Posts Tagged ‘social media’

Aug

You don’t do “Social Media Marketing”, You ARE Social Media Marketing!

Posted by: Judith in Musings | Blog, Online Business, Online Marketing

It’s what the Internet has always been — social. That’s why the Web has evolved over one short decade to the become the life changing behemoth it is today.

Let’s define social:

so·cial [soh-shuhl] –adjective
1. pertaining to, devoted to, or characterized by friendly companionship or relations: a social club.
2. seeking or enjoying the companionship of others; friendly; sociable; gregarious.
3. of, pertaining to, connected with, or suited to polite or fashionable society: a social event.

Note some of the words used to describe social — devoted to, companionship, social club, connected with. These terms tell anyone serious about social marketing how they must think so they can be considered part of social marketing. You don’t do social marketing — you are social marketing!

Social media marketing takes time and focus. You need to be involved, participate, share and react — or it isn’t “social” media marketing. For me, the Web has had this social aspect from the start. I’ve realized and embraced this advantage every chance I get by making connections, being involved, sharing information and expertise, being available and approachable — being social! Social media being the buzz word du jour, is just a more focused segmented version of where we started in the early 1990s and a natural evolution.

So for those that were not involved before (and continue to convince themselves they can still succeed without being social), this is a critical time for them to realize that how they have chosen to use technology up until now, has simply been an excuse to not embrace the very fiber of what makes the online world tick.

One of the things I see my clients struggle with most is understanding the participation factor that makes or breaks any online program. The majority are simply more comfortable and accepting of the passive “brochureware” mentality where site visitors come by (if they even get found) and fill out a form with their questions. Some answer these inquiries faster, in more detail and more professionally than others. But that’s the limit of their involvement. They rely on organic rankings while making no efforts to positively effect those rankings. Again, wanting it all with no involvement and by taking no action.

Few are proactive, very few are truly immersed, and those who solicit their customer’s input or offer a venue to submit commentary, engage in conversations or ask questions publicly are negligible. Rather than being involved — most choose to impersonate a billboard in the middle of a long stretch of deserted highway.

So how do you have to think, today, at this point in time when approaching social media marketing? You have to become your best marketing tool — yes, you! Here are excerpts from an article I recently read that gives a solid train of thought for those who are willing to take their participation in technology to the next level:

Be useful. The best advertising is no longer a message that an advertiser wants to “get out there.” The “new” best advertising is something that is useful to the target customers, which ideally also communicates the value of the product or service being advertised.
Make a social media commitment. Advertising used to be about campaigns that started and ended. Social media is not a campaign, but a continuous commitment — because it takes time for a community and trust to build.
Read and react in real time. For the first time in history, the two-way nature of the mass medium known as “digital” means advertisers not only can, but must, read and react to customers’ feedback or input.

These 3 tips are what marketing online, which at this point is pretty much all social (how social you are can and does effect your organic rankings), is all about. Here’s the full article: A Different Perspective On Social Media Marketing.

If you have your business online, you need to realize that if your competitors take advantage of technology, are social, are involved, are blogging, are using all the tools available to them to connect with their markets, the less chance you have of being viewed as relevant.

At your service,
Judith

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Jul

Thankful for the Evolving Web

Posted by: Judith in Blogs & Blogging, Musings | Blog, Online Business, Online Marketing

At this point in time, in history, I am reminded about how excited I was about technology over 13 years ago when I opened the first little Internet Studio in a sleepy town on the Illinois/Wisconsin border. Much has happened since then. That sleepy town became congested and crazy, technology has evolved at a pace most cannot keep up with and I moved off the grid to a plot of land in Mississippi. So my life has always been about embracing change. And thankfully so.

Yesterday, while on the way to an appointment with an associate, I had an epiphany. Out of my mouth came “…thank goodness for Web 2.0, 3.0 or whatever version we’re on and for Blogging and social media or I probably wouldn’t be doing this any longer.” I had never thought that before but out it came. I went on to explain how since Blogging really began kicking in several years ago, I renewed my enthusiasm and excitement for technology all over again. Once again potential and opportunity was hitting me right between the eyes!

I’ve always loved writing and the communication aspect of interactive technology was what had inspired me. With that said, having a static HTML site, adding static pages and developing static HTML Web sites had become boring. Not just boring; I had become disinterested. And when you are disinterested you don’t do as good of a job as you should.

Technology has moved on beyond the static brochureware gratuitous attempt that having a real Web presence requires. eCommerce is now so much more than slapping up some fuzzy photos and generic descriptions thinking one is on the path to riches. This gig has always evolved and thankfully, continues to do so, at what is at times a frightening pace. Unfortunately, many participants are still kicking and fighting to hold on to the past and what used to be exciting that simply no longer is.

With the advent of this latest evolution, I found that more times than not I was being asked to cater backwards instead of helping onliners keep up and move forward. It was totally cramping my style. Now, regardless of the presumption “the customer is always right” I’m just not going to play that game and defer to those who want to remain in the past. Doing so would be an injustice because the more they stay behind and the less they embrace, the more their chances of enjoying any level of ROI decrease exponentially.

So I am firmly planted in the now and am going to take as many onliners with me who are up to the challenge and willing to accept whatever is around the next corner. Those who remain in the past, well, they may feel I am no longer willing to assist when in fact my “XXXX or get off the pot” speech (a phrase my Father was known for saying) is genuinely, sincerely given with their best interests at heart.

Now, I find I don’t have enough time in the day to “play” on all the sites I have profiles on - I’m like a kid in a candy store again! WordPress and Blogging has allowed me to easily manage my passion — writing about what folks need to know and do to succeed online — while tapping into onliners who are interested in the same but we probably would never have crossed paths. Not that I didn’t write before, but without all the social networking and media tools available today, my writings were just a bunch of articles on one of many HTML sites clogging the search engines.

And, with the added benefit of folks expecting, almost demanding a personality be shown on Blogs — well let’s just say that’s one thing I’ve got more than enough to go around. But too much “personality” on a business HTML site tended to make you come off as a rebel or someone with an “attitude.” Now if you can’t write from a point of knowledge and experience with a dash of personality — you don’t stand out — you are a lemming not a leader.

How can anyone online today, not be bursting at the seems over all the potential and opportunity the current environment offers?!

At your service,
Judith

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Jun

Social Media Attains Critical Mass

Posted by: Judith in Blogs & Blogging, Musings | Blog, Online Business, Online Marketing, SEO | SEM

If you’ve been resisting the Social Media wave, a recent study reflects you can no longer ignore the writing on the wall. Check out these latest stats:

More than half of adults now relying on at least one of these so-called Web 2.0 platforms for communicating with friends, family, or colleagues on a regular basis.
it is clear that a fundamental shift has taken place in all of our lives about what it means to communicate in the 21st Century.
The percentage of U.S. adults who said they now rely on instant messaging, for example, rose to 22% this year from just 9% in 2007.
One out of 10 U.S. adults now publish blogs, up from just 5% a year ago.
The percentage of Americans of all demographic groups who say they now read a blog everyday soared between 2007 and 2008.

You can read the full overview below:

OMG! UM Finds Web 2.0 Breeding Consumers 2.0, Social Media Attains Critical Mass

Then, come back here and review my post on 25 Social Media & Networking Sites for you to get involved at and get to it!

At your service,
Judith

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"Choice of attention - to pay attention to this and ignore that - is to the inner life what choice of action is to the outer. In both cases, a man is responsible for his choice and must accept the consequences, whatever they may be."
~ W.H. Auden