Still Tweeting Away

Just a quick note to say we are still here.  We are still plugging at finding the rights apps and tools for to get out the right message for clients. 

The use of Facebook, Twitter, Google Place Pages, Urbanspoon owners Pages, Foursquare, GoWalla (we like this better than Foursquare) and so on with continue to change, grow and sometimes fall out of favor.  However, social media for small business owners remains a smart investment of time and/or money.  We will discuss how to map out your ROI for social media in a future post.  In the meantime, Jim was mentioned in the Disptach a few days ago. 

DiningOutAdaptsToSocialMedia

Taming Twitter

Twitter recently turned 5 years old.  That is about 17 in social media years.  Twitter still looks and acts like an adolescent but it is maturing and will grow up to be an impressive tool.

I must admit I was a Twitter skeptic and late adopter.  I only used it a few times the first year I had an account.  However, lack of use did not mean I was not paying attention.   I watched and asked questions and learned.  When I had learned enough to define my own “rules of engagement”, I took to Twittering.

The approach I choose for my own Twittering (@CMHGourmand) is different than I do for our company (@FeedSocial) and our clients.  However, there are many universal principles that could/should apply to all Twitter users.  If you are a professional or want to be a professional someday or if you own business, you may want to adapt my rules of engagement.   You can also choose to tweet like a twit.

“The internet is not written in pencil, it is written in ink”.  I am not sure where I saw that quote but it is true.  It is also true that people forget this maxim every day.  People watch what you say and how you act and can make a decision about you based on 140 characters or less…..one bad tweet can derail weeks, months or years of goodwill.  You are what you tweet.  If you are impulsive, obnoxious, loud in public or private, overly emotional, cynical, etc., it will come out of Twitter pretty darn quick.  A few untempered tweets can make someone or everyone think you are someone you are not or do not want to be.  You can delete a tweet but that does not stop it from being forwarded, retweeted or remembered.  It is just not your followers that are following you.  Anyone can access Twitter at any time.  If you have a locked account – you are only as private as your least private follower.

Professionals who Tweet using profanity lose their credibility pretty quickly.  I have seen and know bright…even brilliant people lose an audience and an opportunity to influence a situation for the better by the unnecessary addition of a *^%#^ or a ______tard.  When you only have 140 characters, there is no point to waste them on showing the world you are the head of the class of asses.  You are showing them something about class, but not the type that matters.  This behavior moves you to the backseat at Twitter High School.  Profanity is pointless and it obscures your point.  Several local social media gurus seem to use profanity for shock and awe as part of their “branding”.  In the long term, the only branding they are doing is branding themselves as adolescents.

Go for quality over quantity.  More is not necessarily better, but more does feel good.  Our world is based on numbers.  Bigger mean better, right?   Many people rank the success of Twitter based on the number of followers.  The people that think this way probably do not use Twitter very often or effectively.  Do you think anyone has the ability to track 1000’s of people they follow?  Think of Twitter as a dinner party.  At a certain point, you can have too many guests and instead of having good conversations with several people, you only have time to shake hands and move on.  If your primary purpose for Twitter is engagement, then you have failed.   Think of the people you follow as the people you would want to invite to your party.  Do they have anything to say?  Can they get along with your other guests?  Will they make a scene?  Will they even show up?

Using this concept, take a look at the list people you follow from time to time and look to see if your followers have been active on Twitter in the last week, month or even year.  You will see several people who started Twitter and stopped in a few weeks.  Did they every retweet or comment on anything you shared? Have they commented on or retweeted anything from anyone at any time? if not, then you are probably lost in the crowd of people they follow.  That follower is just a number unless you have active interaction.

If your purpose for Twitter is just to announce events, etc., then your better choice may be Facebook.  Twitter works best when you want real time exchanges of information and want to get someone to pay attention to what you have to share so they can act on it, share it or add to the conversation.  If your 1,234 followers are silent, your quantity is not giving you any quality interactions.  You may need to rethink your approach at that point.

Quality over Quantity also applies to how much your Tweet.  I read articles that say no more than 20 and no less than 6 tweets per day.  Either number (the numbers vary but are usually in the same range) can be too much or too little.   It comes down to what you say and when you say it.  You also have to know your audience.  Sending out Tweets that mirror what you have on Facebook is a fail.  Sending out tweets at 6 am or 11 pm when your followers are engaged in other activities is waste of text and time.  Watch, learn, listen and ask questions.  Your followers will guide you on when, how much, how often and what to share with them.   The people that follow you also say something about what you are saying.  Make sure to take a look at the profiles of each person that follows you and engage them from time to time.

Let us go back to the dinner party.  Do you spend much time with the guests that only talk about themselves or their work?  Do you seek out the drunk who cannot stop talking (texting)?  Do you look for the person that always has a good story or read a good article about an interest you share in common?   Is there someone who actively listens to you and asks YOU questions? Think about this when you are Twittering.  You will get a sense of what to share and what to listen to.  I was recently at a party hosted by a potential new friend.  Speaking with the people that attended the party I quickly learned a lot about whom and what was important to this person.  I learned enough not to stay for the whole party.

These are a few tips on Twitter Traffic Control.  You might see this as my attempt at the “Laming of Twitter”. However, if you set your rules of engagement early I think you will find that you have created a better experience for yourself and your brand.  Even if you do not own or work for a business,  you are a brand and you want to avoid being branded based on _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  (that much space). 

Jim

QR Codes: More than meets the eye

It's becoming more and more apparent to me as I wander the internet and the retail stores of Columbus, that QR codes are pushing their way slowly but surely to the forefront. If you aren't familiar with QR codes, there is a great read on Wikipedia about it. I wanted to post briefly about some interesting local examples I have found.

The other day I was perusing the Pinot Noir aisle at Hills Market and I stumbled across an innovative use of a QR Code on Argyle Pinot Noir:

I immediately scanned it with my phone and uploaded it to my code reader. The code led to a website called The Cellar Key and included an inside look into the winery as well as tasting notes for this particular vintage and varietal. It was a very convenient for me as a consumer to find out if I wanted to purchase this wine or not. I was also connected in a more personal way with the Argyle Winery and because of this connection I am more likely to try their other wines in the future.

Another good use to this type of social media was at Best Buy. They were early adopters of this technology and have continued to use it effectively. I was recently shopping for a new laptop, and when comparing options it's annoying to take notes on paper or even on a phone. I was delighted to see that there were codes on all of the laptop tags:

When scanned the codes contained a link to a site with all the specifications and reviews for that particular model. Because of this I was able to read reviews for each laptop that I was potentially interested in and then bookmark those pages on my phones browser and compare long after I left the store.

I'll leave you with one last example from a company called Lendorff Kaywa (not local, but fabulous). A collaboration between knitwear designers and mobile enthusiasts. They have designed a scarf that combines fashion and technology in a beautiful balance. I have to admit I'm geeky enough to want to own one of these one day.

If you're interested in making your own QR Codes for personal or business use, check out Kaywa to quickly and easily share a link or text!

All of this goes to show how much we've come to rely on smart phones to get through every day, I don't know what I would do without mine.

Thanks for reading!

-Amanda Anderson

What is your (Social Media) Sign?

During a customer meeting, the president of a company we work with made a great analogy.  As his story goes in the early day of business there was just one blacksmith, baker, etc. in a village and everyone knew who that person was and what they made.  Then as the village got bigger and competition started, the need to signify a business began. Signs began to appear in the village.  Then bigger signs.  Then prettier signs. In his eyes Social Media is just another sign used by his business. He is right. 

Growing up in Clintonville, there are two businesses I notice using signs with message boards - old media.  I still pay attention to these signs.  Not because they sell the business but because they amuse me which gives me a sense of who the people behind the counter are even if I do not see them everyday. 

Palmers Beverage Center usually has a beer or wine related bit of wisdom on their sign.  On occasion, their sign has a serious message such as when Andy Davis from WWCD101 died.  They used their sign to enage the community instead of as a means to sell product. 

Pierce Brothers Cleaners uses a sign as well.  For nearly twenty years I have driven by both sides of their sign during the course of the day.  Each side has a joke or riddle. The messages change every week. During OSU football season, the sign changes with a message for each game.  I don't go to Pierce Brothers Cleaners for business often but I always look for their sign which keeps them on my mind.  In the summer of 2010 someone drove into their sign and took away the message board for over a month.  I immediately noticed the loss of the sign and missed it. I was glad to see it back when it was repaired.   

Signs are used to communicate information to your customer.  They may not directly add to the bottom line but they are essential to business.  Facebook is an extention of your sign by providing a way to share information with your customers (fans, likers, etc.) that a physical sign can not.  Twitter is a spinoff of your sign as well.  Twitter is conversational.  Since you may not have an opportunity to chat with your customers everyday, Twitter gives you the ability to do so.  Both of these tools serve as your sign in the world of Social Media. Your online sign helps you transform a very large world back into a small village - so your customers can find you. 

Engagement: The Marriage of your Brand and Message with your Customers

The purpose of Twitter and Facebook is to create and continue engagement with your customers.  What is engagement?  Engagement is the ongoing online dialogue you have with your customers via Twitter, Facebook, an e-newletter or other media outlets.  The key to successful engagement (vs. being left at or sacrificed on the Social Media altar) is for your message to reflect the personality of your business and brand.  Think about the conversations you have with your regular clients and customers when you see them offline.  Do you just talk about your business or your latest coupon?  We hope not.  You build a relationship (and loyalty) with your customers by showing interest in them and asking them for feedback on how you can serve them better.  If you have a physical location - you may post signs in your window about community events your business supports.  During a slow day, you might walk next door and talk to a fellow business owner or use their services.  All of these activities are engagement and you can do these activities via Social Media as well.

Locally, one of the best examples of genuine and authentic engagement can be found at any of the Betty's Family of Restaurants operated by Elizabeth (Liz) Lessner-LaRue.  Liz is a business owner who "gets it" and has used Social Media to build her brand while serving her customers and community.  Liz also "gives it" by using her Social Media outlets to support good causes in the community and her fellow business owners.  Betty's was the first restaurant in her evergrowing empire of excellence.  Take a look at Betty's on Twitter as an example of what may work for you - Bettys on Twitter.