I just got off the phone with the people at Wildfire — again, maybe the tenth time. In case you’re unaware, Wildfire is a paid online tool for creating promotions, such as contests, sweepstakes, coupon deals, etc., on social networks. With Wildfire you have several options. They will  create a custom white label campaign for   [Read more...]

In journalism, who what where when and why (also known as the 5 Ws), is the formula for getting the “full story” on something. If we approach social media with that same methodology, it can be drilled down to these basic principles: Who: It’s important to identify and train your social media team. Look for   [Read more...]

Chances are your social media program has a lot of moving parts, and there are only one or two people keeping up your online presence 24/7. Maybe it’s just you. So how do you manage to keep your social networks from burning out while you take some well-deserved down time to recharge your batteries? A   [Read more...]

#1 If you’re going to ask people to follow your social networks, make it worth their while. If you build it will they come? Not unless you provide value. Think beyond the ordinary and provide a unique perspective — whether that is to educate and inform, build a sense of community, engage and entertain, solve   [Read more...]

I came across this blog post by Jeff Sonderman of The Poynter Institute, an organization that teaches those who manage, edit, produce, program, report, write, blog, photograph and design, whether they belong to news organizations or work as independent entrepreneurs. Jeff’s tips for managing a social media news team strongly resonated with me and appear   [Read more...]

There is so much information and advice about social media floating around these days, it would be a full-time job to process it all (but hey, that’s what I’m here for). Despite the proliferation of blog articles, webinars, videos, print media, podcasts, etc., I’m still amazed at the misconceptions I encounter when it comes to   [Read more...]

Starting a social media program is like joining a gym. Before joining a gym, you have a lot of thoughts running through your head: I know I should do this. I know it will cost me money. I’ve done this before and it didn’t work out. How will I stay motivated? I don’t really want   [Read more...]

  When posting on Facebook, remember to protect your company’s confidential & proprietary information. Transparency doesn’t give employees free rein to share just anything. Every state has a law governing and protecting trade secrets. Therefore, employees who share confidential or proprietary information do so at the risk of losing their job and possibly even ending   [Read more...]

While social media has gained acceptance as a valuable marketing and communications tool, there is still a strong misperception that it is purely content-driven. Countless articles dispense advice about what, where, how and when to post. There are mountains of books written about every conceivable type of social media tactic with the promise that people   [Read more...]

In today’s business scenario, social media offers an easy, affordable and effective way to connect with your target audience and create brand awareness. Whether you run a large conglomerate or a medium size business, you can no longer afford to ignore the importance and benefits of social media. Medium and small business owners can level   [Read more...]