You know it's been awhile since you've updated your blog when you can't remember the login information! After about 20 mins of trying, I finally remembered the account information. Yea. Or, as I've learned from Twitter: W00t! (I'm blaming the confusion on too much cold medicine.)
Now that we've made it through the All Staff Conference and are getting ready for year-end performance reviews, goal setting and such, I thought I'd spend some time on the blog (ie: procrastination).
I've been home sick all weekend and have amused myself by spending time surfing the web and exploring social media. The
Austin American-Statesman has a story today on
Austin's best tweeters. A good intro into
Twitter and possibly something for you guys to pitch to your local media -- let them do your homework for you. Has anyone started their list of the top bloggers in your market? I'll be working on our social media game plan this week, so look for more direction on this soon.
In the interim, here's a bit of homework for you.
The Wall Street Journal published a piece on Social Media as a tool for reaching customers. I've pasted the story below or you can view it
here:
Use Social Media to Bond With Consumers
By KELLY K. SPORS
Do you tweet on Twitter? Or network on Ning?
A new and growing array of tongue-twisting tools and technologies is available to help people easily interact and share information online.
While it may be tempting to avoid these obscurely named technologies, there's good reason for small businesses to learn what they are and how to use them: So-called social media can help small firms to better connect with and market themselves to consumers and others in their industries. And they're often free.
Here are some tips to making social media work for your business:
Experiment
The best way to figure out what value social-media tools can have for your business is to try them out. You usually just go to a site and sign up for a free account. And most offer quick tutorials.
Experiment with a few to determine which site or technology helps you best connect with your customers or generate the most traffic. Analytics tools provided by the programs can show how many visitors you're getting daily and where they're coming from.
Twitter.com allows users to post on a profile page updates on their whereabouts or activities from either a computer or mobile phone. "Followers" then subscribe to your Twitter updates, or tweets, and even have them scroll across the bottom of their Web browser.
Ning.com users can launch their own online social network around any topic or business. They then can invite others to join and create profile pages with photos so people can discuss and swap information.
Social-networking sites Facebook and MySpace also allow businesses to create profiles and form a "group," or special page, for people interested in connecting with them online.
Another option: Write a blog or produce a podcast. Blogs allow you to post information about yourself, your business or anything related to your industry. Readers can comment, subscribe to your posts, or forward them to others. Networking sites Digg.com and Del.icio.us allow users to mark content they like and let others know about it.
Luke Burgis, chief executive of FitFuel.com, a Las Vegas-based Web site with 20 employees that sells health and fitness goods, uses Twitter to post about five daily updates. Most are personal and not directly related to the business, such as concerts he went to or random thoughts.
The benefit, he says, is keeping customers connected to the business all the time and letting them see that he's "human." And it gives people the ability to ask him questions. Mr. Burgis says he has about 800 "followers" on Twitter.
He also uses a feature on Twitter that lets him see what others are writing about FitFuel on their Twitter pages. "We sort of have that personal connection with customers we wouldn't otherwise get," he adds.
Build Usage
Social media will benefit your business only if people actually use them to keep in touch with you. So you need to promote it.
Sending customers and associates emails about your new blog or MySpace page isn't enough. You also should look for ways to advertise them in different places.
For instance, you might post a link at the bottom of all emails you send out or link to it whenever you post a message on a blog or online forum. And encourage users to invite their friends to check you out. Also, your business Web site should offer links to all your social-media applications.
Elizabeth Bailey, an event planner in Baltimore, started a blog last year on which she posts photos from events she organized, vendor recommendations, articles on event planning and tips.
At first, she sent emails out to customers and acquaintances. Now, she also includes a link in her email signature and mentions the blog in conversations with new customers and vendors. She currently gets about 2,000 unique visitors a month.
"It's really given credibility to us as a business," Ms. Bailey says.
Keep It Fresh
Once you've gotten the word out, you'll need to build user loyalty. That means finding ways to keep people coming back for more.
Content should be updated frequently, preferably daily, and be interesting or useful to users. It also doesn't hurt to add a variety of tools that followers can use, such as the ability to invite other people and post photos, videos and comments. The more interactive and thought-provoking or fun the content, the more likely users will return.
Lyn Mettler, founder of Step Ahead Web Strategies, a Mt. Pleasant, S.C., social-media consultant, says it's important that businesses don't use social media to directly try to sell their products. Instead, a business should try to use them to interact with users on a more personal level and show that the firm really understands customers' minds. Social media can also help position business owners as "experts" in their fields.
"Clearly, these tools are about being authentic and not selling," she says.
Businesses also shouldn't fear or remove negative comments, as they help create a well-rounded discussion and help the business address customer gripes head on. "You need to be conversational and allow some negative comments and react to them," Ms. Mettler adds. "You have to let go of control a little here."
And finally, here's another gem from
The Austin American Statesman. My favorite new media guru, Omar (see previous reference above, follow on Twitter: OMARG) strikes again on his
Digital Savant blog:
Have you heard of Slydial? It’s a service that allows you to call someone and go straight to their voicemail without having to talk to them. Want to engage in a sneaky breakup? Got some awkward news to share after going to see your doctor? The applications are endless! The phone number is 267-SLYDIAL (267-759-3425) and the voice prompts will guide you. The press release I got says you can use SLYDIAL to “Create the illusion of communication.” Well, that’s novel. I’m sure you’re not sneaky enough to use it, but it’s nice to have the option to be a reprobate in the future.
I better not start getting a ton of voicemail msgs from you guys now! Of course, y'all probably know by now that I'm a screener and rarely answer my phone. I prefer to return messages so I know what the caller needs and can be prepared. A habit I learned while working for the LAF.
In her freetime, Lauren writes a blog, On the Go with L. She just posted a new entry all about her day as a GRFW model, complete with behind the scenes photos. Please visit Lauren's blog to read all about it -- and please leave a comment. Remember, blogs are part of a conversation!
Lauren, who used to work with me at that foundation run by Sandy Levy's boyfriend, is now the tradeshow manager for National Instruments, one of the best places to work in Austin (other than the AHA, obvously. OBVIOUSLY!) When she's not dog sitting Uli for me as I jet around the Affiliate, Lauren dotes on her super cute puppy, Major (full name: Major Applewhite) and her husband, Richard, who also works at NI. Scroll through her blog for some super cute pics of Major and the Mireles family. (That's Major over there during his first visit to PetsMart.)
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