Posts Tagged ‘Facebook’
It’s very exciting that Be Visible Associates’ client Dr. Michael Sinkin was featured in print and web in the New York Daily News yesterday.
The article is about how small businesses are seeing success by using Social Media marketing. Dr. Sinkin has increased his practice by using Facebook, Twitter and Blogging. Don’t think a sole medical practitioner can use Social Media effectively? Think again!
Read the article:
Word of mouth: Scores of businesses are joining the conversation with Twitter, Facebook
Photo: NY Daily News
Tags: Blog, Blogging, Facebook, Local Business, Michael Sinkin, NY Daily News, NYC Local Business, Social Media, Social Media Marketing, Twitter, Word of Mouth Marketing
Posted in Local Business, Social Media | 1 Comment »
November 2nd, 2010
With Facebook Business Pages, unless you are running ads, you don’t get a ton of data to work with. However, Facebook is starting to deliver more analytics (called Insights) on status updates for Page owners. Here are some tips on how to use them:
Create an Editorial Calendar: Since I recommend that brands and businesses shouldn’t post Facebook updates more than once per day, it’s pretty easy to create a calendar.I usually plan updates 1-2 weeks in advance. That gives me something to post every day without having to create updates on the fly, but it’s a short enough time to be able to react to something in the news, great content I may find, or changes in the business.
Expand the Editorial Calendar into a spreadsheet. Your spreadsheet should contain these columns:
(more…)
Tags: Facebook, Facebook Pages, Social Media, Social Media Marketing
Posted in Facebook, Social Media | 2 Comments »
August 16th, 2010
Businesses and brands should love Facebook. Why? Because Facebook enables companies to talk to the people who are actually interested in what they have to say.
The old school of advertising was this: Blast out a message to an audience defined by geography and media consumption habits and pray you reach the right people at the right time and enough times, enough times that they consider a purchase in your category.
But with Facebook, it’s not simply age, geography and media consumption habits that define an audience; it is interests that define an audience.
On Facebook, when members complete their profile info, they enter their likes and interests such as:
• Activities
• Music
• Books
• Movies
• TV Shows
And, members add brands to their profile, too, when they “Like” Facebook ads that appear on their page or through updates shared by their friends,
So, for brands, on Facebook it’s as easy as pie to find the people who would be most interested in your message and reach them through Facebook Ads. And even for smaller businesses, with Facebook Ads, the playing field can be leveled.
For example:
• If you sell pizza, you can reach people who “Like” Dominos Pizza and Pizza Hut.
• If you sell children’s clothes, you can reach people who “Like” The Children’s Place, Pottery Barn Kids, and Toys R Us.
• If you sell beauty products, you can reach people who “Like” Sephora and Avon.
Your brand becomes part of the community of people who want to see your messages.
What’s even better, you can quickly and inexpensively learn by trial and error what your fans respond to by testing different kinds of updates and keeping detailed records of how many “Likes” and how many comments (and what kinds of comments) your posts receive. And, Facebook is providing more and more robust tracking information to help you analyze the engagement.
So, what do you do with that info? Stay tuned!
Related: Simply Put: Why People Love Facebook
Tags: Facebook, Social Media, Social Media Marketing
Posted in Facebook, Social Media, Social Media Marketing | 1 Comment »
August 12th, 2010
How brands and businesses use Social Media has everything to do with how the decision makers use Social Media themselves. People in business who have grown up using Facebook, for example, understand that the Social Media is not just a useful tool, but it’s the way people define themselves in front of their peers. And people want to be associated with Cool, including Cool Brands.
Although Facebook has just reached the 500 million-members marker, it has just begun to define itself in terms of business. So, it’s up to each company and brand to figure out how to use it effectively. When I consult with a client, I often ask them to spend time on these 3 questions:
1. Who is my target market?
2. Where do they hang out on the Web?
3. What would make them want to identify with my brand in front of their audience?
In other words, what can I do to make my brand “Cool”?
Old Spice is the perfect example of how an “uncool” brand found it’s “Cool Factor”. The aging brand has been around since the 1930s, a dinosaur in the men’s grooming and cologne market. But they decided to use Social Media as Generation Y does:both as a conversational tool and as a way to define a new public image. Actor Isaiah Mustafa created a dashing spokesman character-wearing only a towel-who responded to users comments through a series of witty short videos, each taking less than seven minutes to shoot.
The series not only created a bond between users and the brand, but also suggests that the Old Spice customer is similarly funny and cool. On Twitter, Isaiah Mustafa’s Old Spice character is acting just as any young person would: posting random musings rather than Old Spice info: “I can’t stop thinking about axes and mountains and wolves and football. And old steam tractors.” Rather than set up a conversation between the customer and the brand, the Social Media team at Old Spice mimicked the Social Media voice of their ideal customer. Check out Old Spice on Facebook to see what they are doing.
If you are in the position to make marketing decisions for a company or brand venturing into Social Media, spend some time identifying your “Cool Factor” before you get started. Even if you don’t have the budget of an Old Spice, taking this one preliminary step with make the rest a lot easier.
Tags: Cool Brands, Facebook, Old Spice, Social Media, Social Media Marketing, Twitter
Posted in Facebook, Marketing, Social Media, Social Media Marketing, Twitter | 1 Comment »
August 9th, 2010
We love Facebook because it makes it easier to share information with more people at the same time than any other tool we have. Why is that so revolutionary?
Because a family photo, an event you’re attending, an accomplishment you’re proud of, something that drives you crazy, your latest purchase, the song you’re listening to, the meal you’ve cooked, the photo you’ve taken, the news story you find interesting, the cause you’re involved in, the day you’ve had…now can be shared with everyone you’re connected to, instantaneously.
Nowhere else is that possible. Not by email, not by text, not by chat. Nowhere.
And, this is the key: after a while, it feels weird to do anything without sharing it with your audience of family, friends, co-workers, classmates, friends of friends, etc.
That’s what makes Facebook so powerful. 500-million-people powerful. What the founders have tapped into, albeit accidentally is: humans are natural performers….we crave attention from the minute we’re born.
So, if you are wondering why Facebook is such a hot topic, now you know. But you already knew that, right? (Please share this article!)
Next: Why Businesses Love Facebook
Tags: Facebook, Social Media
Posted in Facebook, Social Media | 2 Comments »
July 29th, 2010
How can Social Media help my business grow? This is a question I get asked a lot. And I can quote lots of examples of how businesses are successfully using Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. But use Social Media to grow a medical practice? That may seem a little far-fetched, right?
I have a client who is a dentist. Not only is he a great dentist, he’s also a lot of fun. His personality combined with is skill is the reason why his patients (myself included) love (and don’t dread) going to the dentist.
I helped him develop a website, and now create a blog. For many months, he asked me over and over, “I don’t understand what blogging is going to do for me”. I really felt, and so did his friends, that my dentist’s natural love of conversation and pontificating on any subject is the perfect combination of traits to make a great blogger!
So, finally, armed with a laptop, the doctor began to blog, usually on train on his way home. In the meantime, I set up a Facebook Fan Page for him and invited all his personal friends to become his fans (of course, his children were his first fans!).
The first blog was posted last week and simultaneously appeared on the doc’s Facebook Fan Page. Lo and behold! On her wall, some of his daughter’s Facebook friends saw the post and said “Hey! I didn’t know your dad is a dentist! I need a new dentist!” Guess what? New patients!
So, what’s the moral of this story?
• Blogging increases the visibility of your business, even if you are a medical professional.
• Your friends’ friends are a great source of new customers (patients).
• Social Media works!
Do you have any similar experiences you can share?
Tags: Blog, Blogging, Facebook, Social Media
Posted in Blogging, Facebook, Local Business, Social Media | 4 Comments »
December 3rd, 2009
I was honored to be part of a panel discussion about Social Media for the event planning industry yesterday at the Oak Room at the Plaza Hotel. So many people want to know more about how to use Blogs, LinkedIn, and Twitter for business. My close friend Elizabeth Beskin and I were the presenters. Here are slides from the presentation. Video will also be available soon!
Tags: Blogging, Blogs, Facebook, LinkedIn, Social Media, Twitter
Posted in Blogging, Social Media, Twitter | No Comments »
August 13th, 2009
I spend a lot of time these days talking to local businesses about Social Media and discussing how they can use Blogs, Facebook, Twitter and other channels. And that can be challenging because in many cases people have a hard time seeing the connection between online social activities and their businesses. Sometimes even in spite of the fact that they are familiar with one or more social channels already for their personal use.
I have discovered that telling stories about how other businesses are using Social Media to be the best way to get to that “AHA!” moment where the possiblities are suddenly staring them right in the face.
I came across this article in the New York Times that I think successfully illustrates the opportunities for local business to successfully use Twitter. Take a look and let me know your thoughts!
Click here:
Mom-and-Pop Operators Turn to Social Media, The New York Times
Tags: Blog, Facebook, Local Business, Social Media, Twitter
Posted in Blogging, Facebook, Local Business, Social Media, Twitter | No Comments »
July 23rd, 2009
After experiencing some embarrassing moments myself, I have wondered the same thing. This is an issue that so many people are concerned about that Paul Boutin who writes Gadgetwise, a technology blog for The New York Times, recently devoted at least one blog post to this topic.
Bottom line, you can’t stop anyone from posting a picture of you on Facebook. That’s a nightmare for those of us who are not real keen on how we look on film. However, there are a few things you can do to reduce the visibility of those pesky pictures where you are tagged:
If a photo of you has already been posted and tagged on Facebook:
1. Find the photo. Underneath it you will see In this photo
2. Your name will have a link next to it, click remove tag
3. Voila! The tag is gone.
What if you want to keep the whole world from finding pictures of you on other people’s profile pages?
1. Go to Settings on the upper right hand corner of your Profile page, you’ll see a drop-down menu, click on Privacy Settings.
2. Click on Profile
3. In the list, you’ll see Photos Tagged of You, Click on Custom
4. Where you see Who Can See This? Click on Only Me
This will prevent people from searching for you in photos and keep them from seeing other photos where you are tagged.
If this is all too complicated, you could ask your teenaged son or daughter do it for you (although they probably wouldn’t understand why you would want to do it in the first place!)
To read more go to: http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/05/how-to-block-facebook-photos-of-yourself/
Tags: Facebook, Pictures on Facebook, Remove Tags, Tagged Pictures
Posted in Facebook, Social Media | No Comments »
July 10th, 2009
Lately I have been speaking to groups of entrepreneurs about Social Media. Once I finish explaining the benefits of using LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Blogging, I take questions. In every case, my audiences’ biggest concern is that Social Media will become a huge “time drain” for them. And, I can totally understand their worry.
However, an article published today in MediaPost, states “81% of all marketers indicate that their social media efforts have generated exposure for their businesses. At least two in three participants found that increased traffic occurred with as little as 6 hours a week invested in social media marketing.”
So, if you devote as little as 6 hours a week to Social Media, your business will benefit. If I were to limit myself to 6 hours a week, I think I would do it this way:
- Blog for 2 hours: write one blog post per week and make sure your blog is set-up so that your posts are will appear on LinkedIn and Facebook.
- Twitter for 2 hours: choose the people who interest you the most, and see what they are talking about (I get cell updates from the people I want to learn from the most, and there are only about ten of those). Read what they are talking about only when it relates to your business. If there is an article or blog that they particularly like, bookmark it to go back to later, read on your handheld, or print it out to read when you can (it’s OK to skim).
- Explore for 1 1/2 hours: give yourself some time to just float around, discover new sites, find new people to follow, etc.
- Update for 1/2 hour: check your profiles to make sure they are up to date.
6 hours is hardly a “time drain” and can have an impact on your business.
Need help getting started? Be Visible Associates now offers “Instant Social Media Packages” where we set up all your profiles, integrate them, and train you on how to use them.
Tags: Facebook, LinkedIn, Managing Time Social Media, Social Media, Twitter
Posted in Networking, Social Media | 2 Comments »
April 22nd, 2009
