I tried foursquare. Then I left foursquare. And after a lot of thought and cajoling by a few friends, I decided to go back to foursquare…

Why?

Because although I don’t feel it is quite there for the individual, it will be. Businesses will start getting it better and the functionality will improve (at least I hope!). I see huge potential with foursquare and I regret not joining twitter sooner, so I don’t want to make the same mistake here. The biggest concern I have is privacy, but with how much information is available already about me, I figure this can’t really much worse.

Since I’m trying it again, here are the things I am hoping to see:

1. Benefits for a first time checkin from the business. “It’s your first time here, enjoy 5% off”. Giving someone a benefit at their first trip will increase the likelihood they come back and you’ll have more repeat customers.
2. Reward people for bringing people. Multiple checkin’s for one person who brings in first timers with them? They’re doing marketing for you, reward them!
3. On the mobile app – links to the companies website, twitter or facebook to connect them in other ways. This will help the companies to build a stronger network.
4. Something between first time and mayorship…maybe rewarding people at different levels, 5 checkins, 3 in a week, etc…
5. The ability to checkin at a place without claiming location to everyone. For example, it would be great to be able to checkin at Starbucks and have the exact location know where you are but not send the exact location to your friends, just that you are at a Starbucks.

All in all, I am holding out to see results, and am willing to go with it for a little longer. What can it hurt?

What would you like to see improve with foursquare? Have you found benefits for the individual?

Pick up the freakin’ phone.  That’s it. Pretty simple actually.  It’s a habit that we’ve all fallen out of and we need to get back into.  I’ve caught myself typing out emails that are so detailed and long that it could have easily been replaced by a quick phone call.  Would have saved me and the recipient a bunch of time and effort.  I spend easily half my day on emails totalling on average in the hundreds.  Where did we go wrong on all this?  Some pundits say that we’re the most connected and communicable society ever thanks to email, text, Twitter and the rest.  I beg to differ.  Sure I think we’re the most connected, but I think we’ve lost the art of communication. I’d even suggest that early man was a better communicator than we are today.  He was more efficient and communicated more efficiently because he had to or it probably meant certain death.  He didn’t draw a bear on a piece of bark (in 140 strokes or less!), walk over and hand it to his fellow hunter just before the bear attacked him.  No, he just yelled “Bear!” and that saved his friend.

I think it’s time we all picked up the old cup’n’string again and had a good old fashioned conversation, even if it is only to yell “Bear!”.  I just had this chat with a longstanding client who we both agreed summed it up best:  A phone call is worth a thousand emails.

Thanks Allan.

One of the most recent changes in Facebook is the modification of the “become a fan” to “like” on pages, and the integration of “liking” other sites you find on the web. I am not really sure what prompted the change, or why facebook felt it was necessary, but they did and it got me thinking. When facebook pages had “fans”, it felt like the people were involved. Fans are people who absolutely love something – being a fan of something takes commitment. It means that you really appreciate it and would go out of your way for it. Now that the pages have moved to just “liking” something, it’s a downward movement. “Liking” means you have some emotion, but not much. You wouldn’t really do a whole lot for it and you definitely appreciate other things above it. I believe this change was meant to make things easier for facebook, but it has also removed some of its strength. I would much rather have fans of my business than people who just “like” my business.

What do you think of the “like” vs “fan” issue?

Last week, I mentioned that I would be testing out foursquare for a week and then reporting back on what I thought. According to my feed, during my test week I checked in at:
@Kohl’s (2 days ago)
@Unveiled Fitness (3 days ago)
@Sushilicious (4 days ago)
@Mission Viejo Post Office (5 days ago)
@Unveiled Fitness (6 days ago)
@Starbucks (6 days ago)
@The Corner Bakery (6 days ago)
@Starbucks Coffee (1 week ago)
@Trader Joe’s (1 week ago)

While it may seem like a small list, this really is everywhere that I went in one week that I could check in at. I don’t go out a ton, I work from home, and only have one day a week where I am in meetings. My schedule makes it hard for me to visit a ton of places, but I did visit enough places to see how it works. Here are just a few of my impressions:

1. It isn’t really beneficial to anyone who doesn’t visit places a lot. None of the places I visited offered any “first timer” rewards, I didn’t get a thank you from anyone for checking in and I kind of felt like I was just saying I was there for no reason other than to say I was there.
2. I didn’t meet anyone new at the locations because I said I was there, and the tips that were given from people who had been there before were not anything more than “try the x drink” or “go to the place next door for x”. I didn’t feel like it opened up conversation.
3. I understand the value rewards based on visitation for the frequent travelers or those who visit the same coffee shops/restaurants a lot…but, I don’t see why this has to be done through foursqaure. Most of these companies are already on twitter, and with just a little work, it would be easy to figure out who is visiting your stores. Reward them on twitter, where it is public and more people can see it rather than on another tool that people have to use. I am all for simplicity and organization, and foursquare just seems like overkill and a waste of time.
4. It is just one more site in an already over crowded world of social media. And not one that I find valuable personally.

Have you used foursquare? What are your thoughts?

With twitter and blogging, I was first in line. I got it instantly, and loved them. I completely understood when and why to use them, and was involved in every aspect that I could. With Facebook, I was slower to join the trend, a little concerned about connecting business with personal life. But, after some convincing, I delved into Facebook as well, and now have seen the light.

I have tried tons of other social media tools, some I have kept around (linkedin, stumbleupon) and others have faded to the background (friendfeed, digg, reddit). The problem I find is that I am very wary of adding a new tool to my arsenal without really understanding what it can do for business. We have enough on our plates already, that adding another tool must also add to our business instead of taking our precious time. Twitter, Facebook and blogging are all strong examples of adding vs. taking. They deliver stronger connections and great business results. Since Twitter, I have struggled to find a new site that can add value like these three.

About 8 months ago, a new site launched. They called it Foursquare (no, not the game you played in elementary school), and it is a geo-targetting tool to allow users to ‘check-in’ to the locations that they visit.

When I heard about this site, I was very wary. First, it was only launched in a few places. Second, it was only launched as an application for the iphone. This left me (a blackberry user) a little put off. But, never one to shut something down without research, I learned more about it and watched friends use it. After a few months of seeing people “check-in” at locations and earn ‘badges’ for being at places a lot, I still didn’t see a huge value. If the company or place I was at was on twitter, I could basically do the same thing just referencing their twitter name. While I didn’t earn ‘badges’, I didn’t feel like I was missing much. But recently, as foursquare has become more popular, and more and more businesses are getting involved, I have noticed something new. When some of my friends that use it check in at places, they get a surprise – a free drink, 5% off their bill, etc…and ones that check into the same place a lot? The rewards are even better. Also, they have now released an application for the blackberry, making it accessible to me, and more intriguing to try.

So, after seeing the results that some friends have had from using it, and talking with a few businesses about their experience with it, I have decided to download it for my blackberry. Over the next week, I will be testing it out, checking in everywhere I go and seeing how it works. Next Monday, I will write about my experiences and let you know what I think.

If you have tried it, what do you think? If you haven’t, I invite you to try it with me and share your thoughts next week!

Are you on Facebook? 250 million people are, and you should be too. If you aren’t, get signed up now…and then come back and read the rest of this blog. Already on Facebook? Read on:

Use a current profile picture
You can have as many photos as you want on Facebook – in your albums and that you are tagged in. But, you only get one profile picture. So, your profile picture should be professional, match the rest of your social media icons and be a clear picture of your face. You want people to be able to find you easily and recognize you when they see you. Oh and while the funny meme’s and changing your picture to fit the mood of the masses can seem fun, it makes it difficult to find you if you are constantly changing your picture. And, unless you plan on keeping your profile 100% private, do not use a photo that is inappropriate for business.

Make your interests honest
Do you adore Voltaire and volunteer to save dogs, elderly and plants in your off time? No? Then don’t put that in your interests! You need to be honest in your interests if they are going to work well and give people a true view of who you are. Remember, this can be changed, so if you grow, learn or add new interests, you can update it here.

Write on the Walls
Sharing conversations on Facebook is one of the easiest ways to build stronger relationships, and writing on walls is a fast way to get these conversations started. People like feeling special and involved, and leaving your friends and business contacts quick notes is a great way to provide this feeling. But, if you plan on sharing personal information (phone numbers, addresses, inappropriate discussions), you should reserve those for messages or email.

Update your status
There is no perfect rule for when or how to update your status, but you should try to update it at least once a day (assuming you aren’t just updating it for the sake of updating it). We all have something to say, ask or discuss…say it, ask it, or discuss it here! But one note of warning, please do not tell us your every detail or be assured we will tell you how little we care.

Access Facebook from your phone
Working without a computer? Doesn’t mean you can’t check facebook, respond to comments and send messages. Just like Twitter and other applications, you can have Facebook on your phone too. Make sure you do, and know how to use it. If you can’t find an application, you can still access the more phone friendly Facebook through their mobile site at m.facebook.com.

What other tips do you have to add for Facebook? Tomorrow, we will cover 5 tips for Twitter!

Facebook has three main ways that you can choose to participate:

1. Create a profile
2. Create a group
3. Create a fan page

The question we often get is which one(s) are the best for our business and how should we operate them? The first answer is to create a profile, without a profile, you can’t use any of the other facebook services. Once you have created a personal profile, you need to decide between keeping your personal profile private or public – and if you are going to keep it public, you also need to decide whether you want to connect with business contacts or keep it to personal friends and family only? This can be a difficult decision, as we often blend the lines between work and friends. My best recommendation? To combine business with personal – but to only add business contacts whom you have started to build a personal relationship with. This allows you to keep it fairly personal, but also allows you to build closer personal relationships with some of your business contacts. If  you choose to keep it private, and to personal friends only, then next step is to create a small email that you will send to anyone who requests a connection that is a business person. This email should thank them for the connection, but that you keep your personal profile private (this is where the fan page or group comes in) and then you offer them to be a part of your other profile (fan page or group). The email should be personal, and should make the person understand that you value their connection but that you keep business separate.

Okay, so onto group vs fan page. In their own words, “Facebook created Pages when we noticed that people were trying to connect with brands and famous artists in ways that didn’t quite work on Facebook…Not only can you connect with your favorite artists and businesses, but now you also can show your friends what you care about and recommend by adding Pages to your personal profile”. Groups on the other hand, are more like “clubs” in real life…groups have managers that approve new members, and it is more of a social conversation than a corporate one.

So how do you choose? I believe Mashable did a great job explaining the difference and when to choose which:

“Groups are great for organizing on a personal level and for smaller scale interaction around a cause. Pages are better for brands, businesses, bands, movies, or celebrities who want to interact with their fans or customers without having them connected to a personal account, and have a need to exceed Facebook’s 5,000 friend cap.”

Which do you use? Do you have all 3?

Last week, Chris Brogan wrote a great article discussing what you should do if you find yourself with an extra half-hour of time. He had many great ideas, but didn’t do much more than just list them out and ask for our thoughts. Unfortunately, if you are just getting started in the social media game, just a list of things to do isn’t as helpful as more detailed descriptions of how to do them. So, I picked out a couple that I think deserve more detail and outlined how to use these steps:

1. Reading and commenting on blog posts
   1. Find new blogs to read by checking out sites like alltop, stumbleupon, and google blog search and searching topics you are interested in. Once you have found ones you like, subscribe to them so that you see new content. It is easy to unsubscribe if you no longer are interested.
   2. When you comment, make sure to always link back to a page on your site or blog that is similar in topic to what you are discussing. If none exists, just link to your homepage.
   3. Add to the conversation – ask a question, pose an opposing idea or add more details to a thought. Just putting “good post” doesn’t benefit anyone.
   4. Comment on bloggers who have less comments. You are more likely to get a response, noticed an appreciated than if you are commenter #100.
   5. BUT…it is also good to comment on extremely popular blogs if you have something important to add for the search engine optimization.
2. Writing a recommendation for someone on Linkedin.
   1. Make sure that you only add recommendations for people you have actually worked with personally.
   2. When you write the recommendation, include specific points, not just generalities. People want details, not fluff.
   3. It is okay to ask for a return recommendation, but it is up to the other person what they choose to do. Do not expect a returned recommendation.
   4. Be picky about whom you recommend, and it is okay to turn down someone who asks, just make sure to have a valid reason why you’ve said no.
3. Investigating websites that may or may not help your business.
   1. Is there one area of your business that you struggle with? Pin-point one area to improve and search for just that.
   2. Too wide of a search will mean you can never filter through all the sites that are there, narrow focus means better results.
   3. If you find a site that may help your business, make sure to check out the company thoroughly before becoming involved, there are a lot of disingenuous people online.
   4. If you find a site that can’t help you, but may help others, pass it on! They’ll return the favor down the road…

What other ways can you improve the time you spend online?

Unless you have been under a rock for the last 2 months, you know that Droid hit Verizon stores on the 6th. I was estatic! I was so excited to have a touch screen plus real keyboard, apps and more on the Verizon network (because really, At&T? Get some service!). Anyway, it took me until this weekend to get to the store to go check it out, as I will never buy a phone without playing with it and asking a million questions first. Anyway, onto the 10 reasons that I hate the droid:

1. Their commercials make you want one really badly
2. The screen is awesome, the keyboard kicks ass, and they own the tech
3. It is on the Verizon network!!
4. It runs multiple applications easily
5. It is small and easy to carry
6. There are really cool covers for it in pink!
7. The price point is reasonable for a phone
8. The screen is easy to read and the touch is responsive
9. It shows real version of websites, instead of ‘mobile’ versions
10. The camera on the phone has more megapixels than my current digital camera

So maybe I should explain why these seemingly awesome things make me hate the droid? If you’re anything but a google fiend, you should know the answer.

Verizon took a huge step forward in partnering with google and android and creating the new droid phones. The commercials were awesome. The phone looked great and from most reviews, worked awesome as well. But it had one massive failure – verizon let google monopolize the phone. For example, here is what I learned about the phone while at Verizon:

1. I can’t sync my email without a gmail account
2. I can’t sync my calendar, tasks or contacts without a gmail account
3. Even with an exchange server, syncing doesn’t work well
4. I can’t buy apps without a gmail account
5. The apps you can get don’t run properly without a gmail account
6. Google runs everything on the phone
7. Google doesn’t allow non-google approved applications like ubertwitter
8. Yahoo? Nope, no access to that either.
9. Google and gmail are not user friendly
10. Did I mention google monopolized it completely??

The phone looks cool, the buttons work well, it covered all the things that the iphone can’t do (pics in the dark anyone?), runs multi applications and has both a real keyboard and a virtual keyboard…but it is designed to completely alienate anyone who doesn’t live and die by google.

So, I guess I’ll be waiting until the end of the month for the new Blackberry Curve…

Social media, social networking, web 2.0. Whatever you call it, it is here to stay and those who figure out how to use it and capitalize on it will be better off in the long run. But before you can use it, you need to understand it, ask questions and figure out the details. So, let’s get started with the 3 top questions we get asked about social media.

1. What IS social media/networking? The technical definition from Wikipedia is, “Social media is media designed to be disseminated through social interaction, created using highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques. Social media supports the human need for social interaction with technology, transforming broadcast media monologues (one to many) into social media dialogues (many to many). It supports the democratization of knowledge and information, transforming people from content consumers into content producers.” But really, social media is the tools that you use to communicate with a large group of people very quickly. Social networking is the creation of a group of people who want to know what you have to say, and listen when you create content. It is a combination of marketing, communicating and listening to each other to build a stronger web base. For some great insight on the power of social media, check out the social media revolution.
2. What are the most popular social media channels? Depending on your goal with social media, this answer will shift a bit. We have talked extensively in the past about the benefits of each of these tools, and what you can do with them. But, for the majority of businesses (whether B2C or B2B) the top tools to take a look at are: blogging (wordpress is the most used platform), twitter, facebook, linkedin and youtube. These 5 tools will be useful for almost all companies, regardless of who you sell to, it’s just the way they are used that will change. For example, if you market to consumers, you may use twitter as a channel to connect with your buyers and tweet about sales. If you sell to businesses, you may use it to ask questions, share links and create a brand. You can have a blog that goes out to the public, or use a blog internally in your business to promote within.
3. How much time should be dedicated to social media? This answer is a little more difficult, as the amount of time that you spend is going to be directly correlated to the results that you want and in the time frame you want them. Looking for fast results and have the financial capacity? Many companies will hire an internal person that’s full-time job is to manage their social networks and create content. If you don’t have the time to dedicate to find the perfect person, it can be a full-time job for your marketing agency (like us) who has a staff that will take care of all the details and just provide you with the results. If the problem is the financial capacity, you may have to start on a slower scale, and once the results start to come in, you can dedicate more time to social media. The point, whichever you choose, is consistency. Stick with it, and the results will be there.

Have more questions about social media and how you can use it? Post them in the comments!