Team Blog

After reading a blog about how different political parties use social media (Bang the Drum), I realized that many companies have the same problems.

People are finally starting to jump on the social media bandwagon, they are setting up a presence on Twitter, Facebook and Plurk. So now they are in the right place, but the question is: will the presence they created be effective? I will admit, that my answer to what makes an effective presence in a social media website is just my opinion, first let me share with you:

Top 5 Ineffective Social Media Accounts:

1. The Sitter: This is a an account for the sake of an account. The user-name is claimed, that’s all. No updates, no interaction. This is the kind of account that exists solely to create a back-link or two.

2. The Narcissist: This profile was created as one giant commercial. Often, the user will link to an RSS Feed from their blog or constantly post links back to their home page. The other version of the narcissist constantly updates about the awesome places they go or the famous people they meet. In other words every single post and topic consists of: me, me, me, me, me.

3. The Collector: This person spends time friending everyone. They will spend all their time adding replying to friends that they never post anything of value.

4. The Life-less: Often you find these on microblogging sites. They post every twenty seconds. Often their posts include what they are doing, watching, eating or any other bodily function. The hardly ever post anything with substance.

5. The Spaz: These are accounts that will be super active for a day and then disappear, often to reappear again in another few days. Their user is super busy, or just forgetful. They can be great when available but often trying to strike up a long-term dialog with them is impossible.

The Effective Presence: I think the effective social media account revolves around balance. The user takes time to interact with their friends and followers. They post about themselves, their and topics relevant to their interests and to the interests of others. Remember social media is a platform, not a stage. Businesses have a great opportunity to reach out to their customers through social media, but the key lies in opening up and responding to needs not regurgitating “I’m awesome” links.

What do you think makes an effective social media presence? Do you agree or disagree with balance being the most important part of a profile?

The key to any good marketing strategy is balance. It is easy to get caught up in social media (I admit, I’ve wasted time on plurk and twitter) or spend lots of time designing the perfect landing page, but you should never neglect the other areas of marketing. Like any strategy, internet marketing should be well-rounded.

Most business owners already know how to multitask effectively. You need to divide your time. You need to find clients, deliver your product or service, follow up and still find time for the ever accumulating paperwork. It just comes with the territory. What I want to know is do you use those same strategies in reference to your web presence?

Let me challenge you to figure out where you spend the most time and/or money with your marketing online. There are plenty of tools out there that can track time spent on a particular site (firefox pageaddict, toggl and others). Or just keep a time diary. Each day write down how much time you spend on blogging, SEO, paid marketing and social media (I suggest breaking this category down by site).

Once you’ve done this for a week or two take an hour to review it. Is there any place you waste time? Is there some place you hardly ever look at? Be hard on yourself, because you are the best judge of how valuable your time is.

Try this out. Let me know how it goes. What’s your biggest time waster? Remember, the key to any healthy web presence is balance.

Step back Linked-In, there’s a new kid on the block. If you have not yet heard of N10, you should try it.

N10 is more than just another site to list people you know. Here are some features that make this site unique:

• Track Referrals: Ever meet someone and want to send them a referral but forget? This site allows you to link two people together in your network and then tracks how many referrals you’ve given them.
• Categorize Your Associations: There are lots of different reasons for networking. This site allows you to categorize people based on how they network and why you network with them. They even have a cute little quiz you can take.
• Find Out Who Your Most Powerful Assets are: Not only does N10 track the referrals you give but also the referrals you receive.
• Tips and Training: Need help on your one-on-one or think your 30 second intro needs some work? N10 has beautiful presentations that can help you be a better networker.
• Post Proof: One thing Linked-In doesn’t allow you to do is post examples of your work. N10 lets you post articles, video, images and audio.

Why am I excited about N10? I don’t think N10 is here to compete with Linked-in. Like all social media, both sites have their value. But the ability to instantly connect two people I know in a simple way is something that Linked-in doesn’t really provide. That alone makes N10 worth my time. Of course, the opportunity to actually post my work is awesome too. That and I like to keep my network organized, so the category function is incredible.

I had the opportunity to meet with Jim Penny, N10’s creator. He created the site based on his book: Networking Genius. Jim Penny has years of experience in networking and wants to make what he’s learned available to everyone else. He’s excited about the potential his system has.

The site is still in beta but I can only imagine that it will continue to grow and change into an invaluable tool for any serious networker. If you are in my personal circle expect to be receiving and invite from me so that we can send each other referrals more simply online!

In college I had this great idea. I wanted to build a tea house. I was going to call it Tea-Neek (Like unique… cute right?). I had three friends who all thought a tea house was something our college town could use. We talked about buying one of the historical building and renovating it. Unfortunately, I was the only serious person in the group and despite all my great ideas we never got farther than scratch paper. (Though my plan is still to retire with to a little tea shop.)

So why do I tell you this? The tea house was a great idea but because I had trouble expressing some of my concrete concepts to my friends and to the bank, it never got off the ground. Sometimes businesses have this same problem when they are in the market for a website. They have a beautiful image in their head but can’t express it in words. This can lead to frustration on the part of the designer and the client.

Examples are by far the best way to keep both parties on the same page. I’ve talked a little bit about it before. By examples I do not mean just copying someone else’s site and adding your own images/text. I mean finding other websites that have the same look, feel or general design. Examples of websites you like or think are professional can be a huge help for your designer, especially if you are having trouble verbalizing your ideas.

I’d like to use today’s post to show off some websites I think are beautiful for different reasons. Pick some of your favorites too and keep them in mind when you are ready to create your own site.

Chocolate Secrets: This site has wonderful rich colors, good enough to eat! This was a site that a client sent to me as one of her personal favorites.

Mercy: Wine bar with great atmosphere. This website is full of personality. The images, the flow, everything about this site is a unique form of branding.

Pictures for Sad Children: This offbeat webcomic has a simple design, but tons of character. All the buttons and banners are hand-drawn by the artist.

YouNoodle: Website in Beta for start-up companies. Not a lot to look out but the design and navigation is clean and simple.

Underwood Law Library: Law Library at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Lovely home page. Right to the point!

Young Gallery: Great example of a minimalist website. Gallery for photographers in multiple languages with great images of the art. (Even with the intro which I am not a fan of.)

And finally Sabon NYC: High fashion beauty products. Everything about this site has a distinct flavor, you know that even the borders were hand-picked to enhance ambiance. It certainly makes you want to try their stuff.

What are some of your favorite sites, and why?

Do you know your market?

Recently a client asked me about the Hispanic-American statistics online. I was impressed by this question and decided to do some research. In Texas, this is a growing demographic. Many companies in the Southwest offer services in Spanish to try and tap into this market. It turns out internet is making this particular client simpler to reach.

In May, I looked into a breakdown of the Hispanic-American market in regards to media. eMarketer offers a very comprehensive article with multiple graphs on the subject. Over all, it shows that Hispanic-Americans use more media than other Americans, even though they often have more limited access to the internet.

eMarketer predicts that the US Hispanic population will grow to 30 million by 2012. We are at 23 million currently. That’s 7 million in the next four years.

In business terms, what does this mean? Its always smart to be aware of your audience; what their needs and wants are. If you already market to Hispanic-Americans, it might be time to focus a little harder on your online efforts. The rest of us should make sure we are open and accessible to all races and cultures. The internet truly cuts race out of the picture for many businesses (and it is truly a blessing that we can be colorblind). Yet, we should still stay vigilant to the market and where it is heading.

The Hispanic market is expanding online. Your business might not be targeting this demographic but if you are interested in finding out more about your niche I highly suggest using eMarketer to track down your perfect client and their internet habits.

Let’s start the week with a simple little survey. What do you think the most important part of an online marketing strategy is? It is a good website? Great content? SEO (links, keywords), paid advertisement, social media, a brand name recognized offline? Let’s talk about what you think the heart of an online marketing campaign is, or what it should be.

I’m very curious about what the “key” is. I want to know what Veribatim as a company should focus on to make our clients happier. I want to discover what people feel is important so I can spend more time blogging about those things.

Just back from vacation so I’m start my week with discussion. You hear from me all the time, now I want to hear from you!

Today I just want to mention one of the tools I use on a regular basis. ScribeFire is essential to me as a blogger. It is an extension you can download for Firefox. Firefox is a free web-browser that I highly recommend over Internet Explorer. There is great information about the product at www.ScribeFire.com as well, but I will give you a few reasons I love this service.

Simple Interface: I didn’t think you could get any more simple than WordPress, but ScribeFire is even better! Everything is laid out like a Word document and makes complete sense.

Browsing: I link to many website to back up my posts. ScribeFire gives me the ability to look through different websites while I am writing instead of constantly switching between two or more tabs.

Multiple Blogs: I have a personal and professional blog. ScribeFire recognizes both and allows me to instantly publish to either, or create drafts.

Pictures!: ScribeFire makes adding images to your blog post very, very simple. ScribeFire has a button where you can search directly on Flickr for images and the same for YouTube.

Needless to say if you need a tool to keep you excited about blogging, check out ScribeFire. All right, that’s my infomercial!

Yup, its exactly what is sounds like, a blog and a wiki all in one magical place. A bliki allows you to write in a blog setting but provides community to go with it. Your readers can blog along with you, respond, edit, change, link… its all there in one place. I think a bliki really reminds me of a forum (remember those?) with a blog-twist.

Some of the above graphic may look a little daunting but overall it shows that you can have blogs, user pages, wiki-type definitions, and more. Its a neat little tool that for some people will be very useful. If you like a lot of feedback and get motivated by discussion, a bliki may be the answer for you.

Cynthia Wunsch, classical musician and voice-teacher extraordinaire, has a bliki: the Unlikely Entrepeneur, that I have had the opportunity to collaborate on. This is a great example of a bliki just starting. Check her out, not only does she have some great content, but she is an awesome example of a business that isn’t usually associated with technology stepping out and making the internet work for them.

Side Note: A bliki is also something great to get involved with, even if you aren’t the owner of one. A bliki can give you an opportunity to promote your website (if it is applicable to the theme of the bliki), as well as linking to your site through a userpage. Just like commenting on a blog, being actively involved in a bliki may bring you traffic if you are making thoughtful and appropriate comments.

You know exactly the kind of site I’m talking about: 5 minute intro, loud repetitive music, no where to click through to the information you are doing a quick web search for: Flasher sites. Over all, there is nothing wrong with flash, it can be a beautiful addition to a website but like all things, moderation is the key.

Flash is one of those things many businesses want on their site because “it looks cool”. But flash has reputation for being inappropriate to the website’s content and annoying to its viewers. Also, flash was impossible to optimize. So if you had any text built into your website that you wanted search engines to find, it was a nightmare to program.

However, in July, Adobe released a product that should make Flash websites searchable. This is good news for Flashers but many web designers are less than thrilled. So my small warning is, Flash is the spice of a website but its your content and overall presentation that make your sale. Keep this in mind when you’re designing your site and remember, no one likes a Flasher.

The number one thing I hear from business owners when I talk about blogs and social media is: I don’t have time. Like most excuses, this one has a simple solution… its just not one that most people like to hear: If its important, you will make time. That may sound harsh or even impossible but it really is the bottom line.

I do want to talk about some things that can make finding time easier if you are willing to put some extra effort in. These suggestions are not a quick fix, nor for the faint of heart. But if you have a serious desire to increase your web traffic with a blog, take a month and try some of these techniques.

Listen to Your Muse. In the past I was clinically diagnosed with insomnia. This means some nights I sit awake for hours, just trying to sleep. Often I’ll think about business and get a blog idea. For me, it just seems like 3 am is the magic time. I will make myself get up and be able to pump out two or three posts at a time. If at all possible, write when the idea comes, even if its on a napkin, or its just a few scattered ideas. It may be on your lunch break, it may be right after dinner, but if at all possible, go with it. Calliope may only sing once.

Create Time. Lots of people talk about creating time. They say get up one hour early or shave off five minutes here and there. Well, that never worked for me, and if you read the last hint you’ll know I need all the sleep I can get! Instead, try to make your time work more efficiently. For example, my phone (and its a really old, lame Nokia, not the iphone) has a recording option. If you get stuck in traffic on the way home, why not just record your post and then type it in? Ever get stuck in line or have to sit for a doctor’s appointment? Carry and pen and pencil or make a note in your pda.

Deadlines. We all hate them, but they exist for a reason. Set goals, achievable ones, and write them somewhere in ink. It doesn’t matter if you procrastinate til the last minute, just complete the deadline. (Rewards are a good way to trick yourself into doing it, if you need the extra motivation.)

No step too small. A blog is a creative outlet. This is not a high school paper; there are no rules about length, format or content. Even if you write down three quick tips, its still a post! Even if you can only manage to post once every two weeks it is still progress! There is nothing too small you can do for your blog.

Stop—Banana Time. I think a lot of people get caught up in how much “work” a blog is. Think of blogging as your chance to talk about the things you love most. that should be fun, right? I love the internet and all its potential for business owners, and I love reading blogs from other people who are just as passionate about what they do. This does not mean you have to put a dancing banana in your blog post but if you get hit with writers block, go back to what is fun and write about it!

I hope these few simple hints can help you break through the cop-out of “not enough time”. Like everything else, blogging is an investment in your business. You are the one who makes the choice to do it or not.