Twitter

Happy Birthday.. err Anniversary Twitter!

March 21 in Blog, News by tweetingtony | Comments Off

There seems to be quite a bit of confusion over Twitter’s big day. If you recall, we celebrated their birthday twice last year. Once in March and again in July. In an effort to clear things up, we did a bit of research and found that today is in fact NOT Twitter’s Birthday. In reality today is actually the anniversary of the first tweet, which was made by founder @Jack Dorsey 7 years ago today. It wasn’t until July, 2006 that Twitter was launched to the public (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter)

No matter what we consider today for Twitter, there’s no doubt that they have accomplished quite a bit in the past 7 or so years. They’re now boasting over 200 million active users who are churning out 400+ millions tweets per day. In the video, you’ll see a quick glimpse of Twitter over the years.

Tagged #Twitter7, Anniversary, Birthday, Jacksonville, Twitter

Five critical mistakes businesses make with social media

May 10 in Blog by leading lady | No Comments

When training many small to medium-sized businesses to effectively use social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, there are five critical mistakes that I come across consistently. There is no concrete answer on how to be successful in social media due because every business offers different products and services to different target audiences. However, there are best practices that companies should be aware of and work diligently to implement. Here are the top five mistakes that businesses make when leveraging social media.

1) There’s no plan or strategy. I have seen many businesses set up Facebook and Twitter accounts, and then let them sit dormant. A stale account will do nothing to help grow your business. In fact, it can harm your business. My suggestion is to create at least a six-month social media plan, and stick to it. Strategize with a local consultant, mentor or friend who specializes in social media, and remember to have fun with it. Social media is a way to show off your company and build lasting relationships with your customers.

2) Content is not prioritized. A business should always try to stick to the 80/20 rule. This rule states that content and messaging should be 80 percent informational and 20 percent promotional. Social media is a pull system, so stop pushing. Your customers do not want you to hound them every day to come into your store or buy your products. They want you to bring valuable information to them and prove you are a resource to them and a thought leader in your industry. You want to feed your fans and followers great content and create conversation on platforms that are relevant to your marketing plan. For example, do not set up an account on Pinterest just because everyone else is doing it. If the platform does not fit your model, excel in the platforms that do. Thanks to the Internet, there is a lot of great content at your disposal. Engagement is everything.

3) Automated posting by linking social media accounts. Linking Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts is a huge social media no-no. While it sounds contradictory because many social sites encourage it, you do not want to push the same message out across all sites simultaneously. Twitter enforces a message length requirement and encourages multiple tweets a day due to sheer volume of tweets. However, Facebook encourages a more in-depth message for less frequent posting. Each platform hosts a different audience in a different atmosphere. Speak with them appropriately.

Read the Full Article in the Jacksonville Business Journal

Tagged 2011 social media statistics, business journal, business workshop, digital marketing, Facebook, Facebook for business, Florida, grow your business online, instagram, Jacksonville, LinkedIn, LinkedIn Platform, linkedin strategies, modern marketing, pinterest, power of social media marketing, professional social media, social madness, social media, social media marketing, social media-sharing, traditional media, Twitter

Social Media Plans: Your Accountability Partner

April 19 in Blog by marketing morgan | No Comments

Social Media has taken over the digital marketing world and is casting a shadow over traditional media outlets. Businesses know they need to be on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, & Instagram, but many small to medium size business are unsure how to do it effectively.

Social Media plans are key to building your online brand presence. With a plan in place, you can begin to build brand awareness, improve customer service, drive traffic to your Web site, generate leads and strengthen relationships with your current consumer base.

The first step is accepting responsibility for the page. Committing head-on to social media is the toughest step, but you will be well on your way to engaging with your customers and strengthening your online presence. Once your company has a Facebook page or Twitter profile, it is important to post regularly with relevant content for your fans and followers. Each social platform must be monitored on a regular basis to ensure user activity is not being neglected.

A plan will help you to become a forward thinker, allow you to map out holidays, plan contests and will hold you accountable to post content as scheduled. The generator of this plan should always be seen as an accountability partner to make sure your company stays on track and your social media platforms are flourishing.

To learn more about social media plans and best practices available through Thomas Marketing Consulting – call 904-651-7976 or e-mail info@ThomasMarketingUSA.com for your complementary consultation.

Tagged 2011 social media statistics, business workshop, Facebook, Facebook for business, grow your business online, LinkedIn, social media, social media campaign, social media marketing, social media-sharing, Twitter

What is YouTube?

September 28 in Blog by leading lady | No Comments

YouTube is a video-hosting website that offers a “forum for people to connect, inform, and inspire others across the globe and acts as a distribution platform for original content creators and advertisers large and small,” according to its website.

As the second largest search engine in the world, according to Socialnomics.net, you’ve undoubtedly seen silly videos on YouTube posted for entertainment purposes. (My personal favorite is “Charlie Bit My Finger!”) But did you know that YouTube is also an effective business tool? From marketing products to addressing customer service issues, business-related YouTube videos are on the rise.

“Large organizations have been using audio and video for a long time in marketing and training. What sets the new social media-sharing solutions apart is that they can be fast, broad, and free,” says authors of The New Social Learning: A Guide to Transforming Organizations Through Social Media, Tony Bingham and Marcia Conner. Not to mention simple – all you need to create a YouTube video is a cell phone with a camcorder or a hand-held digital video camera. Uploading and sharing your YouTube video is also quick and easy.

YouTube videos are effective for many different industries. Teachers use YouTube videos to help engage and educate students on current events, realtors use YouTube videos to take clients on virtual property tours, retail companies use YouTube videos for product launches, and the list goes on.

“Audio and video connect people much more powerfully than just the printed word,” says Chris Brogan, author of Social Media 101: Tactics and Tips to Develop Your Business Online. With videos, your customers/clients/patients can put faces with names and voices, making it easier for them to connect with your company. People can also comment on YouTube videos, a feature that provides valuable feedback.

We’ve mentioned before how using different social media websites together help your overall social media campaign. Now consider this: how many Facebook or Twitter status updates do you see that link to a YouTube video? A lot! These social media websites purposely support video-sharing technology to make posts as captivating as possible.

Creating YouTube videos for your business is also smart because it gives potential customers another way to find you online. The more searchable content that you have about your company online, the higher your company will rank in organic search results. Plus, videos help consumers with their research of products and services. Having product tours or customer testimonials are great ways to gain a competitive advantage.

Different social media websites work best for different companies’ social media marketing objectives. What type of YouTube videos could help grow your business online?

Tagged business-related YouTube videos, create a YouTube video, creating YouTube videos for your business, Facebook, grow your business online, link to a YouTube video, media-sharing, social media, social media campaign, social media marketing, social media websites, social media-sharing, Socialnomics, Twitter, uploading and sharing YouTube video, video-hosting, video-hosting website, video-sharing technology, what is YouTube, YouTube, YouTube Socialnomics, YouTube videos

Top Three Things to Know About Social Media Marketing

August 10 in Blog by leading lady | No Comments

1) Don’t just do it – do it correctly. Make your social media marketing efforts count. Don’t just post for the sake of posting. The key to social media marketing is knowing what to say, who to say it to, and how often to say it. Commit to the upkeep of your social media accounts, and deliver content that interests and engages your audience. If your followers don’t find value in the information you share, they’ll stop following you.

2.) Form a cohesive social media marketing campaign. To reach the largest audience possible, you must establish your business on multiple social media websites. Choose the platforms that your customers are most involved with, and use linking strategies to show them what else you have in place. Experts agree. “LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are not options. They must all be used or BOOM! will never happen, much less meet your expectations,” states Jeffrey Gitomer, author of Social BOOM!. The key to a successful social media marketing campaign is having a clear set plan in place. At TMC, we recommend at least a 12-month plan to track your efforts effectively.

3.) Be consistent. Align your social media marketing efforts with your traditional media marketing efforts. Do your print ads contain a Twitter logo? Do your TV ads feature your Facebook URL? Coordinating these efforts helps establish your brand and also makes it easier for customers to find your business. Always keep your marketing objectives in mind, and you will keep that consistent voice across all media.

What do you consider to be other dos or don’ts of social media marketing?

Tagged Facebook, LinkedIn, social media, social media marketing, social media marketing campaign, social media websites, Twitter, YouTube

Why Does My Company Need Social Media Marketing?

August 4 in Blog by leading lady | 1 Comment

If you’re still asking this question, allow me to catch you up to speed: social media is here to stay.

I promise.

Your company needs social media marketing to compete in today’s marketplace. Have you noticed the Facebook and Twitter icons on most companies’ homepages? Have you heard the “Like us on Facebook” and “Follow us on Twitter” plugs at the end of radio and TV commercials? Of course you have; that’s because most companies already understand the power of social media marketing.

Your company can use social media sites to gain valuable insight on customer opinions of your products and services. The ability to interact with your audience has never been easier. Social media marketing helps to improve your company’s overall customer service experience by establishing trust and building meaningful relationships online. This level of engagement helps to keep existing customers and attract new ones.

Another reason to use social media marketing is to grow your online presence. Maintaining accounts on various social media sites helps to drive traffic to your company website, which, in turn, generates leads and boosts your reputation (if you have an informative, user-friendly website.)

I’ll leave you with some 2011 social media statistics to give you perspective on the power of social media marketing:

Facebook tops Google for weekly traffic in the United States, according to Socialnomics.com.
80% of companies use social media for recruitment, 95% of which use LinkedIn, according to Socialnomics.com.
Over 67% of users are following their favorite brands on Twitter, according to BlackBoxSocialMedia.com.

As research shows, social media sites aren’t new anymore. They are already integrated into many companies’ marketing campaigns. The longer you resist using Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other social media sites as effective marketing tools, the further you’ll fall behind competitors who are already dominating in these arenas. Don’t get left behind!

Do you have an example of how social media marketing has helped your company?

Tagged 2011 social media statistics, Facebook, power of social media, power of social media marketing, social media, social media marketing, social media sites, social media statistics, Twitter

The Basics of Social Media Marketing

July 28 in Blog by leading lady | No Comments

Learning the marketing capabilities of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and all other social media platforms can be intimidating. New social media sites are constantly introduced, and the task of determining which ones are best to market your company can be overwhelming.

Relax. We’re here to help! Let’s start with the basics of social media marketing.

What is Facebook? Facebook is a social networking site with a mission of “giving people the power to share and make the world more open and connected,” according to its website. While its original focus was on personal use, Facebook has evolved over the last few years to become a powerful professional resource. Posting engaging, relevant content on your business page motivates people to “like” your page. The more fans you have that “like” your page, the more exposure your company gets. The interactive Facebook “wall” also offers a company valuable insight to customer opinions and allows the opportunity for a positive customer service experience.

What is Twitter? Twitter is “a real-time information network that connects you to the latest information about what you find interesting,” according to its website. Through 140-character “tweets,” you can share valuable information through your original text or through links. When people find your “tweets” relevant, they re-post them on their profiles, thus growing the exposure of your message. Twitter is especially influential for businesses, since businesses can build targeted communities of people who are interested in their specific products and services.

What is LinkedIn? LinkedIn is “the world’s largest professional network on the Internet,” according to its website. For individuals, it’s a powerful networking tool to find colleagues and industry professionals. For businesses, it’s highly effective for recruiting talent and for marketing the company. LinkedIn profiles allow people to establish professional identities with their work experience, community involvement, education, and other pertinent information. Company profile pages are also available.

Our owner here at Thomas Marketing Consulting, Jessica Thomas, describes social media as “the catalyst in communication,” and you can see why! Connectivity and customer feedback are the main attractions of using social media marketing for business. When executed correctly, your social media efforts create brand influencers who help generate awareness and positive responses for your company.

Do you understand the difference between Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn and how combining the three social media sites can benefit your company?

Tagged Facebook, LinkedIn, social media, social media marketing, social media marketing for business, social media platforms, social media sites, Twitter, what is Facebook, what is LinkedIn, what is Twitter