Social Media Users Infographic
This infographic is very important to understand, especially for businesses who are not solely online. I’m talking about brick & mortar businesses where people physically interact with the owner or employees.
Perhaps it is a pizza parlor, a deli, a coffee shop, a local restaurant, dentist, plumber, painter, roofer, realtor, real estate broker, bar, club, print shop, or bakery, or a trophy shop. Regardless of the type of business you have, you need to have a presence on the social media landscape.
The numbers in this infographic do not lie! (more…)
How NOT to wish someone Happy Birthday
June 2nd was my 40th birthday. I had hundreds of people wish me Happy Birthday on Facebook. Some sent me a message instead of posting on my Facebook wall. This post is about one message in particular. I had to educate them on social networking, I hope they “got it”.
I’m protecting the guy’s identity here because I’m not doing this to get back at him. I’m posting this as a “What Not To Do” so people can learn from it.
My response to the message was:
Bryan, I take it you don’t know much about me.
I liked his honest response:
Thanks Michael for your comment. I know nothing about you whatsoever please enlighten me for your products and tips. I promote Chris Farrell to help our Facebook friends learn to get started on the Internet, we have a great group of top Internet Marketers who give their help, tips and coments and trust you will join them.
The thing is, he was trying to justify what he did and that garnered this response:
Well, just look at my profile. You would know I AM an internet marketer. I was even Editor in Chief of Internet Marketer Magazine http://InternetMarketerMagazine.com/ Also, newbie marketer mistake #1, CLOAK YOUR AFFILIATE LINKS. If you wanted to tell me about Chris’s program as a friend, you wouldn’t have given me a link like that.
Instead, it looks like you were using my Birthday as a way to make a quick buck. Not a very good impression at all.
This IS Social Media, and this IS our first interaction. You came in telling me about something that would make you money.
You should watch this short video Beginning to End. It has excellent content and will help you immensely:
That video I made 3 years ago and generally show it to people like this. Hopefully they “get it” but some don’t understand that what is portrayed in the video is the WRONG way to do things. It’s entitled “How NOT to be Social”. I also Bolded the part I hope he took note of.
He responded again but still doesn’t get it. The thing is, if he would have spent 30 seconds on my profile, he would have noticed I am not “starting out on the Internet”. I put up my first webpage in 1994 and have been an internet marketer since 2005 or 2006.
Here is my response to him. This response is what sums everything up. SOCIAL NETWORKING is SOCIAL.
The point is, your first impression was you were using my birthday as a way to make an affiliate sale. If you would have taken 30 seconds to look at my profile, youwould have known I’m not a new internet marketer.
If you were at a social gathering, would you walk up to someone and say: Hi, buy this….?
If someone did it to you, how would you feel? Would you recommend them? Would you introduce them to someone else?
In a social gathering, whether online or offline, you should build a relationship. Then offer to help.
I hope you do that today. The next person you say happy birthday to, just say happy birthday.
He didn’t reply after that. What are your thoughts on this subject?
Facebook Gets Criticized by Experts for New Privacy Options
Facebook, one of the biggest social networking sites has recently launched a new privacy setting tool for their millions of users. It did not take long for privacy and security firms and experts to comment on Facebook’s privacy move and some have advised against using the new privacy setting.
Although Facebook has described the changes as something that would set a new standard when it comes to user control, experts see an underlying goal. This is to make the users share more information which makes Facebook’s search partners – Google and Bing become more valuable.
Frontier Foundation made a comment on the changes and stated that the Facebook privacy transition will only have users share more Facebook info with everyone and this can be a “worrisome development that will likely cause a major shift in privacy level”. They also mentioned that the changes actually limit the amount of user control over personal data.
The security firm Sophos emphasized that readers should read the terms of these changes carefully and said that “If you don’t read carefully you could find that every post you make on Facebook, and your personal information, is visible to everyone in the world who has a computer rather than just your Facebook friends.”
The privacy changes at Facebook were said to set significant issues for those who are unable to review these settings carefully. Millions of users have already been greeted with the new privacy tool and they either have made changes or ignored it and moved on to using the site the way they always have, unaware of the consequences of the changes that they have made.
Trend Micro, another security firm stated that the controversy over these change is a good sign. “I like that there is controversy about these settings. It shows people at least notice that there is something going on.”
For those who are concerned about their privacy and security, it is best that you get to read and understand the privacy guidelines on the site. To be on the safer side, place your private photos, information and connection somewhere else.
Sally Falkow and Experts Gather to Discuss Social Media in 2010
Sally Falkow, Bulldog Reporter’s social media columnist and PRSA National Capital Chapter and PRESSfeed teams up to gather social media experts and anyone who is interested in the ever expanding world of social media in Pasadena, California on December 1, 2009 for a special professional development workshop in order to determine what is in store for social media in the coming year 2010.
There is no doubt that social media activity has skyrocketed over the past years. Today over 80% of internet users are sharing content and going online. Since people are now adopting social media, companies and businesses have migrated to the online world as well. Almost every major brand name now has their own Facebook page, Twitter feed and YouTube channel.
If you are in to social marketing through social media it is recommended that you attend this workshop. This is not just another panel session that would give you only theoretical overviews. The workshop is a practical how-to session with a case study that illustrates the best social media strategy that you can surely use.
You will be getting specific information about the right influencers, results for measurement, example of how to add a social media press release and how you can use a social media newsroom to increase your online coverage.
Sally Falkow is one of the two finalists nominated by PR News as PR Trainer of the Year and has hosted the Social Media Club. She has taught over more than 300 corporations how to plan and implement a social media strategy. She is currently the president and chief strategist at Expansion Plus, an Internet marketing and PR agency that is based in Los Angeles. If you need the best social media tips and advice then she is the person that you should listen to.
Make the most out of Social Media
Using social media is the best way to promote your business brands. And with the explosive growth of social media, it is no wonder that a lot of companies are using social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook.
A lot of marketers are now using social media and the numbers keep on growing. But these companies must understand how to employ effective methods and tactics in order to make the most of using a social media platform.
Remember that setting up an account is not enough. What is important is that there is participation and interaction among you and your audience. If none of this is happening then you are wasting your time. If you commit to making an account on a social networking site then you must be able to stay visible and active to your audience by doing regular updates. Keep them interested by constantly giving them useful information that is at the same time relevant to your brand.
Be humane. When people go to your account do not slap your company’s logo everywhere. Post a face to your profile, have a person’s name and have a good description. Make it more personal. Without doing so, people might think that you are becoming too self promotional. This could instantly make them lose interest because they will be thinking that you will just be pushing your products on them. It is ok to promote something but it should not be the main focus of your account.
You must be able to engage with your audience. Try to start conversations by posting articles, videos and links that is relevant to your business. You should also comment on other people’s sites or pages so that they can check your own site as well. Having a social networking account is also a great way to listen to your customers and potential clients. By interacting with them, you get to harness trust and loyalty from them as well.
Aside from making use of social networking sites, you can also set up a blog. It is actually a great place to start employing social marketing strategies and you can set up links going to your blog from your profiles. Your blog can be your home base wherein you can directly promote your products to entertain those audiences who are interested and want to know more about your business and the services you have to offer
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