Your 30 Day Social Media Plan – #30DSM – Day 30: 30 Days of Social Media

It’s Day 30 of 30 Days of Social Media. We’ve covered a lot of ground over the last month and yet it feels like it would be easy to go for another 30 days of tips and strategies on how to put social media to work for your business.

Today, however, let’s take a look at how we can start to implement some strategy into your social media activity.

Your 30 Day Social Media Plan

Execution and implementation is the key to being successful with any new body of knowledge. No point knowing new stuff and then not doing anything with it. (As a serial student of business I am guilty of learning, learning and more learning. The magic seems to happen when I actually use and share what I have learned.)

I believe that if we focus on ONE area for a whole month, we’ll do better than splitting our energies across the myriad of areas. (Ok, you can sneak two or three areas of focus into your plan, but I suggest you consider putting together a 30 day plan for one area to start.)

Over the last 30 days we’ve looked at:

• Wikis
• Twitter strategies
• Facebook Pages
• Online Networking
• RSS (Real Simple Syndication)
• Promoting events through social media
• Generating Leads
• Podcasting
• Using Video and YouTube
• Managing Your Online brand
• and a whole lot more…

So, what ONE area would you like to focus further on for the next month?

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YOUR 30 DAY SOCIAL MEDIA PLAN FOR [INSERT YOUR FOCUS AREA HERE]

Here are three steps to take to create a one-page plan for this area:

Step 1:

Choose an area of Social Media to focus on for the next month.

Step 2:

Set your goals and objectives for this area. (Hint: Stay big picture and set some measurable goals that we can look back at in 30 days and celebrate the achievement of.)

Step 3:

Determine what three actions can you take

• tomorrow
• next week
• over 30 days

to get closer to the achievement of your goals for this area of social media.

EXAMPLE

AREA: Facebook Page for My Business

GOALS:

1. Set up a Facebook page by (date)
2. Get a vanity URL
3. Add photos and a video
4. Post at least once a week to the page

2. Have 100 fans for the page by the end of the month

3. Integrate my Facebook Page strategy into my business strategy

ACTIONS

Week 1:

• Post twice to the Notes section:
  • post link to one relevant article
  • post link to one relevant event
• Advertise/promote the page on my email, on  my website, in a newsletter, through Twitter and other social networks

etc.

Take action. Do it now. Set you goals and schedule the activities that you’ll complete to get to these goals.

Thanks for taking part in 30 Days of Social Media.

Write and tell me what you plan to focus on. I’d love to hear from you and be a part of your journey.

Until then,

Suzi

(I owe thanks to many people for their support with this free program. I’ll write more on that tomorrow!)

How to promote your event through social media – a DIY Guide in three easy steps! #30DSM – Day 29: 30 Days of Social Media

Organising an event at the best of times can be a chore. However with the growing appeal of social networking sites this often arduous task can be made a little easier. Brooke Simmons of Pursuit Communications illustrates the steps to promote your event through social networking sites in today’s 30 Days of Social Media lesson.

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How to promote your event through social media – a DIY Guide in three easy steps!

by Brooke Simmons

Firstly, you will have to decide if it’s relevant to promote your event through social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin etc. If it’s a “soft” product launch – there’s no point in telling the world about it – wait until all the “wrinkles” have been ironed out and then invite the masses. The same can be said for a VIP event: the last thing any organiser needs is a mass of people turning up at an event, which is intended for a select group of people.

Equally there’s no point in organising an event where members of the general public are invited to attend and there are very few people aware of the event in the first place!  If you don’t promote it properly, how will anyone be expected to know?

Cue the social networking site.

These sites offer a range of solutions to track, interact and ultimately control any event you wish to promote.

If you believe there’s an opportunity to promote your event via a social networking site you will firstly need to understand “your audience”.

1. DECIDE which mix of social media outlets will be suitable for your launch. To do this, think about the networks you keep in all of your social media outlets. LinkedIn is often associated with past-colleagues and current client contacts. Facebook is, for many people, a combination of friends and Twitter can often be a combination of these two. So use your best judgement on which outlet or outlets you’ll use and stick to them. (I recommend using no more than two outlets for promoting any activity – I’ll come to this in a moment.)

Once you have decided on which outlet(s) you’ll use for your event, make sure you use the social networking site sensibly.

2. REMEMBER it’s a social networking site not a place where you can bombard everyone with invitations, reminders and messages about the event. Just with fashion, less is more. What you believe to be a “friendly second, third or fourth reminder” can be interpreted by others as spam.

Once you offer the initial invitation allow people a chance to respond by the specified RSVP date, answer any questions that may be asked in the meantime and only follow up after the RSVP deadline, ensuring you leave enough time between the RSVP date and the event itself to allow for extra details to be added. These could include additional background material, late confirmation of special celebrity guests – that kind of thing. I suggest allowing an additional day for following up RSVPs from a social networking site; some people aren’t as vigilant checking their social networking accounts as they are with their e-mails.

3.  The most important tip I’ll offer is to use THE TOOLS that are available for each social networking site.  Some suggestions are:

• Link a post about the event to your Linkedin page from your blog – a majority of times you’ll be able to do this through a widget. A cross pollination such as this can often encourage people who may not have regularly visited your blog to do so and vice versa.  A blog entry also allows you to enter more details about your event and give potential attendees a chance to comment on the event.
• Create an event on Facebook: if you choose, this will allow your attendees to post their images, comments and topics about the event all on one tidy page.
• Create a “hashtag”  on Twitter for your event so those attending who are Twitter users can comment about the event, track back previous tweets and see what others are tweeting all by searching for a simple “hashtag”. For example for a client event that I have coming up I’ll be using the “hashtag” #ToniaTodmanRoses and #Bluminlaunch. If you’re still confused this site offers a great explanation.
• Consider looking at Eventbrite for use on social networking sites: it’s easy to use and the site walks you through the whole process.
• For those people who may not be able to attend due to geographic location, why not consider creating a webcast of the event or inviting people to attend via Skype.

Ultimately use common sense when it comes to organising an event and promoting through social networking site. Don’t create more work for yourself than is needed and use the power of social networking sites to your advantage.

Good luck!

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Brooke Simmons – Pursuit Communications

Brooke Simmons has over four years experience within the public relations arena and over ten years experience in the media, most recently she has worked on the following clients – Events by Olivia, Gosford City Council, Talk’N Tours, I Hate Cinderella, Wet Ones, Sassi Sam,  SBNG – Small Business Networking Group Central Coast NSW, Sam’s Beer, Blumin’ & Tonia Todman Roses, Brands on Sale Campbelltown, United Airlines, Lenovo Australian Olympic Torch Relay, Radisson Resort Fiji, Lufthansa Airlines, REED Constructions Australia, Carlson Hotels Asia Pacific, Kaspersky Anti-Virus, Autodesk – Australia, Glass Onion Website Design and OZtion Online Auction Site.

In addition to her public relations capabilities Brooke has held the title of Managing Editor for Manchester Unity’s member magazine U Magazine from December 2006 –April 2008.

Prior to her foray in the public relations arena, Brooke has held other roles within the media industry. Previously working at; Silverspan Marketing, Nova 969 FM and Regional Radio Bureau – now known as Regional Radio Works.  As a result Brooke is well versed on the many facets of the media and also holds a great number of media contacts.

She is contactable at the following email address and phone number;
E: brooke@pursuitcommunications.com.au, P: +61 (0) 407 780 710

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TODAY’S TASK

Got an event coming up? Post it on one of your social networks today.

Until tomorrow,

Suzi

Do you make these Top 11 mistakes with your social media? #30DSM – Day 28: 30 Days of Social Media

Social media can be seriously profitable for your business. “It’s the secret low cost marketing weapon used by the leading entrepreneurs. But, it can go horribly wrong if you make these mistakes…” explains today’s 30 Days of Social Media contributor, Meredith Collins. She identifies 11 mistakes that you don’t want to make.

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Mistake #1. Trying to sell something. Although it might seem counter intuitive, if you try to pitch something too soon you are bound for disaster. Social Media is like a big party. You wouldn’t walk into a party and start selling everyone your products. You would spend time to make friends and get to know people. You would share some things about yourself and have conversations with people who were on your wavelength.  Social Media is relationship and referral marketing amplified – so use this as a PR machine, not a straight sales tool.

Mistake #2. Lack of consistency. If you decide to use Social Media then commit consistent time to the process of using it.  Dependent upon your strategy, you may need to ”tweet” daily or ”blog”/”post” every few days or weekly.  Whatever the strategy, consistency is key and you must devise a plan and stick to it.  Your target market needs consistency and reliability – your commitment and visibility speaks volumes about your business.

Mistake #3. Wrong place wrong market. Choose your social media sites well.  Be strategic about which sites you use and where your target market is looking.  A local business may not be using the same social media as a specialised, niche or global business.  This is not about throwing balls in the air and hoping they will land correctly – it is a powerful relationship marketing tool.

Mistake #4. Joining too many Social Sites. I always say to clients ”don’t do four sites badly – you are better off doing one really well”.  Be strategic about which sites you use, add value and manage them well.  The big sites are LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Plaxo and Wordpress, and depending upon your business, article marketing might be very effective.

Mistake #5 Failing to ’add value’ for your market. Value for your target market is the rule in Social Media – and ”surprising value” is the way to go.  Social media is all about relationships and positioning yourself as an expert – so put more value in your posts, articles, audio (podcast) files, videos and recommendations and offer surprising value – enough value that your target market remembers you and wants to engage with you.

Mistake #6 Focusing on promotion over content. This ties in with Mistake #5 – if you don’t push out good content, there is no perceived value.  Promotion can come later and even disguised as content when you have a market who wants what you have got.  ”Do” Social Media well and the money will come.

Mistake #7 Making contentious or argumentative statements. Contentious statements may attract attention, but they may also lose your audience. Condescending or argumentative topics are unlikely to work in the long term.  Just think of that argumentative person in the office…. don’t go there.

Mistake #8 Taking instead of giving. Remember Social Media is about relationships first.  Give value, give suggestions, give value, give advice, give ideas, give news give possibilities, give gratitude and do not take relentlessly.  One of my biggest joint ventures came after some “giving”. GIVE = Give Influence Very Easily – give first and you will never be second.

Mistake #9 Not joining groups. The premise of Web2.0 and Social Media is community – sharing and expertise.  Be seen within groups that are of interest, add value to you and to which you can add value for others.  Position yourself and share your expertise.  No one ever made it to the top being a Lone Ranger and contribution and mixing is important if you want to make it in Social Media.

Mistake #10 Don’t shun face to face events. Face to face networking is still a significant way to connect and the connection can continue online.  Others are far more likely to recommend you, continue to network online and follow you in the Social Media spaces, once they have met you.  You will learn from others, expand your own circle and be able to offer significant value to those with whom you come in contact. This is where we add some value for you.

Mistake #11 Having incomplete Social Media profiles. You cannot maximise your work opportunities with an incomplete Resume.  Neither can you maximise your connections, potential client interest or business opportunities with incomplete profiles.  Ensure that your profiles are complete and get to the point and offer information your market wants.  Enlist the help of experts to get you set up correctly in the first instance.  Create the best impression you can.

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Meredith Collins is the founder of Video Social Marketing, an organisation which specialises in teaching business owners and entrepreneurs how to leverage the awesome power of video and social media for your business. For more great articles, resources, tips and training programs on Social Media for Business go to www.videosocialmarketing.net

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TODAY’S TASK

Are you making any of these mistakes? Which one(s)? How will you change your strategy as a result of identifying these mistakes?

Until tomorrow,

Suzi

Spring edition of herVoice: Managing Work/Life Balance

The 4 Ps of Online Networking #30DSM – Day 27: 30 Days of Social Media

Maximise your online connections, build relationships with purpose and make the most of online networking with The 4 Ps of Online Networking from today’s 30 Days of Social Media guest contributor – Iggy Pintado, author of Connection Generation.

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The 4 Ps of Online Networking

by Iggy Pintado

A question I get asked quiet often is that with my variety of presences on online networks like Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter and the large number of followers I have on these platforms, how do I find the time and energy to put into it. My answer invariably goes back to the basics of online networking, which I call the 4 P’s. These are: PURPOSE, PROFILE, PARTICIPATION and PERSISTENCE.

First, there’s PURPOSE. Before I even think about logging on each day I reflect on why I’m doing all this. For me, it’s about expanding my network by reconnecting with family, friends and former and current colleagues, introducing myself to people with interesting profiles around Australia and in other countries and identifying groups with shared interests. Once I’d establish my connections base, it was about sharing information, ideas and concepts.To achieve this, I decided early on to be an Open Networker. This meant accepting invitations from other people who I didn’t directly know but whose profiles were consistent with my shared interests. It’s been said that the internet is either a time saver or a time waster. Clearly understanding what you want to get out of it determines your focus and how much time you spend on online networking.

Then there’s PROFILE. Once you sign up to an online network, you’re well on the way to creating your own personal brand on the web. This is a unique opportunity to present yourself online by the one person who knows you best – you. By building and posting a compelling profile, you provide others with the ability to find you and attract other users who want to know you, potentially utilise your skills, sell you something you might value, just establish a connection or even offer you a job. So take the time to develop a profile that best represents you, including a photo, your key achievements and your competencies.

Thirdly, there’s PARTICIPATION. Online networking is social and is like attending a party or business function. You could choose to sit in a corner all night and then complain how bad it was. Once you’ve got your profile up, be a participant – not a wallflower. The same social principles as a party apply – introduce yourself to others, start a conversation, share your thoughts, join a group discussion, ask questions or play a silly game. Do something that shows that you’re actively involved in the network and that you want to be there.

Finally, there’s PERSISTENCE. If you want to achieve your purpose, you have to stick with it. The obvious analogy is getting fit. We all know that we need to exercise regularly to get fit. Same with online networking. Get into the discipline of setting time aside – some, not at so much that it consumes you but regularly enough to participate in network activities – and keep at it. There may be times when you don’t get a timely response to an invitation, posting or some other message. My advice is to persist.

To get the most out of online networking, you need to work on it. Make the time to clearly articulate your purpose and goals, get into the discipline of refining and  enhancing your profile, actively participate in network initiatives that support your goals and most of all – keep at it.

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Iggy Pintado is the CEO and Chief Networking Officer at ConnectGen, a business networking consulting firm. His first book, Connection Generation is a fascinating study of how connectedness affects our place in society and business and the challenges and opportunities this compelling development presents. Book site is www.connectiongeneration.com.

Listen to Iggy speak about the 4 P’s of Online Networking to BNET’s Phil Dobbie.

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TODAY’S TASK
How have you participated today in social networking?
Have you posted a Tweet? Tweeted a post? Updated your online profiles?
Take one action to keep your online activities current.

Do women bosses play dirtier than men? The Apprentice tells a story. But is it real?

The Apprentice (the Aussie version) has seen women behaving badly according to a journalist who called the Australian Businesswomen’s Network last week to ask if the behaviour (women being catty and playing ‘dirtier than the men’ was what we consider normal behaviour).

In our experience, it’s not reality… but here’s a link to the story so that you can see what others have said.

Maybe our experience is not the same for all women however a contrived environment, with a big prize at stake as well as an editing team keen to get good ratings (and who would blame them) can well make the difference between reality and reality TV.

It was good to be able to voice our opinion of working women.

Suzi

Business Mentor gives business owner know how to run a business

On 23 August the Sun Herald newspaper featured Julia Nekich of The Ideas Suite who participated in the Australian Businesswomen’s Network’s MentorNet mentoring program. The story, titled, Your Guide to Greatness, explored the role a mentor can play in the growth and success of a small business.

The MentorNet program provides women with a qualified business mentor and six months of business skills training. Learn my by calling 1300 720 120 today.

Business women put their business heads together for a better result

The Australian Business Magazine – The Deal – recently featured an article on how women are joining forces and partnering with other women to co-create businesses.

The ABN’s Advisory Board Member, Susan Wareham McGrath, was asked to comment on the phenomena of women joining forces.

“It is definitely the beginning of a new trend,” explained Susan McGrath. “Women seem to find real synergy in combining experiences, capital and intellectual property, and it’s a way of avoiding the isolation that running a business alone can bring.”

How do you manage business resources?

Managing resources is hard for many businesses, especially for small business. How do you manage business resources?

e.g. What tools do you employ, Is there software you’d recommend? What do you outsource etc?

I’m currently compiling the next issue of our newsletter and would like to include your answers to this question. The purpose of this issue of our Women in Business eNewsletter is to show small businesses the myriad of ways that they can manage their resources to help them do more with less in their businesses.

A compilation of these answers along with your contact info (and permission of course) will be published for our community of women across Australia to learn from.

Here’s a sample of our current newsletter.

Equal Opportunity for Women – Government seeks feedback from Female Employees

Complementing this month’s Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace roundtables, the federal Office for Women is inviting employees to complete a brief online survey.

The Government is keen to have the broadest possible section of the community provide input into its examination of the effectiveness and efficiency of the Equal Opportunity for Women Act.

Both women and men are invited to complete the survey about their perceptions of equal opportunity for women in the workplace and how it may be improved.

The survey consists of five questions and is completely confidential. Respondents are not asked to reveal their identity or workplace.

The survey closes on 30 October 2009.

To complete the survey or for more information on the review, employees should visit: www.fahcsia.gov.au/sa/women

Susan Wareham McGrath, National Special Projects Manager — Australian Businesswomen’s Network

Susan joined the ABN Board as National Special Projects Manager – Public Policy and Advocacy in February 2007. Tertiary qualified in psychology, business and public policy development, Susan holds Accredited Professional status with the Recruitment Services Association Ltd and is a nationally accredited trainer. She is a mentor in the ABN’s MentorNet program and a regular panelist in the Queensland Government’s Mentoring for Growth program.

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