I still remember my first time like it was yesterday. I cringed in horror at the thought, let alone the act, in which I was about to partake. It repulsed me to think I would be joining the youth culture in what would surely be their demise. And what would my parents think? But they were young once too, they must’ve experimented. So I sat back, reached out my hand and let the journey begin.

It started slowly at first; once a week, then twice, but before I knew it I was doing it daily, even multiple times a day, spiraling completely out of control. I’m talking, of course, about social media.

The more invested I became, the more useful I began to find these tools, each of their own accord. And now, as a self-proclaimed junkie, here are my reasons:

Why I Like LinkedIn:

LinkedIn is by far and away my favorite tool. It’s a working resume that allows you to connect with companies as well as individuals. You can add events, a reading list, even link your Twitter account. If you do ONE thing in social media, this (in my opinion) is the way to go.

Why I Like Twitter:

I will be the first to admit, Twitter used to overwhelm and annoy me. I was the person like, “Who wants to know what I had for lunch today?!” I completely did not understand its purpose. But the more I immerse myself in it, the more I love it. The list function is perfect for following specific individuals or topics. And it’s a great way to get current events without having to visit a bunch of websites. Finally, if you write a blog, Twitter is an absolute must.

Why I Like Quora:

Again, Quora used to overwhelm me. I’m still scared to ask a question, but it’s a phenomenal resource for getting answers. Quora is my go-to resource for answering my own questions.

Why I Like Google+

So far, the only reason I like Google + is because of how much I dislike Facebook. I haven’t really used it much, aside from sharing a few pictures, but I see its potential.

Not all tools are for everyone or every business.  Get to know your audience, engage them and watch your business grow!

I rushed to work this morning, all atwitter about posting a new review on Yelp:

Avanti Cafe on #Yelp: It's Costa Mesa restaurant week and if you can get to Avanti Cafe before it's over, go immedia... http://t.co/kIlXdZE

August 24, 2011 10:07 am via YelpReplyRetweetFavorite

@aliciamfranks

Alicia Franks

And then I got to thinking…  I was SO excited about writing my review because I couldn’t WAIT to exclaim to friends, family and colleagues that I had discovered the impossible: a healthy, delicious AND affordable meal, right around the corner!!!  In turn, when I’m extremely ANGRY about a product or service, I take to social media as well to proclaim my plight.  So it dawned on me that people typically write reviews when they are moved, in one direction or another; thereby making it a bit more difficult to take their advice at face value.

Hence, the law of averages was born.  I figure, if people only write a review when they are extremely satisfied or extremely dissatisfied, then the majority of patrons are moderately satisfied and not moved enough to express their opinion.  Furthermore, the average of the good and bad reviews equate to a median score.  This is just a general formula, of course if all the reviews are poor, the law of averages wouldn’t apply and vice versa.

As more customers become critics, it’s essential to keep a few things in mind:

1. As a business owner, use this as an opportunity to listen to your customers – acknowledge the bad reviews, offer incentives to change their mind and thus change their opinion.
2. As a customer, use the law of averages – people typically only review something when they are emotional.  Take reviews with a grain of salt and seek several sources of information.
3. Utilize social media yourself – write and read reviews to help others.

Are you moved enough to review?

With literally thousands of social media tools at your disposal, it is not only important to know WHO your audience is but also WHERE they are. So much of the focus lies on, what I like to call, the Fab 4: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. But a true social media strategy is developed by working backward INTO the tools, rather than starting with them.

First, define your objectives. Once they have been delineated, start researching!! Who is your target market? Where do they hang out online? And what is the best campaign to reach out to them? Remember, establishing an online presence isn’t about YOU it’s about THEM!! And it’s not short-term… In the late 90’s Yahoo had the lion’s share of the search engine market while Google was nowhere to be found… Just because Facebook is the biggest thing today doesn’t mean it will be in 5 or 10 years.

Finally, engage your audience. The beauty of social media, when properly integrated into a campaign, is the ability to listen to what your customers want; even if the feedback is negative, this is the perfect opportunity to improve your offering. Ironically, we often become so engrossed in what is good for our business, we forget to focus on what is good for our customers… So define them, find them and LISTEN to them. Your business and your customers will thank you;-)

Popularized by the Oscar-winning movie, social networking is fast becoming the standard of networking today.  LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter allow you to forge business relationships from the comfort of your home or office, and suddenly your world is opened up exponentially!  Although that’s not news, the IRL (in real life) component of social networking is new to me and, as I’ve pleasantly discovered, it’s the critical piece of the puzzle!

Taking your social network offline and into real life is like pulling back the curtain on the Wizard of Oz.  What you will discover is the person behind the avatar… And – as real people in real life – you will gain invaluable insight into your followers/friends that social networking just can’t provide.  This doesn’t mean you need to schedule meet-ups with all 2,000 of your connections but what it does mean is once your online conversations start piling up, make time outside of Twitter to sit down and network in-person.  Although the breadth online is vast, the depth of traditional networking is key to building lasting business relationships.

Just remember, not every follower needs to be a friend and not every friend needs to be a follower.  Also, if you don’t have time to meet on an individual basis, tweetups or workshops are great ways to connect with a group of people at once.

Are you socializing IRL?

***A big thanks to my new Tweeps IRL @alexjvasquez, @edwardlawrence, @oakleyOC, @lorennason, @HealthOC and @thebigdebowski (for teaching me the acronym;-)

It’s the same old song – the New Year started off with a bang… You updated your facebook business page, attended a few social media workshops and webinars, wrote several blog posts and even tweeted them! Well, now we’re three months in and already your blog has cobwebs, you haven’t tweeted in weeks and the last place you checked in on foursquare was New Year’s Day brunch!

You keep asking yourself, who has the time for this?! The answer is, even social media junkies hit a wall at some point. It’s information overload (even for the experts;-) So how do you get back on track and furthermore, how do you maintain a consistent social media program so you’re not constantly falling off the wagon?

First and foremost, make sure you’re using the best tools for your business as well as a social media management tool. Then, create an action plan. I found equating this concept to an exercise regimen seemed like a “fitting” analogy;-) By applying the same principles you would to get in shape, I made a checklist for getting your social media strategy toned in no time!

Here’s the skinny:

• Set a realistic goal – as with exercise, too much too soon is just setting yourself up for failure. Decide on a weekly schedule and stick to it, no excuses.
• Write it down – by putting things in writing you are making yourself accountable. Like counting calories, become aware of what it takes to reach your goal and keep track of it.
• Don’t punish yourself – we all make mistakes but there’s always tomorrow. So if you miss a post, don’t stress. Just make sure to get back on track as soon as possible.
• Reward yourself – when you DO stick to your program, give yourself a just reward (and since you’re NOT on a diet – chocolate is completely acceptable in this case;-)
• Everything in moderation – extreme exercise can derail even the toughest athlete. Make sure you’re doing social media in moderation and you’re sure to be a winner!
• Buddy up – in the case of social media, don’t take it all on yourself. Ask for blog topics from friends and co-workers, schedule tweets, use lists and, if possible, divide and conquer. If that’s not an option, use your online pals as inspiration to keep going – they love to help each other out!

What are some other tips to keep your social media program up and running?

Is social media an effective medium for distributing press releases? Ironically, to answer my own question, I sought the help of Twitter and Quora where I found some very interesting information on this topic.

First and foremost, social media should be used as a complement to, not a replacement for, the traditional press release; however, there are still some challenges to effectively distributing releases on social media:

1. Twitter is the preferred push medium for distributing press releases. Journalists found Facebook annoying but still saw email as the most effective means for distribution.
2. Use social media to build relationships. When used as a relationship-building platform, the case for social media seems to be strongest. Build relationships with journalists online, and then take business offline.
3. Tweet the actual link to the article, once the release has been converted to press, thereby proving yourself newsworthy and giving due credit to the reporter.

The rules aren’t hard and fast as of yet, but when it comes to social media – people typically dislike being pitched. So make your story engaging and your audience the general public, then… start spreading the news!

What are your thoughts on social media and press releases?

OK, so if you’ve been following my posts, you know I’m relatively new to Twitter; however, even in my experience, I am appalled at what some people post on social media sites!!!! Where are your manners folks?! You do realize you don’t have to post every SINGLE thought that occurs to you throughout the day, right?! And those of you that tweet about how bored you are at work, or what a #$&@ your boss is, do know your boss is likely privy to this information you’ve posted on the WORLD WIDE WEB?! I mean c’mon… Not to mention, we’re only starting to emerge from one of the worst recessions in history, so consider yourself lucky to have a job that “sux so bad” and remember, you ARE replaceable.

Now, with that said, everyone’s entitled to their own opinion and I’ve gleaned some great information from social media but let’s cut the crap and clean it up a bit… Don’t forget, a large portion of social media users are baby boomers and beyond. So before you post, ask yourself this:  WWGD (what would grandma do?;-)

People’s posts peeving you too?

I have been a tweep for almost two months now.  After much resistance to the twittersphere, as discussed in To Tweet or Not to Tweet, I finally joined the ranks of such twitterati as the Dalai Lama, Kayne West and pretty much anyone with internet access;-)  What I discovered was much more than just @kirstenwright walking her dog or @peterquill brushing his teeth; I found a connection to the real world.

We all have our news feeds: blogs, local papers, magazines – even our own social networks discussing current events.  But Twitter is a different animal altogether (actually, it’s a blue bird in case you didn’t know;-)  Because there is no barrier to entry (unless you lock your tweets, which I quickly discovered defeats the purpose) you can follow ANYONE and vice versa.  What you will find is that the world opens up in just a few short tweets.  I have followers from around the globe I may never meet, as well as neighbors I didn’t know I had!   I can talk about my hobbies, whereabouts, and work; in return, I become privy to their respective careers, interests and blogs (which I wouldn’t normally read, much less care about…)  But because of Twitter, I DO care about them!  So much, in fact, I retweet their content to MY followers!!  I even found MYSELF advising friends to join!   It’s all about engagement folks…  And what a difference a month makes:-)

I had no idea what I was missing as a twitterphobe and even though I’m still learning every day (hashtags and dailies and tweetups… OH MY) I’m being exposed to a world beyond my own, the World Wide Web…  In 140 characters or less;-)

What are you getting out of Twitter?

***This post is dedicated to my dear friend Amanda and all the rest of the twitterphobes out there… Just do it already!  If I can do it, anyone can;-)

Or it’s having a heck of a time at the wake! Last week we showed you how to use both twitter and facebook more effectively. Today I want to discuss traditional forms of marketing and how a hybrid combination of both traditional and non-traditional methods can be key to a successful marketing plan.

Traditional Marketing, typically associated with advertising, is still very much alive and well – at least it should be. With the popularity of social and interactive media omnipresent in the marketplace, it is often assumed that these non-traditional methods have replaced traditional marketing altogether. However, as evidenced in this thoughtful blog post (no, not the one I’m writing now;-) you can see integration and interaction are key elements when creating an effective marketing mix.

Marketing, as a strategy, is about reaching an audience with the ultimate goal of making a sale. As a science, it is a bachelor’s degree. Just as you wouldn’t trust Dr. Dre, the rapper who uses the pseudonym of ‘Dr.’ to perform your heart surgery, you wouldn’t want a 13-year-old “twit” branding your business. Qualified professionals run agencies and although social media is an excellent marketing tool, you simply cannot rely on it as your sole solution to sales generation.

As we face the future of business with ever-evolving technology and media, adding value to your brand by implementing new marketing tools and staying updated with trends in the marketplace is important. But using the tried and true marketing methods proven time and again is imperative. So tweet, blog and facebook but remember, nothing says BUY ME like a good old-fashioned billboard!

How are you integrating both traditional and non-traditional methods into your marketing strategy?

I have been on Twitter for exactly 24 hours. For those of you who know me, this is asking a LOT. It’s true that I have been painstakingly slow to the social media uptake. I started (and stopped) with LinkedIn almost 2 years ago. About 6 months prior I began to Digg and just last month I posted my first blog. But joining Twitter has truly felt like braving a new world…

My experience first and foremost has been fascinating! Yesterday we commented on if social media is right for B2B companies. It really is the wave of the marketing future – but intimidating nonetheless. What should I tweet? Who should I follow? Who’s following me and WHY?!?! What if I let the twitter-sphere down with a terrible tweet? And how in the world do I upload a profile pic?! Perhaps some of you share my sentiments (or you’re tweeting this to your friends as a joke…) Nevertheless, social media CAN be daunting. But it IS necessary and once you get the hang of it, it can actually be fun, not to mention profitable!

If you’re a twitter-phobe (like me) follow these quick tips to your first tweet:

1. Sign up (It SOUNDS simple enough, but this is half the battle)
2. Import contacts from your other accounts (email, Facebook, LinkedIn)
3. Fill out your profile (add a bio and picture)
4. TWEET

And finally, follow me @aliciamfranks

Tweet ya later!