computers? Here’s a great interview dating back to 1981, way before the internets, talking about how some newspapers are experimenting with online versions of their printed edition. Favorite line, “It’s not about the money” as sadly, print media types foresee their own demise.

How to Grow Your Followers to Over 10,000 In a Week - (Twitter) If that’s what you really want to do. I saw someone today bragging about how she had hit 6,000 followers. Funny, but I don’t think I’ve noticed anything else she’s Twitted about other then her 6,000 followers.

And here’s one more that just came in:

And Why Isn’t this Huge Yet? - Do you have a burning desire to set a world record? The Universal World Record Data Base is waiting for you. (Check the most David Lee Roth kicks)

With that I’ll leave you for today. If you need more, be sure to check my Delicious bookmarks as I add to them regularly.

And one more thing, since joining Twitter, I don’t think I’ve looked at a feedreader once. All of these come through Twitter recommendations. If they look familiar, we must be following the same people.

Have  a good Friday.

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I finally broke down and joined Twitter this week.

I’ve been meaning to do this for a while now and I’ve been holding back. I have information channels to keep track of as it is. But something finally spurred me to it.

It was David Henderson’s examination of the FedEx-Ketchum Twitter saga from the journalist perspective. Like a good journalist, Henderson went looking for the story. And what he found didn’t reflect all that well on anyone involved.

Reading about yet another Twitter flap got me thinking: 95 percent of this so-called news has little to do with social media transparency or PR capabilities in the Web 2.0 era. Isn’t it really about using common sense and practicing reasonably professional communication? Which, as communications professionals and business owners, is what we’re being paid to do.

So armed with my newly minted Twitter account, I decided to explore the landscape a bit more firsthand. And in this new wild west of communication, sure, there may be some new rules and a lot of new opportunity to engage people. But the old rules are still in play, too. As I read what’s floating around the Twittersphere, I wonder whether we might all ask ourselves a few questions before we start typing into that little box.

1. What’s my strategy? Social media tools are no different than other marketing tools. It’s important to know why you’re using it, how you’re using it, and how that ties into your business goals. If you’re using it for business, then keep your business in mind.

2. Would I send this to my clients and customers? If you can’t say anything nice… then, as your momma probably told you (and as Ketchum could attest), it’s better to hold your tongue. If you wouldn’t email it to your boss or your clients, then why are you typing it into Twitter?

3. Am I taking “authentic” too far? Bringing your authentic personality to your marketing doesn’t mean being the least professional side of yourself. If you’re a spokesperson, you’re still responsible for the brand image. If you’re a consultant or a business owner, you are what you put out there. Twitter is a messaging platform just as much as a conversational one.

4. Am I saying this just because I can? Do your followers really care what you had for lunch? Some may disagree with me here-and I value the conversations that can develop on a number of topics- but these are the tweets I just pass on by. There’s too much else of value out there.

5. What’s the value in this? Guy Kawasaki has written a great post on how to attract followers on Twitter. What’s so great about Guy’s advice? Almost every one of his suggestions boils down to this: add value, engage and offer something interesting to your audience.

Right. In social media circles, just as with anywhere else, common sense still rules.

Sally Anne Giedrys is the founder of artisan communications, an independent copywriting and communications consultancy that works with businesses and nonprofit organizations to craft compelling marketing and PR messages. For more than 15 years, Sally has been making businesses “sound good” in print and online through a potent combination of great writing, savvy strategy and high integrity communications. Learn more about artisan’s services at www.artisancopy.com. Or reach Sally directly at sally@artisancopy.com.

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I recently posted a discussion on LinkedIn asking how many people first heard about the Hudson River plane crash on Twitter. I had recently written a post on this blog about how I saw the story break on Twitter and was amazed to see the story develop and (and somewhat resolve) in real time on this relative new social media service.

While there were a handful of responses agreeing that Twitter provided an amazing new way to witness news, I was surprised by the number of people who either didn’t understand the gist of my point about Twitter or didn’t know what Twitter was in the first place.

The more you use social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook, the easier it is to think that everyone else is also. The more you get involved, the more you network with others the easier it is to quickly believe that social media has become the norm.

However, step back into the offline world for a moment, it it doesn’t take long to realize that using blogs, Facebook, Twitter, or any of a number of social mediums for business purposes is not the norm. Take a moment and ask your friends or neighbors what social media sites they use. Sure, a couple may enjoy sharing pictures on Facebook and many have LinkedIn profiles but chances are, the majority of them are not actively using these sites for business - yet.

And while these sites are growing fast, there is still time to be an early adopter. Now is the time to not only establish an online presence but to be sure that the presence is up to date. It isn’t enough to have just a “website” today. Customers want to interact, they want information, they want to see a company actively engaged in the community.

By getting in now, you not only learn what is expected online, you can refine your presence or brand and be there waiting as more and more customers join the party.

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While most of the country was watching President Obama take the oath of office, there was another transition going on behind the scenes. The presidential website, www.whitehouse.gov, quietly switched from a page representing the Bush administration to a page representing the Obama administration.

And what a difference a web page can make.

While it appears that the Obama transition team ran into a few technological snags as they encountered what to them is outdated technology (ie. Apple vs. old Windows) and government beurocracy which hasn’t yet adopted to the world of social media, it appears that the White House web page is embracing the fundamentals of social media.

A blog post on The Breifing Room: The Blog states that the new website will be based on Communication, Transparency and Participation. That pretty much covers the building blocks of all social media.

There is no question this administration is wired into the world of Web 2.0. The Obama campaign utlized Facebook, Twitter and other social media applications in a way that many businesses would envy. By now, you’ve probably also heard how the new president was determined to keep his Blackberry and they also plan on using Youtube to present what used to be known as the Fireside Chat. It appears that the Obama administration has recognized the power of social media and plans to use it to its fullest.

And yet while an office which needs to “control” the message (if for no other reason than security) more then almost anyone can embrace the world of social media, I believe it is safe to say that the majority of businesses and business executives are still cautious, don’t understand or are even afraid of the world which is about to pass them by.

In a meeting yesterday with a colleague whom I met on Twitter, we both agreed that as much as 90 percent of the population still haven’t even tested the waters of a forum, blog or social networking site. It is doubtful that I will be able to make the same comment this time next year.

So for now, I’ll leave you with a great resource of case studies I came across this morning. The following link is by Jennifer Van Grove on Mashable.com. In it she lists 40 companies which are successfully using Twitter provides and breif analysis as to what they are doing right. It’s a great resource for both the beginner and advanced user alike.

Update: Want to see the impact of the new president and inauguration day on social media? Check these numbers: Twitter had more than 150,000 tweets containing the word “Obama” on Tuesday, YouTube had more than 300,000 videos with the tag “Obama” uploaded this week, and more than 80,000 “inauguration” photos were uploaded to Flickr.

Jim Lodico is a freelance commercial copywriter and public relations/social media consultant. If you’d like help with your social media campaign or communications project, please contact him at jalodico@bizwritings.com.

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Like a lot of Boomers, my client in today’s meeting said that, while he had heard of Twitter (which is not the typical response I’ve been getting so far) - he was shying away from it. He had the same reaction I did initially when I became aware of Twitter.

Who’d want to hear about me going to the grocery store? He asked.

(In my case it was: Who’d want to read: I just took the puppy out for the fifth time today. Or: I just got back from the drive-through at Wendy’s…???)

But I took the plunge and signed on to Twitter. And I admitted to my client that at first I asked myself what I thought I was doing. Did I even belong? Like him, I’m interested in results. Would there be any for me?

For months I’ve been gathering more and more info on things like Facebook vs. Twitter, and how to use blogs, backlinks, linkbaiting, and other social media channels. I feel like I’m in an accelerated MBA program - all it’s costing me is my time, which is considerable.

Actually, being a writer and so not a tech person, I feel like I’m back in Sister Kostka’s freshman algebra class - clueless, lost, and frightened that everyone will notice how little I know.

[Caveat: OK - if you're one of the honors kids and know all about this stuff -- proceed on to the blogs and links that feed your soul.]

I’m talking to people like… well, me… and my Boomer client. And anyone else just becoming aware of things like Twitter - and wondering what it means. Or if it’s worth it.

You see, my client is a very, very successful businessman who has created a second career as a motivational speaker, partner in a web design firm (www.SiteBrandBuilder.com), and poet. I learn a great deal from him. He can see the value of a Facebook page and a profile on Linkedin. He just doesn’t want to be that connected through something like Twitter.

Does he need to be? Not if he’s happy with his scope of success and quality of business and personal life. (And he is.)

Are there downsides to Twitter? Sure.

The benefits of using Twitter as a part of your communication can also provide results you could never imagine.  Let me give you a sample:

A few weeks ago, I read a question on a LinkedIn group that I belong to. It was from Michael Stelzner (www.stelzner.com), the white paper specialist. Michael Stelzner originated the first On-line Copywriting Success Summit last October. I attended the Summit — which was excellent — and have a great respect for Mike.

His question was: Is anybody else addicted to Twitter?

This question became a perfect example that I can use to explain to my clients about how social media is directly benefiting my work. Stay with me.

Doing an online conference in October led me to:

• join the LinkedIn social networking discussion group from the summit conference
• which led me to post a comment on the group discussion
• which led me to read Cindy King’s (www.cindyking.biz) very helpful comments about Twitter
• which caused us to become aware of each other
• which led me to watch her name become more prominent across social media
• and influenced my decision to join Twitter and “follow” this woman, in addition to professionals from the summit already on Twitter
• which caused Cindy King, a cross cultural marketing consultant located in Paris to also follow me on Twitter (@writerdiehl)
• which led me to ask her a question about another social media network in Europe that I’m on (Xing www.xing.com)
• which led to her answer to me by email (which was very helpful) and
• she requested that we have a phone conversation to learn more about what I do (www.marcidiehl.com).

Ultimately, we had a 1.5 hour phone meeting.

This is a perfect example of the result of social media networking.

In one week, I gained a contact and valuable resource, and she learned more about me and my work. We exchanged insights and tips, and plan to keep up our contact via Twitter and the phone. All that was missing was a cup of coffee and a table to sit at. I gained by learning some things I should do for my blogs and website, and how I might seek work on an international level.

I’m using this as one example of how fast this kind of thing can start gaining. I’m still learning - but as I learn, the results can be surprising.

And exciting. And yes - ultimately profitable. In all sorts of ways.

Marci Diehl (www.marcidiehl.com) is an experienced, high-level commercial writer and consultant with an unusual background. She’s a content creator and storyteller who believes it’s not just writing-it’s solutions.

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Where were you?

Ask yourself for a moment how you first heard about the plane which went down in the Hudson River. If you’re like me, you first heard about the story on Twitter. Within minutes of the crash, Twitter suddenly came to life not only with news of the crash but with reports from eye witnesses and even the amazing photo above taken by a passenger on one of the first ferries to arrive on the scene.

While citizen journalism has been growing for a while, Twitter’s ability to rapidly spread information by “retweeting” information took citizen journalism to a new level. Not only that, the speed of the news cycle was absolutely amazing. Within 15 minutes of the story breaking, word was spreading around Twitter that miraculously, everyone was off the plane and survived.

It was also interesting to watch the traditional news outlets on Twitter and how they handled the event. At the height of the story, I received a “tweet” from the Washington Post asking followers if they wanted them to report the story on Twitter admitting that they would be doing little more than reporting news that was being broadcast on the AP wire.

Think about that for a moment. As a big story is breaking, one of the country’s major news outlets stops and asks it’s readers how they want them to report the story. This has to be a first and to be honest, I don’t know what to think about it. I started to send a response saying, “DON”T ASK! REPORT!”…but I let it go.

It is also interesting to note that I don’t recall seeing anything from the New York Times (who I also follow) until after I had heard that everyone was safe. One thing however, both news services were the first I saw to post contact information for both eyewitnesses and passenger lists. As opposed to just reporting the news, both were also serving as resources in a time of emergency.

How does this apply to business?

Now, let’s take the lessons learned from this to a business level. As demonstrated, Twitter has the ability to spread information very, very fast. There are enough users and if it is interesting enough, the information will get passed around. This can be both a good and bad thing. In a crises situation, Twitter can be a very effective way to curtail the spread of false information and stay informed about what is being said.

A company actively listening on Twitter for comments about their company or product can instantly join the discussion. If the company’s Twitter account is active and has a strong following, they can instantly tell followers about what is going on from their end or reach out and offer help to users who may be spreading negative information. (Tweetdeck is an excellent tool for actively monitoring key words in Twitter)

From a basic customer support perspective, Twitter is becoming a way for companies to communicate directly with customers. For a good example, check out Comcast. Comcast has a dedicated customer support representative working solely on Twitter.

Thankfully, nobody was hurt in the US Airways plane crash. From a breaking news perspective, it was amazing to see the “real time” aspect of this story coming from many different perspectives. From a business perspective, it reminds us that the conversation will go on with or without us. The question becomes, how will we participate.

Jim Lodico is a freelance copywriter and public relations/social media consultant. If you’d like help getting your message out to the world, contact Jim at E-mail Me!jalodico@bizwritings.com.

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Like most people new to Twitter, just six months ago, I was telling people that if they’d found a way to use Twitter for business, that would be truly innovative.

Six months later and 3 million or so new Twitter users and the verdict’s out. Twitter’s got great potential for business. According to a recent article on Mashable.com, Twitter grew 752 percent in 2008 with receiving more than 4.5 million hits in December alone.

For the initiated or soon to be Twitter user, Twitter is nothing more than another communication resource. However, Twitter makes it easy to spread information quick. One person posts their “Twit,” if others find it interesting they “retwit” it to their “followers” and on it goes. It’s sort of like the old, “I told two friends…who told two friends…who told…” only on a much larger scale.

Twitter is also a great way to get around the overflowing email inbox or receptionist who insists the manger “Isn’t in today.”

As an information resource, Twitter is quickly replacing my feed reader as I’m following people who direct me to excellent links along with a number of journalists and media outlets who update news in real time.

From a business perspective, Twitter follows the same basic rules as other social media resources. Those who spam or continually broadcast their message without giving back will be quickly shun. Twitter is a two way street and you are expected to give as much as you take. A very basic concept so many in the business world fail to understand.

If you’re new or just getting started, it’s not too difficult. Create a profile and you’re on your way. However, the basic Twitter interface can bedifficult to use. Luckily, there are a number of third-party applications available to help you manage Twitter and make the most of what on the surface seems pretty basic.

I highly recommend TweetDeck and Twhirl. Both provide a much easier and more powerful user Twitter interface than the basic Twitter.com page.

In later posts, I’ll explore Twitter from a business perspective but for now, I’ve been collecting a number of Twitter links and resources which are listed below. Please feel free to explore and add any links you’ve found helpful in the comment section.

Oh, and remember to follow me at @jlcommunication

Twitter Tips

Join Twitter - It’s Easier Than You Think

HOW TO: Build Community on Twitter

How To Gain More Twitter Followers and Keep Them

11 Ways to Use Twitter to Help Your Site Go Viral

8 Ways that Twitter Can Grow Your Freelance Business

FOLLOW FAIL: The Top 10 Reasons

I Will Not Follow You in Return on Twitter

How to Stop Twitter Becoming a Waste of Time

How to Build a Community of Twitter Followers for Your Company

HOW NOT TO: Build Your Twitter Community

8 Sure-Fire Ways To Tick Off the Twitterverse

Why Journalists Should Use Twitter

Twitter for business: 5 ways to tap the power of the tweet

Twitter to Journalists: Here’s How It’s Done

HOW TO: Quiet the Twitter Noise

People to Follow:

Ten PR People to Follow on Twitter

Media/journalists on Twitter

List of Celebrities on Twitter

Twitter Tools

TweetDeck

Twhirl

TwitterFriends

Twitterati

100+ Remarkably Beautiful Twitter Icons And Buttons

140+ More Twitter Tools

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In the 2008 podcast report from Edison Media Research, 23 million Americans said they’ve downloaded and listened to a podcast within the last month- the highest number in the three years of Edison’s surveying. The report also shows that adult podcast users tend to be college educated and living in higher income households. Both factors make them an attractive consideration for information-based marketing toolkits.

The content options for downloadable audio are nearly unlimited. Just ask the information entrepreneurs, publishers and chain bookstores who have capitalized on this trend. Yet even for the uninitiated, podcasting can be simple.

Think of them as audio positioning. Just as you might write an article for a trade publication to showcase your expertise, service or product (in an informative, not a hard sell way), podcasts offer expertise, information and even entertainment, in a portable form.

You don’t need to create new content to use this tool effectively. One great example of effective content recycling is the engineering firm Psomas. Operating in an industry that hasn’t exactly been on the forefront of new media or marketing, this firm has integrated new media into their marketing by translating articles written by the firm’s leaders into downloadable podcasts available on their web site. (The print versions are also available there.)

The series of occasional podcasts fit seamlessly into the firm’s efforts to position themselves as sustainable land development engineering specialists in the western U.S. Adding audio clips to their iPod or listening in the office makes it simple for busy executives and those looking for expert information to keep up with the regulations, opportunities and case studies regularly covered in regional and national trade publications.

What would make this effort even stronger? A regular diet of “audio articles” available by RSS feed, so that their busy audience doesn’t need to check back for new material.

If you’ve worked with professional service firms, as I have, you know most tend to be old-school about marketing. But as Psomas shows, new media tools can be a great way to convey your message and execute your strategy- no matter what industry you’re in.

Sally Anne Giedrys is the founder of artisan communications, an independent copywriting and communications consultancy that works with businesses and nonprofit organizations to craft compelling marketing and PR messages. For more than 15 years, Sally has been making businesses “sound good” in print and online through a potent combination of great writing, savvy strategy and high integrity communications. Learn more about artisan’s services at www.artisancopy.com. Or reach Sally directly at sally@artisancopy.com.

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