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Facebook-Email
Today, I got a message on Facebook from someone that wanted to use my services. Actually, I got an email on Facebook, then got a message to make sure to check my Facebook email. Only problem is – I don’t check my Facebook as much as I do email. It begs the question: do I need to be more attentive to my Facebook email over regular email? Will I miss an important message because they sent it via the social network?
I know what you’re thinking when I say email – junk, junk, junk, junk, nigerian email scam, junk, junk… But for me, email is my primary communication in this online world. The best part about email is I can keep important messages in one spot. Most people now have a email account, so contacting someone is not a problem.
But now with Social Network Direct Messaging – or as Facebook likes to believe “Facebook Email”, you can message someone in the social network over your conventional email. It does have advantage, like not having to know their email address. But is it a secure way to do business?
I get really concerned when it comes to conducting business over Facebook email. Not as much privacy (even though that is a big issue), more of the fact that I might forget about their email, or worse, if you need to pull that information later in life, will you find it?
Facebook is now on the kick of holding everything you can throw at it. If you post something in Facebook, expect it to stay in Facebook for years to come.
Connecting with someone on Facebook, or even LinkedIn is a great idea. It can even give you contact details that you can use to connect with this person. It’s always a good idea to make sure those details are populated so a person can get a hold of you.
Questions on this article? Feel free to twitter me @geekazine or email me directly at geekazine@gmail.com.Jeffrey Powers is a Content Creator, Videographer and Trainer over at Geekazine.com. He has been working in social media for over 5 years. He is also an IT Administrator for over 15 years and a Madison native. |
Cleanup You Website
This month is National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo). This is where you get a little more serious about your blog and put up content for the month. We at Social Media Club Madison are trying to do the same. But it’s not only about posting new blogs, it’s about realizing the blogs that keep people coming back and improving on them.
Yes. You can improve on an old blog post. I do it all the time. Just today, I was re-editing a post on Geekazine about Blockbuster. If something changes, or if a small addition is needed that doesn’t need a new post, then I’ll clean up my old posts and add content.
Watch your Stats for Trends
The first thing I do is go into my stats pages and see what people are reading on my website. If you do not have a stats page on your blog, you should really get one. I suggest JetPack for WordPress.
There are 3rd party site programs for those who are on other content management systems. Something like Woopra will give you an idea who’s coming to your site, where they are from and what pages they visit.
Read and Correct
I am not an English major. I make grammatical mistakes all the time. However, when I re-visit a post, I can see it with “fresh eyes”.
I like to read the post aloud. When I stumble on a point, I review it. If I see redundancy in the post (ex: if you see “…that the…” in your writing, you have redundancy. Take out one or the other. It will depend on the situation of which one, however, you will not need both.), I remove it.
A new reader will not know I had mistakes on my site for so many months (or even years). I can also add SEO and other links as they become relevant.
Turn Spellcheck into a Learning Tool.
Here’s a little trick: If you get a word you misspelled, don’t rely on the computer spellcheck right away. Delete the word and re-spell it. Try it a few times, then when you are stumped, let the spell checker do it’s magic. You might find that your spelling will start to improve because of your attentiveness to the words.
Adding Content – Adding Edit notes
Some people will add a footnote saying something was edited after the post was published. This is a great idea if there was a correction. It’s even better if someone calls it out and you correct, referencing that person’s Twitter, Website or Facebook profile. You never know if someone will re-tweet an article if their name shows up as an editor.
You never know when an old post can become new again. I have had posts re-surface because of a news article, or a special on a product (in which they read the review I put out months ago). Cleaning up the post grows your SEO and could gain fans to your site. It’s not cheating – it’s rectifying a situation.
 Jeffrey Powers Questions on this article? Feel free to twitter me @geekazine or email me directly at geekazine@gmail.com.Jeffrey Powers is a Video Content Creator, and Social Media Life Coach at Geekazine.com. He has been working in social media for over 5 years. He is also an IT Administrator for over 15 years and a Madison native. |
Online-Community-Manager
In this day and age, you might be hearing of this job title creeping into job roles. Although the “Online Community Manager” has been around for years, it is now needed by any business that has content online and wants interaction. From Facebook pages to iPhone applications, the Online Community Manger is your ambassador to the customers and developers.
What is an Online Community Manager?
Online Community Managers have been around since the days of the BBS. Their job was to watch and interact with the boards. They would look for threads that pertain to their business, then open up communication and hopefully gain a customer. The job has changed since those days, but the basic idea applies; gain fans and customers, then show how this creates a Return On Investment (ROI).
They find new ways to connect with people. A YouTube video, an online chat. Meetups, mixers, video chats, and more. They get creative to bring your companies name to the forefront, and possibly noticed by standard media like radio or TV.
Do you Need an Online Community Manager?
If you just have a Facebook or Twitter page and someone updates it regularly, and that is the only thing you want out of it, then you might not want an OCM. However, if you want to get interaction, gain awareness, build a rapport, and increase fans, then you might need the community manager.
Think of a OCM as a promoter to a band. When the promoter books a band in a venue, they need to get the word out to the fans, or the soon-to-be fans. They create and put up posters, get advertising set up and talk to the TV and radio stations for support. They might even contact other “Sponsors” to help them increase the word. In addition, they could get together contests or other promotions (like 2 for 1 deals) where people can win tickets or other swag.
An OCM does the same thing. They put together plans to increase interaction with the customers you want to reach. They also field questions and relay problems to teams that can fix said problems.
An OCM would bring ideas to the table – like driving up Twitter fans through running a contest. Maybe put something on Facebook (a picture or event) to elicit response. Once approved upon, they run the event. Finally, at the end of the event, the OCM will gauge the market to see how much increased response and retention was recieved.
The OCM also does a bit of help desk. For example, if you have a Facebook or iPhone game that has a glitch in it, the players would comment there is a problem. The OCM would then determine the severity of the issue and let the appropriate department know. Once fixed, the OCM would update people of the status. This doesn’t replace your help desk, but it can add to the customer support experience.
Finally, an OCM is a trainer or host to another trainer. For example, if you have a webinar, an OCM will most likely be the DM of this webinar. They would promote the online connections and then introduce the speakers, also shuttle questions and comments to the speaker.
What to Look for in an Online Community Manager?
To begin with, they have to know how to be online. They need to have a flair with what could bring response from the crowd. They have to work with online analytics to show their interaction.
The Online Community Manager has to be on top of the game. After all, they need to grow an organic customer fan base. It’s not an instant task, but if the OCM has the knowledge, they will create a consistent growth model for a company.
This role can really become a savior for companies. You never know who you get from the interactions created. It could be an investor looking for a new company to back. It could be a company that wants to sponsor or work with you. It could be a reporter that wants to talk to you and write an article. It could be a radio station that is going to give you a discount on your ads.
Then again, it could be a bunch of satisfied customers and friends with word of mouth. That could be the best advertising you ever did.
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Jeffrey Powers Questions on this article? Feel free to twitter me @geekazine or email me directly at geekazine@gmail.com.Jeffrey Powers is a Content Creator, Videographer and Trainer over at Geekazine.com. He has been working in social media for over 5 years. He is also an IT Administrator for over 15 years and a Madison native. |
I am a sad geek of a Fancy Lad, this is true.
A child-free work zone is offered at Zimbrick's Fish Hatchery Road location, thank the Social Media gods!
I admit that with no small shame as I sit in the thoughtfully designed waiting room at Zimbrick on Fish Hatchery Road here in Madison. This is a business that gets the true meaning of customer service – and they probably spend a good amount of cash to make sure I get it. And oh, I get it. From the free WIFI, the separate kid’s play area and arcade (separate being the key word), the complimentary cookies, coffee and soft drinks, capable customer service agents, I’m practically soaking in positive customer experience. I’m likely absorbing some form of Zimbrick Kool-Aid through the comfy work kiosk I’ve been so generously provided, and you know what? Bring it on. I love it here. It doesn’t hurt that Zimbrick’s social media team is on its game – after discovering Facebook access was blocked (I need it to do my job!) I sent out a tweet to Zimbrick and got a speedy response from Zimbrick Fish Hatchery’s Twitter account – that’s exactly the type of social media customer service I expect and demand as a customer.
Bottom line? No other shop is touching my Element: Zimbrick has my business. Why? They make this car stuff easy. No matter where I take the thing, I’ve got to open my wallet, so why not go to Zimbrick, where they make it easy? And since they’re nailing the whole customer service thing, I bet they’re all over my car issues too. I bet if something went wrong with it they’d have my back too. That’s a pretty neat feeling.
A pretty neat feeling that turns into a pretty valuable third-party endorsement thanks to the power of social media, no? After all, if just one of you is thinking, “Damn, next time I’m going to Zimbrick!” then they’ve come out on top. I have too as I want to help Zimbrick succeed. Why? Because they get it and I like supporting businesses that get it – they make other businesses get it and that makes all our lives easier. I also couldn’t resist adding Zimbrick Honda to Gowalla – and I dropped a virtual espresso maker just in case anyone wants it! Now Zimbrick Honda will show up on Gowalla searches, that’s pretty cool. At the end of the day, this is some endorsement for Zimbrick – and I’m not getting a dime out of it. Sure, I’d love to partner with ‘em to get some super cool car-based giveaway going with the Social Media Club of Madison gang, but if nothing comes of it I’ll still be bringing the ol’ Element in for service here – and at the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about. New brake pads? Bring ‘em on!
But how sick is it that I get a true and genuine thrill out of connecting with local businesses through social media? Perhaps it’s the networker in me or my strong belief that customer service should rule the roost of any local business, but there’s obviously a reason I’m the Czar of Affiliate Partnerships for the Social Media Club of Madison – I’m passionate about helping local businesses connect through this new-fangled and often confusing technology. (Okay, the real reason I’m the Czar is probably because I was the only taker, lol!)
I had the opportunity to chat with local business leaders in Fitchburg this week as part of the Fitchburg Chamber’s Breakfast Before 9 series. A great group of business types from all walks of life, I truly enjoyed the opportunity to help a few social media Newbies and perhaps entertain a few social media Savvies with my cheeky social media song and dance. Which is kind of sad really, but true – I like helping people. Sometimes when you’re developing PR and Social strategies for a national product launch it’s easy to forget why public relations is attractive as a profession – it’s certainly not the glamour (the glamour – can you imagine?) or the unending churning out of press releases, heavens forefend. It’s about using my gift to communicate – yes, I said it – to help others who don’t have that gift, or don’t want to spend the time training themselves for a world of media rejection and endless grilled chicken luncheons.
That’s what I really want to do as a PR professional – help people. Make enough money to fund my outrageous addiction to gummi candy, and help people. Perhaps go to Paris again at some point too, that’d be pretty swell. But candy and international jet-setting aside, I really do want to help people. That’s why the Social Media Club of Madison is so perfect for me, I get the opportunity to help others in my local community– my fellow SMC members, our business partners, Madison’s social media movement, all pro-bono. That makes me feel kind of warm and fuzzy inside and I like it.
So how are you helping your community connect through social media? Is it telling your realtor about Yelp, convincing your local coffee shop to reward the Mayor with free coffee, or helping your dentist understand the benefits of Facebook Fan Pages? (That said, anyone know a good dentist for someone with dental anxiety? I’m in the market!) As a member of the Social Media Club of Madison, it’s practically your duty to help others grapple with this crazy world we call social media – so go and do people!
Caramelized Cacao Nib Wafers from Gail Ambrosius, coming to a Social Media Club swag bag near you!
As I write this post, I have bags under my eyes. Swag bags that is! Hope to see you at tonight’s Social Media Club gathering because I sure as heck don’t want to take ANY of this amazing Gail Ambrosius chocolate home and crush my Biggest Loser diet. The soap I’d keep – I’m pretty sure I won’t eat it. Although the Raspberry Mocha soap smells unbelievable and a precedent has been set – I did once eat a whole stick of Bonnie Bell Raspberry Lip gloss. (It was Big Bird’s fault! True story.)
But I digress! Today my social media aficionados, we’re learning all about that balance of art and science I alluded to in my last post. (You know, the one that won your heart a few weeks back? No? Well darling, same to you!) Yes, whether you know it yet or not, you’re now officially a mad scientist conducting perilous experiments to further your selfish goals. At the same time you’re a compelling artist, creating works of breathtaking beauty and awe for the betterment of mankind. How is such a dichotomous predicament possible? Because of social media of course!
First, let’s talk about your artistic side, your creative being. Regardless of your profession, whether you’re a lowly PR professional such as I, a mechanical engineer making sprockets on the east side, or a highly paid bus driver weaving among the streets of Sun Prairie, there’s an art to what you do. You might be a phenomenal writer, perhaps you’re an incredibly talented programmer, or in the case of the bus driver, you’re really good at taking tight turns in crowded city streets. That’s art. Nobody else can learn your talent from a book. This is the special sauce you bring to the table when you serve your employer a heaping helping of work – it’s why you still have your job. Do it long enough and you just might become a master of your craft. This is learned behavior honed over time, this is your craft.
Enter the science. In my profession – public relations – there wasn’t a whole lot of science involved forty years ago. Sure, you’d place phone calls and churn out press releases on the mimeograph, but the profession used to be more about the art of connecting and story telling and less about the technology used to spread the messages – but oh, times they have a changed. Now there are all these technological marvels we call tools that allow us PR types to bypass the media gatekeepers and go right to the customer with our messages, but using these tools takes skill. Understanding. Technical savvy and finesse. (Facebook doesn’t monitor itself you know!) The same is likely true in your profession. You used to do things one way, now all these new tools have come along, enabling you to do more of what you used to do – faster, cheaper and with more independence.
Fractals: The Art of Science
Sure, you can sit back and do things the old way. Social media innovations what? But here’s the problem: your competition is already embracing these newfangled technologies and is stealing your customers. (Oh yes, they are.) If that’s not enough for you, think of your job. You might be all set for now, but what happens when that young pup who “gets” technology comes sniffing around for your position? Bottom line: welcome to the new millennium, you’re going to need to understand technology. In fact, you’re going to want to become a scientist of sorts in your field, understanding how this technology works so you can make it work harder for you. You think anyone in Rome actually wanted to build the aqueducts? Hell no, it’s hard work and mining all that stone is certain to cause calluses and crow’s feet. But here’s the rub: once the Romans’ set up one working toilet, EVERYONE wanted one. (And frankly, who could blame them.) The same parallel can be drawn with social media – once the box has been opened, it’s open – and it’s up to you to achieve technological mastery to stay in the game. So get smart, become a scientist, learn stuff. Smart stuff.
Before you start building social media death cannons to crush all opposing messaging, pay heed: the art of your craft still applies. Even if you’re armed with the best new whizbangery in the world, if you start sucking at your art, you’re not going to succeed – it’s the foundation of your work, who you are as a professional. Nail the art as expected, get savvy with the science and you’ll be on the right track to professional success no matter what it is you do to pay the bills.
That’s all for this installment kids, hope to see you at tonight’s event!
We come from a variety of professional backgrounds and range in work experience from still-in-school to well-seasoned executives, yet we all have a passion for learning and helping others. That said, we each belong to a number of professional organizations important to our careers, but felt that there could be another group focused on what is not just an emerging trend, but also a proven method for helping us advance our work.
Our goals are to:
- Expand Social Media Literacy
- Share Lessons Learned Among Practitioners
- Encourage Adoption of Industry Standards and Ethical Practices
- Help Madison Move Forward
- …And Have Lots of Fun Doing All of the Above!
How will we do this? Stay tuned for information about our first event.
Meanwhile, I encourage you to become a member. We promise to provide enticing and relevant programming and blogging. Simply email Janie Winston, Network Administrator. Also follow us on Twitter at @MadisonSMC and friend us on Facebook.
Stay tuned for upcoming posts from nearly 20 bloggers.
Meanwhile, if you have any questions, feel free to contact me on Twitter @ InMadison.
- Marlena Deutsch, 2010 Chair
Stephan & Brady
