How To Work Facebook: Part 1

Statistics show that Facebook is the most widely used social networking site on the Web. But, unlike Twitter, Facebook is not so cut and dry. As I explained in previous posts, Twitter is a microblog that limits a user’s message to 120 characters. There are various ways to leverage that message and network to others, but the idea of Twitter is very simple: You have something to say and you say it to the people who have chosen to listen.

Facebook is an entirely different animal.

Since over 500 million people use Facebook worldwide. I am going to start Part 1 of this Facebook series by making one assumption: if you are reading this, odds are that you have a Facebook profile. Fair enough? I’m not going to tell you how set up a profile or download your profile picture. Even if you haven’t done that yet, just log onto Facebook and let them walk you through it. The interface is quite intuitive and easy to navigate. I will show you all of the nuances and functions, but I’ll leave the getting started up to you.

So, why are people using Facebook? The most commonly reported uses for Facebook are for personal entertainment and self/business marketing. Facebook is an easy and inexpensive way for the average person to catch up with old friends, classmates, neighbors, or co-workers. And with 500 million users, it is an incredibly powerful platform for selling a product or service, soliciting donations to your nonprofit, recruiting talent to your firm, or spreading awareness about an issue that means a lot to you.

Think of Facebook’s power like this: Say you have a small, web-based consulting business and you want to send out some direct mail to promote your service. You can purchase a mailing list that consists of your target audience’s demographic, you can purchase the printed piece, and you can pay the postage. Let’s say you send out 10,000 pieces of mail and that costs you $7,000. With a typical direct mail campaign, you are supposed to be ecstatic if you get a 3-4% response. Congratulations. You spent $7,000 to engage 300 people. It probably took you several weeks and cost you a lot more than the $7,000 in monetary expenses. In half the time, you could have sent out the same message to millions of people on Facebook…For a fraction of the cost. 3% of a million people make quite a large group. 3% of 500 million is slightly bigger.

Now, I don’t mean to say that you can just set up a profile on Facebook and instantly reach even 100,000 people. But, with the right tools and a lot of effort, you can build a big enough network to seriously boost your business, product, or nonprofit organization. Like Twitter, it’s all about making connections and interacting. The next several parts of this series will show you just exactly how to do it. Stay tuned.

Still Kicking!

It’s been awhile since my last post, but various forms of life have taken my focus away from blogging.  In any event, I’m trying to get back to it.  While I gather some information, let me know what you’ve seen out there in social media that has gotten your interest.  Particularly my nonprofit followers, what have you seen out there that has worked in the industry?  I’d love to hear from you!

The Importance of Social Media Policy

The best social media strategy in the world can be quickly derailed by weak or non-existent policy.  In fact, it can derail an entire company.  Think that’s a little harsh?  Just ask the brass at Domino’s.

Haven’t heard about the Domino’s debacle?  Here’s a quick rundown.  Last April, some Domino’s employees at a location in North Carolina had the great idea make a video of themselves preparing food in what can be  gently described as a ‘not so sanitary manner’.  They put the videos on YouTube and they spread like wild fire.  What happened next is well documented and is an amazing case study in righting a wrong.  A simple Google search will fetch you the information, so I won’t go too far into it here.  But, what almost crippled Domino’s wasn’t the fact that these clowns did what they did, it was the fact that Domino’s had no policy or procedure in place to either deal with the fallout or respond to it in an efficient way.

So, if you are a business or nonprofit who is getting started with a social media plan, you must take the time to discuss policy and best practice within your organization before you dive in.  Why?  Once you are out there in the world of social media, the potential exists for your employees or business partners to speak on your behalf.  If things turn negative, you need to know how you will deal with them.

You also need to make crystal clear to your employees what type of behavior is expected of them online.  Whether they or you like it or not, your employees act as a voice for your company on social media.  When they fill out their Facebook profile and list XYZ Company as their employer, their thoughts and views can be seen as the thoughts and views of XYZ Company.  Obviously, you can’t stop them from doing what they do on their own time, but policy gives you a level of separation from them when things go wrong.  Domino’s didn’t have that, and they were harshly criticized for it.

Things to think about when it comes to policy:

• Who can and can’t officially add content to the organization’s “official” profiles?

• What level of accountability do your employees have for behavior on personal social media outlets?

• How will your organization respond to negative criticism?  Will it be on the fly, or will a committee address each instance?

• Who speaks for the organization in person, if clients, business partners, or the press question your social media activity?

• Who assesses the appropriateness of content?  Again, on the fly or by committee?

All this, and more, must be on paper and made clear within your organization before activity begins.  A good policy can protect the company and answer many questions that are bound to come up from stakeholders and other internal and external parties.  It’s a must as a first step, and is exactly where my company is right now.

Have experience with social media policy?  Please share your thoughts in the comments section.

Socialnomics – Social Media Revolution: V2

If you have not had a chance to see the Socialnomics video entitled ‘Social Media Revolution’, you must watch it. Now.  If you had any doubt that social media is here to stay, you won’t after watching.

If you have already seen it, check out the new and updated version here:

Let’s talk about!  Leave a comment and get the discussion going.

How To Work Twitter: Part 4

When it comes to basic Twitter functionality, the list is the last of the main features I need to cover in this ‘How To’ series.  So, let’s dive right into it.

What is a list?  In my own words, the list is Twitter’s answer to Facebook groups.  If you’re not familiar with Facebook yet, then you can consider a list to be, quite simply, a way to organize your followers.  Why create lists?  Well, say you manage the Twitter account for your nonprofit or small business and you follow 300 other people.  Some are coworkers or volunteers, some are donors, some are sponsors, some are business partners, and some are just regular followers.  Lists provide you with an excellent way to organize who you follow.

When you start to follow lots of people, it can get hard to keep up with every single Tweet that gets sent out.  Lists can quickly and efficiently assist you with catching up.  Maybe you need an idea for a fund raiser or new product promotion.  Quickly browse the list or lists that contain your business partners or competition.  Maybe their content can inspire you.  Need to hire an employee or find a volunteer?  Check out the Tweets of the people on your volunteer or customers list.  Maybe you can find a lead.  Bottom line, lists help you make sense of the cacophony of tweeting that occurs when you start to follow lots of people.

OK…so how do you create a list?  On the right side of your home page, you’ll see a ‘New List’ link on your tool bar, right under the ‘Lists’ heading (how novel!).  Click that and a pop-up appears.  Name your list, explain it if you wish, and make it public or private.  I suggest public, because lists are good tools for your followers to find the people you value…it’s all about networking.  Create your lists and start adding.  The easiest way to add someone to a list is by locating them on your ‘Followers’ page (just tap the word ‘followers’ under the number of followers you have, shown on your home page.  You’ll see a little list icon next to that cog icon we talked about.  The drop down will allow you to add this person to the list (or lists) that you already created.  When you want to take a look at the lists you’ve created, just click the name of the list you want to see.  It will be located on the right side under ‘Lists’ after you create it.  What you’ll see here is a feed made up of the people you put on the list, in chronological order.  The more people on the list, the busier it will be.

It’s that easy.  Along with the value you gain from organizing your followers, you’ll find some value in how happy people are to be listed.  Quite often, you’ll get a ‘thank you’ mention or direct message.  And, quite often, you’ll get added to a list in return.  If you want to take a look at the lists you’ve been added to, click the ‘listed’ number next to ‘following’ and ‘followers’ on the right side if your home page.

Has this ‘How To’ series helped?  Leave me some feedback if you’d like to read explanations of Facebook or  YouTube in this format.

Where are you with your social media activity?

In an effort to take a break from the pure informational nature of this blog, I’d like to start a discussion about where you are with your social media plan?  My hope is to get some lively, group-style exchanges going so that we can all learn from each other.  Newbie, expert, casual user, or business user…tell me what you’re up to on sites like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flikr, or any of the free blog sites.

If you’re an avid user, feel free to plug your site or your service, too.

How To Work Twitter: Part 3

By now, you know most of what there is to know about Twitter.  But, there’s more!  Twitter gives you some tools to get yourself, your content, and your following noticed.  Let’s go over one big one now.

For me, the most important tool is the ‘hash tag’.

What is a hash tag?  First, let’s define a ‘tag’.  According to Wikipedia, a tag is “a non-hierarchical keyword or term assigned to a piece of information (such as an internet bookmark, digital image, or computer file). This kind of metadata helps describe an item and allows it to be found again by browsing or searching. Tags are generally chosen informally and personally by the item’s creator or by its viewer, depending on the system.”

In plain English, a tag is an electronic keyword that you assign to a web page, blog post, digital image, or other online asset that makes it findable during a web search.

Soooo, what is a hash tag?  A hash tag is the way you tag your Twitter posts so people can search and find them categorically.  The ‘hash’ part of the term comes from the ‘#’ symbol, which is often called a hash symbol.

Here’s how it all works.  Let’s say you are the communications and marketing person for a nonprofit that deals with funding educational support programs for homeless children.  Assume that you are looking to use Twitter to gain some exposure for your agency, as well as try to find other people and organizations in the country who might share similar missions or values.

Each time you post something on Twitter, you should be hash tagging your posts. Here is a sample of something you might post:

TeachTheHomeless:  1 in 10 U.S. Children are on the streets and not in school. Visit http://www.TTC.org to help. #homeless #education

Ignore the fake stats and the made-up organization and look to the hash tags.  The point of adding those tags is simple…searchability.  Now, anyone who searches #education or #homeless will be able to find your post.  The more people who can find your content the better!

But, hash tags aren’t just for searching.  After you post something using a hash tag (or see someone else’s post using a hash tag), you’ll notice that the hash tag itself becomes a link.  Click on the hash tag link and you are taken to a separate feed.  This feed is made up of every single Twitter post that contains that hash tag.  Popular hash tags make for very active feeds, and often times entire discussions take place by way of these hash tag feeds…much like a live instant message conversation.  Check it out and get familiar with the functionality.

Finally, just hash tag often.  And, keep your eyes open for  hash tags other people are using.  There are tons of them, and you can use as many as you can fit into the 140 character maximum.  I like to write down new ones as I see them, and then apply them to my posts as often as I can.

Have questions?  Leave a comment or email me!

Speaking of Twitter…

Are my blog followers following me on Twitter? I tweet a lot of good articles and ideas from other experts. Make sure you follow me as a supplement to this blog!

Twitter handle: JohnJStone

How To Work Twitter: Part 2

So, by now you have the basics of navigating the world of Twitter.  Let’s take it a step further. This post will talk about two specific practices that I have learned for growing and attracting your following.  They are part of what I like to call: Twitter PR.

What is Twitter PR?

Imagine that you are at a party alone and you are trying to make a friend.  Suppose you see another person standing alone by the punch bowl.  You walk over and say:

“Hello, my name is John.”

The person responds, “Hi, my name is Matt.”

And then you stare at each other for the rest of the party.  Fun!

Sounds silly, right?  Believe it or not, the equivalent of this exchange takes place daily in the cyber world.  While the beauty of online socialization often lies in anonymity, its an absolute plague to a social media strategy.  If your goal is to attract customers, donors, business partners, or even friends, you have to recognize and utilize the give and take options available on Twitter.

How do you do that? It’s really not that hard.  Whenever you notice that you have a new and interesting follower, follow them back.  Once you do that, you can now send them what’s called a ‘Direct Message’.  You can find the direct message (DM) option under that same little sprocket on the person’s profile page.  This is basically a private e-mail.  Only you and the person can see this, and its still limited to 140 characters.  So, just say something like, “Thanks for following. I look forward to reading your Tweets.”  Be creative with this and let your personality shine.

The DM isn’t the only Twitter PR tactic.  They also give you the ‘Mention’.  This one is a little tricky to figure out, but you’ll get the hang of it.  Let’s go back to our party scenario.  Assume that John and Matt decided not to stare at each other, but actually started a conversation by the punch bowl.  John tells Matt that he is a rocket scientist and explains his job in great detail.  Matt thinks that is really cool and wants to tell a few of his friends at the party about John.  So, he shouts over to his friends to come and meet John.  You can do the same thing on Twitter with a mention, like this:

Matt’s tweet:  Hey everyone.  My new friend @John is a rocket scientist.  Isn’t that cool?

By putting the ‘@’ symbol next to the exact Twitter ID of a person, you create a link to that person’s Twitter profile right into your Tweet.  And, as we learned, a Tweet goes out to everyone who follows you.  So, everyone who gets Matt’s tweets will have a direct link to John for as long as Matt’s Tweet stays on their feed.  If they are interested by rocket scientists, they’ll visit John’s profile and maybe add him.

As a way of thanking and acknowledging Matt, John might reciprocate with something like: Thanks to @Matt for the mention!

How do you know if you’ve been mentioned?  Look for the @(your Twitter ID) link on the right hand side of your home page.  Hopefully, you’ll see a sub-feed of Tweets that mention you!  If not, stop staring and start talking.

Along the same vein as the ‘Mention’ is the ‘Re-Tweet’.  A re-tweet acts very much like a traditional e-mail forward.  When you re-tweet someone, you are sending their tweet, in total, as your own tweet to your following.  And, their name is attached as a link (like a mention).  Typically, people will re-tweet good quotes or thoughts, good articles, or a link to a great blog post.  The re-tweet is just another show of appreciation and could land you a new follower if you re-tweet someone who does not yet follow you.  How do you re-tweet, there’s is an invisible re-tweet button in the bottom right corner of a person’s tweet.  Roll your mouse over that area and you’ll see it.  Say yes when prompted and you’ve sent a re-tweet.  Odds are you’ll see a thank you in the form of a mention sometime soon.  By the way, to see if you’ve been re-tweeted, look for the ‘retweets’ link 3 links under the @(your Twitter ID) link.

Bottom line, you have to give more than content to build a solid network.  Your best weapon in the Twitter arsenal is what you have to say in your tweets, but you can’t ignore the ‘social’ aspect to social media.  So, mention and re-tweet good content and interesting people and do it a few times a day.

Part 3 sneak preview: hash tags and lists!  Stay tuned.

How To Work Twitter: Part I

¬Part I

By now you have all read about Twitter. Everyone from the mom and pop business down the street, to your local news station, to your 17 year-old niece has a Twitter account. You might even have one for yourself or your business. But, do you really know how to work it? Well, if you’re reading this blog I’ll go ahead and assume you’re not a Twitter whiz. But, don’t worry…by the time you get done reading this you will be armed with enough tips and ideas to become an expert.

Let’s begin at the beginning. What is Twitter? Quite simply, Twitter is a micro-blog. Why is it micro? It is a micro-blog because Twitter only gives you 140 characters (including spaces) to share your message with the world, whereas a typical blog is much longer.

The Twitter community is broken down into two major groups: people you follow and people who follow you. How do you follow someone? Look for the little picture of the gear/sprocket and click to see the dropdown menu…the ‘follow’ option lives there. When you follow someone on Twitter, you are subscribing to his/her Twitter content. But, instead of getting an e-mail to alert you that the blogger has posted new information, you get a ‘Tweet’ sent to your ‘Twitter Feed’. A tweet is simply a post on Twitter. The Twitter Feed is what you see when you log into Twitter and hit the ‘Home’ link. Your feed is home base, and where all of the action happens. You see people’s tweets, and its where they see yours. The more people you follow, the more tweets you will see popping up on your feed and vice-versa.

So, there are the basics. We know that a tweet is a Twitter post. You follow people who interest you and you get their tweets in your feed. People who are interested in you see your tweets in their feed. So, why the heck should we be doing this? And, how do I decide who to follow and how do I get them to follow me?

The answers to those two questions contain the beauty and the power of Twitter. I’m going to assume that if you are reading my blog, you know what a blog is. I’m also going to assume that you are somewhat savvy with social media. Otherwise, you would not have found my blog. So, I don’t need to go into the importance of social media marketing as a way to extend your company’s brand awareness or build your own personal brand. I’m guessing you get all of that. But, you just might need some help on understanding exactly how Twitter can help you accomplish all of this.

The answer to ‘why the heck should I be doing this?’ is easily expressed. The answer will likely make all of the mothers in the world cringe, but I think it’s 100% accurate. You should be on Twitter because everyone is doing it! That’s the answer to the social media question across the board, too. You’re not jumping off of a bridge because it’s the cool thing to do. You’re making the choice to embrace the way marketing is headed. The sooner you master it, the better. But, social media is not just about sales and marketing. Tools like Twitter can be used to find resources on anything from building a birdhouse to making tonight’s diner. Twitter is an outstanding tool for marketers, shoppers, recruiters, job seekers, and information lovers alike.

How do I decide whom to follow? This really depends on your goals. For our purpose here, let’s say you want to use Twitter to promote your nonprofit organization. After you set up your account and your profile (which can be pretty easily figured out using the ‘Settings’ link placed on the top, right of the home page), it’s time to start searching. The first place you want to look is anywhere you surf on the web. You should be looking for links and buttons that take you the individual or organization’s Twitter page. If you want to consume the information they share, follow them. The next place you should go to find people to follow is the website ‘search.twitter.com’. This is a Twitter search engine that will deliver everyone who is talking on Twitter about the search criteria you enter. If your nonprofit deals in human services, type ‘human services’ and search. Hundreds, if not thousands, of tweets will come up. Comb through them to see what relates to your nonprofit. If you see something interesting, visit the profile of the tweeter and learn more about what they are talking about by looking at other tweets in their feed. If they are tweeting valuable information, follow them. Also, take a look at whom they follow and who follows them for more ideas by clicking ‘following’ or ‘followers’ on the right side of their home page. Repeat the process above until you can’t stand it anymore.

The above practice will build you a nice list of people you follow. What it will also do is plant the seeds of your own following. Typically, the common practice on Twitter is to follow someone when they choose to follow you. When I have a new follower, which you can evaluate by watching the number of ‘followers’ (right hand side of the home page) go up, I visit that person’s profile to make sure they aren’t a spammer or a weirdo. If they seem OK, I’ll follow back. Maybe I’m not interested in anything they have to say, but it still builds a network. Plus, you never know where a good resource lives. Never assume that someone you follow or who follows you can’t become a donor, volunteer, employee, employer, business partner, or fountain of information and ideas.

If you have read this far, you know should know the Twitter basics for finding and attracting a following. There is much more, but I’ll save it for Part II of this topic. But, remember this: it’s not magic and it’s not overnight. And, don’t forget to be generating content that people are interested in or they won’t be following you for very long. Content can be something like a link to your new blog entry, a link to an article that you find interesting about nonprofits, and everything in between. My rule of thumb with content is this: would I be interested in this? If you ever answer no, then rethink the tweet. Twitter followers can be fickle, so always strive to tweet out good content. Like mom always said, if you don’t have something nice to say then don’t say anything at all! (Does that one make up for telling everyone to jump off of that bridge, mom?)