Category Archives: Be Useful
Twitter For The Rest Of Us (Pt 2) + 10 Ways To Use Twitter
Last week I wrote about what exactly Twitter is. Despite how popular Twitter has become, believe it or not there is still a large group (we’ll call these the “late bloomers”) who have no idea what’s going on. I know, hard to imagine. So we defined Twitter and discussed who started it, why it’s popular, how I personally use it, and the love and hate going around about it, complete with a video mocking the concept of twits and tweats. This week, I want to continue the discussion by attempting to answer the following question…
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An Important Note on the Abuse of the Phrase “Social Media Campaign”
Although I have used it before, I detest the word campaign in the phrase “Social Media Campaign”. Conversations trump campaigns and the word “campaign” has a military undertone I’m not comfortable with. The people you’re supposed to be having a conversation with are not enemies to be raped, pillaged & plundered. Although I will continue to use the phrase, it would be nice to find a more accurate way of describing how brands initiate conversations with true fans (see also: Seth Godin’s Tribes) Until that happens, I will continue to …
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Be Yourself
Be Yourself “Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” -Confucius “Be yourself” is a pretty cliche statement, but its value cannot be diminished despite the frequency of its use. Authenticity has been on a lot of minds lately and personality is even a new P in marketing (according to author Rohit Bhargava). In this new era of the web and with the evolution of the open source paradigm, those with personality, humanity, and authenticity will likely succeed. The skin of protection and privacy is disappearing, word spreads quicker, and …
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Kevin Kelly on Web 10.0
Note: Kevin Kelly also has one of the best examples of lifestreaming I’ve ever seen. Check out his site: http://kk.org/ to see what I mean.
In Action: The Successful Social Media Campaign
If you’re up for a good read, take a look at Mashable’s HOW TO: Grow a Startup 300% in 3 Days? SocialMedian Tells All. The title is bloated, but the article is important for at a few good reasons: People are the heart of any worthwhile business model (See also: Happiness as a business model) Listen to user feedback and actively do something about the feedback you’re getting Change should not be implemented lightly. Or slowly Forget traffic. You’re nothing without engagement Always build a good user interface. Always. Here’s …
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6 Things To Avoid In a Social Media Campaign
Don’t work without a system Although it’s easier to see the connection between creating media and art, code too is an art. Managed chaos is required so they can all work well together: each creative process should work within a framework with defined ways of going about it. A lot of it maybe uncharted territory so at the very least, clearly communicate the big picture. Don’t set unreasonable goals This is worse than setting no goals at all. Stretching the team too far guarantees that Monday through Friday, everyone’s simply …
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How to Live Like Water
See also: 7 Ways to Ensure a Successful Social Media Campaign
7 Ways To Ensure A Successful Social Media Campaign
1. Create & follow a Social Media Campaign Plan Obviously it is important to plan out any project before starting out. At the very least, establishing a basic idea of what you hope to achieve means it’ll be easier to keep everyone involved on the same page. (In a similar vein, don’t overdo the planning or it’ll end up hurting more than helping. Be like water.) 2. Empower campaign personnel Who manages your communication channels? What tools do they need? Do they work in an environment that actually helps them …
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