Today I had the pleasure of reading a ridiculously sensible post about Twitter use by Christine Pilch of Grow My Company. Ironically, the post was inspired by something I said on Twitter, and today's post is inspired by something Christine says on her blog:
Go ahead and take a look at your own twitter stream. If you don't see any @s, RTs and DMs to your followers, chances are you're missing the point
That line really resonated. I had just found a Twitter account that was >this< close to being the single best business use of Twitter I have ever seen. It had humor, it had relevant, unique content, was personal and fun. The only thing it was missing? Talking with people. There were no @s, RTs or, I'm betting, DMs in their stream. How frustrating, because otherwise it was a gold standard of the platform. The simple truth is You are your Twitter stream.
It's not just what you do (or don't) talk about on Twitter - what your contacts talk about also affect how you look. In a sense, your Twitter stream is what you wear in public. You might be dressed in a nice suit to go the office, but if your friends are wearing ripped jeans, it'll surely affect people's opinion of you and your choices.
Before you start RTing every quote or link that floats by, you might want to consider what that Retweet says about you and your business. Inspirational quotes can be inspirational, but what does a never-ending stream of platitudes express about your business? And those tips and news links - check 'em out before you RT them, because they might not reflect what you actually think.
Direct Messages (DMs) are a great way to initiate private business, or conduct a sidebar conversation away from the public eye. They aren't really a good way to initiate a conversation with a stranger, or to introduce yourself. Imagine yourself at a cocktail party, talking with a bunch of people, when someone drags you off to a quiet, private corner just to say, "Hi, I'm Barb! How can I help your business today?" Save the DMs for people you really need to talk to privately.
And then there's @. "@" on Twitter means you're talking with someone. They said something and you've replied, or you are saying something to them. It's the first thing I look for in someone else's Twitter stream. Why? Because a lack of "@" means a lack of conversation. I know that Twitter started as a microblogging tool, but it's more of a chat tool now. No "@" means that person is talking to themselves. And who wants to listen to someone talking to themselves?
In conclusion, I hope you'll be inspired by Christine's comment and take a look at your own Twitter Stream - because that's truly who you are on Twitter.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Thursday, August 5, 2010
4 Messages for 4 Audiences Means 1 Great Social Media Plan
Social Media is not actually one thing. It is an umbrella term that covers a multitude of approaches to communicating with consumers.
Because Social Media is often seen by Marketing and Communications people as yet another channel through which to distribute corporate materials, many companies forget the basics of branding and marketing when it comes to Social Media.
Like Social Media, People are not one thing. They are not a demographic, or even a psychographic. There are 4 unique kinds of audiences, each of which has to be approached in a different fashion - with a different messaging strategy.
4 Unique Audiences of Online Consumers
1) Your Market
These people know who you are and what you do. They look for you, follow you on Twitter, check in on Foursquare, look for weekly specials on Facebook.
Your Market is already engaged with you. When you talk they, listen...and they respond. They promote your work, retweet, "like," participate in contests, etc. These folks are your bread and butter.
Your message to these people should be filled with rewards for loyalty, insider deals and specials. Talk to these people as if they are friends and comrades - give them information and encourage them to share it. Get to know these people by name and thank them publicly for their support. They are part of your team - treat them like it.
2) Your Audience
These people know who you are and what you do. They may follow/friend you, they may not. When you do something noteworthy in your industry and the news hits all the big trade sources, then these folks are likely to hear about it - you hope. Your audience may or may not be your market. Just because they know you, doesn't mean they buy from you.
Your message to these people should encourage conversion to market. These are folks who may be on the fence, or for whom a small discount can mean a sale. Don't beat them over the head with sales material - they may or may not care - but encourage with discounts, extras, and other incentives.
This is the group you can exhort to follow you, but you *have* to make it worth their time. Just shooting off press releases at them or forgetting to run that weekly special isn't going to make you any friends.
***
Most companies do all right targeting these two audiences. They know that they are being listened to, and are glad to see conversations on the Wall, or on their Twitter stream.
But the constant pressure to Friend/Follow/Like often goes nowhere, except to a Wall where only the customers talk, or a Twitter feed that offers nothing but links back to the company website.
There are many opportunities that engaging with these two audience offers. Don't miss your chance to dial up your engagement with them - or theirs with you!
Which brings us to the two Unique Audiences that are frequently left out of companies' Social Media Strategy entirely.
***
3) Your Potential Audience
These people may have heard of you, but they don't care. You're not on their top of mind and they have no reason to seek you out. They are not following you, liking what you have to say or checking in at your location. These people don't know where you are online, but if they did, they could very well be interested.
There's a huge gap here in many industries. Companies have their spaces and ask people to come to those spaces, but rarely do companies move out of their comfort zone to seek people out. There are multitudes of places online where people are asking questions that *you can answer.* They don't know about your forum, or your blog, or your "Ask An Expert Tool," even though that would be just what they are looking for.
It's your job to find these people. Look for them where they hang out, don't ask them to follow you to get help - just help them. Give them that answer, that link, that reference. And, when you have satisfied their immediate need, then you have an opening to suggest greater engagement.
This is your potential audience - wow them.
And finally there is...
4) The Rest of the World
They have no idea who you are, what you do and most importantly, why they should care. Companies rarely use Social Media to expand brand recognition into related or unrelated but relevant territory, yet Social Media is the best tool for that job.
Your message to people in related or unrelated but relevant spaces is "We're here - and here's why you should care," in a way that draws attention not to you, but to what you can offer them.
Perhaps you publish horror comics. You find a horror film community that has no idea your company exists, but you engage them with insight into creating horror stories. These people might not have reached out to you, but you reaching out to them could drive a lot of potential business your way...as long as you let them know that you are one of them.
It's critical to a long-term Social Media Strategy to account for all four of these audiences. It's not enough for a fast-food restaurant to only tell people already in the store about a new burger - it's important to use that news to bring new people into the restaurant.
Adapting you message allows you to reward your dedicated market, engage with your audience and your potential audience and make new people aware of what you can do for them.
Because Social Media is often seen by Marketing and Communications people as yet another channel through which to distribute corporate materials, many companies forget the basics of branding and marketing when it comes to Social Media.
Like Social Media, People are not one thing. They are not a demographic, or even a psychographic. There are 4 unique kinds of audiences, each of which has to be approached in a different fashion - with a different messaging strategy.
4 Unique Audiences of Online Consumers
1) Your Market
These people know who you are and what you do. They look for you, follow you on Twitter, check in on Foursquare, look for weekly specials on Facebook.
Your Market is already engaged with you. When you talk they, listen...and they respond. They promote your work, retweet, "like," participate in contests, etc. These folks are your bread and butter.
Your message to these people should be filled with rewards for loyalty, insider deals and specials. Talk to these people as if they are friends and comrades - give them information and encourage them to share it. Get to know these people by name and thank them publicly for their support. They are part of your team - treat them like it.
2) Your Audience
These people know who you are and what you do. They may follow/friend you, they may not. When you do something noteworthy in your industry and the news hits all the big trade sources, then these folks are likely to hear about it - you hope. Your audience may or may not be your market. Just because they know you, doesn't mean they buy from you.
Your message to these people should encourage conversion to market. These are folks who may be on the fence, or for whom a small discount can mean a sale. Don't beat them over the head with sales material - they may or may not care - but encourage with discounts, extras, and other incentives.
This is the group you can exhort to follow you, but you *have* to make it worth their time. Just shooting off press releases at them or forgetting to run that weekly special isn't going to make you any friends.
***
Most companies do all right targeting these two audiences. They know that they are being listened to, and are glad to see conversations on the Wall, or on their Twitter stream.
But the constant pressure to Friend/Follow/Like often goes nowhere, except to a Wall where only the customers talk, or a Twitter feed that offers nothing but links back to the company website.
There are many opportunities that engaging with these two audience offers. Don't miss your chance to dial up your engagement with them - or theirs with you!
Which brings us to the two Unique Audiences that are frequently left out of companies' Social Media Strategy entirely.
***
3) Your Potential Audience
These people may have heard of you, but they don't care. You're not on their top of mind and they have no reason to seek you out. They are not following you, liking what you have to say or checking in at your location. These people don't know where you are online, but if they did, they could very well be interested.
There's a huge gap here in many industries. Companies have their spaces and ask people to come to those spaces, but rarely do companies move out of their comfort zone to seek people out. There are multitudes of places online where people are asking questions that *you can answer.* They don't know about your forum, or your blog, or your "Ask An Expert Tool," even though that would be just what they are looking for.
It's your job to find these people. Look for them where they hang out, don't ask them to follow you to get help - just help them. Give them that answer, that link, that reference. And, when you have satisfied their immediate need, then you have an opening to suggest greater engagement.
This is your potential audience - wow them.
And finally there is...
4) The Rest of the World
They have no idea who you are, what you do and most importantly, why they should care. Companies rarely use Social Media to expand brand recognition into related or unrelated but relevant territory, yet Social Media is the best tool for that job.
Your message to people in related or unrelated but relevant spaces is "We're here - and here's why you should care," in a way that draws attention not to you, but to what you can offer them.
Perhaps you publish horror comics. You find a horror film community that has no idea your company exists, but you engage them with insight into creating horror stories. These people might not have reached out to you, but you reaching out to them could drive a lot of potential business your way...as long as you let them know that you are one of them.
It's critical to a long-term Social Media Strategy to account for all four of these audiences. It's not enough for a fast-food restaurant to only tell people already in the store about a new burger - it's important to use that news to bring new people into the restaurant.
Adapting you message allows you to reward your dedicated market, engage with your audience and your potential audience and make new people aware of what you can do for them.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Creating an Amazing Social Network on Twitter Without Spamming the Universe
I recently volunteered to help out an organization I work with from time to time with their Social Media initiatives. When I logged in for the first time, their Twitter account had three followers - one of them was me. After a day, that had increased ten-fold - still small potatoes in the numbers game, but hey, you gotta start somewhere. And more importantly, we had a lead for a headliner guest, a sponsor and a few great panelists. In one day.
As the follower gauge crept slowly up, I was thinking about how easy it is to create a truly *amazing* network on Twitter. And I thought I'd write it up and share it with you today.
1) Start by Following Someone/Something You Know
I've mentioned this before. A new classroom or new job doesn't seem as scary when you know someone there before you start. It gives you a person to sanity check with, a guide and a mentor.
Talk to the people you know who are on Twitter. Learn from them, emulate them. Use them as references for behaviors, acronyms, abbreviations and actions.
Read what they say and notice how they say it. Take note of their balance between work and life, personal and professional.
Use all of this as a guideline for your own interactions. When you get a little freaked out, shoot a Tweet over to that colleague or friend and just have a nice irrelevant chat. It's great for the soul and you'll be blown away by how many people follow you once you relax and just have a conversation.
2) Follow The People The People You Follow Follow
You follow people you respect, information sources you trust, peers and colleagues and people against whom you benchmark your business. Take a look at who these people follow. Who do they get their news from? Who do they consider valuable members of their network? You don't have to follow all - or any - of these people, but the people you follow are a great resource to find more people to follow.
3) Don't Follow Everyone Just Because They Use A Keyword Or Phrase
There's nothing stranger than noticing you've got a dozen new followers and they all seem to have the word "soap" in their names. Suddenly, you realize that you mentioned the lovely new soap you bought last weekend. These people have created a search for a single keyword and automatically follow anyone who mentions that word. It seems like a good idea, but you already *bought* soap. You don't need or want more.
Having a keyword search set up is a great idea. It might net you a few new folks to talk with, a conversation about your business to track, some new contacts - but it's not a catchall basin. Pick and choose your connections so that there's some meaning in it for both you and the person you're following.
4) Follow People You Want in Your Stream
Everyone you follow will pop up on your home page. This and your own posts are your "Twitter stream." It could seem like a great idea to follow your cousin, because she knows a lot about Twitter, but when she starts late-night or drunk Tweeting, is that what you want showing up in your *public* stream?
Follow people who provide your stream with the level of quality and professionalism you want your business to express to the world at large.
5) Talk to People!
It may seem weird at first, just jumping in and asking a question, or introducing yourself to someone online without context, but, really, it's okay. That's normal on Twitter, where the conversations are public, so anyone can join in.
There's even specialized chats that use hashtags so you can follow the conversation with a simple search. Feel free to join in on a chat and learn what people have to say about topics of interest to you. Chats are another great way to find new people to follow.
These are all pretty basic things, but if you keep them in your mind as you get to know Twitter, you'll be well on your way to building an Amazing Network!
As the follower gauge crept slowly up, I was thinking about how easy it is to create a truly *amazing* network on Twitter. And I thought I'd write it up and share it with you today.
1) Start by Following Someone/Something You Know
I've mentioned this before. A new classroom or new job doesn't seem as scary when you know someone there before you start. It gives you a person to sanity check with, a guide and a mentor.
Talk to the people you know who are on Twitter. Learn from them, emulate them. Use them as references for behaviors, acronyms, abbreviations and actions.
Read what they say and notice how they say it. Take note of their balance between work and life, personal and professional.
Use all of this as a guideline for your own interactions. When you get a little freaked out, shoot a Tweet over to that colleague or friend and just have a nice irrelevant chat. It's great for the soul and you'll be blown away by how many people follow you once you relax and just have a conversation.
2) Follow The People The People You Follow Follow
You follow people you respect, information sources you trust, peers and colleagues and people against whom you benchmark your business. Take a look at who these people follow. Who do they get their news from? Who do they consider valuable members of their network? You don't have to follow all - or any - of these people, but the people you follow are a great resource to find more people to follow.
3) Don't Follow Everyone Just Because They Use A Keyword Or Phrase
There's nothing stranger than noticing you've got a dozen new followers and they all seem to have the word "soap" in their names. Suddenly, you realize that you mentioned the lovely new soap you bought last weekend. These people have created a search for a single keyword and automatically follow anyone who mentions that word. It seems like a good idea, but you already *bought* soap. You don't need or want more.
Having a keyword search set up is a great idea. It might net you a few new folks to talk with, a conversation about your business to track, some new contacts - but it's not a catchall basin. Pick and choose your connections so that there's some meaning in it for both you and the person you're following.
4) Follow People You Want in Your Stream
Everyone you follow will pop up on your home page. This and your own posts are your "Twitter stream." It could seem like a great idea to follow your cousin, because she knows a lot about Twitter, but when she starts late-night or drunk Tweeting, is that what you want showing up in your *public* stream?
Follow people who provide your stream with the level of quality and professionalism you want your business to express to the world at large.
5) Talk to People!
It may seem weird at first, just jumping in and asking a question, or introducing yourself to someone online without context, but, really, it's okay. That's normal on Twitter, where the conversations are public, so anyone can join in.
There's even specialized chats that use hashtags so you can follow the conversation with a simple search. Feel free to join in on a chat and learn what people have to say about topics of interest to you. Chats are another great way to find new people to follow.
These are all pretty basic things, but if you keep them in your mind as you get to know Twitter, you'll be well on your way to building an Amazing Network!
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Create an Exceptional Social Media Reputation in 3 Easy Steps (And Ruin it in 1)
Social Media is Mainstream. Moms and Dads follow their kids on Facebook. Businesses communicate with customers on Twitter, customers check in on Foursquare to get discounts, people use LinkedIn to look for jobs. There's no need for explanations any more so your friends or peers "get" Social Media.
So, what's left to be said? Well...a lot , really.
I still see businesses using Social Media without paying attention to the positive AND negative effects of their use. It's not just about being professional (although that goes a long, long way to establishing a good reputation.) It's about building something based on high standards and polished execution.
Here are 3 Easy Steps to Building an Exceptional Social Media Reputation
Speed
People want what they want, when they want it, how they want it. They don't want to be shuffled around from site to site. They want a response on whatever system they are on. That means that it's up to you to keep your eyes on any mention of your company - wherever it's being mentioned. Have a PR person? Make sure they are on top of all the major networks, related forums and blogs, not just the ones your company is on.
Being right there to respond to people will provide you and your business with a strong base on which to build your reputation.
Accuracy
I cannot begin to tell you how many companies respond to a Twitter post about bad service with "DM me with details and we'll do our best to help."
Read that line carefully - it proclaims "customer service failure" from beginning to end.
People very, very rarely post out of context. Anywhere. Humans are weird that way - we like people to know what we're talking about. So, if your Twitter search pops up a "crappy service from XYZ co," you can probably bet that there's more to it than just that single post. Do yourself a favor - read the the last few posts - track the conversation back to the very beginning and gather as much information as you can *before* you respond
"DM me with details" has very little value to a customer. In contrast, "I see you're having trouble with delivery. Can you DM me or can I call you about resolving it?" has very high value to a frustrated consumer and will gain you a reputation for exceptional customer service. Face it - of these two, which one would you prefer to get as a response?
Honesty
I just read yet another article about yet another company offering a promotion and then coming up with a bunch of hidden small print designed to make sure they weren't actually going to have to honor the promotion. Seriously, who thinks that's a good idea? In this day and age of instant communications, where one click of the button can reach tens of thousands of people, it behooves you to be what you say you are, give what you say you'll give and do what you say you'll do. Strive for clarity, honesty and transparency as a way to forge a strong reputation.
Bonus - 1 Easy Step to Ruin Your Reputation
You can spend years building a flawless reputation for outstanding customer service, excellent value and stellar quality. And it only takes one really bad experience to ruin it. What's the one thing that can ruin you?
Forget to Listen
Whether the customer is right is never the issue. Who is wrong is never the issue.
The issue is, the customer feels that s/he has been served poorly. Why that is, is a matter for internal reflection - it is not the customer's place to have to investigate or be investigated.
There are many components of Social Media - the first and foremost is not to communicate out, but to take in. Do your best to connect to the customer - listen to them. Show that you understand and are engaged with their problem. And above all, let them know that your priority is to resolve the matter in a way that satisfies them.
Your reputation is a precarious thing. Remember to listen to your customer, respond to them quickly, be as informed as you can be and honor your promises and you'll have a Social Media reputation that can withstand any storm.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
10 Questions to Determine If You're Using Social Media "Right"
The words "Social Media" have become as common as "cell phone" or "online marketing." And, like so much else related to digital forms of communication, there's a tremendous amount of snake oil being sold as panaceas for your ailing business.
Here's a simple checklist to determine if your business is getting the maximum benefit from your social media use.
***
1-4 "Yes" answers
Your use of Social Media is not Optimal
Social Media requires good interaction to be successful. You may have profiles or pages on all the hottest networks, but you're not curating them. The more you interact, the more authentic you seem. The more authentic you are, the more people will want to interact!
Take a few moments and prioritize your Social Media presence. Focus on one or two places where you can realistically spend time with your customers and cultivate relationships with them. In 6 months, retake this test and see how far you've come!
5-7 "Yes" answers
Your Use of Social Media is Good
You've got the basics down and you're putting your best foot forward most of the time. You're busy, so sometimes maybe you miss something, but you're doing your best.
Take a long look at a few of the spaces that aren't really getting much return. Maybe it's time to let go of an old profile or network. One of your spaces might just be full of unmoderated spam and it's time to trim it. Don't just get rid of the old, though- your mailing list may still be the best conversation in town. Just be ready to let go of something that's not working and focus on what is.
8-10 "Yes" answers
Congratulations, you are doing Social Media "Right"!
You understand that responding quickly and politely to issues means there's no time for those unresolved issues to fester into resentment. You understand that being where your audience is means you can convert them to becoming your market. And you understand that talking with people is more than just talking about yourself.
Don't get cocky, though - there's always room for improvement. Take that excellent Social Media Strategy and turn it into something exciting for you and your followers!
Use these ten questions as a quick health check of your Social Media presence on any platform - you can even ask your followers to take the test for you and see if you and they have the same feelings about your Social Media use.
Here's a simple checklist to determine if your business is getting the maximum benefit from your social media use.
***
1-4 "Yes" answers
Your use of Social Media is not Optimal
Social Media requires good interaction to be successful. You may have profiles or pages on all the hottest networks, but you're not curating them. The more you interact, the more authentic you seem. The more authentic you are, the more people will want to interact!
Take a few moments and prioritize your Social Media presence. Focus on one or two places where you can realistically spend time with your customers and cultivate relationships with them. In 6 months, retake this test and see how far you've come!
5-7 "Yes" answers
Your Use of Social Media is Good
You've got the basics down and you're putting your best foot forward most of the time. You're busy, so sometimes maybe you miss something, but you're doing your best.
Take a long look at a few of the spaces that aren't really getting much return. Maybe it's time to let go of an old profile or network. One of your spaces might just be full of unmoderated spam and it's time to trim it. Don't just get rid of the old, though- your mailing list may still be the best conversation in town. Just be ready to let go of something that's not working and focus on what is.
8-10 "Yes" answers
Congratulations, you are doing Social Media "Right"!
You understand that responding quickly and politely to issues means there's no time for those unresolved issues to fester into resentment. You understand that being where your audience is means you can convert them to becoming your market. And you understand that talking with people is more than just talking about yourself.
Don't get cocky, though - there's always room for improvement. Take that excellent Social Media Strategy and turn it into something exciting for you and your followers!
Use these ten questions as a quick health check of your Social Media presence on any platform - you can even ask your followers to take the test for you and see if you and they have the same feelings about your Social Media use.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Three Rules of Blog Commenting for Fun and Profit
Any discussion of community and network building will inevitably touch upon commenting on other people's blogs as a great way to both promote yourself and expand your own sphere of influence. Here's three simple rules of Comment Etiquette that will set you on the right path.
Give to Get
The very best way to gain respect, increase your network and make friends is to share information. You have knowledge about your field and there are people who need and want it. Make yourself as available as you can to them. Offer advice when it's asked for, sympathy where it's needed and generally be an open book that people can turn to when they need a prompt.
Use your knowledge to set people on the right path and offer up lessons gained from your experience to provide others with a mentor or peer they can turn to when the chips are down.
Don't Sell - Talk
Writing a compelling comment takes humility. When you comment on someone else's blog, make sure the focus is on their content and what you can add to it. You have a unique perspective, unique experiences, but that person's blog is not about you. Don't take the opportunity to shift the focus onto yourself. It feels forced...and a little selfish. This is their blog - help them out. Add something to the conversation; present a new option. Don't derail the conversation in this space by pointing to another one somewhere else, unless it's really relevant to the topic at hand. And don't take that moment to pitch your exciting new product. It's not going to be as welcome as you might expect.
Avoid Zingers
There's an expectation in some spaces on the Internet that conversations have "winners" and "losers." For a lot of good (and bad) reasons that I won't be going into here, conversations on the Internet are often seen as battles that have to be won. And many people believe that the sure way to "win" a conversation is to kill it.
In reality, comments are only worth as much as they further a conversation. Your zinger may give you the feeling of a "win," but really, you've lost - not only is the conversation dead for everyone, you'll get a reputation as a troll.
Before you comment, ask yourself - is this comment going to contribute to the conversation? Will it prolong it? Am I opening doors or shutting them? Of course, we all have a moment or two when we're not in the most tolerant mood, but the more often you take a moment, breathe, and set down a comment that keeps the conversation going, the more you'll get a reputation as someone worth listening to.
As a colleague says, "First Thought Wrong," by which she means that it's important to take a moment - make sure you breathe - and consider what is about to come out of your mouth.
Use the same consideration on other people's blogs as you'd like on your own - share information, keep the conversation going. Then your comments will be seen as a valuable addition and you as a valuable resource.
Give to Get
The very best way to gain respect, increase your network and make friends is to share information. You have knowledge about your field and there are people who need and want it. Make yourself as available as you can to them. Offer advice when it's asked for, sympathy where it's needed and generally be an open book that people can turn to when they need a prompt.
Use your knowledge to set people on the right path and offer up lessons gained from your experience to provide others with a mentor or peer they can turn to when the chips are down.
Don't Sell - Talk
Writing a compelling comment takes humility. When you comment on someone else's blog, make sure the focus is on their content and what you can add to it. You have a unique perspective, unique experiences, but that person's blog is not about you. Don't take the opportunity to shift the focus onto yourself. It feels forced...and a little selfish. This is their blog - help them out. Add something to the conversation; present a new option. Don't derail the conversation in this space by pointing to another one somewhere else, unless it's really relevant to the topic at hand. And don't take that moment to pitch your exciting new product. It's not going to be as welcome as you might expect.
Avoid Zingers
There's an expectation in some spaces on the Internet that conversations have "winners" and "losers." For a lot of good (and bad) reasons that I won't be going into here, conversations on the Internet are often seen as battles that have to be won. And many people believe that the sure way to "win" a conversation is to kill it.
In reality, comments are only worth as much as they further a conversation. Your zinger may give you the feeling of a "win," but really, you've lost - not only is the conversation dead for everyone, you'll get a reputation as a troll.
Before you comment, ask yourself - is this comment going to contribute to the conversation? Will it prolong it? Am I opening doors or shutting them? Of course, we all have a moment or two when we're not in the most tolerant mood, but the more often you take a moment, breathe, and set down a comment that keeps the conversation going, the more you'll get a reputation as someone worth listening to.
As a colleague says, "First Thought Wrong," by which she means that it's important to take a moment - make sure you breathe - and consider what is about to come out of your mouth.
Use the same consideration on other people's blogs as you'd like on your own - share information, keep the conversation going. Then your comments will be seen as a valuable addition and you as a valuable resource.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Don't Assume, Do Provide Context - Writing for Social Media
On SocialOptimized, I constantly exhort you to know your audience and know where they hang out online, to most effectively target them. However, Social Media is also a powerful tool to reach outside those pre-existing spaces and attract new interest.
Today we'll talk about expanding your audience through providing context.
The keystone of Social Media is relevance. Relevance is what drives you to share information with your network and your network to share information with their networks. To create relevance, you need to provide context. And, to provide context, there are a few assumptions you need to avoid.
Don't Assume It's About You
People follow/friend/fan/connect for a lot of reasons. The number one reason is that they think that by doing so, it will add to their lives in some meaningful way. They might expect you to provide information, entertainment, discounts, something. People look for a quid pro quo when they follow you.
As a business owner, don't get locked up int the idea that your followers want to know about you for your sake - what they want is to know about you for *their* sakes.
When you use Social Media, consider answering "what's in it for me?" before it's even asked.
Don't Assume Your Followers Are Fans
You have a fanpage for your business, or maybe you Tweet often. Or, perhaps you have a nice following of readers at your business blog. In any case, you know that people read you every day...or do you? Not everyone who follows you is going to check in with you every day. Your readers might be more casual than you think they are. There's a good chance that your followers don't read every post or tweet you make.
Don't Assume They Know What You Are Talking About
Your readers want to know what you are talking about, even if they come in in the middle of the conversation. Let them know that this is the middle of the conversation, when they do. It's easy enough to backtrack on most social networking systems - provide links, quotes, synopses, whatever it takes to keep people on top of what they need to know to be able to understand what you're saying.
***
Do Provide Context
Whether you have an article in a local paper, a blog post a Facebook status or a Twitter update, every word counts with your readers.
Let your followers know if this is a question, a chat, promotional, a link, food for thought. People have less time (and less inclination) than ever to think critically about everything. Let your readers know up front how much time and energy you are asking for. Are you writing about a provocative or thought-provoking topic - let them know! Are you waxing philosophical over something - or nothing? The more specific you are about what you expect from your readers, the better your response will be.
Do Make Your Point
See the above comment about time and inclination. Before you start writing - make sure you have a point. Whether it's a new product or service you want to mention, or a relevant event, it's important to let your followers know what it is that you are trying to say. It makes it easier for them to share the information - and easier for you to reach people who care about that topic.
Do Invite Feedback
It might seem obvious to you that you want to interact with people in your Social Network, but it's not always obvious to them. A status update is most often in the form of a declarative statement. Some people will not interpret that as a request for feedback or as a conversation starter. Provide a clue to your followers that they are welcome to comment, so they *know* their opinions and thoughts are encouraged. This will provide more impetus for sharing, when people know that the door is open for discussion.
***
Do Consider Sharing
Taking the time to craft your information so that it is understandable to people outside your field and repeatable across multiple platforms will increase your chances of attracting an audience outside your usual sphere.
Short, retweetable lead ins, strong quotes, good tag words. All of these will attract people who are interested in what you have to say, and encourage them to share that with others.
Don't Assume, Do Provide Context and you'll turn your Social Media into an effective tool to recruit a new audience.
Today we'll talk about expanding your audience through providing context.
The keystone of Social Media is relevance. Relevance is what drives you to share information with your network and your network to share information with their networks. To create relevance, you need to provide context. And, to provide context, there are a few assumptions you need to avoid.
Don't Assume It's About You
People follow/friend/fan/connect for a lot of reasons. The number one reason is that they think that by doing so, it will add to their lives in some meaningful way. They might expect you to provide information, entertainment, discounts, something. People look for a quid pro quo when they follow you.
As a business owner, don't get locked up int the idea that your followers want to know about you for your sake - what they want is to know about you for *their* sakes.
When you use Social Media, consider answering "what's in it for me?" before it's even asked.
Don't Assume Your Followers Are Fans
You have a fanpage for your business, or maybe you Tweet often. Or, perhaps you have a nice following of readers at your business blog. In any case, you know that people read you every day...or do you? Not everyone who follows you is going to check in with you every day. Your readers might be more casual than you think they are. There's a good chance that your followers don't read every post or tweet you make.
Don't Assume They Know What You Are Talking About
Your readers want to know what you are talking about, even if they come in in the middle of the conversation. Let them know that this is the middle of the conversation, when they do. It's easy enough to backtrack on most social networking systems - provide links, quotes, synopses, whatever it takes to keep people on top of what they need to know to be able to understand what you're saying.
***
Do Provide Context
Whether you have an article in a local paper, a blog post a Facebook status or a Twitter update, every word counts with your readers.
Let your followers know if this is a question, a chat, promotional, a link, food for thought. People have less time (and less inclination) than ever to think critically about everything. Let your readers know up front how much time and energy you are asking for. Are you writing about a provocative or thought-provoking topic - let them know! Are you waxing philosophical over something - or nothing? The more specific you are about what you expect from your readers, the better your response will be.
Do Make Your Point
See the above comment about time and inclination. Before you start writing - make sure you have a point. Whether it's a new product or service you want to mention, or a relevant event, it's important to let your followers know what it is that you are trying to say. It makes it easier for them to share the information - and easier for you to reach people who care about that topic.
Do Invite Feedback
It might seem obvious to you that you want to interact with people in your Social Network, but it's not always obvious to them. A status update is most often in the form of a declarative statement. Some people will not interpret that as a request for feedback or as a conversation starter. Provide a clue to your followers that they are welcome to comment, so they *know* their opinions and thoughts are encouraged. This will provide more impetus for sharing, when people know that the door is open for discussion.
***
Do Consider Sharing
Taking the time to craft your information so that it is understandable to people outside your field and repeatable across multiple platforms will increase your chances of attracting an audience outside your usual sphere.
Short, retweetable lead ins, strong quotes, good tag words. All of these will attract people who are interested in what you have to say, and encourage them to share that with others.
Don't Assume, Do Provide Context and you'll turn your Social Media into an effective tool to recruit a new audience.
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