Think again my friend! I would consider myself fairly new to Pinterest, but already I've gathered a solid following, and I use it to find ideas to decorate my home, to plan my seasonal wardrobe, and to find ideas on what to cook for dinner.
Which, to you, probably sounds fun and great – but what does it have to do with marketing your business? A lot, actually.

What Is Pinterest?

Pinterest is a visual social media outlet. It allows users to upload photos into various categories, and also 'pin' other user's photos and organize them. The idea is to create a virtual bulletin board. For example, if you recently got engaged and wanted to look for ideas for your wedding, you could create a board called 'wedding ideas' and pin different pictures onto that board. (Below is a screenshot of some of the boards I have. I keep boards on fashion, food, travel, and things I'd like to have one day)

The trick is to follow, and be followed (like Twitter, and Facebook, and every other social media outlet). The more followers you have, and the more people you follow – the more photos you are exposed to. Depending on your purpose for using Pinterest, you'll have more opportunity to find great ideas and photos for your project, store, business, wedding, dinner, house… (I could keep going)

This being said – if you own a business or company, you can also use the boards and tactics on Pinterest to market your products / services. Photos are a great place to start when trying to draw attention to something specific.

Is My Business a Good Fit?

Your business will need to be visual. I.e. an aspect of your business you can share in a photo that will prompt consumers to dig deeper into your business. Retail businesses are prime candidates for marketing on Pinterest. However, you can be the judge of that! Maybe your business is not a good fit, but you have a special project you are working on that will allow you to share photos with users that may drive traffic to your website.

I'm a Good Fit. Now What?

Below I will outline how to use Pinterest as a social marketing tool using a specific example.

Example: Clothing Retail Store
You sell clothes. You sell to a specific demographic. You have access to a camera. You want to generate brand awareness, and more consumers (online / offline Pinterest can work for both)

1.Create an account under your business name. If you use your business name, consumers will start to recognize you both offline and online.
2.Play nice and pin other user's photos that are related to your business. Social media's purpose is to be social, and if you're constantly boasting about your own products-your following will fade, and you're less likely to attract other Pinners to pin (that's a mouthful!).
3.Post some of your own photos that are related to your business. Such as new styles that have arrived and are in store. Add your website's URL to your photo so users can link back to your website.
4.If you uploaded a photo that relates to your business, it's a good idea to add your business / company logo to your photo. That way, no matter how many times your photo has been pinned users know where it's from. (From a user's point of view – I find it frustrating when I see a photo of something I love, but I don't know where I can buy it) Adding your logo will make it easy for consumers to find you.
5.Create boards that are appealing to your demographic and business, and also neatly organized. This will make it simple for users to take a look various photos of exactly what they are looking for.
6.Use other user's photos to show ideas of what consumers can expect to see in the coming season (examples), or what's hot now. Maybe you don't have that exact item available but you're helping your consumer.
There are plenty of other ways you can use Pinterest as a marketing tool. People who pariticpate in social media are drawn to photos, it's very easy to draw attention to your business using photos, which is why Pinterest is so great.

But-what if…

I don't think my business is a good fit to market my products on Pinterest, but I still want to use it for my company

No problem. Not every business sells clothing, or home decor. If your products or services are not a good fit for marketing on Pinterest your company certainly is. Use Pinterest to show your clients, fans, users, or consumers what goes on at your company. Upload photos of your office environment, special events your company participated in, and so on. You still may draw some people to your website, and create some awareness. Wouldn't you love to see some behind the scene photos of a day-at-the-office at Facebook, or Google? I'd Pin that. (Did I just create a viral slogan?)

Test It:

Take advantage of the mass amounts of social media users out there, and apply some simple marketing skills to create brand awareness and traffic to your website.
Social media is often understood as a way to create brand awareness – not capital. And that's true. It generally does not provide direct income. But, if you can literally show a user (on Pinterest) that you have what they want-you might just get yourself a sale!

Post from: Search Engine People SEO Blog

Pinterest: Your Latest Social Media Marketing Tool

CEOs require empirical data indicating the effectiveness of social media applications. With social media metrics, employees can always be prepared with reports that will show the return on investment. Though social media metrics appear difficult, they are not always as difficult as one might anticipate.

How Social Media Metrics Are Measured

Social media marketers must determine which key performance indicators (KPI) to use to measure performance. Social media marketing metrics should include measurement for growth, momentum, engagement and results. Applications are available to help marketers measure the four pillars effectively.

To develop a successful marketing campaign include the following metrics: Overall net increase in sales, number of new customers acquired, number of new leads generated, increase in customer retention, increase in awareness, increase in brand perception and increase in purchase intent. Nearly 62 percent of marketers measure increase in sales and 57 percent measure the number of new customers acquired. Only 39 percent of marketers measure the number of new leads generated.

Social accounts summary measures the traffic generated by Facebook and Twitter. The number of fans and followers are also tracked by this type of analytic. Information about re-tweets and likes are also common. The graphical data and representations help employees communicate the results to key players within the organization.

Momentum is simply a measure of how fast the numbers increase based upon the exposure. This is important to determine how the website traffic influences sales conversion and revenue. If the social media marketing campaign is effective, numbers will increase.

Other Important Social Media Metrics

Social media metrics inform people about leads, brand impact or product trials. Lead generation is important in increasing sales. Followers and fans are a built-in group of pre-qualified leads that have expressed an interest in the product or service that the company is offering. Coupons and social purchasing often increase the awareness of the brand and thus, the sales may also increase. Sampling also contributes to generating leads of people interested in a product or service.

Surveys test customer sentiment and determine how to improve the product or service to generate more traffic and revenue for the company. Metrics measure how well employees are performing their jobs. Through surveys, C-level executives can determine how well employees are performing in their jobs and how they can improve. The performance of employees can make a significant difference in how well the products sell.

Difficulty Of Measuring The Results Of Keyword Use

Search engine optimization (SEO) is measurable, but the analytics are slightly more difficult than others. Nearly 15 percent of marketers find the online advertisements are difficult to track. The marketers challenge is to determine how the clicks translate into sales conversions and what may influence the buyer to purchase a product or service. Surveys may help marketers determine how this happens.

Web analytics tools and social media monitoring are a part of the measurement process and the determination of the success of social media. The lead counts are also important. Ineffective marketing tools will not help companies improve. Apparently, marketing tools are effective if used properly. Nearly 58 percent of marketers are pleased with their marketing tools. Over 60 percent of marketers track sales increases and 57 percent track new customers with these tools.

How To Improve Visibility

According to a study conducted by Lenksold Group, nearly 75 percent of marketers rely on social media marketing. Most of these marketers do not know which of these metrics will improve ROI. Only 20 percent of the marketers had an effective method of quantifying the campaigns success. When the pressure comes from the CEO, marketers need to have a report prepared to share with the CEO.

Conclusion

Social media metrics may not be as difficult as once imagined with use of analytical tools. The tools automatically generate reports so that executives can evaluate them to improve business practices. Companies should integrate web analytics applications into their weekly routines to ensure that the business is constantly improving and generating new revenue.

Related Reads:

• Use Google Analytics to Develop Social Media Strategy
• Social Networks and the New Challenge for Ranking in Search
• Use (Free) Traditional Conversion Tracking For Detailed Social Media Analytics

Post from: Search Engine People SEO Blog

Social Media Metrics: Not as Difficult as You Thought

Probably not! I am guessing you are here because you are just curious to see what "others" are doing wrong. The sad truth is that most social media marketers are insane on some level!
If you think my theory is bogus, I encourage you to read through the 7 hazards and we will have a "sanity check!" later on.

Introducing the 7 hazards of highly insane social media marketers, in no particular order because all of them are equally insane!

1. Create Mediocre Presence In Zillion Social Networks!

Is it better to have mediocre presence in so many social networks or to focus on creating a solid social influence in selected few?

The answer to this question is so obvious but perhaps the question coming won't be as easy: How can you choose the best social media networks to focus on?

Find out where your target market is most present and be there! That's it!
(Determining the right social channels for you may require some effort but it is very important for marketers to stand on a solid ground, knowing for certain that they are fishing were the fish are!)

2. Misinterpret Social Media Analytics Data!

Are you happy with your number of Facebook page fans? Are you fooling yourself into believing that the sheer number reflects your Facebook ROI?

I am sorry to shock you but number of fans/followers can only serve as a popularity indicator to people who visit your social profiles for the first time! Other than that, it means nothing!

Even from a visibility standpoint, if your fans visit your page every blue moon and never engage with your content (like/share/comment), your updates will NOT appear in their news feeds!
That's why; it is a big mistake to count on fans/followers/friends numbers when evaluating your social media performance. Alternatively, you should look at your active fans interactions and link them to ROI.

(I have presented a very basic example here. All in all, you need to be careful with the meanings you put to social media data as they can be very misleading!)

3. Keep Doing What Didn't Work The Past!

That's the exact definition of insanity: taking the same actions under the same circumstances and hoping to achieve different outcomes!

Insane marketers don't bother monitoring their social media efforts and, even those who do, don't dig deep enough to realize where they went wrong so they can avoid it in the future.

(Here is a great tip for you: Now that you are starting 2012, take some time to reflect on last year's SMM results. Be positive and look at your shortcomings as a learning experience, making sure to continue doing what worked and enhance it for optimal results. This way, you will become your own success model.)

4. NEVER Schedule Social Media Time!

In his masterpiece "Awaken The Giant Within", Anthony Robbins noted that you can "should" all over yourself but what you make a must is what you will end up accomplishing.

If you believe that social media marketing is an integral part of your business, dedicate a specific number of hours to it and schedule it in your weekly calendar. Then, stick to it!

(Not having a consistent social presence makes all your previous relationship building efforts ineffective because people won't remember someone who shows up every blue moon!)

5. Bore People To Tears With Unbearable Sales Pitch!

Social media is not an advertising medium! Still, it boggles my mind that many marketers are using it to broadcast their promotions and sales offers, completely overlooking the relationship nurturing side of SMM!

(These super-annoying marketers end to up with zero traffic, zero followers and zero social media sales! Don't be one of them. )

6. Don't Bother Managing Online Reputation!

In spite of the endless brand monitoring tools available at their fingertips, some outrageously insane marketers have no time to pay attention to what people are saying about their brands on social media.

This is a very costly mistake that could lead to angry customers trashing their online reputation in a matter of hours.

(Smart marketers, on the other hand, are always alert and respond in real-time to negative comments and customer's complaints. In doing so, they can turn angry customers into brand advocates! I love that thought! )

7. Nah! You Don't Need A "Frickin" Strategy!

I hate to be the one spoiling the "let's go with the flow!" mentality of some marketers but having a solid social media strategy is not a luxury, it's a must!

Some marketers dread the word "strategy" as it sounds like a time-consuming and daunting task! It doesn't have to be: Your SMM plan can be a work in progress that you keep improving and tweaking over time. In fact, you can do it in one hour using the Lean Canvas business planning approach. The following video tutorial explains Lean Canvas in 5 minutes. Enjoy!

Time For Sanity Check

In the beginning of the article, I mentioned that we will be doing a sanity check for persistent readers who will walk through the 7 hazards! Do you see yourself falling into some of these hazards? What other hazards can you add to the list?

I love to know your thoughts in the comments. And I will leave you with thought: No gain in being insane!

Image: digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Post from: Search Engine People SEO Blog

The 7 Hazards Of Highly Insane Social Media Marketers!

So you've created a business page on Facebook for your local business. That's great! I'm assuming that you've received plenty of continuous traffic that have liked or subscribed to your page. If not, then here are a few tips for you to consider to help your local business Facebook pages popularity grow quickly

• Use Your Creativity to Come up with Unique Ideas
• Encouragement for Interaction and Subscribing
• Market Your Page
• Post Frequently for Consistency and Currency of Content
• Keep Professionalism Build Into Your Page
• Visitor Involvement and Engagement
• Use Geo-modifiers

Creativity Sells And Entices

Its important to be creative. People enjoy viewing content which is normally not seen on other sites. Post pictures relevant to your business, for example, or have your profile picture be something catchy and creative with your business logo on it. Post some witty comments that people will enjoy that are factual about your business, or share someone else's interesting and witty post for your fans to see. As you utilize your Facebook page to market your business, keep in mind that people enjoy creativity. Its something that catches the eyes of your target audience so you stand out and are easily remembered.

Encouragement For Interaction And Subscribing

Its important to encourage people to not only visit your local business Facebook page, but to like it and subscribe to it as well. If you encourage people, and they like what they see, then those who aren't part of your business pages network may soon be with just a little encouragement on your part. Consider offering promotions, such as a free consultation, with those who become a fan or subscribe to your page, for example.

Market Your Page For Maximum Exposure

Market, market, market! Local business marketing is very important. I mean, isn't that what a business page is all about? Use your Facebook business page for just that. Include products, events, information, and so forth to let viewers know what exactly it is your local business has to offer, and considering posting the URL link for your Facebook page on all consumer and lead correspondences, such as direct mail marketing, your local business website, other social networking sites, your business card, and so on.

Post Frequently For Consistency And Currency Of Content To Hold Your Audiences Attention

Its important to post on your local business Facebook wall, as well as on other walls. Doing so allows people to realize that you're a real person within the business giving them a reason to want to read your posts. Also, have a schedule so people know when you'll be posting, whether its daily, every other day, or once or twice a week. Know, though, that the more you post, the less likely visitors will get bored of your business page. At the same time, don't overdo by posting more than a couple times a day unless there's an urgent need of some sort.

Keep It Professional

Though its nice to let your hair down every once in a while, remember you're still a business. So, while having fun, its important to be professional at the same time. Its not an impossible task. Just keep people up-to-date and have your content reader friendly and focused within your business or industry while adding a personal, yet professional, flair.

Visitor Involvement And Engagement

Getting people involved with your local business Facebook page is vital. The more people get involved, the more their friends will see they're involved and want to visit your page and hopefully get involved too. So, don't just post information. Post questions and leave answers to others questions. Also include videos that may be relevant to your local business for more engagement. Make visitors want to be part of your local business Facebook page on a regular visit by giving them reasons to do so.

Use Geo-modifiers

The great thing about Facebook is the idea that people can have a global experience that's local. Facebook gives you the ability to boost your local visibility in both its internal, as well as external, search engines. Be sure to use geo-modifiers in your Facebook vanity URL, in your business information, and so on.

Facebook is a fantastic way to boost leads and gain exposure for your local business. Use these tips to ensure optimal results starting yesterday!

Post from: Search Engine People SEO Blog

Tips for Obtaining More Fans on Your Local Business Facebook Page

…NOT.

Ah, yes. Another great year has come to an end. And we can all sit back and reminisce on how social media has caused brands, and people total and utter embarrassment.

I love social media for myself, and also for brands and companies. I've been an advocate for it here, here, and here. But, I must say, that social media can also be damaging to a company, a brand, and a person when someone has 'accidently' misused it, or said something they wish they didn't. Or sent something they really REALLY shouldn't have.

I like to call it online verbal diarrhea. Gross I know. But, let's think back to the fluffy movie we all know, "Mean Girls" when Lindsay Lohan's character blurts out something she wished she hadn't and refers to it as 'verbal diarrhea'. You didnt mean to say it, it just came out.

This sort of thing happens a lot online. I'm focusing on Twitter because it's my favourite for social media mishaps. Even when you delete a Tweet you didn't mean to send – it still shows up in the feeds, and your followers will be quick to re-Tweet a damaging Tweet.

Let's look back on a few Twitter mistakes, shall we:

Dear Anthony Weiner,
You sent a semi-naked photo of yourself over Twitter. If you wanted to leave politics, I'm sure you could have found a better way. Not to mention – you've set the tone for other congress members who will now be much more conservative when Tweeting.

Dear Kenneth Cole,
We love fashion, but when you discuss fashion and political disaster all in one Tweet, the 'reaction' is not going to be positive.

Dear Chrysler,
Sending out the F-bomb in a Tweet from a big corporation is never a good idea. No matter how you use it, or what you are referring to – it will always sound trashy.

Dear Red Cross,
Teach your social media specialist to separate their personal Twitter account from their corporate Twitter account. Although – the drunken Tweet managed to bring a positive result in the end. (It was pretty funny I must admit)

Dear Gilbert Gottfried,
Breaking up is hard enough. Don't make it worse on yourself by taking an awful disaster and making a joke out of it. Break-ups and Tsunamis cannot be connected. In any way.

A Lesson Learned

However upsetting, or hilarious these Tweets were – they also managed to bring out some true colours. If you are a token figure in the public, its incredibly important to learn proper online reputation management-you, know, in case someone "hacks into your account".

Happy New Year!

Post from: Search Engine People SEO Blog

Social Media: The Worst of 2011

This is actually how auto tweets are made (picture credit - Scott Bedford)

A Social Media Presence is Essential

In this day and age, if you're running an internet marketing campaign, social media is an absolute necessity. 'Social media' is so much more than just a buzzword it's an ever-growing force that's showing no sign of letting up, and there's a whole host of reasons why businesses, small or large, need to take notice. The benefits have been discussed time and time again, and I think it's safe to say that most of us are in agreement that the rewards that can be reaped from social networks are indeed very real.

But to reap these rewards, you must have a meaningful presence in the social media stratosphere. Having a meaningful social media presence can be demanding, but there are numerous ways in which businesses cope with the demands that come with achieving success across the various networks. As we know, a good social media presence requires regular updates, quality content and engagement with audiences. The truth is, many businesses either don't have the resources for a dedicated team to take charge of their social media, or they simply don't understand how important social media can be in the overall success of the business. Those who fall into the latter category will often take a half-assed approach; they set up profiles on the major social networks, sign up to an automation tool, create numerous posts and tweets, schedule them to be published at a later date and let it take care of itself. All the while, they can rest assured that their social networks are ticking over nicely, whilst attending to 'more pressing' matters. We've even seen some of the aforementioned automation tools use the slogan "set it and forget it".

Granted, this strategy ticks some of the boxes; it allows you to update your profiles frequently and you can produce high quality, unique content, which will undoubtedly be relevant to your audience. What this approach lacks is engagement with the audience. How can you possibly predetermine what people will be talking about an hour/two hours/a day or even a week from when your content was created? Without keeping a track of what else is going on across the various social networks, your scheduled updates could at best go unnoticed, or at worst, completely devalue your company's brand.

Social Media is About Listening

Social media is as much about listening as it is about being heard, and automation removes this vital element entirely. Over-automating your social media leaves you open to numerous potential problems. Updates are all about context. If there's a hot topic on a social network, or some major world news is breaking, suddenly, telling your audience about your 50% off sale becomes contextually irrelevant. The chances are that this won't go unmissed and you could end up doing some lasting damage to your brand as a whole. People will often spot social automation a mile off and treat it as spam – there are so many tell tale signs if it is over-used.

Sports store feeding endless Sky Sports News links. Why not just follow Sky Sports instead?

Informative, Inquisitive and Promotional Content

In the simplest terms, social media updates should be a blend of informative, inquisitive and promotional content. Very often, without these three elements, a social media profile can look unnatural, and with the implementation of automated systems, you immediately remove the ability to post inquisitive content. This will only encourage interaction, and robo-tweets can't handle interaction!

If your updates are very one-sided (i.e. your audience is bombarded with information and there is no requirement for a response on their part), you run the risk of losing their interest, just as if you were talking to someone face-to-face. After all, we do call it social media, and to an extent, the same rules apply.

As the example in the screenshot above shows, many businesses take the easy option of feeding updates from other sites. Doesn't this suggest that the sites you're linking to are more reliable sources of information than your own? Where possible, create your own content, become the authority and direct the traffic to your own site.

Whether it be a vain attempt at maximising the SEO benefits of social media or to increase a brand's online presence, a completely automated strategy is flawed.

On the Flip Side…

Using automation as part of your social media strategy is wholly recommended. Without doubt, it has it's benefits:

• It certainly saves you time. For lots of us, it seems that there simply aren't enough hours in the day. If there's an opportunity to save a few minutes here or there, more often than not, we're in! Unless quality is compromised, that is
• Your updates have the potential to reach a larger audience. You can schedule updates at any time of the day, so when you are asleep, you can still communicate with other parts of the world that are online.
• The more frequently you update, the more visible your profiles will be.
• Tools such as HooteSuite allow you to multitask and update various networks at once. However, remember that each network has its own etiquette to adhere to. Something tells us that this Tweet wasn't originally destined for Twitter..

140 characters - fail.

Keep a Healthy Balance

Although trying so hard to avoid sounding like a cereal commercial, it is so important to keep a healthy balance of both automated and manual updates in your social media strategy. Invite followers to interact with your brand – feed hungry mouths rather than ramming content down their throats.

Post from: Search Engine People SEO Blog

The Automation of Social Media

The mainstream media of yesteryear loves to tout the internet as a social tool. And there's good reason for them to believe that, even though it's not entirely true.

The web is a great network, I've met some of my closest friends online. It's great to connect with fans of my work. But the web's not very social the closer you climb to the top. At least, if you've ever tried contacting someone you look up to on Twitter or Facebook or even email, the web starts to look a little less social and instead like an all-business buffet for robots.

Maybe you're one of those busy people who simply can't take time out of their day to stay up-to-date with every single tweet or message or email that comes your way. That's understandable, but it's not okay. It's time for us to look at the way we're using social networks to stay in touch with our fans, our friends, and most importantly: our audiences.

A lot of the widely successful people online aren't even using their Twitter accounts as themselves these days. A fact that makes me wonder: what's the point of having those accounts in the first place?

People want to follow and hear what YOU have to say, not what a random group of interns or an automated robot has to say (I'm looking at you Mr. Kawasaki). Don't even get me started on emailing. Trying to get a hold of any prominent online personality by email is practically a joke these days. If you do ever get a response from somebody, it's likely to be a paid gatekeeper, but even that term is too generous for what you're likely to deal with if you try contact Scott Belsky (of The 99 Percent) or Chris Brogan (who touts himself as a social media guru!).

There are gatekeepers, and then there are robots or bottom-of-the-bucket interns wearing masks to look like the people we're trying to connect with. This simply will not do any longer.

Here, for sanity's sake, are a few ways you can manage your online profiles properly if you find yourself strained with time:

1. Dedicate just 10 minutes a day to checking-in.

10 minutes isn't hard to find, for anyone. If those 10 minutes just so happen to be when you're in the bathroom on your iPhone, fine, whatever works. Just find 10 minutes a day to log-in as you and respond to those who are trying to connect with you. You'll not only prove to those who look up to you that you care, but you'll also have an opportunity to get some real-world feedback on the work you're doing online. And that's worth more than any dollar amount you could otherwise be making in those 10 minutes.

2. Work with a passionate team.

If you really have to use a team of interns or personal assistants to help you manage your social accounts, at least do so in a passionate way. When your team identifies a message to you that they think you might like to personally respond to, just have them notify you and then you can take care of it yourself. Don't just send an email or give approval for the team to respond, do it yourself. Use the team like a lighthouse, to help guide you. The biggest problem here is identifying what messages might really interest you (I'm sure people like Julien Smith get a thousand requests every day), and that's something you'll have to really work out with your team. Worst case scenario is they send anything that simply doesn't look like spam onto you. A team to help filter spam, plus 10 minutes of "social" time every day, is a guaranteed outline for the beginnings of success.

3. Manage the robots yourself.

There are a lot of great tools to make using social networks nearly automatic. From plug-and-play to scheduling services (like Time.ly, which I use regularly). These are great tools for keeping your accounts fresh and up-to-date, but they leave a lot of room for the social aspect of the networks. Again: this is a place where you'll have to find your own happy medium, but you could consider something that I like to do: manage your content robots and dedicate random bursts of 1 to 2 minutes every hour to simply checking for replies to those automated posts. That way you can immediately reply to any questions or comments, you can still be plugged-in without having to be on 24/7.

4. If you really can't do any of the above, close your account.

For brand reputation you need to keep your name registered on sites like Twitter, etc. But if you aren't going to actively use the account, do everyone a favor and make your profile bland or at least with a note stating something about you not having the time to socialize with fans/audience. Trust me: it sucks to not be able to see the latest and greatest material on Twitter from someone you look up to, but it's a thousand times worse to see updates from someone and not stand a chance of actually connecting with them.

In the end: social networks are all about being social, and connecting with the people who got you where you are today. Whether you're a huge online success, or someone who's merely finding their way: take the time to figure out a social strategy that works, but remember above all else: the part of social networking that makes it so great is YOU. No robots or interns or fancy makeup can change that.

We want to talk to and connect with you. That's all there is to it.

Gain More Time, Get More Done:

• 12-Step Program to Buy Back Time
• I Dont Have Time For This Social Media Thing!
• How Do You Find The Time For Social Media Marketing?
• Social Networking within Time Limits [Small Business]
• 7 Really Great Social Media Tricks You Should NEVER Use

Post from: Search Engine People SEO Blog

How To Manage Your Social Profiles When You're Strained For Time

Customers want, need and deserve more timely service. There is probably not one of us that actually enjoys sitting on the phone, listening to a robot tell us which buttons to push.

Ten minutes has gone by and you still have not spoken to a human. This is just unacceptable! The new Facebook lists and of course Twitter lists allow you to keep your client base in one convenient location. It has made customer service easier since we now have the opportunity to engage our clients and let them know we are at their disposal almost instantly if they need us.

So everyone wins! Social media actually cuts customer service costs and it allows us to connect with our clients much quicker which equates to higher customer retention and satisfaction. Lack of customer service is one of the biggest failures for many companies. Its much like a wide receiver in football to me. He is required to catch the ball first and then run. How often have we seen them make the mistake of doing the opposite? The ball gets left behind and the receiver is still running. The same thing takes place in business. We can get so focused on the end zone that we forget that we need that ball (our customers) in order to make it count.

Everyones business path when it comes to customer service will definitely be different because no two businesses are alike. As we continue to develop our business model we should see customer service as more than a department but as a mission. Think of all the terrible customer service experiences you have had and make sure it does not happen to your client! Poll your clients and find out what digital tools they use and make sure you are there with them. Embrace the simplicity of what technology has brought us and harness its ability to retain our clients and customers.

Post from: Search Engine People SEO Blog

Customer Service Simplified With Social Media

Google Schemer is just one of the new updates to enter the realm of the unstoppable Google empire. Google has been working hard to improve their social media technology and presence over the last year with a view to increasing their share in the extremely busy and highly profitable market. Enter Google Schemer.

So Why The Name 'Schemer'?

Schemer refers to a person making a 'secret plan' and, coincidentally, also sounds a lot more interesting than 'Planner'! You can see from the initial Google Schemer marketing, that Google have taken the full meaning of this term on-board with the logo featuring a false moustache, much like the old fashioned disguises you would find on a silent movie villain.

What Is Google Schemer All About?

Google Schemer is an invite-only feature at the moment from Google+, and it's premise is to help you to share your interests and discover new things to do with others on the social network. When you scheme online with Google you can find entertainment and activities that match your own interests. This lets you to set yourself personal goals and plan future activities with friends online.

• A scheme might be something as simple as meeting up with friends in your favourite restaurant or taking the trip of a lifetime to go killer whale watching in the Antarctic.
• It enables you to connect with other individuals who are focused on the same goals, and encourages you to start conversations about your joint interests.
• By adding tags and locations to your schemes it enables others to see what you are up to and what your future goals might be.
• You will be able to explore your friends tags and see what they are up to. This can include things like seeing what dishes they can recommend at restaurants, what movies they have reviewed and what they plan for the weekend.
• Google has closely partnered with top entertainment and topical interest networks including the Food Network, Rolling Stone, Bravo, Entertainment Weekly and IGN.
• This means you can get ideas for your social goals from the experts as well as your friends and contacts online.
• With Google Schemer you can post your own ideas and also write comments and replies on your friends schemes.
• Google Schemer is integrated with Google+. This helps you to connect more easily online.
• The integration also means that when you update your Schemer ideas they will be automatically connected to your Google + accounts, saving you the embarrassment of duplication.
• A mobile app for Google Schemer is due for release soon, which will allow you the freedom to update and keep in contact on the move.

The new app can also use your current location and suggest top schemes close to you. This is a great way of finding your way around a new location (top restaurants, fun activities, festivals etc) or taking a new look at the place you live.

How Could This Be Of Use To Online Marketers?

Expanding your Google+ network is the most obvious way that Schemer could be used. Commenting on items posted by others and interacting with them, particularly in the early days of the network, is much more likely to get their attention.

Also, creating schemes that are linked to your business could be a great way of gaining extra exposure. If you run a dog training website, commenting on a 'teach my dog to sit' scheme not only helps people but generates extra traffic too. Think of this as a lightweight, trimmed down Quora. By posting goals people are basically saying 'this is what I want to do'. They haven't asked for help but are fairly likely to appreciate some if it comes their way.

Grab Yourself An Invite…

It would have been rude of me not to give you a sneaky tip for grabbing yourself an invite. The easiest is to find a friend who has some invites remaining, but there are plenty of people out there giving them away – this search should help you out!

Post from: Search Engine People SEO Blog

Introducing Google Schemer

There's been much to-do about the Facebook Like!… Implementing the Like Button on websites, how we can all get more likes, and even the new Talking About This statistic on Facebook Pages, which also has to do with likes.

Small business owners often ask me how they can get more likers (fans) to their Facebook Pages. Many see increasing this number as the most important factor that reflects success of their Facebook community.

Is it?

Any online community manager knows that activity on the page equals a thriving group of brand evangelists. That interaction leads to organic growth to the community, which is key to evolving passion among fans for a thriving, on-going Facebook community.

A newer concern, fan engagement is also highly reflective of the Talking About This (TAT) number.

So what should we really work to encourage?

I recently partnered with Dorien Morin-van Dam of More In Media on an exercise open to any Facebook Page Admin that wanted to increase their Facebook Likes. We were co-hosts.

We designed the Pre-Holiday Facebook: Game Of Like to help Facebook Page owners gain more likes. Our secondary goal was to prepare Pages for the upcoming Christmas holiday season.

Here are the highlights of how we set it up:

• It was FREE, FUN & EASY!
• Blog posts were written with all Game Of Like guidelines and circulated to both of our networks.
• We used a Facebook event page as our home page.
• Co-hosts invited participants Any participant could invite friends too.
• Mainly, all participants liked each others' Facebook Pages. (Co-hosts too).
• Like Achievements could be completed at any time during the game.
• We did NOT make a list of participating pages on purpose.
• Winners would be announced at the end of 10 days based on accumulated points from the game components.
• The Grand Prize was a feature blog post out to more than 2 Million people, a month feature on both Idea Girl Media and More In Media Facebook pages, and follow-up interview posts highlighting winners business operations. Two prizes; two winners.

Dorien and I quickly heard from a considerable number of nay-sayers that reacted with, This type of tactic does not work. Those speaking may have been among those that had participated in previous similar projects where the primary focus was increasing the number of Likes.

Others actually read through our plan, and with raised eyebrows commented, Not your typical drive for likes.

A little sneaky, Dorien and I included educational components to the game, called Like Achievements, which would give participants hands-on experience creating a thriving Facebook community.

Was it really all about the Like?

So we set off on a wild 10-day ride with small business owners, nonprofit stakeholders, independent consultants, artists, well-trafficked websites, and public figures!

Co-hosts got little sleep chasing participants around Facebook, but it was exciting to see what our Game Of Like-ers were willing to do to win. In addition, our connections increased or were strengthened, and we saw our new friends experiencing the same. New friends, potential collaborative partnerships, and techniques learned.

How was the Pre-Holiday Facebook: Game Of Like won?

Our two winners tackled Like Achievements early and often. They accumulated points that set them ahead of the pack. Very cool that both ladies were developing new businesses and we were able to help propel them into their niche!

The result of the Pre-Holiday Facebook: Game Of Like was spread far and wide.

Some Likeable Numbers:

• 224 people signed up for the Facebook event.
• 25 people invited their friends to join the game.
• 16 people referred others that also played along!
• 24 people carved pumpkins.
• 23 people reached 250,215 tweeters with 151 tweets on Twitter.
• 11 blog posts by others were written about the Game Of Like experience.

There are now 73 players interacting in a private Facebook Group to learn more advanced techniques on turning new fans into active fans and keeping fans engaged. Studies show they have about 30 days. Exploring other social networks may be part of future plans for the group.

Evaluating & Looking Forward

Those that have tried similar projects would tell you something like this is a lot of work. Each would consider if it is worth it.

I think it is, as linking with like-minded people always brings mileage. However, there are some helpful hints to offer

12 Ways To Optimize A Facebook Game Of Like

1. Be organized well in advance.

If something is hyped as FREE, FUN & EASY, to a large network, chances are people will hop on fast and furious. While we did have a plan and finished some things in advance, both co-hosts were also running their own business. So there were times we were completing something just before it was needed.

Here are items that can be prepared a few weeks ahead of time:

• Customized tabs on co-host Facebook Pages.
• Freebies (Tools/Lists promised to participants).
• Email address for communication specific to the game.
• Tracking sheet for points.
• Skeleton blog posts ready to post.
• Crafted tweets & posts ready to go.

Preparing these even two weeks ahead would assure smooth sailing.

2. Create a logo and images for frequently discussed game topics.

A specific image for the Facebook Event page began to serve as a logo. It could then be adapted and similar graphics used – for frequently mentioned topics throughout the game. Such as: Housekeeping, Success Tips, Like-Checks to see that everyone is on track, and conversation on Like Achievements.

In total, we used 9 images to signal players throughout the Game Of Like. Creation of these could also be added to the list of things to do beforehand.

Pre-Holiday Facebook: Game Of Like Logo [Original image inspired by Milton Bradley

3. Provide all the details up front.

Both Co-hosts published lengthy blog posts for readership to make sure all information was shared before the beginning of the game. While it was a lot for people to read and digest, this provided all guidelines to reference for anyone interested.

Sub-topics to consider:

• Basics.
• How to win.
• Grand Prize specific details.
• Describe how anyone wins just by playing.
• Exact instructions on how to earn points.
• Promotional Materials & acceptable ways to promote.
• Fine Print.
• Like Achievements & how to successfully complete.
• Jump Start directions So they can correctly begin to play.
• Links to free exclusive materials participants get just for playing.

A few of those were re-posted individually to make the information more clear.

4. Offer ways for players to promote the game.

We allowed several options to spread the word! Inviting from the event page, posting to other social networks, email, and blogging.

It is important to make sharing easy Sample tweets, posts, and email blurbs were provided so anyone could copy and paste without hassle. On Twitter, we used the hashtag, #gameoflike.

5. Use other social networks to attract participants and report/promote.

Very key. Chances are that those on other social networks are also on Facebook. Dorien and I posted, where appropriate, to spread the word to as many people as possible. On networks such as LinkedIn, we posted to groups only where permissible.

Observing etiquette and spam policies is vital, or you risk ruining your credibility.

Following up with results is a good idea, as long as you observe etiquette.

6. Find an assistant.

At least temporarily! For Game Of Like, co-hosts were playing along with participants to get to know them and lead by example. That alone is time consuming without considering day jobs and family.

If at all possible, find a trusted person to help with some administrative duties so that you can concentrate on socializing within the game. Suggested tasks for an assistant: Emailing freebies, tracking points, management of your Facebook page behind the scenes.

7. Be open to spontaneous activity!

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Pre-Holiday Facebook: Game Of Like Halloween Costume Party [Image inspired by Milton Bradley

After all, its not only about the Like!!

8. Plan and announce a grand announcement Give details in advance.

People need to know what theyll win, and when they will know results. Have these details set in advance, and do not stray from what you promise. It is also true that people wont like you unless they trust you.

9. Post on the event page often to offer helpful hints to participants.

Once we reached 60+ players, it was important to make sure details on game specifics were easily findable for players tracking their own progress, and also players new to the game.

Details to post often: Reminders on how to post and tag, reminders of deadlines, encouragement to players, details on Like Achievements, answers to commonly asked questions.

10. Make helpful information & useful tools available.

Some of our originally posted details were not thorough enough for some participants very new to social media. We ended up making three video tutorials to help people be successful. We also posted links to helpful articles written by others across the Internet.

11. Set up a private Facebook Group before the end of the game.

This allows for some de-briefing, and a build on what was learned. This also strengthens ties made during such an endeavor and forms a strong circle for future projects.

12. Like Achievements front and center!

This is the most important Regardless of what you call these learning opportunities, its not all about the like! What comes after the like engagement is the real value here. And providing steps to help people connect is the real key to success.

We designed seven Like Achievements as the base of how the game would be won. These involved photo, video, branding, collaboration, specific interaction, and reading related published material after finding it on the Internet.

If we would have said, Go read Launch How To Quickly Propel Your Business Beyond The Competition, by Michael Stelzner, participants may not have done it. But we made it a fun challenge with high points value, and we found that people were attracted to completing it. The real kicker? They were lovin the book, and even kept the Launch Fan Page quite busy!

Honestly, as an organizer, I found myself envious of those working to complete Like Achievements, because they were fun, and made people smile.

Summing It Up

The final result was better than expected. Had more people played, we may not have seen quite the quality of relationships formed.

Many participants reported new Facebook Page likes between 65 and 100. Some were telling us lower numbers.

This endeavor would have run away without some help. Anyone that considers trying something like this should consider partnership to share the load!

Could we have centered the goal on the number of Facebook Likes achieved?

Yes. We may have even gotten more people to participate.

Do I recommend that as the main objective?

No. In the end, a successful Game of Like is best focused on the engagement – building relationships – and what happens AFTER a mouse clicks the Facebook Like Button!

Do you agree?

What else might we have considered during our project?

Post from: Search Engine People SEO Blog

12 Ways To Optimize A Facebook Game Of Like [A Case Study]