Archive for November, 2009
Why it is Important to be Social in Social Media
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Social Media
If you are like me, you have become fascinated with the popularity of social media and the diversity of its involvement into the mainstream of our lives.
All you have to do for social proof is to take a look at the Alex ranking of the Top 20 most visited websites on the Internet and you will see that 5 of these sites are social media sites (#2 Facebook, #4 YouTube, #12 MySpace, #15 Twitter, #20 Bing)
So I think it is comfortable to say that social media is here to stay and if we are waiting to see if it is a fad or a force, I am here to help, it is a FORCE.
Now if your thought is to get involved in ALL the social media sites, you are biting off more than perhaps you can chew. Why? Because there is literally hundreds of social media/bookmarking sites available to us that offer similar and in some cases distinct options.
My recommendation would be to join three to four at the beginning and really master the use of the site before moving on to the next one and the next one.
One of my observations as I virtually travel through these sites is the lack of “social” etiquette used by some users within these communities.
What I mean by this is that each and every social media site is a community within itself. It has its basic structure and rules and regulations. The community as a whole will help others stay within those guidelines using various methods such as; gentle hints in posts, deleting of comments and in some cases pretty nasty communication.
So if we are interested in joining a community, then it is my recommendation to learn the dos and don’ts of that community.
The first thing I recommend that you do when you join a social media site is to fully complete a profile and upload an appropriate picture of yourself.
I don’t know how many people on a daily basis try and offer me, sell me, connect with me, etc… within a social media community and do not even have a picture uploaded.
This actually boggles my mind.
Why would I want to connect or do business with anyone that does not have the decency or credibility to upload an appropriate picture of them? Answer: I wouldn’t. For me any communication I receive from another member of the social media site that I am a member of that does not have an appropriate picture uploaded is immediately deleted.
Now let’s talk about what an appropriate picture is within a social media site. Well that depends on what you are using that site for. If you are using the site strictly for social interaction and non-business connecting than any picture that you choose to represent you is of course at your discretion. In some examples that I have come across, some people do not necessarily use any discretion.
So, the question that remains is what is an appropriate picture for one to use within a social media site if one is choosing to conduct business? Answer: A picture of you that your grandmother would be proud of.
We have all seen the examples of pictures used on a social media site that are at best questionable and yet the individual is expecting to have credibility with their audience.
Personally, when I coach someone about personal branding, the first two things that I review are the picture and the information being used in a profile.
It starts with your picture. That is the first thing that people see of you. It should represent you in a positive manner. Now, I am not suggesting that it shouldn’t be fun, what I am suggesting is the “one” picture that you choose to represent yourself in that social media site should be appropriate for your chosen use for that site. Hint: I recommend putting the fun pictures within the appropriate sections of the profile.
In closing, the most important part of social media is to be “social.” Think of it as you walking into a room of people that you have never met, but want to get to know. Ask yourself this question, “How should I present myself if I want to attract people to me?”
To learn more about how to position yourself within social media or other responsible marketing tips and techniques, please fill out your name and email address below:
Forum Marketing: How to Effectively Get Kicked Out of ALL the Communities
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A forum is generally made up of a community of people that gather to share ideas, concepts and strategies surrounding a general or specific topic.
The forum is usually laid out in topic categories and the community members usually communicate through discussion posts.
Each member has the ability to control their preferences, profile, signatures, messages and subscriptions through a dashboard called The User Control Panel.
Now one of the first things you will notice when you join a forum is the rules set forth by the administrators for use of the forum.
In order to effectively get yourself kicked out of the community, the first thing you need to realize is that those rules are not for you, they are there for all other members to adhere to.
The first thing you want to do once you log into your forum account is to update your signature file within your profile.
Remember; do not fill out your profile with any information. These spaces have been created for the other users.
The signature file is a great place to put as many links as you can possibly stuff in the space provided. Don’t worry about continuity or whether or not these links are relevant.
Once you have completed updating your signature file, your next step is to post a thread or join an existing discussion. Most users will look for a forum post or threads that interest them. This is not important to you, remember, you are not “most users.”
Randomly pick a discussion that seems to be popular and create a post that aggressively promotes your business opportunity. Do not worry about whether your post has anything to do with the current discussion.
Once you have posted to an existing discussion it is important to create your own discussion. This is important, so pay attention.
You want to create one post that aggressively promotes your business opportunity with no less than ten (10) personal links embedded in the post.
Once you have created this post, copy it and post it in every discussion area available within that particular forum community.
Upon completing these posts it is important to use exactly the same strategy in as many forum communities as possible.
One of the most effective strategies you can implement to get yourself kicked out of the community is to use what you have learned above and post in forums that have absolutely nothing to do with your business opportunity at all.
Remember, the less relevant your posts are and the less relevant the forum topics are the more effective your strategy will work.
I guarantee that if you follow what you have learned above, you will find that in a very short time (perhaps the same day) you will have effectively been kicked out of the forum communities that you have posted in.
Do whatever it takes to overcome the urge to add any value to others through your posts. All this is going to do is delay your overall strategy of getting yourself kicked out of a forum community.
In the even that you would like to know how to use forum marketing to find like minded people and network effectively, fill out your name and email address below for FREE training.
