Let's quit bantering over the semantics & get real with people. Authenticity is a word being over used in social circles. Does it begin to lose meaning to some? Absolutely. However, just because we may be tired of the word "authenticity" does it change the importance and ability to embrace, desire and appreciate real relationships both online and offline? Absolutely not.
Many social savvy business leaders and marketers have integrated social media into their DNA. We know how to tweet with one hand, check into Foursquare in a split second & post a photo to Facebook without missing an run on the rugrats baseball field. Regardless of where you are with social media, there is one fact you need to understand. There is a conversation happening in your honor right now. The question is are you part of it?
So you work hard to connect with your audience. You know what they like. You know what they need. You blog and your fans love your content. They want to share it with their friends, family and pets. Bottom line your content rocks and you know it. However, this scenario has one issue. Although your content is getting read and your metrics are out the roof, it's not getting shared. The shares to Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter are dismal at best. You just can't figure it out. You wonder for a brief second if maybe your audience isn't on social media. However, you quickly come to your wits as you know they are.
So you got me to click the "like" button. I may have been excited, simply curious or half asleep when I clicked like. I may or may not virtually run to my Facebook wall to remove the automated Facebook post that tells the world I clicked LIKE on your page. If your lucky I will leave it there. I admit I delete at least 50% of them! Will I ever visit your page again? What are you going to do to inspire me beyond the like? The even bigger question is do you care about me after I click "like"? Or are you in it just for the numbers? Did you know that on average 95% of people who click "like" never visit the Facebook page again? Given these statistics you better give a hoot about me after the like. Otherwise it's all for nothin'!
Where are you in the adoption of social media? Are you a believer? A non-believer? Have you integrated it into your business? Are you open to new ideas, new ways of doing business? Or do you throw up the hand and pretend as if your current methods are working? Some business leaders are doing better than others as they struggle with the question of "do I or do I not take the time to figure out if social media is right for my business?" Are you being honest with where you as a person, business leader and as a company are with adoption of social media?
Do you dream about the perfect social media plan? The perfect social media template? Many business leaders wanting to get social dream about it. They think they need it. The social media magic template. The one that includes the perfect strategy, tactics and themselves as the social hero of their company and social superstar of their market niche! The question is does the perfect social media template or strategy for your business exist? A perfect strategy or template, well probably not! A good template and structure, yes!
Granny has been busy since she last stopped by. She's been tweetin' and learning about online relationships. She dropped by recently to share some updated words of advice regardless if we want to hear them or not. Check out Granny's 40 Tips for Good Social Relationships.
So, you inspired me to click a link somewhere on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Quora, or who knows what platform. For the sake of this post we're going to assume your link takes me to your website. "WHOOAA" I exclaim as I tweet out of site. Your website looks nothing like your social media platforms, your tweets or the person you're proclaiming to be in the world of social media. Within a few seconds, chances are you have 95% lost me. Chances are I will probably move on to more inspiring social pastures unless something grabs my attention to give you one more chance.
For the Chamber of Commerce organization it's no longer "how am I going to afford to get online?" Instead their question should be "what am I NOT going to do so that I can afford to integrate social media into my business?" Local networking meetings are being replaced by Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn groups, MasterMinds filled with people you meet online, sales funnels, automated nurturing programs leveraging technologies such as Infusionsoft, Campaign Monitor & Constant Contact. The issue is the majority of Chamber organizations aren't doing these things themselves. If they don't understand the technologies and art of using such how can they connect with their members and potential target future members online?
Let me hear it... "I am a CEO and I am not afraid to tweet! I am not afraid of a blue bird. I do NOT have to share what I eat for lunch every day!" You know who you are. You don't dream of sweet little blue birds who will bring you positive ROI or make your phone ring with qualified leads. You have nightmares instead about a crazy ROI eating bluebird with fiery red eyes who want to grab every waking moment of your Marketing VP, Customer Service VP and even Sales leadership. You wake up in hot sweats after a dream of walking into the shareholders meeting and everyone laughing about the photo that had 2200 views on TwitPic of you at the neighborhood Christmas party last year.
So you think you can brand like the wild west cowboys use to brand their livestock? If you answer yes, then here is your chance to prove it! One of my clients is a serial entrepreneur and recently acquired an airline, LocAir. So what does that have to do with you thinking you can brand and being able to prove it? Hold on to your bootstraps cowboy, I'll get there ;) There are special prizes for the winners including a FREE Bahama Vacation, Social Media Makeover and even $100 gift certificate to Bonefish Grill for the 3rd prize winner. It's not that hard. Just come up with a name. A name that will inspire, connect with audiences. A name that will look cool on the side of a plane.
So you have a Facebook business page, a LinkedIn profile, a blog, and maybe even a professional photo taken for your custom twitter background. However, something about that crazy bird and all those 140 character yappin' peeps freaks you out. You want to be part of the conversation yet you aren't certain how to start or what to say! To this point you have made the choice to sit on the sidelines. Though when you lay your head down on the pillow at night you can hear the little bird saying "come on, tweet with me, you can do it!"
So you are a self proclaimed social media expert, guru, community manager, analyst or anything with the word social media in front of it. You have been doing social media for at least a year. You are doing all the right things. You have followers. You have likes. However, nobody talks to you about business, reads your blog and your phone is definitely not ringing with leads wanting to buy from you.
I recently wrote an article regarding my experience with Apple. To summarize, my point was that Apple provides a full yet simple brand experience. They inspire us to be inspired. As I walked into Target a few days ago with no kids, husband or deadlines I couldn't help but give a big "sigh" of peace. You know the ones I am talking about moms! There is something about grabbing that red buggy and heading down the Target aisle that fills inner red and white mommy zone?
Listen up folks! It's time for conversations, relationships, Twitter chats, ...
Facebook added the ability to convert your Personal Profile Page to a business page. The business pages use to be called "Fan Pages." Although Facebook has officially changed the name, many of us still refer to them as Fan Pages. This is great news for people who incorrectly setup a personal page as a business page. Setting up and maintaining a profile for anything other than an individual person is a violation of Facebook's Statement of Rights & Responsibilities. If you don't convert your profile to a page you will run the risk of permanently losing access to the profile and all of the associated content.
Social media is free, right? Simply sign up for Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn. Enter some data for your profile, add a photo for your avatar, dump your email contacts and find connections and you're set. All you have to do now is tweet, Facebook and you'll be popular online and increase revenue 1000% because you're "doing social media." I see many business leaders frustrated they aren't seeing any return on their investment on social media. Usually when you do the "double click" to find out why the majority of them aren't seeing results you find they lack goals, objectives, a plan, or forecasted return on investment (ROI) of any kind. For those of us who work in marketing and social media it's time we start eating ROI for breakfast. It's time we teach our clients, colleagues and business partners to do the same.
We all know there is no shortage of websites. For years business leaders have been building them. They spend loads of money. They put a task force in place to ensure the website rocks and can impress shareholders. The executives and marketing team dream of their beautiful website that will bring them lots of customers. You know, "that website, the one everyone will love". They dream of email opt-ins, increased hits on their website and fancy reports they can show off to any and all stakeholders who will lend an ear.
When it comes to experiential brand and marketing, you either ...
It's time for the next social media and marketing event. You pack your bag, charge your iphone or Android, grab the iPad, and your new business cards with the QRC code on the back. You're off, you're ready and before you get to the airport your twitter followers know where you are going, what the hashtag is and what you're excited to see and do when you get there. You tweet your fellow attendees to plan your first face to face get together. You've already planned the first tweetup that by the way use to be called "Happy Hour".
