Making a trip to the soda fountain fun

Terrior is is a French term used in wine making that loosely translates to “a sense of place.” It refers to the fact that the same chardonnay grapes grown in different vineyards (or even separate parts of the same vineyard) can produce noticeably different wines . . . → Read More: Think Local for Unique Content Marketing Opportunities]]>

Making a trip to the soda fountain fun

Terrior is is a French term used in wine making that loosely translates to “a sense of place.” It refers to the fact that the same chardonnay grapes grown in different vineyards (or even separate parts of the same vineyard) can produce noticeably different wines because each set of grapes will absorb different amounts of sunlight, minerals from the soil, and be subjected to unique weather in each region.

The concept of terrior offers tons of ideas for social media marketing. What makes where you live or work unique and fun?

• Is your corporate office a 100-year-old converted sugar plant/movie theater/train station?
• Do you offer a product/service/meal/experience that’s truly one of a kind (be honest)?
• Is Wrigley Field/Empire State Building/Eiffel Tower up the street from your office?
• Can you get awesome green chili/cheese steak sandwiches/clam chowder/barbecue ribs from the hole-in-the-wall restaurant in your neighborhood?

What unique places do people go out of their way to track down when they visit your hometown? Share those insider tips with us. That’s interesting stuff we’re not going to find in the guide book from the airport bookstore.

If the users of Facebook were citizens of a country, all 400 million of them would make up the third largest nation on the planet. And with over 50% of them logging into the site every day, . . . → Read More: How to Market Your Business on Facebook]]>

Vintage Storefront from Vintage Collective

If the users of Facebook were citizens of a country, all 400 million of them would make up the third largest nation on the planet. And with over 50% of them logging into the site every day, developing a Facebook presence or maximizing your existing page is becoming an important part of the overall marketing mix for businesses of all sizes.

Not sure where to start? Here’s my two cents:

Create your personal profile: If’ you’ve not signed up for a personal account, visit www.facebook.com and create your personal profile right now. I can wait for a minute. If you’ve avoided joining for any number of reasons (privacy concerns, “I’m too old,” etc.) sorry…you need to see firsthand how the site works for the people you’re trying to reach. You don’t have to add tons of photos of your vacation or update your status every hour, but you do need to find your way around and the only way to do that is to jump in.

Now create your Fan page: While people have profiles, businesses and non-profits have fan pages. Because fan pages are public sites, make sure to fill out the requested information with as much detail as you can to get the attention of Google and other search engines. There are a number of smaller businesses using Facebook as a main web presence instead of building a stand-alone website.

Spread the word: Once 25 people become fans of your business, you can choose a custom URL for your page (www.facebook.com/YOURBRAND). Spend a minute thinking about your URL because you cannot change it once you pick one. When your custom URL is active, add that address to all of your customer facing contact information (business cards, email signatures, contact information on brochures, etc.).

Get to know the rules around contests: Facebook has set the bar fairly high for using their platform to promote contests and giveaways. Here are the rules straight from Facebook and here is a good take on translating the rules into plain English from 360 PR Blog.

Don’t SELL anything: Facebook marketing is a bit of a paradox. While people opt-in to receiving your content updates by clicking a button to become a fan of your page, aggressive marketing frequently does not work and can even damage your online reputation. Unsubscribing from your page is just as easy as was to become a fan, so make sure to keep things low pressure, fun and informative.

Share useful content: If you need to ease off the sales pitch to be successful, what should you do? Focus on delivering useful content for your fans. The content you share does not have to be original for Facebook (but some exclusive content now and then adds perceived value to being a fan of your page). Here are some possible content sources you can add to Facebook:

• Blog — If your business has a blog, you can easily repurpose that content by giving it a quick edit and manually reposting it or you can set up an RSS feed that automatically publishes new posts to Facebook.
• Twitter — Are you using Twitter as well? Again, there are a number of choices to republish your Twitter feed on your fan page. Make sure the option you choose to publish your tweets looks good in Facebook. Some Twitter RSS widgets include a lot of extra stuff that will clutter up your page.
• White papers — If you offer white papers on your main website or blog, those are great content offers to pass on to your Facebook audience.
• PowerPoint decks — If you have some presentations that can be understood without you having to talk me through things, consider signing up for www.slideshare.net and post your best talks as another perk for your fans.

Add photos and video: Always have a digital camera ready to capture stuff to share with your fans. Heading to a tradeshow? Post pictures of your booth once you’ve set up. Working a community event? Share some video highlights of the day. Photos and video will often be the content that receives the most views or comments from your fans.

Share other stuff you find online: If all this talk of creating content has you second guessing getting involved on Facebook, an easy shortcut is to share other content while you are taking time to create some of your own. If you’re an accountant, post a link to an interesting tax story from CNN/Money.com. If you run a landscaping business, share a YouTube video about how to keep your trees healthy between trimmings.

Get fans involved in content creation: Encourage fans to post pictures on your wall. Ask your community for feedback on existing products or invite them to give you their reactions to newer ideas that are still in development. And if a fan says or posts anything, make sure to reply as soon as you can. Especially if it’s negative. Other fans will be watching how you handle the occasional complaint.

What’s the return on investment? Great content is your ticket to the top of your fans’ consideration set.

If you were going to order a pizza for dinner tonight, which pizza places jump into your mind? Those pizzerias make up your pizza consideration set. And as the average Facebook user spends over up to 55 minutes a day on the site, the more you can become a welcome part of your fans’ Facebook network, the bigger piece of those fans’ consideration set you can capture.

As someone who’s been active with Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites on an almost daily basis since 2008 (to my wife’s sometime chagrin), I thought writing about what I’ve gotten out of my efforts would be a good blogging execise. (Tip of the hat to Zappos.com CEO Tony Hsieh as . . . → Read More: Ways Twitter Has Made Me A Better Person – I Notice More Cool Stuff]]>

Daisy Refraction by audreyjm529

As someone who’s been active with Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites on an almost daily basis since 2008 (to my wife’s sometime chagrin), I thought writing about what I’ve gotten out of my efforts would be a good blogging execise. (Tip of the hat to Zappos.com CEO Tony Hsieh as this post is my inspiration.)

First thing that comes to mind is social media has refined my “daily palate.” I notice more of the cool little details of life and have learned how to describe them in a way that’s (hopefully) interesting and helpful.

When people complain they don’t have anything to say online, I say aren’t paying much attention each day.  Here are two simple examples that provide great fodder for social media updates if you take a second to think about how to talk about them:

1. The last place you had lunch – I don’t give a #%!?! THAT you had lunch. What you had, whether it was tasty, the qualify of the service, if the specialty of the house is actually special, or a cool waiter to ask for are all things that could add value to my life the next time I’ve got to select a lunch time destination.
2. The last movie you watched – Again, THAT you watched a movie is not helpful or terribly interesting. What you thought of the plot (without blowing the ending), which actor surprised you with their performance, or a recommendation of another cool film by the same director are all things I could use as I surf through my Netflix account looking for the next movie to add to my queue.

Thinking about the “mundane” experiences we all have each day with this mindset has made me more involved in the present and I appreciate more of the simple details of my life.

All of the traits that go into success . . . → Read More: Great Social Media Advice from the Food Network]]> This commercial on Food Network is pitching the newest season of The Next Food Network Star. As our pal Bobby Flay walks toward the elevator, various people (I’m assuming they’re contestants) hold up different signs describing qualities they possess that will make them the next superstar TV chef.

All of the traits that go into success at the Food Network are also great guidelines for anyone involved in social media. Have a look at the video and then we’ll break it down.

> I Will Have a Clear Culinary Point of View: This is vital in social media because things get so noisy. When there are millions of choices online, getting me to listen to you and subscribe to your blog involves standing out and having a clear voice.

> I Will Express Myself and Be Authentic: If your stuff sounds like PR/corporate-speak, that may be worse than not having a point of view. Consumers are too smart. They have developed an incredible ear for B.S. and expect people to sound real in social media. Compare the President of Domino’s Pizza and a multiple franchise owner from Chicago as they both issue apologizes for service problems. Guess which one I like more?

> I Will Make My Food Personal: This is a delicate thing to get right. One of the main complaints skeptics have about social media is that Twitter, Facebook, and other sites are just a collection of people broadcasting random details about what they had for breakfast. And that is boring. Think about ways your personal stuff can also add value to my life (because in the end, it’s all about me). Try this as an example:

• My cat barfed = BAD
• My cat barfed & I’ve found Kitty-Barf-Away is a great product for cleaning up messes = BETTER

> I Will Handle Pressure: Getting involved in social media may expose you to criticism. Don’t forget that getting a few rocks thrown at you goes with the territory.  The upside of social media is worth the occasional brouhaha.

> I Will Be the Next Food Network Star; “We’ll Be the Judge of That”: Bobby’s right. It’s all about the audience. You’ll quickly learn if what you’re sending out connects with people.

Now that Twitter is all the rage (@Oprah is the tipping point), I have friends and co-workers asking about the difference between Twitter and Facebook.

After using the lame “Twitter is like your Facebook status update” analogy for a while, I think I’ve actually figured out a good way to explain . . . → Read More: Using Barbecue To Explain the Difference Between Twitter and Facebook]]>

BBQ ... Portuguese stylee by markdrasutis

Now that Twitter is all the rage (@Oprah is the tipping point), I have friends and co-workers asking about the difference between Twitter and Facebook.

After using the lame “Twitter is like your Facebook status update” analogy for a while, I think I’ve actually figured out a good way to explain it using barbecue culture.

FACEBOOK
Your Facebook page is like a backyard barbecue you’ve organized. You know everyone (at least a little bit), you’ve invited them and they’ve accepted your invitation.

The average Facebook user is online for about 20 minutes each time they visit the site. Switching back to the backyard cookout analogy: you’ve got time to get a beverage, show your pals some pictures of the kids while the food is cooking on the grill and chat about what’s going on in both of your lives.

For me, Facebook is a wonderful tool to keep track of friends and family when geography and busy schedules may otherwise prevent us from staying connected.

I’ve actually become fairly protective of my Facebook account. My rule is that I need to have had some kind of real world connection with you to add you as my Facebook friend. Our connection may go as far back as grade school, but I don’t normally accept a friend request from someone I’ve never met.

TWITTER
Instead of a cozy cookout in your backyard, Twitter is the World Championship Barbecue cooking contest held each year at the Memphis in May International Festival in Tennessee. It’s jam-packed with a multitude of people from all over the world. The air is filled with smoke, there are tons of different vendors, and thousands of conversations going on at the same time. There are people buzzing around to the different booths, trying things out, ranting, yelling, discussing, complaining and moving on to taste the next thing.

If you like ribs, chances are you’ll end up congregating with the ribs crowd and debating the best places to get ribs. Then the conversation may turn to whether beef or pork ribs are the best. Pretty soon, you find people who share your tastes and you may even spark a few friendships that last after the festival.

What are you good at and/or what do you like? Zeroing in on the answers is your key to Twitter success. Send out tweets about your passion and connect with others who share your enthusiasm and you’ll become a resource in your topic. Use search.twitter.com to find other people who are tweeting about your favorites.

If you like big dogs and live in Colorado, send out tips on good dog parks and where to get deals on food. Are you a hair stylist? Send out links to hair blogs you like and share ways you’ve found to make dyed hair last longer. Jump into the crowd and become someone that other people refer to and look to for cool stuff.

I found The Bacon Flowchart on Twitter yesterday. As it’s dated December 22, 2007, I seem to be a little behind the times, but it’s funny stuff (even if you don’t actually like bacon). I immediately retweeted the link to my Twitter friends. Still, I felt incomplete. This was . . . → Read More: How to Save Money on Marketing – Let Me Distribute Things For You]]>

The Bacon Flowchart by shutterbug from incredimazing.com

I found The Bacon Flowchart on Twitter yesterday. As it’s dated December 22, 2007, I seem to be a little behind the times, but it’s funny stuff (even if you don’t actually like bacon). I immediately retweeted the link to my Twitter friends. Still, I felt incomplete. This was really funny. I needed to share.

I went to Facebook and added the link to my profile. The Bacon Flowchart generated nine comments in about 18 hours (and my Facebook Friends tend to be a stoic bunch, so this is a lot). A friend in Seattle liked it enough that he re-posted the link on his Facebook profile 25 minutes later and his friends immediately began to comment on the joys of bacon.

If I were a marketing person at Hormel or Jimmy Dean, I would be talking to the creator of this little gem about how I could help spread The Bacon Flowchart love. I would not hard sell. I would just stick a logo in the corner and let it run on its own.

Make your promotional stuff clever, fun and useful and your fans will do to the work of telling others for you. And when we do marketing for you, it doesn’t feel like selling to us or to the friends we’re sharing your stuff with.

Do you have a secret family recipe that you bust out for parties or holiday dinners that everyone tells you would sell like crazy if only you would market it? With Twitter and other social channels, floating a few trial balloons into the social media universe is an easy way . . . → Read More: Real People I’ve Connected With on Twitter: Interview with Vanessa Hughes]]>

Vanessa Hughes - Spice Rub Entrepreneur

Do you have a secret family recipe that you bust out for parties or holiday dinners that everyone tells you would sell like crazy if only you would market it? With Twitter and other social channels, floating a few trial balloons into the social media universe is an easy way to see if your creation has legs.

As I was looking around on Twitter for interesting people to follow, I stumbled on @vjhoneycut, the profile for Vanessa Hughes. She is a self-described “spice rub entrepreneur.” Just the kind of person I wanted to learn more about, as the last item in the tagline for this blog is BBQ.

Nothing that makes me happier than barbecue done right. What makes great barbecue? Spice rubs. A killer rub is what separates good barbecue from “HOLY SMOKE THAT’S GOOD!!” barbecue.

After chatting with Vanessa over a few Twitter direct messages, it dawned on me that she would be a perfect interview for my humble blog. Vanessa is a social media success story and her spices rubs are the perfect way impress your friends at your next cookout.

Business Name:
RedBone Rib Rubs

Best Way to Contact Vanessa:
Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook

When did you start using social media?
I really started to use social media when I began working at LinkedIn back in June of 2007 and from there I was hooked.

Any good success stories with social media to share?
I just recently started to post on my social networks that I am trying to market my husband’s award-winning spice dry rub and I have gotten hits from all over the United States. It’s great. I didn’t think people would really notice. I am in the process of evaluating how to get our product out there.

What tips would you have for someone getting started on Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.?
1. If you want to be remembered while using social media, make sure to use the same name for each account. That will build your personal brand.
2. Be honest and straightforward.
3. If you don’t know what you are doing – ask for help or even a consultation. If you do your research, you should be able to find someone who will guide you though building up your profile.

Who do you follow on Twitter that you look forward to hearing from?
I follow a lot of people. One of my daily rituals is to look and see what kinds of social media David Spinks has been tweeting about.

What is the first thing I should buy from you to make my barbecue better?
As long as you know how to properly grill or smoke your meat, the first thing to do would be to start with a good rub, like my husband’s recipe for RedBone Rib Rubs. Having hung out with him at cook-offs and watched him cook his award-winning masterpieces, I think the secret (once you get a good cut of meat) really is your dry rub. That is why we started our spice rub business.

Why should you start a blog and/or start using Twitter today? Because if you have something to say and want to be heard, you’ll be surprised how fast people will find you.

On February 12, I published this post about how to not be boring on Twitter or Facebook as a reaction . . . → Read More: Why You Should Start Using Social Media Today]]>

VLA Antenna by junmon603

Why should you start a blog and/or start using Twitter today? Because if you have something to say and want to be heard, you’ll be surprised how fast people will find you.

On February 12, I published this post about how to not be boring on Twitter or Facebook as a reaction to my brother’s complaint about social media websites.  He said he doesn’t care when his friends are going to a movie unless he is meeting them at the theater. To him, the thought of also getting a text message with this information just doesn’t make a ton of sense.

On February 25, I received a direct message on Twitter from @jonasaurus letting me know he had entered the phrase “how not to be boring on twitter” into Google and found my post on the first page of the organic search results.

After checking things out to confirm that a post I wrote made it to the first page of Google THIRTEEN DAYS after I tossed it out into the void, I then proceeded to brag to my coworkers about my new rockstar status.

I had expected the blog to be something I did for myself as practice to become a better writer and for the fun of it. I hoped I might get the stray reader here or there, but had no real expectations. Little did I know.

Start blogging, tweeting, and interacting today. While you may never build up the over 283,000 followers that British actor, writer and Twitter grandmaster Stephen Fry has amassed, you will find like-minded people to interact with and learn from faster than you realize.

How to fix this?  Be specific.

Try turning “going to lunch” into “grabbing a . . . → Read More: How to Not Be Boring on Twitter or Facebook]]> If you have not updated Twitter or Facebook because you think no one wants to hear about the fact you’re going to lunch…you’re right. Updates like “off to lunch” or “going to check out a movie” are as lame as you think they are.

How to fix this?  Be specific.

Try turning “going to lunch” into “grabbing a cheesesteak at Taste of Philly on Colorado Blvd. Not brave enough to get mine with Cheese Whiz.”  This now gives me tons of information to react to and start a conversation.  Maybe I’ve never been there and will try it out.  Maybe I’m from Philly and tease you about how Taste of Philly in Denver is a contradiction in terms.

Stuff like this will make your posts human and people who follow your stuff will start to get to know you.