1) Keep it short!
People are skimmers. Get your point across with the shortest amount of text possible.

2) Use a relaxed, friendly tone.
Don’t take the copy from your traditional advertising *think radio ad* and use it on social media. (i.e. For more information call 1-800-685-5058) If you feel the need to do this you are probably using a sales-y approach as opposed to generating interesting content. Show your brand’s personality not robotic posting.

3) Change it up.
We have the ability to post links, photos, videos, status updates on Facebook. Use them all (especially photos and videos). Change it up and keep things interesting.

4) Keep it relevant.
People want to read current, relevant content that is on topic to your brand and business. Don’t stray far from your area of expertise. Instead, get creative with your posts!

5) Tag appropriately.
Tagging is a powerful tool for business pages on Facebook. If appropriate, be sure to utilize this tool.

Here are some things to think about when you’re in a content generation rut.

- Don’t post just to post. Sometimes silence is better than posting something half heartedly just for the sake of posting something. I wrote another blog post about this topic. Forcing a conversation is worse than no conversation at all.

- Share! If you’re not doing this already, take the time to share someone else’s article or piece of content. Perhaps enlist a guest blogger. Begin a discussion from another person’s content.

- Ask Questions. I’m not talking about the meaningless “How are you doing today?” type of questions. (see first point: Don’t post just to post.) I’m talking about genuine questions to ask your target audience. If you’re not sure what type of content your fans/followers/readers are interested in, ask them. Get that valuable feedback! Remember: social media isn’t about you, it’s about your audience.

- Strategize and re-group. We always, ALWAYS recommend a strategy before entering into the realm of social media. It is easy to get side-tracked, overwhelmed and waste time when a plan is not in place. It may be time to take a step back and re-evaluate your strategy (if you already had one in place) or take the time to map out a strategy. A well-thought out plan, clear direction and purpose will greatly assist in taking away “content rut” syndrome.

On the surface, these automation tools offer a seemingly convenient way to “be everywhere” while doing half the work. The problem is, your audience realizes this and the personal nature of the tools is completely lost. I have attempted communication with brands on Twitter that are operating through Facebook to Twitter automation and have rarely received a response.

If you are tempted to take this easy route of automation, consider the following:

1) A “set it and forget it” attitude does not work on social media
Setting up your profiles and pushing out information is not effectively using social media. It is apparent to the user when a brand has the “set it and forget it” attitude. Posts on Facebook walls and Twitter replies are ignored. Generating relevant content is a large piece of social media, however it cannot stop there. Availability and monitoring conversations about your brand are all part of making it work.

2) Focus on the portal where you want to spend the time.
Social media may be free in the monetary sense, but it is far from free when it comes to time. If the automation is simply a matter of not enough time, try to focus your energy. Instead of doing a middle-of-the-road job on multiple portals, devote your time on what appeals to you the most. It is more important to foster a network of truly loyal, engaged people instead of pushing out a message to every portal out there without taking the time necessary to make it work.

3) Facebook and Twitter both have their own language.
A hashtag on Facebook makes absolutely no sense. Not to mention, multiple posts per day on Twitter is perfectly acceptable, but inundating your Facebook following with multiple status updates is the quickest way to get your page “un-liked”.  When you can’t get the point of a tweet across in 140 characters, it is not appropriate to post. Take the time to learn how the audience on each portal communicates and act accordingly. Remember: Social media is about the USER not your brand.

In Conclusion: If you want to publish the same content on Facebook and Twitter, customize it.
No doubt, there are times when the same content will be published by your brand on both Facebook and Twitter. This is fine, but do take the time to customize each message for the particular portal.

The end-user has the ability to “Check In” at your business through apps available for all smart phones. You can offer incentives and promotions for checking in and/or, your location’s mayor (the person who has checked in the most).

Those who check in also have the option to offer instant feedback about your business through the “Tips” feature (ie. try the french fries!). With the world of advertising going more social by the minute, it is hard to determine which networks work and which do not. Foursquare has cemented its place as a necessity, especially in a time when consumers rely mostly on customer feedback to make their buying decisions.

Foursquare has carved out their niche very well; you can tell because Facebook released a competing service (Places) this fall. Regardless of their efforts, Foursquare is still the king of geo-location and probably will be for quite some time.

image courtesy of sylvainpaillard.com

I found this awesome quote from Dustin Curtis on Stage Two. He says,

Customer experience is the new brand.

I’m not referring to a brand as a logo and a typeface. I’m referring to the new kind of brand, the one is formed by the entire experience of a customer’s interaction. That experience gets branded into his or her memory and leaks into the buzz of modern culture. If you can’t make a good customer experience from start to finish, you’ve failed to generate brand value that will attract customers to come back for repeat business and tell their friends to come back, too. That’s how good customer experience directly affects the bottom line.

I wanted to share this quote, because as advertisers and marketers sometimes it is easy to get caught up in the frills – the pretty ad, the funny campaign, the cool website, the unique direct mail piece, the awesome Facebook landing page, etc.- but we lose sight of what TRULY builds a brand. It boils down to the customer experience. Visual elements do play a role, especially when it comes to initially catching attention and creating an emotional connection in the minds of consumers. However, if that is not followed by a rock-solid customer experience, your well-designed pieces and clever campaigns will be wasted.

In this digital age that we live and breathe everyday, customers now have a voice unlike ever before. Immediately, their networks are informed about bad customer experiences. We’ve all heard the phrase “Word of Mouth is now World of Mouth” – and it’s true!

If you are not getting the desired results from your advertising or your social media efforts, perhaps it’s time to take a step back and evaluate the customer experience. What kind of customer service are you providing? Does the user-experience match what you are promoting (online and off)? Do you go above and beyond when pleasing your customer? If you don’t know the answers to these questions – ASK! Customers will tell you what they want if you are willing to listen.

In virtually any discussion about social media this point is bound to come up- Social Media for business = Conversation. Is this correct? In part, yes, but it’s time we move past this idea and get to something deeper.

How many of us see the posts on Facebook coming from a business something along the lines of “What are you doing today?”, “What’s your favorite color?”, “We like strawberries, do you?” …you get the idea. I applaud the companies efforts at facilitating conversation, but why force it? In my opinion, forcing a conversation is worse than no conversation at all. In some cases, what I mentioned above can be beneficial. Companies asking relevant questions and allowing the members of their Facebook communities to disccuss amongst themselves is awesome! What I’m talking about here are the seemingly forced conversations. Do I really want to tell Joe’s Bike Shop (made up business) what I’m doing on New Year’s Eve?

The point is-  give me exciting, relevant content. Give your customers and social media audience something of VALUE to chew on. If conversations happen as a result, then great! If there is a crisis to solve or an issue that needs customer service provided through SM, these portals provide a seamless way to do so. But don’t try to force us to talk just because you feel that a “conversation” must be happening at all times.

Here are 4 important things you should know before you take the plunge:

1) Social Media does not provide instant gratification

Social media is built on relationship building and communication. Building trust and relationships take time.  Also, working the tools and putting in the effort to make your social media plan a success also takes time. It is not a matter of signing up for a social media profile and watching droves of people rush in immediately.  Although you may feel you are not getting desired results right away, do not get discouraged! The relationships that you are building will lead to loyal, repeat customers that will be worth the wait.

2) Social Media is more than a tool for broadcasting.

This is a hard one for some people to grasp, especially since in the traditional world of advertising everything boils down to broadcasting. What message do we want to put out there? What do we want people to know about us?…You get the point. The rules have changed. Instead of shouting out your message, social media is about authentically listening and communicating. It is about connecting with like-minded individuals and posting relevant content worthy of attention. Companies successfully participating in social media bring value to the table and they adopt the approach of “the more you give the more you get.”  Focus on promoting others, listening to others and taking an unselfish approach.

3) Social Media is a long-term effort

I once read that traditional advertising and the typical advertising campaign concept can be compared to a one night stand. Social media is the committed relationship. Now don’t get me wrong, campaigns are great and when done well can be extremely effective. In the digital sense, campaigning through methods such as viral videos can be a great way to creatively set yourself apart. The point here is that a long-term social media presence needs to be in place in order to back those efforts up. Unlike a campaign that runs its course and ends, social media is constant and requires that attention. Do not go to social media when its time to promote your latest event. Instead, focus on long term relationship building.

4) Social Media involves more than technical skills

We hear it so often, “I’m not really a computer person, so I’m going to give these social media responsibilities to a recent college grad or intern who uses the computer all the time.” Beware! Just because someone can use the computer does not mean they are automatically a candidate to handle your social media. Likewise, just because you may not be a “technical person” does not mean that you do not possess the skill set necessary to make these tools work. Having a vast knowledge of computers aside (the tools are very easy to navigate), the person or company designated to run your social media efforts must possess a strong synergy with your company’s brand. The voice of your social media is going to become the voice of your brand. This is not to be taken lightly and requires a skill set far beyond technical capabilities. Many web development companies are now offering social media as part of their services. Be sure to do your research. Coding a website is very different from portraying your brand properly on social media.

In a nutshell: Social media marketing is effective when a company realizes they must focus on building relationships as opposed to “one night stand” campaigns and broadcasting their message. Keep in mind, a loyal following is built through communication over time. Do not allow someone to handle this important communication just because they are “technical.”

This is a very good example of guerrilla marketing at its finest. When was the last time you did something that pushed the envelope? Our goal is to always do something a little different, never be just a part of the crowd.  The next time you’re faced with an advertising decision, ask yourself if what you’re doing will make that splash or not. Domino’s did an outstanding job getting the point across in a new, unique and news-worthy way. Not to mention, the harnessed power of YouTube as part of anything you do will only assist in pushing you way ahead of your competitor.

Do us all a favor and be creative, think outside the safety zone and make an impact.

We were eating lunch at the bar of the White Dog Cafe (which just happens to be one of my favorite restaurants) enjoying our lunch when the woman next to us spilled her glass of wine. This would not have been a big deal except that it splashed all over my long, WHITE coat. I was horrified, especially since I only wear this coat occasionally to avoid spilling something on it.  Everyone at the bar of course saw what happened and was trying to help. Instantly, people starting recommending that I get a Tide Pen to get the stains out. One person mentioned it then another chimed in about how well it works, then another.  Which brings me to my point… Tide with their Tide Pen has done such a great job of branding their product that people can instantly remember where to turn when a stain occurs.  Not only that, they have turned these people into promoters of their product! Every company’s dream.  Tide is also fostering this word of mouth online as their Facebook wall allows consumers to post how they were able to salvage their stains.  People are singing Tide’s praises! You cannot get better advertising than that.

Here are some tips for a business to start creating positive word of mouth that translates in the realm of social media, but also in offline situations:

Tide Pen saves the day!

1) Have a product worth talking about: Does your product live up to its promises? Make sure your advertising is not misleading consumers. The Tide Pen would never get the recognition it does if it didn’t work! Is there something exceptional about your product that would get people talking?

2) Provide a way for customers to communicate with you:  Let your customers tell you how they feel. Allow them to have an open dialogue and express their feelings about your product or service.

3) Offer exceptional customer service: Listen to what your customers are saying whether it is positive or negative.  Value their opinions and act accordingly. The way a company responds to a consumer is unbelievably important.  Your customers will feel empowered and happy, which is key when developing a word of mouth strategy.

4) Amplify word of mouth through various tactics: Partnering with organizations, creating loyalty programs, using blogs to disperse information, educating consumers are all just some of the ways word of mouth can be amplified once the essentials of product and customer service are in place.

Have a WOM tip to share? I would love to hear it! P.S. The Tide Pen worked and my white coat is just like new!

I just read a blog post by Mirna Bard entitled, “Top 50 Social Media Mistakes Made by Small Businesses.“ I thought this post was excellent because it gives businesses a concise way to ensure they are following the “unsaid rules” of social media. I thought this list was worth repeating as making these mistakes can be very detrimental to the success of a business’ social media efforts. Use this list as a checklist to determine what needs to be changed or what you are doing right!

1. Lack of planning (Huge one!)
2. Lack of clear and measurable objectives
3. Not learning about social media
4. Lack of knowledge about target audience
5. No commitment
6. Lack of consistency
7. Not realizing that there is a time dedication
8. Worrying too much about negative comments and brand haters
9. Focusing too much about the technology aspect
10. Passing the buck to assistants and interns
11. Spreading themselves too thin by creating profiles everywhere
12. Not completing profiles
13. Uploading pictures of pets or children for avatars
14. Fake friending just to pitch
15. Only talking about oneself, brand or products
16. Hard selling
17. Using the same tactics on every site
18. Responding to every negative comment
19. Not thinking before commenting
20. Not measuring (Another huge one!)
21. Giving up on social media too easily
22. Forgetting it’s about 2-way dialogue
23. Setting profiles and forgetting them
24. Thinking social media is a magic solution to their business problems
25. Jumping on without having a hub (web site or blog)
26. Neglecting to put links back to their web site or blog
27. Not taking a enough time to do research and listen/observe
28. No systems in place
29. Not focusing on core tasks
30. Not separating business and personal social media time
31. Putting eggs all in one basket
32. Continuing with tactics that are clearly not working for them
33. Taking the time to put a social media schedule in place
34. Not setting time boundaries
35. Not paying attention to customer needs
36. Not providing value
37. Not knowing how to integrate with other marketing/advertising efforts
38. Not knowing how to use all the social media categories together
39. Focusing too much on number of fans/followers/friends
40. Not making enough effort to seek out the right sites for their target audience
41. Neglected (not updating) websites or blogs
42. Using generic or auto responses
43. Spamming people with private messages, DMs or e-mails
44. Using social media as a replacement strategy
45. Not willing to experiment
46. Being close-minded about adding strangers to network
47. Not learning from mistakes
48. Bribing bloggers and others to write about products and services
49. Not spending time finding evangelists and influencers
50. Forgetting that building relationships can be lots of fun

Thank you, Mirna, for compiling this great list.