The longer I work in social media, the more I realize that the biggest danger for a social media marketer isn’t proving ROI, anticipating Facebook algorithm changes or even dealing with Twitter trolls — it’s the dreaded Social Media Timesuck. You’re probably familiar with it. It’s what happens when you go to Facebook just to […]
The beauty of a brand new year is the fresh start it provides — the idea that you can shake off all the past mistakes, assumptions and misunderstandings and start with a clean slate. It’s also a great time to get rid of a bad habit, like smoking or swearing. We could stand a little […]
What’s the one thing that makes social media marketing different from all other kinds of marketing? Social media marketing is the only kind that invites a conversation. It creates an opportunity to speak directly to customers and potential customers, right where they are. By now, most of us who work in social media know how […]
Now that there’s only a smidgen left of 2013, it’s fair to say that the year wasn’t a giant win for social media marketers — at least in terms of public perception. Up until recently, brands have been clamoring to shore up a social media staff and extol the business-saving virtues of Twitter, Facebook and […]
Have you ever noticed that all the social media experts who tell you not to worry about fans and followers usually already have plenty of both? It’s great to have smart, long-term social media goals like traffic back to your website and even conversions. But we all have to start somewhere. And sometimes, where you’re […]
Social media managers talk a lot about being ready for a social media crisis, but there’s not much discussion about preparing for regular old bad news. Sometimes you have to raise prices, close a branch, discontinue a product or deliver some other unsavory announcement. You know your fans and customers aren’t going to like it […]
I’m a Facebook fan of at least 20 local attractions, shops and restaurants that I’ve never visited. The neighborhood antique store where I’ve been meaning to drop in. The city tour I always think I’ll take one day. The dozen or so foodie-approved eateries that I’ve got on my short list. I’m a potential customer […]
There’s no real guidebook for a perfect social media marketing career – or at least I haven’t found one yet. There’s no quiz you can take to make sure you’re covering all your bases, engaging your audience, timing everything perfectly and — on top of it all — delivering amazing ROI. In fact, the most […]
The buzz around startup culture lately is all about “minimum viable product.” It’s the idea of creating a product as quickly as possible — in its most minimum viable form — so you can then make it better by adapting it to what your customers really want. It makes sense as a way to build […]
Smart social media marketers know that some tactics are totally off the table. Spamming that Google Plus community with your off-topic links? That’s a no-no. Auto-DMs to new Twitter followers? No way. Then there are tactics that aren’t inherently bad, but you may not want to use them every day. Like pop-up ads, advertising jingles […]
As a wise statesman rocker once sang, the waiting is the hardest part. These days, that applies to Facebook marketing, too. We’ve seen a preview of what Facebook’s Graph Search and new newsfeed will bring. Now, all that’s left to do is wait. But, while we’re speculating, pontificating and – well, waiting – here are […]
She wasn’t a marketer. She didn’t optimize that infamous post on Facebook, or time it based on social media studies. Heck, she didn’t even spell all its words right. She just knew Elton would die if she didn’t get the word out, and that was enough. Late last month, a Jackson, TN, woman who runs […]
You can’t help but feel that little rush of jealousy when you see a just-average piece of content getting tons of shares, likes and tweets. What’s that post got that yours doesn’t? Your content is stellar, your infographics perfectly designed. So why aren’t more people sharing them? The secret of getting your content shared by […]
I’ve been thinking a lot about empathy lately. Maybe you have, too. By its very definition, empathy involves connecting with others to understand how they feel. And we’ve never been more connected. With Skype and Hangouts, social media and instant messaging, friends and family are never far away. Making a new connection is as easy […]
Sometimes the difference between just OK and truly remarkable is really, really small. Like the mint on your pillow at a great hotel or the smiley face your friendly waitress draws on your receipt; little things can make a big difference. The same is true in social media as well. The more that social media […]
“There are things we know that we know. There are things that we know we don’t know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we do not know we don’t know.” When I read this (slightly paraphrased) quote from Donald Rumsfeld back when it was first said in 2002, it sounded like total […]
Three embarrassing things about me: I recently discovered I’ve been using the word nonplussed wrong my whole life; I listen to Journey without an ounce of irony; and once, in San Francisco, I needed help to figure out how to turn on the sink in a women’s restroom. Whew, that felt good. And if my […]
The 2012 NFL season is now underway, so let’s take a moment to consider football’s biggest and most unsung hero: the superfan. On game day, superfans don’t just show up. They’re the ones tailgating at dawn, starting the wave and convincing all their friends to show up and cheer, too. Not many of us would […]
You’re doing everything right in social media marketing: you’ve got buy-in from bosses, a strategy for success, ROI all figured out. But if you don’t have a brand voice, you’ll never get from mediocre to amazing. Creating a strong, consistent voice is the key to building a real relationship with your audience. Whether you’re B2C […]
By now, we’ve all heard about Twitter’s little break-up with LinkedIn – and discovered the consequence in our now tweet-free LinkedIn timelines. As social media marketers, this adds a new wrinkle to our already hectic days of trying to juggle multiple social media channels. LinkedIn may not be the sexiest social network, but it’s still […]
“How do I get my Facebook fans to participate more on our page?” It’s one of the biggest questions — and toughest to answer — when it comes to social media engagement. For many businesses, Facebook is the number one site for building a community and engaging fans. With its 900 million active users, the potential […]
Ever ended a workday and thought: “Whoa, what just happened?” Social media goes by pretty fast. But if part of your job is social media monitoring, you need to make sure you don’t miss anything. That might include keeping an eye on competitors, tracking conversation around your industry and nurturing and following up with leads. […]
If social media is a cocktail party, then all the great gossip, funny stories and interesting tidbits you hear at that party are the kinds of content we’re all striving to create. People share information online for the same reasons they share in real life. The good news? That makes us all experts in creating […]
As Pinterest grows into a top 30 US website, brands are joining the image-sharing social network by the boatload. But not all Pinterest strategies are created equal. A new medium requires some creativity, so I set out to find some of the most creative uses of Pinterest out there today. If you’re planning your own […]
When you’re determining social media ROI, sometimes you’ve got to get your hands dirty. With data, of course. Specifically, let’s talk about campaign variables. It’s an off-puttingly science-y name for a concept that’s really pretty simple: Tagging all the links you send out via social media channels to keep track of how they’re doing. The […]
A lot has been written about Google’s awkwardly named Search Plus Your World (SPYW) and what it means for SEO. But there’s plenty to consider for social media marketers, too. Google’s been getting personal in your search for a while, but SPYW brings in a few new elements: personal results, straight from your Google+ network onto […]
How many Facebook/Twitter/G+ checks, new tab opens and email refreshes will you perform today? In the next 30 minutes? In the time it takes you to read this? Growing evidence shows that social media, among other Internet-age phenomena, is actually rewiring our brains, creating shorter attention spans than ever before. Depending on what you believe, […]