READY, SET, BLOG: WHY TUMBLR IS MORE RELEVANT NOW THAN EVER

We recently began using Tumblr for the ‘Blogging’ segment of our Social Networking for Business workshop, and, I must say, I’m impressed.  I first learned about Tumblr through my teenage daughter who used the site as a form of communicating and photo sharing with friends, and to be honest, I dismissed it at the time (a couple of years ago) as just that - another teen fad.  But, when I actually created a Tumblr account and researched its functionality, I definitely changed my tune.

Tumblr, in a word, simplifies the blogging experience.  It’s straightforward as well as easy, quick and fun to use.  In singing the praises of Tumblr, I’m not diminishing the qualities of WordPress or Blogger, but I have to admit, Tumblr does facilitate blogging and picture & video sharing in an unprecedented manner.  Tumblr is multimedia – you have the option to post a photo or video only (with a caption if you so desire) or you can post text content with or without photos or video.  You can even post a quote and have the option to cite the source in its own field.  And, so much more… It really doesn’t get any more uncomplicated than that!

With respect to branding, Tumblr is unquestionably the way to go.  As a quote from an article on imediaconnection.com puts it:  “If your brand can be conveyed visually, Tumblr is the best platform because it’s fast and high resolution image based…”

Another major advantage to Tumblr is that it’s extremely social - the site makes it easy to follow other blogs – and that means that your blog will be easy for others to follow.  Tumblr, in effect, allows greater accessibility to your blog, thereby making it almost effortless to build your audience. 

And, as far as SEO (search engine optimization) goes, Tumblr is one of the best forums you can use.  As journalist, Dan Goodswen, says: “Tumblr’s native reblogging system means that any links you embed in your posts can quickly spread around the site, generating potentially hundreds, even thousands of linkbacks.”

There’s no doubt that Tumblr’s user numbers are growing exponentially.  The blogging site has doubled in size since the fall of 2011.  Here are some stupefying numbers: 

And, from pingdom.com, here are some more stats with respect to Tumblr’s content:

• 637 posts per second
• 38,194 posts per minute
• 2.3 million posts per hour
• 385 million posts per week
• 1.65 billion posts per month
• 20 billion posts per year

I, for one, with still a soft spot for Blogger in my heart, will definitely be checking Tumblr out more often and contributing to some of its awesome numbers with a few posts of my own.

If you want to learn more about the virtues of Tumblr, why not join one of our Social Networking for Business workshops and we’ll get you started.  For a schedule of dates and locations, please click on the following link!  http://escomputertraining.com/courses/details/industry/2/course/20

About Facebook’s New Timeline: I’ve Changed My Mind!!!

Remember my post of March 14 extolling the virtues of Facebook’s new Timeline?  Well, I’m exercising the right to change my mind! I have come to the conclusion, after making use (or trying to make use) of the new Timeline that, in actuality, it kind of sucks!!

Furthermore, I’m not alone.  I’ve done some research and have spoken to numerous people, and this seems to be the overwhelming response to what is arguably Facebook’s most critical transformation to date.

To be fair, I’ll admit that there are a couple of features that are actually beneficial, at least from a business standpoint.  The Cover is a great idea for businesses due to its large size – perfect for branding.  The fact that you can ‘star’ stories that you want to highlight is also a good thing.  When a story is starred, it is prominently displayed in widescreen mode and presents your business with the opportunity to highlight important messages like promotions and special events.  Same deal with being able to now ‘pin’ stories to the top of your business’ Page timeline.  A story can remain pinned at the top for seven days – again, an effective way to draw attention to crucial events, sales or promotions taking place.

But, that’s about it.  Over and above what I’ve mentioned, there’s really nothing that impresses about the new Timeline.  In fact, some of the comments I’ve read hold nothing back.  Here are few snippets:

“It’s just too cluttered.”

“…a pain in the arse!”

“Hate it.  Now I have to look forward to styling my life as a sort of public magazine…”

“Google +, here I come!”

“I can’t find anything…”             

You get the point.  And, I’m afraid I must agree.  Here’s a link to a poll featured on msn.com that drives the point home: http://www.technolog.msnbc.msn.com/technology/technolog/facebook-timeline-poll-overwhelming-negative-reaction-84717

The new Timeline appears jumbled, confusing and just downright unappealing.  It’s simply not well-structured or user-friendly.  And to boot, there seem to be a lot of people expressing concerns with the issue of privacy – or lack thereof – with the new set-up.  I heard one person say that it certainly makes Facebook more “stalker-friendly”.  And, uh … well, that’s just not a good thing!  To that point, I’ll reiterate one more time – watch what you post!  Never post any content or photos that you don’t want the whole world to see – and don’t forget to make use of those privacy settings.

In summary, I’ll concede that, given the past positives of Facebook and all it does have to offer from both the personal and business points of view, I believe that most of us will stick it out and try to adapt.  But, only time will tell…

What do you think about Facebook’s new Timeline?  Please leave a comment and let me know!  And, in the meantime – Happy Facebooking!!!

Social Media and Business: Here's testing out Social Media for Business - Is ASUS listening

Recently I had another problem with ASUS customer service and decided to write a short blog about it to see is ASUS was listenening.  Despite the number of views the blog received, no response from ASUS was forthcoming.  Below is a link to the original blog.

Social Media and Business: Here's testing out Social Media for Business - Is ASUS listening


Here are some links to ASUS customer Service complaints boards!


http://www.customerservicescoreboard.com/Asus

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/computers/asus.html


There lack of response to customer complaints is astounding.  We are just one company that will no longer purchase or recommend ASUS computers.  This level of negative customer "good will" must impact business volume.  I would divest of ASUS stock if I had any!

4 REASONS WHY IT’S CRUCIAL TO KNOW YOUR SOCIAL NETWORKING AUDIENCE

Social media is all about engagement and connecting with other people.  To successfully run any customer-facing business, the first rule is:  Know your clientele.  And, in social media speak, that means: Know your audience.

Why is this so important?  Because your audience (hopefully comprised in large part of your clients and prospects) is your sole reason for being active on social media sites from a business standpoint.   

Here are four definite advantages to knowing who your audience is and what they’re all about:

1. You’re Able to Better Focus – If you can focus intently on whom you are targeting, it makes it easy to create content that resounds immediately with these people.  And, that’s important because generating valuable content that allows you to engage the highest number of relevant people is the essence of your social media business strategy.  You want to capture their interest.  You want to keep their interest so that they’re coming back often to see your latest Facebook and blog posts.

2.  The Walls Come Down – You’re able to listen to what people have to say about your business – the positive as well as the negative – and respond in kind.  Social media is all about, well… being social.  And interactive.  Social networking affords you the opportunity to effortlessly communicate with your audience in an unprecedented manner.  Take advantage of that!  The more you interact with your audience, the better you come to know them.

3. You Can More Readily Respond to Specific Needs – Imagine being able to get to know clients so intimately through social media that you come to the point where you’re able to offer them what they require prior to them even inquiring.  You can make valuable suggestions to them and can tailor your services to fit them specifically simply because you have made the effort to communicate with them via social networking sites.  Ask lots of questions and interact often.  Soon, you’ll know what they need before they do!  The ultimate in customer service.

4. You Can Position Yourself as an Industry Leader – When the people in your audience (your clients and prospects) have industry related queries or need to be apprised of valuable information, you want to be the one they turn to, don’t you?  Make yourself readily available to people on your social networking sites – let it be known that you are the expert in your field!  Blog, blog, blog and then blog some more.  Blogging is a prime way of showcasing your wealth of industry knowledge.  And, don’t forget to post links to your blog posts on your other social networking sites – Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.  Get your messages heard by the people you want to reach – your audience.  And, get to know them as well as you can, so you can better serve them and become their go-to person.

For more information on social media and the importance of getting to know your audience through social networking, join one of our Social Networking for Business workshops.  For a schedule of upcoming workshops in your area, please visit: http://www.escomputertraining.com/courses/details/industry/2/course/20