Social Media

  • Effects on social media and what you can learn in 30 days of blogging

    This is day 30 of my 30-day blog challenge! Read day 29: “Staying creative as a maker” The baseline of a 30-day blog challenge   I started this 30-day spurt as a self-challenge, inspired by my friend Sara Crawford. I wanted to further experiment with how often a brand, business or individual should post for best results with branding. My first post was created hastily, as were many of the blogs I wrote over the last 30 days. My point wasn’t necessarily to strive for perfect content, but rather consistency.   At baseline, in my post “What 30 days of blogging can do for your career,” I noted that I…

  • Click to apply to be a Hootsuite Ambassador!

    What I love about HootSuite for social media management

    This is day 21 of 20-day blog challenge. Read day 20: “Will home-schooling breed hermits?”   I had heard about HootSuite a long while before I got a chance to really dig into it. I knew HootSuite was a leader in social media, and I watched as people like John Petrucci published posts and tweets via HootSuite. I finally gained access not only to the Pro level of HootSuite’s social media dashboard but also to HootSuite University, during a social media marketing course at Kennesaw State University (with instructor Tyra Burton who offers a very similar social media marketing certificate to anyone through the online continuing education college). I earned…

  • you got other mail

    One quick tip for using Facebook for business

    Day 18 of 30-day blog challenge. Read day 17: “Keyword research”   Today’s blog will be short, simple and sweet. Apparently more people than I would have otherwise realized do NOT know about the “other” inbox on Facebook. Most of the people who do freelance or some form of independent business–even if it is just supplementing a main source of income, use Facebook to network. Not everyone even bothers with an official Facebook Page for business (and honestly, depending on your business I don’t necessarily recommend a Page because of Facebook’s algorithm changes that make reach almost impossible).   Be aware of the ‘other’ inbox   My one simple piece…

  • are you dedicated to Twitter

    Using dedicated hashtags on Twitter

    This is day 15 of 30-day blog challenge. Read day 14: “Inspirations to keep going”     Using a dedicated hashtag Most Twitter users know by now what a hashtag is, but many seem to use the tool as a joke instead of as a way to search, connect and position. I like the idea of a positioning statement or a slogan that instantly places your product or services in your consumer’s mind. What I like about it is the possibility to make a genuine impact. A dedicated hashtag is an opportunity to position a brand, product or service in others’ minds, but you have to stay sincere. I try…

  • create a strong social strategy

    The simple truth about social media strategy is no secret

      Day 13 of 30-day blog challenge. Read day 12, “Bread, Milk and Eggs in a Snowstorm”     Everyone with a business knows that Facebook and Twitter are essential “tools” for online marketing, but the secret to social media really isn’t a secret. No one–no matter how much anyone promises to deliver results for large sums of money–can develop an overnight solution to capitalizing on social media. Time is money and social media isn’t really free. Paying for Facebook likes or Twitter followers can damage your efforts by diluting your audience, effectively lessening your engagement.   Facebook advertising: don’t pay for likes. Ever Here’s a great video on how…

  • could being a L.I.O.N. hurt your career?

    LinkedIn Open Networkers: marketing mistake

      Day 11 of 30-day blog challenge. Read day 10 “Controlling creativity: 5 tips to managing inspiration”     I’ve made a more concerted effort lately to use my LinkedIn account for networking, and as a place to engage with others in my industry (I join groups about marketing, social media and journalism. I’m a top contributor in a group called Brand Journalism). And while I’ve had the account for a few years, I haven’t added just anyone.   Over the years I’ve accumulated more than 500 connections, but I’ve been cautious to only add people in my local area as well as people who work in the same fields…

  • How well do you know your friends?

    Social media limit secret: you only have 150 connections

      Day 9 of 30-day blog challenge: read day 8 – “Why Google Plus is No Joke”     We all know the importance of human connection and a sense of community, but many of us may not know that Robin Dunbar claims 150 is the magic number when it comes to just how many people we can maintain a meaningful connection to. Or, at least Dunbar means our biological programming has us naturally grouping in communities of about 150.   I read an article by Chris Street, “I Culled Half My Facebook Friends…,” where Street made the point about quality over quantity even in the face of our psychological…

  • social media google plus

    Stop laughing: Google Plus now has 1 billion users

    Day 8 of 30-day blog challenge. Read day 7 post: “10 ways to improve social media marketing overnight”   First off, if the infographic above bothers you because Pinterest and Instagram aren’t in order along the bottom, know that I didn’t create this graphic. Now, if the infographic bothers you because you thought you didn’t need to worry about putting your business on Google Plus, I understand. Since the evolution of Web 2.0 into a true two-way street, businesses and people have been trying to figure out how to act online and how best to engage. Marketers know that one-way, static web pages that block user comments only send feedback…

  • social media marketing

    10 ways to improve your social media marketing overnight

      This is day 7 of my 30-day blog challenge. Read day 6: “Abandoned Addiction”     Your business needs more than a Facebook Page to be active in social media marketing, and it certainly needs someone more experienced with setting up marketing strategy than your Millennial neighbor. Just as you need a plan for your business, you need a strategy for reaching your potential clients and consumers.   Marketing for the sake of marketing accomplishes little, so if you don’t know where to begin with setting up social media, here are a few tips that you can put into action immediately:   1. Have a plan and set S.M.A.R.T.…

  • My social media resolutions for 2014

        Let’s go ahead and admit that social media has the tendency to lock us in a holding pattern, where  creativity burns out with each minute spent scrolling that we should be writing or creating our own art.  In thinking back on the things I’ve shared and why, I’ve come to these resolutions about how I will personally use social media in 2014:   I will share for the benefit of others   This means that when I post, I hope to post something of genuine value. Like the proverbial mother who always said, “If you don’t have something worthwhile to say, shut up.” Practicing this one overarching goal…