Monday 24 April 2017

12. Finally, a Synopsis

In the year 2017, if you are not easily found on the internet, you do not exist.  This is the last in a series of articles; “How to Create and Maintain a Social Media Brand – the Lecture Series”.   It’s been a pleasure sharing my knowledge about social media and the independent consumer based business.     Good fortune.


What to post
Where does the informational, marketing and brand content come from?
Accounts that you need:
Holidays and Trends
Company Updates
How To… info
1.       LinkedIn
 Alt week
1 x week
1 x week
Your product in real life, how it can benefit your client… what problem do you solve?   What is your brand about (in terms of benefit to your clients?)  None of this should be in sales or advertising terms.  All of it should sound like a lecture or Ted Talk.
LinkedIn Company Page

1 x week
1 x week
LinkedIn Write Articles


Alt week
2.       Facebook Account
Daily – 1
1 x week
1 week
One liner with title plus link to Blog, YouTube, or LinkedIn Post with information and how to for viewer.
Business Facebook Page

1 x week
1 x week
One liner with title plus link to Blog, YouTube, or LinkedIn Post with information and how to for viewer. 
3.       Twitter account
Daily
Daily
Daily
One liner with title plus link to Blog, YouTube, or LinkedIn Post with information and how to for viewer.
4.       YouTube
never
1 x 2 weeks
1 x week
Primarily a Forum for how to do stuff and real info.   Always include links to your websites
5.       Blogs

1 x week
1 x week
Your product in real life, how it can benefit your client… what problem do you solve?   What is your brand about (in terms of benefit to your clients?)  None of this should be in sales or advertising terms.  All of it should sound like a lecture or Ted Talk.
6.       Instagram
Daily-1
1 x week
1 x week
Photos of your products, services, brand, good works, campaigns
7.       Snapchat




8.       Pinterest
Alt week
1 x week
1 x week
Attach links to your company pages on the pictures, reshare other peoples
9.       Google Maps
Daily – 1
1 x week
1 x week
One liner with title plus link to Blog, YouTube, or LinkedIn Post with information and how to for viewer.
10.    Google+ and Brand Account Google Page
1 x week
1 x week
1 x week
One liner with title plus link to Blog, YouTube, or LinkedIn Post with information and how to for viewer. 
11.    Hootsuite : to schedule future posts

1 x week
1 x week

Wednesday 12 April 2017

11. Hootsuite

In the year 2017, if you are not easily found on the internet, you do not exist.  This is the 11th in a series of articles; “How to Create and Maintain a Social Media Brand – the Lecture Series”.   This is all you need to know to create a social media presence for the independent consumer based business.   Good fortune.

“And the elves were able to do it all in one night…. “   I envy the elves.  No social networker is an elf with such magical powers.  Maintaining accounts and posting takes buckets of time.  Much of the posting is redundant (same stuff or almost the same stuff across many platforms).  If only there was a piece of software that could automate this process!

Well there is.  No one spot can allow you to publish to all networks in exactly the way you need, however, Hootsuite comes pretty darn near close. 

Sign up for Hootsuite and pay for the basic account (you will need it).   Enter in all your social networks.   

Streams allow you to view whats going on in any of your social networks and also to see what you published and what is scheduled.   

Hootsuite allows you to schedule posts ahead.   

Hootsuite allows you to publish on a number of different platforms - one post going many places.   

These 2 features make Hootsuite an essential service.  

Now you can begin publishing most of your stuff from one single location.  The scheduling feature allows you to spend a day on Twitter or Facebook posts, schedule the series and leave the topic for the next number of weeks or months.  It allows you to experiment with time of day publishing and frequencies.  Finally, it allows you to publish bulk or batch entries.  

Hootsuite is an essential service. 







Thursday 6 April 2017

10. Google Pages

In the year 2017, if you are not easily found on the internet, you do not exist.  This is the 10th in a series of articles; “How to Create and Maintain a Social Media Brand – the Lecture Series”.   This is all you need to know to create a social media presence for the independent consumer based business.     Good fortune.
Yes these still exist!!  If you sign in with your Google Account, you have access to Google+ and Brand Accounts.   The Brand Account is a place where you can advertise your business.  

To verify that the business is yours and that you have the right to make edits, Google chooses to use pins which they mail you via the speedy and ultra reliable Canada Post and  US Postal System.   Enter the pin upon receiving it.   There is usually a 2 week expiry on them.  This is annoying, because the pins that I have requested generally come in about 6 weeks due to the responsiveness of the classic mail service. 

This pin system is also used for adwords and why I stopped using adwords for clients.  It is a slow and painful process.   The multiple verifications required make the development process too slow for most clients.  

So, be prepared before you start creating your Google Page and Brand Account.   Have your photos, videos, and written descriptions ready to go. Complete all your basic posting and editing and adding photos before requesting your pin.   Major edits require new pin numbers.

Because Google is a search engine, and the search engine of choice for most of the western world, it is important to have a presence on Google platforms.   
The primary reason for all of this social networking is to be found:   to be seen and heard.  

So, post regularly on Google+ and include tags back to your business and your other social media pages. 

Remember, out of sight is out of mind.   






Wednesday 29 March 2017

9. Google Maps

In the year 2017, if you are not easily found on the internet, you do not exist.  This is the 9th in a series of articles; “How to Create and Maintain a Social Media Brand – the Lecture Series”.   This is all you need to know to create a social media presence for the independent consumer based business.     Happy Capitalism!

Google is the search engine of choice.   The second most popular search engine is YouTube and in 3rd place is Google Maps.   (No one seems to care about Yahoo or Bing any more.)  

Location Location Location.   If physical location counts, google maps will be your entry to business existence.  Here is my Google Maps Listing:



When you login to Google with your google account (a gmail address) you have the opportunity to edit the information contained on the Google Maps listing, add photos, hours of operation, edit the address and more.   

How to?
Go to Google Maps and enter your business name.   If it cannot be found, you will be given the option of adding an entry, complete with pictures and descriptions and more.   As with Google+ and Brand Accounts (next blog in this series), it is important to put in the whole thing correctly, than apply for verification.  



Tuesday 14 March 2017

8. Pinterest

In the year 2017, if you are not easily found on the internet, you do not exist.  This is the 8th in a series of articles; “How to Create and Maintain a Social Media Brand – the Lecture Series”.   This is all you need to know to create a social media presence for the independent consumer based business.     Happy Communicating!

Pinterest is a suprise.   It becomes useful when your clients are searching via Google.   Google returns articles, but will also find the images and returns them in a search.   If you want to be found, post pictures on Pinterest!

Pinterest is a visual presence for your business.  If it can only be said in words, than Pinterest will be a challenge.   But, because of its SEO significance, Pinterest is worth the investment. 

Like Instagram, it can be the visual identity of your business on the internet and definitely at minimum a visual presence for your business. 

Small Potatoes

If you run a consumer based business, it is an excellent forum to post photos of charity events that your company sponsors, pictures of your product and brand, and raise awareness of your business services.  

The whole Shabang

If you have the resources to create a major campaign, instagram is an excellent place to do so. 
Consider a contest where the prize would be $5,000 to a charity of choice based on the number of likes that a proposal or charity were to garner.  Think of the incredibly successful movember campaigns or ice bucket challenges. These types of campaigns are ideal for a photo/video based social network.

How To:

1.    Start by signing up
2.  Create a few boards that align with your market space.  Here you identify and decide on your branding and your target market.
3.  Upload and post pictures that align with Step 2 above, that your prospects may search for or come across.
4.  These pictures should have, in their properties, links to your website.  (Backlinks are always good SEO karma). 
5.  These pictures should have, in their properties, tags with likely search keywords and phrases.
6.  When you’ve run out of ideas, take a breather by searching and posting other peoples pictures on your boards (but not too often, or this dilutes the message too much). 

What makes Pinterest work for you?   

Essentially, when a prospect searches for something using a phrase or keywords, your pictures show up as part of the results in the Google search.   When the prospect clicks on your picture, the link should take them to your website.   The more often that you are found, the more likely that Google will return you as one of the search results on the first page.  




Wednesday 8 March 2017

7. Snapchat


In the year 2017, if you are not easily found on the internet, you do not exist.  This is the 7th in a series of articles; “How to Create and Maintain a Social Media Brand – the Lecture Series”.   This is all you need to know to create a social media presence for the independent consumer based business.     Enjoy

Snapchat is impermanence in a permanent Internet.  When they say:  the internet never forgets, they were not referring to Snapchat.  Your posts are only available for a few short days at most.  It is a place to post that will be deleted and so has been laughingly referred to as the social network of choice for sexting!  Of course, as some politicians are aware, if someone is out to get you, the impermanence of anything is questionable.  

This is a whimsical play site and attracts like mined adherents. 

I cannot write about what I cannot use, so here is a link from someone who can:  
 http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/5-ways-to-use-snapchat-for-business/

Next week we will look at more useful tools on social media.... stay with me....





Tuesday 28 February 2017

6. Instagram

In the year 2017, if you are not easily found on the internet, you do not exist.  This is the 6th in a series of articles; “How to Create and Maintain a Social Media Brand – the Lecture Series”.   This is all you need to know to create a social media presence for the independent consumer based business.     Enjoy, and Happy New Year 2017.

Instagram is “Facebook for 2016 and people born after 1990, oh and all iPhone, iPad and apple adherents”.   Its mostly pictures, very few words, and easy to post in.    This appeals to the young.  

It can be the visual identity of your business on the internet and definitely at minimum a visual presence for your business.  

If you run a consumer based business, it is an excellent forum to post photos of charity events that your company sponsors, pictures of your product and brand, and raise awareness of your business services.   

If you have the resources to create a major campaign, Instagram is an excellent place to do so.  

Consider a contest where the prize would be $5,000 to a charity of choice based on the number of likes that a proposal or charity were to garner.  
Think of the incredibly successful movember campaigns or ice bucket challenges. 
These types of campaigns are ideal for a photo/video based social network such as Instagram.  





Monday 20 February 2017

5. Blogging

In the year 2017, if you are not easily found on the internet, you do not exist.  This is the 5th in a series of articles; “How to Create and Maintain a Social Media Brand – the Lecture Series”.   This is all you need to know to create a social media presence for the professional independent consumer based business.    Enjoy, and Happy New Year 2017.
#FinancialServices #Mortgage #Insurance #Appraisers #BloggingForBusiness

Blogs are articles where you discuss your industry, current issues and events in your business and marketplace, and occasionally, offer up your product as a solution to one or more of the issues that face your industry. The intent is to share the useful bits of your expertise.  

Great places to blog and tools to use include blogspot.com and wordpress.com

How to:

  • Create your spot to blog (blogspot.com, haha…get it!).   Include some information about yourself and your area of expertise.   Add a background and some colour .
  • Post articles weekly.   These articles are meant to share information, invite comment and introspection and become and essential service for the reader.   This will keep them coming back.  Stymied on what to write?   Please refer to an earlier blog:  What to write? What to right? 
  • Add tags to each blog to describe the content.   This is how you will be found.


  • Publish the blog.


  • Publish links to the blog on all your other social media.


  • And your website.   Don’t forget to link your website into this publishing frenzy.  



Friday 10 February 2017

4. YouTube

In the year 2017, if you are not easily found on the internet, you do not exist.  This is the 4th in a series of articles; “How to Create and Maintain a Social Media Brand – the Lecture Series”.   This is all you need to know to create a social media presence for t 
for #FinancialServices #Mortgage #Insurance #Appraisers – professional independent consumer based businesses.    Enjoy, and Happy New Year 2017.

Who doesn’t search on YouTube when you need information?  
Is there a better place to share your expertise, establish your brand, and market your product (also known as “solve your customer’s very specific problems with your offering”)?

YouTube videos can be slides, lectures, notes with voice over, actual videos.   Convert all of the above into videos, add tags and publish.   The tags should contain your intended audience.  


  • Post weekly.   These videos are meant to share information, invite comment and introspection and become and essential service for the reader.    


  • Add tags to each blog to describe the content.   This is how you will be found.


  • Publish links to the video on all your other social media.


  • And your website.   Don’t forget to link your website into this publishing frenzy.  

YouTube is a great good!   Remember, Justin Beiber was discovered via YouTube.  





Thursday 2 February 2017

3. Twitter

In the year 2017, if you are not easily found on the internet, you do not exist.  This is the third in a series of articles; “How to Create and Maintain a Social Media Brand – the Lecture Series”.   This is all you need to know to create a social media presence for the independent consumer based business.     Enjoy, and Happy New Year 2017.

How can anyone communicate any useful ideas in 140 characters? Let me count the ways:
  1. Comment quickly
  2. Be clever
  3. Retweet someone else’s genius
  4. Add a photo or video link
  5. Add a link to a blog or a useful article


Comment quickly:
Commenting on current events and opinions is a great way to come up with tweets.   As you read news or listen to current affairs, issues that everyone is aware of will come up.   Commenting on these is easy because most people will background information. 

Be clever :
#beclever  is one of the many easier-said-than-done ‘isms.   It is in great company with 1. To lose weight, eat less, exercise more and   2. To win the game, we need to score more goals.  

Retweet someone else’s genius:
The lazy man’s guide to life includes this advice on twitter:   to appear clever when you are not, retweet someone else’s clever. 

Add a photo or video link:
Finding a great photo that is seasonal, or topical (not tropical… although tropical is probably trending in this northern winter) or a video and tweet that.  Create a longwinded video with your brand and marketing message and tweet a link to that video.

Add a link to a blog or a useful article:
What is ever so useful on twitter is the ability to link to a blog, or useful article.   The article should be informative and contain your essential marketing message:  the problem that you solve.   It can also reflect your brand.   This is advertising in its best form.   You are providing useful information to the reader.  Twitter gives you a place to hook the reader and the ability to link to your article. 


Footnote: Twitter is not expected to live past 2017 by many experts.  


Wednesday 25 January 2017

2. Facebook

            In the year 2017, if you are not easily found on the internet, you do not exist.  This is the second in a series of articles; “How to Create and Maintain a Social Media Brand – the Lecture Series”.   This is all you need to know to create a social media presence for the independent consumer based business.     Enjoy, and Happy New Year 2017.
Facebook has been written off by many professionals as a personal space.   Nothing is personal in 2017.  Everything is public.   So is your professional life. 

Facebook is useful for businesses because it has
  • a search engine
  • business pages where you can promote your business activities or at least publish them at no charge 
  • paid ads to target audiences
  • boost posts for pay, to a  pre-selected audience.


So create a page about yourself with tasteful photos of you.   Some of these should be personal and some of these purely professional.   Give people a glimpse of your true self and your many aspects. 

Publish updates weekly or bi-weekly.   These are gentle touches to your network.

Create a business page with address, phone, email and any other important contact information so that people can search and find your business easily using the search engine. 

Publish regular (bi-weekly or monthly) business updates on the business page.   Again, these are gentle touches.

Consider paying for an ad or two.  The ad should be interesting, innovative and entertain your intended audience.   The ad should most of all entertain.  Facebook is a leisure activity. The ad will increase your page likes and followers.

When something interesting or extraordinary happens for your business, publish these events and boost the post to ensure that as many people as possible in the public learn about it.  This will also serve to increase your network and your reach.

Privacy and Security
If you think of these Facebook pages as places to promote your professional self and business, then you will realize that privacy is really not very necessary.   Most of your posts should be public.  However, you should ensure that you get to review anything that anyone writes on your wall or shares on your timeline.  Do not re-share personal information or posts from your Facebook friends.  Do not include personal information on this site that you wish to keep personal or only share with close friends and family. 

Ending on a positive note:
Facebook can extend your network by leaps and bounds.  You can gently remind people that you are the trusted professional of choice for the myriad of services that you provide.