September 2011

Sep 2011

26

Interaction Marketing, Or, Facebook Greases the Business Pig Again

by Allen Voivod

Greased Pig Contest, Houston, indiana by Ken Ratcliff (CC BY 2.0)

Trying to get a handle on using Facebook for your business? Facebook has once again made that a slippery proposition with the changes rolled out this month. The “new” Facebook, if you will, reacts to the increasing awareness that people are not only spending a lot of time on the site daily/weekly/monthly. They’re spending a significant part of their entire lives on Facebook – whole years and (soon) decades. Facebook is now becoming the active recordkeeper of our real-life and virtual personal history.

How Businesses Play in People’s Lives

Consider these three eye-opening Facebook details from Matt Peters of Pandemic Labs, shared at Podcamp Boston 6 last weekend:

  1. Approximately 5% of all your Likers ever come back to your Facebook Page, Wall, or customs tabs after they officially “Like” it. The other 95%, if they ever see you again, will see you in their News Feeds. But…and this is a BIG but…
  2. Based on Pandemic’s data, only between 1.5% and 7% of your Likers ever have a given Page update render in their News Feeds. Yes, you read that right. Each update you post is only being rendered in the News Feeds of 1.5% and 7% of your Likers.
  3. Because of EdgeRank – Facebook’s algorithm for determining what shows up in people’s News Feeds - your business has to be posting compelling content that gets Likers to interact: To Like, Comment, and Share. If your content doesn’t do that, your business is going to essentially disappear on Facebook. Simply put, if you can’t be seen, then you’re invisible.

That said, business still has a play at the party, because Facebook – like Google before it – needs advertising revenue. Advertising, as we all know, is the classic form of interruption marketing, barging its way into the middle of whatever we’re already doing. Facebook advertising is no different, but it provides an opportunity that other forms of interruption marketing don’t.

Interaction Marketing

If getting your audience to take action is key – and really, when has that ever NOT been the case? – then the advertising you do on Facebook must be designed to get people to take a low-risk action. Yes, the click on your ad is that, but I’m talking something more.

A really simple example of this comes from Nick Unsworth, who ran an ad not too long ago that said, “What do you think of my Facebook Page?” Not just driving the click, but also inviting an opinion to be shared – an interaction, which is key to visibility inside Facebook.

He reported it as being 12% more effective than other ads he ran, which is a big difference in the Facebook ad world. Any ad world, for that matter.

This is your key takeaway: Whatever you’re doing on Facebook for your business, do something that drives interaction. In fact, do everything that drives interaction.

What’s your take? What else is working for you on Facebook? Share and share alike in the comments. Thanks!

Sep 2011

25

Liveblogging about blogging with Chris Brogan at #pcb6 [how meta, huh?]

by Lani Voivod

Impromptu blog topic session with Chris Brogan at Podcamp Boston 6I’ve been sitting here with Allen, Chris Brogan, and about a dozen other folks at Podcamp Boston for the last 25 minutes, casually chatting about blogging, ideation, the creative process, the non-existence of writers’ block, time management, excuses, note taking, topic brainstorming, building frames for our content, and publishing without fear. There’s so much wonderful organic info coming out of this conversation, I figured I’d try to capture a few things as they spill out from here forward…

AS WITH MOST THINGS, YOU HAVE TO GIVE TO RECEIVE

Leave great comments on other people’s sites that demonstrate your passions. When people aren’t commenting on your site, it’s about the fact that you haven’t put the time in on other people’s sites.

Chris says every one of his posts is clearly written to demonstrate that he doesn’t know what the heck he’s talking about, so people are encouraged to comment, share their opinions, ideas, etc.

MIX IT UP

Consider writing, doing video posts, sharing photos. By doing this, you can share a more rounded personality, share your unique style and spirit.

Great advice Chris got from a dude named Tony Kahn, a fixture in Public Radio, is to imagine one person that you love very much, and speak as though you’re telling him or her the most important thing you ever have to tell them. This changes how you deliver information, whether it’s on radio, in front of a video camera, or in writing.

Chris then layers on his own hard-won advice:

Go for BREVITY. Try not to “uuuuhhhmmmm.” Do your best not to pick, scratch, or play with your nose. (It’s never a good idea.)

Don’t video blog with glass behind you.

The secret to good video is good audio. Bad video can be forgiven if the audio is good. If you MUST do videos longer than two minutes, do short teaser videos. Don’t expect people to want to sit down and watch you for 37 minutes ramble about what you think is interesting. Give them a choice to decide if your content is worth their time.

Chris Penn says YouTube is now indexing closed captions. [Wow!]

The second most used search box on the Internet is YouTube’s. [Isn't that amazing?!]

The last bit of advice is this: BE WILLING TO BE WRONG. Be willing to post wrong. You can apologize later, if you need to.

So write, be yourself, abandon excuses. Make it as easy as possible for yourself. Capture your ideas as they come. Remember that some of the best writing you’ll ever do is in line at the supermarket, or in your bathtub, or while driving in your car, because that’s where ideas marinate. That’s where thoughts become formed, and exciting, and tossed around like laundry in the dryer, right before they’re all warm and fluffy and cozy and ready to take you where you need to go in life.

Sep 2011

23

Expand, Engage, and Lead at the 3rd Annual “A-Ha!” NH Social Media Business Summit

by Lani and Allen

"A-Ha!" NH Social Media Business Summit

The word is in and the pace of change in social media has now eclipsed the speed of light. With Google+ on the scene, Facebook has responded to the pressure by rolling out powerful new features to stay competitive. What’s more, Facebook announced even more changes to their platform at the huge annual “f8″ Conference.

To help New Hampshire-based professionals get focused, spark conversations, tune into the energy of the almighty “A-Ha!”, and ignite positive, purpose-fueled action on the Social Web, Epiphanies, Inc., in coordination with the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development, will host the 3rd Annual “A-Ha!” NH Social Media Business Summit on Thursday, October 27th, 2011 at Gunstock Mountain Resort in Gilford, NH.

Early-bird pricing is open for a limited time. For more details and to register, go to http://www.AhaNH.com.

“Social media is no longer an option for businesses and organizations,” said New Hampshire Division of Economic Development Interim Director Chris Way. “The business case has been made that these tools are just as necessary as traditional marketing methods – and in most cases even more effective. Our own ‘No Bull’ Business Blog, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and SlideShare channels have been terrific for our visibility, and we’re proud to partner with Epiphanies on this signature event for the third year in a row.”

Lani and Allen Voivod, co-owners of Epiphanies Inc. and co-founders of the “A-Ha!” NH Social Media Business Summit, will again design and deliver the Summit, and serve as featured speakers for the day-long event. Other speakers at the Summit include:

–Abby Fichtner (Keynote), Evangelist for Startups at Microsoft and a highly regarding blogger in the Agile development field. “I have the most excellent job of getting to help startups build out the next generation of software,” she says. “I’m extremely passionate about how we can develop better software and am always seeking new ways to share knowledge with the community.”

–Lou Bortone, online visibility expert and YouTube video pro with more than 20 years under his belt as a marketing and branding executive with national media including Fox, E! Entertainment Television, The Family Channel and NBC.

–Steve Boucher, Communications and Legislative Director for the NH Division of Economic Development, whose “No Bull Business Blog” was rated “Best in Show” and “Excellent” over the last two years by the nine-state Northeast Economic Developers Association.

–Nancy Clark, Chief Strategist and President of Glen Group, a “fearlessly creative” and award-winning NH ad agency based in North Conway. Nancy is often nicknamed the “Owner Girl” at “New Hampshire’s Best Agency with Big Ideas.”

–Walter Elly, consultant with V2 Strategic Advisors; former senior director of emerging technology at MicroArts Creative Agency; and co-founder/co-director of Foursquare Day in Portsmouth.

–Ric Pratte, Director of the Meltwater Buzz Social CRM platform for The Meltwater Group, a global reputation management firm with 800+ employees in 55 offices on six continents (including one in Bedford, NH).

–Corissa St. Laurent, Regional Development Director for Constant Contact, the undisputed leader of Engagement Marketing™ for hundreds of thousands of small businesses around the world.

–Kevin Skarritt, serial entrepreneur, founder of Flock Marketing, and Communications Director for Michigan CHI, the Michigan Chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery’s Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction.

“This is NOT a ’101′ training-type event, though it’s definitely suitable for both newbies and experienced users, too,” adds Lani Voivod. “While there will be countless and specific tactics and strategies shared throughout the day by our featured speakers and many other New Hampshire business leaders and new media trailblazers, the Summit will showcase what’s happening and what’s possible in the social space throughout the Granite State and the world at large.”

Continental breakfast, lunch, and refreshments are included for all attendees. In addition, popular NH singer/songwriter Jim Tyrrell will make an encore appearance at this year’s Summit, playing great music throughout the day. A networking reception, door prizes, Segway demonstrations, and (conditions pending) a demonstration of the longest zip line in the continental U.S. are also in store.

Space is limited, and the previous two Summits sold out weeks in advance. To learn more, and get 50% off tickets by the early-bird deadline, go to http://www.AhaNH.com.

About Epiphanies, Inc.
Hailed as ”visionary” and ”two of the most creative thinkers in the industry” by the NH Division of Economic Development, Lani and Allen Voivod share powerful social marketing and success strategies through speaking, events, webinars, workshops, and their own online channels. Their company, Epiphanies, Inc., is in the business of engaging leaders, inspiring entrepreneurs, and redefining what’s possible for bold brands, innovative businesses, and mission-driven organizations in this dynamic, relationship-driven world. To find out how they can help you boost visibility, community, competitive edge, memberships, and profits, connect with them in any or all of the ways that work for you, starting at http://www.EpiphaniesInc.com.

About the NH Division of Economic Development
The New Hampshire Division of Economic Development, comprised of the New Hampshire Business Resource Center and the International Trade Resource Center, offers resources to enhance the economic activities of the state through business attraction outreach, in-state business expansion efforts, and facilitation of government and international sales. To find out more about why New Hampshire’s low business tax burden and sales and income-tax free tradition makes it the “Most Livable State” in the nation, visit http://www.NHEconomy.com, check out their “No Bull Business Blog” at http://blog.NHEconomy.com, and stay connected to NH Economy’s opportunities, grants, and news on Facebook at http://Facebook.com/NoBullBusiness.

Sep 2011

22

Liveblogging the #f8 Conference, and the mind-blowing future of Facebook

by Lani and Allen

Okay, after a good half hour of pre-game chat with the Facebook team, on strolls SNL’s Andy Samberg. (Gee whiz, that guy is hysterical, and does quite an hysterical Zuckerberg.)

At 1:22pm ET, Mark Z. entered the scene. Slightly awkward changing of the guards, given Samberg’s natural comfort with making a fool of himself and Zuckerberg’s comfort with being eternally awkward, despite the fact that he’s one of the richest, most influential humans on the planet.

Millions of people have spent years curating the stories of their lives, only to lose them. This is the problem that Facebook sees. The Profile is the first five minutes of a relationship. The Stream is the next 15 minutes…

Liveblogging the f8 Conference KeynoteAnd now, there’s TIMELINE. “Timeline is the story of your life. All your stories, all your apps, and a new way to express who you are.” THIS is the first big reveal today. Mark says the FB team has been working on this all year. The live audience oohed and ahhhed a bit, but they’re still more quiet than we’d expect them to be. Sporadic clapping, lots of absorption, apparently.

1:32pm ET

Ahhhh, Timeline AUTOSUMMARIZES our lives. Celebrations. A chance to go back in time in a quick scroll. Not everything you’ve ever done – just the important stuff. Somehow, Facebook knows what this important content of your life is. “Less important” stuff is also included, just not as visually prominently.

A chance to BROWSE THROUGH TIME…

And you can add things to you timeline, like photos from your childhood, stories from your past. Mark says it’s “fun and easy” to add these things.

Special life events can be added, too.

There’s a “PHOTOS” Timeline view. There’s also a “MAP” Timeline view, where you can see anywhere you’ve been on a map. You can use the Timeline slider on the right, and filter where you’ve been at certain times in your lives.

1:39PM ET

“So what types of content can I share on my TIMELINE?”

No activity is too big or too small to share. You can use APPS to add content to your Timeline.

Facebook has added something called REPORTS. APPS can help you roll up your activity in these nice Reports. Just zoom back, and you can see it all.

So, how do you add an app to your Timeline?

One way FB thinks we’ll discover cool apps to add to our Timelines is via our Friends’ Timelines.

[Mark keeps saying "it's really easy.] Yes, we suppose all of this would be “really easy” for him!]

Facebook wanted to make Timeline something we’ll want to refer to as our home. Because of that, FB has decided to allow us to change the cover of our profile – the top of our Timeline – to personalize the experience. This is called STARRING.

“You have complete control over everything on your Timeline.” You can glance over every story, decide who sees it, change the privacy settings. What you show there, how you display it – your Timeline is all up to YOU.

Every person’s Timeline has its own look and feel.

Timeline is compatible with mobile devices, too.

“So, that’s TIMELINE!”

And now, Mark shares a video they’ve made showing just how powerful Timeline is. Years are flying by. Photos representing moments that make up a life. Videos are integrated. Growing up, graduating, falling in love, getting married, having kids – it’s all there at a glance.

“We’re really proud of Timeline.”

Now, onto the next version of Open Graph and a completely new set of apps…

1:49 pm ET

“You can just read a book, you don’t have to ‘Like’ a book.”

Goal: Make an “order of magnitude more connections than you could before.”

Last year, FB added “NOUNS” to the Open Graph. This year, they’re adding “VERBS.”

People have things they want to share, but they don’t want to annoy their friends with boring stuff.

TICKER: A lightweight stream of everything going on around you.

When you share a post, it goes into Newsfeed. But when you add an activity, it goes into TICKER. This is the update to the Social Graph, so people can share their “lightweight” activity.

Last year was about connecting to anything you want. Now FB is creating an opportunity for a whole new world of social apps.”A new class of apps.”

Industries and products are becoming social.

Communication app. Lifestyle apps – expressing fashion, hobbies, etc.

Liveblogging the f8 Conference KeynoteHere are the three ways FB is innovating with apps

1. “Frictionless experiences” - no more rude app interruptions. The permissions box has been changed so things can be added to your Timeline clearly and without surprises. Ex: Spotify – it doesn’t have to keep asking for permission.

2. “Realtime serendipity” - you can see things happening live in your Ticker. For example, you can listen to the same song that your friend happens to be listening to. Things can spread quickly through the Graph. Interesting patterns emerge on a larger scale, too. Zuckerberg says you really have to experience this magic yourself to appreciate the power and coolness of these functions.

Discoveries are fascinating…and you can look at summaries of your friends’ interests. “By looking at patterns in your Friends’ activity, you can discover some really neat things.”

3. “Finding patterns in activities” – Developers are using Open Graph to rethink music, AND to rethink the whole MUSIC INDUSTRY. So here’s Spotify’s CEO, Daniel EK…

Daniel is talking about how we used to browse each others’ music collections, and then Napster happened about 10 years ago. So how do we share and deal with the piracy thing?

[Note: I'm a little lost right now, but I'll try to figure out what this Daniel EK guy is talking about. From what I can tell, Facebook just did something cool with Spotify - I just can't really tell what it is, except that Kanye West's "Stronger" is playing while they're talking about it. -Lani]

2:08pm ET – back to Mark Zuckerberg…

Allen here, taking over for Lani…and what we’re talking about now is how the music sharing and interaction can now apply to other types of content, like movies and television. What Facebook is looking at is ways to integrate the content from companies like Netflix, and turn them into “social companies.”

Mark then welcomes Reed Hastings, Netflix CEO, onto the stage, and the talk is about how to better discover a broader variety of content through your friends and the Open Graph.

Next up: Revamping the news industry! Social news apps tell you what you’re friends are reading. Mark notes that Yahoo! News is the largest news site on the web (!! really?! Wow!), and that it will get integrated into a canvas app that’s part of the whole social experience on Facebook.

Or, as Fox News views the future of news, in making their “The Daily” canvas app integrated into Facebook, “Everyone will discover news through their friends.”

More Open Graph fun and games: “Social games are killing it,” Mark says. And the changes are designed to help users find, discover, and PLAY more and better together. And finally, Lifestyle apps, which Mark thinks will “really take off” now that Open Graph is being applied with Timeline and Reports on apps like Foodspotting and Nike+.

2:25pm:

And, he’s spent. Summing up, the latest version of Facebook’s Open Graph allows a new class of apps to be built, to create frictionless social experiences, realtime serendipity, and find patterns in your friends’ activities.

And now, back to the offline life – Lani will be at the Women Inspiring Women “Extreme Business Makeover” event, and I’ll be at home with the kids…please feel free to keep up the conversation here in the comments, we’ll chime in throughout the day, too!

Sep 2011

16

10 Rousing Reasons Google+ Is Worth Your Time and Attention

by Lani and Allen

This post originally appeared on the state of New Hampshire’s “No Bull” Business Blog, and we’re pleased to reprint it here for you as well! Connect with +Lani and +Allen on Google+, and you’re still looking for an invite, let us kn

ow in the comments!

At twenty million users and growing since its beta launch on June 28, 2011, Google+ is definitely making waves.

Not the lifeless ripples of Google’s previous attempts at social – including Wave, Buzz, even Orkut – but waves of the Hawaii Five-O kind. Waves that thrill and inspire the adventure seekers, risk takers, and trailblazers of this dynamic new-world economy.

Even though it’s early days yet, please know Google+ is not only surviving, but already thriving as THE new social network contender to rival Facebook. If you haven’t been swept into its current yet, which is still on an invite-only basis, Google+ does seem a bit copycat-ish to the reigning champion of social networks.

“[Google+] is a collection of different social products,” explains Ben Parr in Mashable’s Google+: The Complete Guide. “These features include Stream (a newsfeed), Sparks (a recommendation engine), Hangouts (a vi

deo chat service), Huddle (a group texting service), Circles (a friend management service) and Photos.”

But the whole of Google+ and its implications for business and professional success are much, much more than the sum of their parts. With that in mind, dive in with us as we share 10 smart, strategic reasons why Google+ deserves your attention.

1. It’s Baggage-free (so far)

How many times has Facebook annoyed YOU with unannounced user interface changes, lack of customer service responsiveness, or one privacy incident after another? Google+ carries none of that baggage.

And you know what other baggage it doesn’t carry? All the relationships you have on Facebook. You get to start all over again. Maybe do things a little differently this time. It’s an attractive idea for a lot of people, especially those who feel like they’re stuck under Facebook’s thumb.

2. It *Looks* Simple

“They” used to say that MySpace looked like the Vegas Strip when compared to Facebook’s cool, crisp design. Now it’s Facebook that looks like a Lady Gaga rodeo, while Google+ looks like a clean, well-lighted place. Early adopters have cited this clean, simple design aesthetic as one of the big reasons they’re singing the praises of Google+ over Facebook.

Google has always celebrated simplicity as part of its brand experience. Dig the home page, which currently has no superfluous text, and back when it did, it wasn’t more than the length of a tweet. Only the absolute necessities remain, like navigation choices for search, plus advertising and business programs, because that’s where the bucks come from.

3. Lists Are Square, Circles Aren’t

Google has People, Facebook has Friends. Google has Circles, Facebook has Lists. You can add up to 5,000 People into your Google Circles, and you can have up to 5,000 Friends on Facebook. Big whoop.

How they work, though, is a whole different story. The unsung hero of web design is UI – the User Interface. Consider the seminal book on UI, Steve Krug’s Don’t Make Me Think. You have to think reeeeeeeeeal hard about creating a List in Facebook. Lists aren’t even mentioned in any of the “Using Facebook” links in the main help browsing page! (Psst – click “Account” in the top right, then “Edit Friends,” then look in the top right corner of the center column for the “+Create a List” button.)

Google’s got it dialed. Click the Circles button. Find people. Drag and drop into Circles. Easy. Intuitive. Done.

What's So Good About Google+?4. Stream Control

Head’s up for the Facebook gamer haters sick of seeing your Friends’ Farmville and Mafia Wars updates and requests in your feed. (You do know you can block those, right?) What happens in Google+ Games stays on a Google+ Games Stream. No mixing it in with your other Circles.

Plus, so far there’s no secret formula about what appears in your Stream (a la Facebook’s “EdgeRank” news feed algorithm). The latest posts from peeps in your Circles are what appear at the tops of your Streams. In other words, you’ve got more control over what you see and what you want to see. Yippee!

5. Picasa Power

An alternative to Flickr, Picasa Web Albums is Google’s photo app, and it used to be that you had a 1 GB storage limit. Not anymore! When you upload photos to Google+, it uses Picasa’s engine as your photo management system, and you can edit your photos right in G+. Bonus – those G+ photos don’t count toward your Picasa storage limit.

Even better, you can view photos shared by people in your Circles while seeing at a glance which ones are generating the most comments. In our image-driven culture, these tech tweaks are pretty big deals.

6. Hangouts Are Hip ‘n Happening

Maybe it’s just us, but it seems the world greeted the Facebook/Skype integration announcement last month with a collective “meh.” A week earlier, Google+ introduced its Hangouts video chat app, and hands down it’s the most acclaimed feature of the network to date.

“The ten-person video chats (Hangouts) are awesome and a wonderful way to add more intimacy to real-time connecting/social networking,” says Mari Smith, one of the world’s leading relationship marketing experts and our own social media mentor, in What’s So Exciting About Google+ – An Overview. “I’m seeing and hearing about many cool, creative uses of Hangouts, such as: cooking demos, live tattooing, seven-hour concerts, pizza parties, and live news broadcasts.”

7. Search Plus One = INFLUENCE

Where do people do the lion’s share of their Internet searches? Yup, in Google. So when you see the search results, do you see Facebook’s Like Button? Nope! You see the Google +1s.

It’s been widely reported (and just makes good common sense) how much we all trust opinions posted online – from friends and strangers both – far more than we trust advertisements. So think of your own behavior. If you search for a baby stroller, and in the results, one site shows 3 +1s and another site shows 30 +1s, which are you more likely to trust, and click through to? This tiny little “+1” box becomes quite the power player in the world of social influence, sales, and ultimately, business success.

8. Algorithms, Anyone?

If people +1 your webpages and blog posts, doesn’t that make you more relevant in your industry than someone who isn’t getting those +1s? It sure does. What should Google make of that? They’re in the business of serving up relevant content on search engine results pages (SERPs). Raise your hand if you think Google will start factoring +1s into its search algorithms. Okay, now put your hand down and keep reading.

9. It’s Smart Business

Early reports claim that Google+ is filled predominantly with male geeks in tech-related jobs. These reports remind me of a marketing seminar I attended years ago, where one piece of advice was to be the only marketing expert in a roomful of dentists.

Right now, service professionals, business owners, self-employed go-getters, and brand mavens of all stripes have the chance to be real stand outs in their fields, before Google+ opens its doors to the masses. This is precious time during which savvy folks can make connections, boost visibility, nurture relationships, expand networks, and create opportunities with innovators, entrepreneurs, biz mavericks, and industry luminaries who are ahead of the curve in the social and tech realms. In these radically-shifting times, such a competitive and strategic edge can make all the difference.

These people – the Doers, Creators, Movers, and Shakers – understand the Bigger Picture. In many cases, Google+ pioneers know what’s going on – even live and breathe it! – and are forging the future of possibility for the sit-and-waiters and the let’s-see-what-happens-before-we-do-anything types.

It all adds up to invaluable connections with extraordinary, exponential, and infinite potential.

10. Tomorrow Is Coming…

Believe it or not, Google is still calling Google+ a “Project,” and it’s still officially in beta. Yet it’s probably the biggest-ever beta test in the world at this point, and it’s only getting bigger.

Think of what’s not in place yet: Ads, business pages, and integration with other Google features like Places, Latitude, Offers, Calendar, and Checkout. Google+ also has the unbelievable advantage of learning from Facebook’s trials and errors, and building tools and apps that are superior right out of the gate. Not to mention Google’s dominance in mobile (Android), video (YouTube), and search.

When it comes to the social space, Google may have been a little like Baby Huey in the past, but it looks like all its acquisitions and expansions are ready to step into their destinies and ascend to the next exciting level of purpose-driven ingenuity.

But What About Facebook?

Now, you could read this all and think, “Should I just ditch Facebook and head over to Google+?” Fact remains, Facebook is still the world’s largest social network. More than 150 million people in the U.S. have an account. What’s even crazier is that for every U.S. account, there are four non-U.S. ones.

It’s gonna take a HUGE mistake on Facebook’s part for them to lose that #1 position. So regardless of whether you or your company engages with consumers, other businesses, the government, or non-profits, you still need a business presence on Facebook. (Unless you’re Apple, the company that once again and always proves there’s an exception to every rule.)

What’s more, Google has a history of doing things not to become #1 in a field, but to give the #1 player a kick in the coding. The Chrome browser is a prime example. Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari work just fine, right? What’s the point of Google making its own browser? To keep the other three from resting on their laurels. To ensure that you and I have a great Internet usage experience. That, of course, benefits Google, where nearly all Internet search roads lead.

Hopefully by now, you’ve got Facebook handled well enough that you can spare a few of those social media moments you spend each day to start playing with Google+.

If not…please don’t let anymore time go by. All this social media brouhaha may be overwhelming, frustrating, or confusing, but it’s part of a bigger shift in how people are connecting, sharing, and communicating.

Be brave. Be bold. Play around and be patient with yourself. You can do this. And if you need an invite, post a message on our Epiphanies, Inc. Facebook Wall and we’ll do what we can to help you out. Or, if you’re already on Google+, please connect with us there: Lani Voivod, Allen Voivod.

After all, we’re all riding the curl of this ever-evolving socio-economic ecosystem together!

Sep 2011

5

3 Reasons to Give Ankle Biters the Time of Day on Your Social Media Channels

by Allen Voivod

What to Do About Negative Business Comments on Social Networks

Do YOU like it when someone says something bad about you?

Of course not.

Is it worse when someone chooses to say that something bad in public, rather than privately to you?

Oh yes, definitely worse.

And if it’s about your business, your brand, your products, services, staff, shipping, or even the customer service experience?

I hate that. BRING IT ON!

Well, kind of. I mean, nobody really WANTS people to come out of the woodwork only to slam them and their work. But quite a few professionals are still using their fear of bullies, ankle-biters, and people with genuine gripes to justify staying on the social media sidelines.

One of the Most Common Social Media Questions

In just about every Q&A session during a workshop, presentation, seminar, or speaking engagement I’ve delivered, there’s been a question about what to do about the Negative Nellies in the social space. If you’re wondering about this too, take 90 seconds out of your day to watch the video linked below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XG0LxSrVdAM

In 3 Responses to Professionals Who Fear Complaints on Social Channels over on our YouTube channel, you’ll talk a walk down the hall at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics while I share the three things I say about social media fears like this.

1. They’ll Say It Anyway

If people want to say bad things about you – justified or not – they’re going to say those bad things regardless of whether you’re on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google+, or any other social channel. So don’t use that as an excuse to stay off social channels!

2. Home Field Advantage

If people ARE going to say something bad, why not have them say it where you can show the rest of your interested audience how you deal with situations like that? After all, business is never perfect – there’s always going to be a hiccup someplace. If you show your customers, clients and prospects you handle such situations with class, grace, and compassion, it turns from being a negative to a positive. As Richard Bach once said, “There’s no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its hands.”

3. Superfans to the Rescue

As you build up your social audience, the people who love, love, love! your biz and brand will jump to your aid when the naysayers start piping up. That’s an even more powerful plug for your business! When your audience starts to hear these voices more often, too, not only will that help your ROI over the long haul, it’ll also help customers “on the fence” with you to feel more comfortable reaching out with questions, and strengthening their ties to you.

So don’t be afraid, though the baddies may lurk in the shadows. Hold your head up, get your mission out there, get engaged, get messy, and get into the real-life living of the social media realm.

Have you already encountered negative feedback on social media? How have you handled it? How did it turn out? Let us know in the comments!