#161 - Guest Post: Is Social Media Interfering with Your Lifestyle?

By Kelly Sturgeon

            Everyday, people interact with each other via SMS, Facebook messages and tweets to convey their thoughts, feelings, problems and virtually every detail of daily life. The problem with all this non-personal communication is that some of us may be losing the ability to interact well one-on-one. Could it be that we’re using social media to avoid having face-to-face interactions and relationships?

            Technology is simply a tool, but recently, we’ve witnessed it causing damage to friendships and hindering some people’s ability to function without a cellphone or access to Facebook and Twitter. It is becoming an addiction; people have their cellphone glued to their hands, checking every five minutes for that new text message or Facebook notification. To some extent, most of us are guilty of this; we use technology to avoid talking to strangers. Do we really think that text messages are more important than the friend we’re having lunch with?

            A friend of mine always responds to phone calls and text messages during our dinners together. She answers a call, chats for 15 minutes then hangs up without even apologizing for making me sit there awkwardly, waiting. I’ve always been uncomfortable with this. Do I ask her to call the person back after we part or do I simply pretend that I don’t care? Of course, it is impolite and annoying to others. No one enjoys being ignored, yet we all seem to do it these days.

            I’ve heard friends’ comments that they could not imagine life without cellphones and the Internet. Without these tools, they wonder how they would receive information, do assignments or stay current with world events? It is important to recognize that life will go on if we do not text or tweet every day. Social media is great for networking, finding potential employers or chatting with old friends, but if we abuse it, we may find ourselves facing the consequences. My advice is to take a step back now and then, reorganize your priorities. Set a limit to how much time you’re spending on Facebook or Twitter. By setting limits, we can be less dependent on technology. Life may even become less complex or stressful.

Let’s be the generation that encourages everyone to learn to interact with others in person as often as we do online.

Agree? Disagree? Please feel free to share your comments below.

About the Author: Kelly Sturgeon is a Junior Public Relations major in the Journalism & Mass Communications Department at Murray State University. She is intrigued by sports, writing and new communications techniques. She plans to graduate in spring 2013 and pursue a career in public relations. For more information, contact: ksturgeon@murraystate.edu. 

#147 - 10 Facebook Pages Actually Worth “Liking”

Have you noticed the dramatic increase in the number of “suggestions” you're receiving from Facebook friends asking you to “like” various company, brand or business pages? The vast majority of companies have, unfortunately, “leaped before they looked” onto this enormous Facebook bandwagon. Social networks are all the rage, but most business pages don't make the grade - yet.

Why click the “like” button?
If you’re wondering why you should click that “like” button, you are not alone. After all, what’s in it for you? Are you giving away too much precious personal information? Not really. The actual problem with pages is simply a lack of understanding by companies and page administrators, leading to too much promotion, too much hype and not enough real social engagement.

Keep in mind that Facebook is about real people talking to real people and that goes for pages, too.

The “like this page” phenomenon has many wondering just what makes a Facebook page good or meaningful. At first blush, it may appear that many pages are designed simply to attract fans and then sell us products. However, that's not the genuine purpose Facebook intended for these pages.

Facebook actually enforces strict rules concerning just how “promotional” any company may be within its business pages. Many have been unceremoniously deleted by Facebook simply because administrators never bothered to read the Facebook terms of service.

…and then there are the truly worthwhile pages

Many pages are authentic, and beneficial to the consumer. They are designed to provide a social space in which we, the Facebook fans, can actually make a difference, learn something, grow or gain exclusives – deals and values available only to us Facebook fans.

The following 10 pages incorporate some pretty unique features. They have attracted millions of combined fans and are still growing. These are the companies worth applauding because it’s very tough to build a fan base in the current environment, especially when you consider that thousands of new pages are popping up on Facebook every hour.

Based on an extensive three-month-long search and the subsequent review of thousands of the top performing pages (according to Facebook Insights), here are 10 informative, helpful, fun or just plain worthwhile Facebook pages for your consideration.

Seriously, some pages are actually worth liking.

1 – News on Facebook – A surprisingly informative page that highlights news and media companies on Facebook, thus empowering news and media companies and enabling them to connect with people, distribute information quickly, and gain presence through a number of viral networks. This Page is run by a group of Facebook employees.
LINK: http://www.facebook.com/news

2 – Diamond Website Conversion – This “diamond in the rough” specializes in guiding young companies through the wilderness of the Web. They help companies turn website visitors into actual purchasers. What makes the Page special is that every new Facebook fan actually receives a FREE idea to improve his/her own business. To date, this powerhouse optimization team (Carl and Marty Diamond) has given away hundreds of actionable ideas to fans who are putting those ideas into action.

This dynamic duo shows no signs of stopping, but I recommend liking the page quickly before this small business becomes a conversion giant! Products: Conversion Rate Optimization, Landing Page Design and Testing, Website Redesign for Conversion, and Website Analytics Integration. LINK: http://www.facebook.com/DiamondWebsiteConversion

3 – Kirby Shih Tzu – A simple, smile-provoking page, ghost-authored by the adoptive mom of a 6-year-old Shih Tzu pup, named (you guessed it!) Kirby. This adorable pooch resides at the Calvert City Convalescent Center, a retirement home in West Kentucky where Kirby is an actual member of the staff. He shares daily adventures (and news about the facility) on this surprisingly popular Page. His following is growing quickly and with good reason. Who doesn’t need a smile every day?
Kirby’s fans are spreading far and wide as they receive daily glimpses into the “Kirbster’s” life and chores (tail wagging on demand and giving snuggles). Seriously, this little pooch keeps people smiling on and offline, as Chief Financial officer and Asst. Administrator Beverly McKinney works tirelessly in the background. Through her ghost writing, she encourages us all to be a little kinder to one another and ourselves.

Earlier this year, Kirby led a drive for donations that snagged a new soft-serve ice-cream machine for center residents. Brilliant, we say! Kirby swears this was a selfish act (he loves ice cream), but we call it one of the most ingenious uses of Facebook going. If you‘re having a bad day, visit Kirby Shih Tzu for a guaranteed smile.
LINK: http://www.facebook.com/news?v=wall#!/profile.php?id=100000894556097&v=info

4 – Smarter Comics – Reading is so important to our success in life (and our children’s). That’s why author/entrepreneur Franco Arda has started an intriguing new company. But reading takes time and time is scarce today, so Arda has developed a better way to consume great business books. It’s an entertaining, visual summary format; it’s the classic comic.
Summary comics of important business books offer a creative solution for people on the go who want to get smarter, save time, and have fun in the process. By combining the visual power of comics with text, readers save time and the brain is able to grasp ideas faster and retain them longer.
Now, as a Facebook fan, you can download a comic free simply by “liking” the page and clicking on the link under the Info Tab. This page is growing fast. The conversations and fascinating people who drop in to chat definitely make this page a standout. The Smarter Comics page presents the world with a new concept, very well-suited to social media. Oh, and only Facebook fans receive exclusive offers…bestselling authors sometimes stop by just to chime in on the conversation.
LINK: http://www.facebook.com/SmarterComics?v=app_6009294086&ref=ts

5 - The American Red Cross - This is where people mobilize to help their neighbors—across the street, across the country, and across the world—in the event of emergencies or natural disasters. Each year, in communities large and small, victims of some 70,000 disasters turn to half a million volunteers and 35,000 employees of the Red Cross. Millions who “like” this Facebook page are finding it to be a beneficial resource, just ask the victims of 2010’s Haiti earthquake. The immediacy of communication and connection is so valuable during times of crisis.

Some four million people give blood annually—the gift of life—through the Red Cross, making it the largest supplier of blood and blood products in the United States. And the Red Cross helps thousands of U.S. service members separated from their families by military duty to stay connected. What’s not to “like?”
LINK: http://www.facebook.com/redcross

6 – Positively Positive – Coach John Wooden once famously said, “Never lie; never cheat; never steal. Don't whine; don't complain; don't make excuses.” You’ll find these and other great daily quotes, encouragement and good company at this Page. Its mission is to combine the energies of more than half a million positive people all pooling their collective wisdom and resources in support of one idea: Keep it positive. Bottom-line? We like that.
LINK: http://www.facebook.com/SmarterComics#!/positivelypositive.

7 – Target – More than 3 million people already “like” the Target Page with good reason – it’s meets a previously unmet consumer need. Target’s innovative use of Facebook’s navigation tabs adds value for fans and even allows them to give back. Just check out the “Give Joy” tab. This is where Target gives a little something while allowing consumers to do the same. Fans fill out the simple form to submit a “Gift of Joy Wish List” each week. Together, these fans are helping Target donate up to $50,000 to The Salvation Army – with no annoying Santa’s, bell ringers or red buckets – and no purchase necessary.
Another innovation is Target’s “Fit Finder” tab which saves fans time and frustration in finding the best possibly garment sizes. Fans can access the sizing solutions whether they want to shop at Target.com or at the local store. This is a great example of a major retailer doing Facebook right.
LINK: http://www.facebook.com/target?v=wall#!/target?v=app_11007063052\

8 – Forrester Research, Inc. – The page for the independent research company that provides pragmatic and forward-thinking advice to leaders in business and technology. Forrester works with professionals in 19 key roles at major companies providing proprietary research, customer insight, consulting, events, and peer-to-peer executive programs. For more than 26 years, Forrester has been making IT, marketing, and technology industry leaders successful. Forrester’s Facebook page is no less impressive than the company itself, supplying an endless stream of “must-read” articles, links and videos. This is one page every successful professional should “like” and fast.

Forrester focuses on the business implications of technological change. Uniquely, its research team guides marketing executives, business strategists, and IT professionals to create unified technology plans. Considering the continuing importance of technology in all our lives, the recommendation is an obvious choice.
LINK: http://www.facebook.com/forrester

9 – Ronald MacDonald House Charities – This charity has been working to improve the health and well being of children for over 40 years – touching over 4 million children worldwide every year. Families today are challenged with how to stay near and support hospitalized children. How does the average family afford to stay together in another city while a child undergoes treatment? Many do with the help of the Ronald MacDonald House Charities. It uses its resources to help families gain access to health care services during critical points in their children’s lives. By "liking" this page and joining the community, you're helping to give children (and their families) the support they need to heal faster and better.
LINK: http://www.facebook.com/#!/rmhcglobal

10 – Inbound Zombie – You know about Facebook, Twitter and blogging, but do you know how nonprofit organizations can use them effectively? Where to start and what strategies to use to effectively drive awareness and donations for nonprofits can be found at Inbound Zombies on Facebook. Are you part of a non-profit struggling to keep up in this economy? Are you wrestling with the latest social technologies? The real problem is that you no one can do it alone. Your community needs you to stand and fight for the cause it exists to benefit! The mission of this page is to slay all Internet zombies in the service of all non-profits.
LINK: http://www.facebook.com/#!/InboundZombie

Who do you LIKE?
Do you have a personal Facebook page favorite? This list of 10 is but a small sample of the many excellent pages that exist to benefit consumers. They link us to each other and the products, issues and causes we genuinely “like.”

Post a link to your favorite Facebook page in the comments section. I promise to review every submission, and suggest the great ones to my entire network!

#144 - It's time to embrace social media for business - no more excuses!

Have you heard enough from your colleagues, kids, friends and the "talking heads" about the importance of social networking? Are you finally realizing that Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, Search advertising (and much more) are here to stay? It's time to stop fighting the inevitable change and learn how to use this new media to your advantage, regardless of your current status. Whether you are a college student, stay-at-home mom, business professional, consultant, freelancer, company owner or employee, you still need to understand these new communication technologies and how they affect our world.

And, you're not alone.

Armed with the right tools and information, anyone can master the basics of social media for business and professional purposes. Relax. Start celebrating the sea change. With the right attitude, your use of social media can become your best professional asset and a source of prosperity and personal growth.

Certainly, social networking and Internet marketing have changed the ways we communicate, even how we conduct marketing and public relations. However, many businesses and owners are just now beginning to see that the social media train is already packed and it's departing the station - without many people on it. The new grad, professional, or entrepreneur who doesn't jump at the chance to start learning the new media landscape is destined to lose touch with valuable consumer bases and necessary tools for life in the coming years.

If you plan on working or being in business a decade from now, you've simply got to start drinking the Kool-Aid now. If you're still reading, then you're already ahead of the game. You've taken those first steps toward embracing, harnessing, and ultimately, leveraging social media for personal and professional gain.

You can do this.

"All too often today, business owners are being lured in by what appears to be the simplicity of many social media sites. They jump in without any formal plan or strategy, never considering how or if this particular new media fits the company. Many flounder, start then stop, then start over with nothing. Or, they lose patience and simply give up too quickly which can do more harm than good for a brand."

Make no mistake - social media offers a variety of benefits for business owners, but it can also be an enormous time waster if it's not implemented with a specific strategy in place.

How to get started - successfully

Be realistic. Know who you're talking to and why. Put it down on paper. If you're an entrepreneur or consultant, this is simple. But if you are a player in a larger company, the person best suited to create, manage and monitor social media may not be you, your assistant, the marketing director or the CEO. Take a hard look at who within the organization is best qualified to speak directly to prospective and current customers about your services or products in clear, clean, simple language - as opposed to ''marketing speak."

Choose the right tool for the right job. Who makes up the audience you wish to engage with? What social media platforms do they use? To work well, social media requires participation, engagement, conversation and relationship-building. Visit the major sites - Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, Digg, Delicious, StumbleUpon, Squidoo, MySpace, FourSquare, related blogs, etc. Observe for yourself the types of content and activity in each venue and select no more than three to four sites or platforms that make sense for your audience (and your corporate culture).

Create a time line. Again, be realistic. As with anything new, you'll have to start slow and work social media into your existing routine. A simple way to move forward is by clocking off a set amount of time on the calendar, as much as an hour or as little as 10 minutes twice daily. Schedule and then dedicate this time to visiting social media sites and engaging in conversations. Just 15-30 minutes consistently is far better than blocking off a number of hours or days you may never actually have available. Next, establish this time as you would any healthy new habit...one day at a time, with commitment.
Give yourself permission to enjoy it. It genuinely helps to put your social media in its proper perspective. It's called "social" media for a reason. Think of a visit to your Facebook Page, responding to blog comments or reading your Twitter stream to be like attending a business networking event - like a cocktail hour - only this one never ends. It's "always on." Real social engagement works best when it's fun for everyone involved. Get to know the people behind the profiles and let others get to know you, your brand, the way your company works and cares. Talk to new people you enjoy conversing with. Share parts of your personality, and start new discussions with interesting people you actually want to know better. You'll be very surprised at how quickly you can build a following - and your business - but only if you plan first, listen second, and finally, engage consistently!

"The more things change, the more they stay the same"

We've all heard the familiar adage. The bottom line is that nothing has changed about the way people view or select companies, products, brands or services. Everything you know about marketing, PR, promotions, events and sales still holds true - on some level - but if you continue business as usual, with only the traditional communications tools, the fact is the competition will continue to surpass you. Many will become dinosaurs. Relax. Only the medium has changed - not the message.

Ask and you shall receive!

Fortunately, there's still plenty of time to learn what you need to know about these new communications channels and how they can work for you, your company, your career, even your personal life. Start asking questions. What do you want to know right now about getting your social media strategy or campaign started? Ask away. This is as good a place as any. Comment below and I will respond privately or in my next post with some solid input, source materials, direction and answers (based on experience and training). If I don't know the answer, I'll admit that, too. Then, I'll find someone who does.

Like so much information online, this resource is free - use it!

Are you wondering how to start a Facebook Page, Group, Event, or Cause? Confused by Facebook's "Community Pages?" Think Twitter is useless or wonder why anyone really needs a blog? The answers are here if you're only willing to ask. Just think, by engaging with the dreaded "social media," this blog, you can (proactively) find answers you need.

#125 - Social media marketing in the 20-teens

We can all learn a lot from the digital decade of the twenty-ohs (as Josh Bernoff at Forrester Research calls it). Bernoff shared his team's insights in a recent blog I found worthy of a re-cap:

We have all been part of a transformational decade - the digital decade of the 2000s. Our obsession with the latest product from Google or Apple often clouded our recognition of the long-term effects of the decade's events. We all know where we are now. But many of us have forgotten where we were, and just how dramatically things changed in 10 short years.

In 2001, Bill Gates called this new decade "The Digital Decade." He was so right.

* When the last decade began, there were 2.6 million broadband households in the US, one out of every 40 homes. Now there are 80 million, or two thirds of the population. Broadband has gone from rare to ubiquitous.

* Starting from zero, digital video recorders reached 31 million homes and HDTV reached 51 million. Together with online video and video on-demand, these gadgets completely transformed the television experience.

* Mobile phones subscriptions are now 270 million, out of 307 million US adults. (For a comparison, mobile phones were in 51 million households at the start of the decade, and back then having more than one phone per household was unusual.) In 1999 phones were phones. Now they are iPhones, Blackberries, and Androids -- computers and Internet access devices.

* Portable digital music players have reached 76% of all US households. At the start of the decade, there were none, because the iPod had yet to be introduced. Mark Mulligan called it "The Decade That Music Forgot."

* And finally, it's worth commenting that Google just celebrated its 10th anniversary last year. In 1999, most of us hadn't even heard of it. And forget social technologies -- in 1999, a few people were talking in chat forums - and that was it.

As we look back on all this from the perspective of media and marketing, it's clear that consumers lead, media stumbles along behind, and marketers follow the media.

In 2009, consumers spent 34% of their media time online. As a result, digital marketing spending went from $6.2 billion in 1999 to $25.6 billion, or 12% of all marketing spending, in 2009. But marketers are still spending most of their energy and dollars on television, newspapers, and radio. (And you thought old media was dead!)

Within those industries, spending shifts much slower than behavior. Newspaper websites still bring in far less revenue than ads in printed editions. Video on-demand (VOD) and online video ad models are still only under construction.

What can we learn from the last decade?
First, consumers (we) move quickly, models move slowly, and marketing moves conservatively. When you see a technology shifting, that's the time to closely observe the models behind it. It will take years for them to take hold, and in those years, we all have a chance to learn. That's when marketing professionals need to experiment and figure out how things work, because that's when it's cheap and the competition is hanging back. Because when transformation happens -- and it will -- the best advantage is knowledge.

2010 passes the Advantage to marketers
According to Bernoff (and many others), the twenty-oh's were the digital decade for consumers. They predict that the twenty-teens will be the digital decade for marketers - meaning business is catching up. Being a savvy consumer has never been more important. Wouldn't you agree?

Day 64 - News about the Blogosphere

Technorati's "2009 State of the Blogosphere" report is due out tomorrow but WebProNews provided a sneak preview of the results today. First and foremost, the Blogosphere is strong. Recently, some traditional media reporters have suggested that it might be dying due to the popularity of microblogging services like Twitter, but this new data indicates it's not dying or even leveling off. It's thriving. Yes, blogs are the new media!

The Technorati report is based on a survey of 2,900 bloggers and it includes interviews with blogging pros like Steve Rubel and Arianna Huffington. Here are some of the key findings:

- 72% of people blog for fun or as a hobby and they don't make money
- 28% are professional bloggers
- 2/3 of professional bloggers are male
- 60% are between ages 18-44
- 40% of professional bloggers have at some point in their life worked in traditional media (newspapers, radio, magazine publishing, TV broadcasting)
- 7% are still employed in traditional media
- 73% of bloggers are using Twitter vs only 14% of the general population

That last statistic is particularly interesting. Chitika has just released the results from a study which found that people who use Twitter are really looking for news. Bloggers who use Twitter use it primarily to promote their blogs. You may have wondered how the so-called "professional" bloggers make money. Here's a breakdown of how the Pros "monetize" today's blogs:

- Display ads - 40% (up from 28% last year)
- Search ads - 39%
- Affiliate links - 36%
- Paid postings - 8%

Self-employed bloggers are mainly selling their inventories through a blog ad network but they may also use affiliate links (this is like the small ads I include at the end of each blog post). Seventy percent of all bloggers are blogging about brand-name products, so corporate America is in fact deep into this shift to new media.

Hmmmmm. ( This really makes me think I should find a brand to blog for.)

What do you think of the idea that so many bloggers are trying to "sell" you something? As a former traditional media professional, I get it. I mean, newspapers, TV and radio have always (blatantly) sold products to a mass audience. Is there really any reason online media should be any different? More specifically, do consumers, like you and me, believe there is anything wrong with companies adding the blogosphere to their marketing mix?

Tools students can use to help navigate the net
Today, I leave you with a list of the most popular tools being used on the web. I've mentioned several of them in this blog previously. How many of them have you tried or do you use regularly? For college students (of any age), I recommend you at least become familiar with the following:

* Delicious
* Digg
* StumbleUpon
* Reddit
* Furl
* Facebook
* Google
* Yahoo
* Twitter

Day 54 - News to Note

News about "New" Media
According to a report from Reuters, U.S. marketers and consumer advocates are preparing to do battle over the rules governing online advertising tailored to individual browsing habits. These are often tracked and collected without notice or permission, something most consumers seem not to understand.

Congress is due to intervene with a bill in the House of Representatives that would oblige websites to state explicitly how they use consumers' information and allow those using sites to opt out. A billion-dollar industry and consumer privacy are at stake here.

Advertisers and popular websites say visitors prefer ads that are targeted to their interests and if this is the case then they must accept advertising as a necessary condition in order to obtain the free content. In a recent survey, 75 percent of Americans said they were opposed to tailored advertising if it meant their behavior when surfing the Internet was being tracked.

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Pennsylvania surveyed 1,000 Americans this summer and concluded that there is a deep concern that tracking Internet habits for tailoring ads is wrong. What's your opinion?

Targeted online ads account for $1.1 billion or 4.5 percent of the overall $24.5 billion dollars which will be spent for online advertising in 2009, according to eMarketer.

In Washington, House members are prepared to introduce bipartisan legislation later this year aimed at helping consumers better understand the information being collected about them and how it is used. The bill would oblige websites to display a privacy policy and explain to users how information is collected and how it will be used. It would also require sites to allow visitors to opt out of having their data used to create profiles for advertisers.

...And, In News of the Weird
It is normally the students who are sent home from school for inappropriate attire, but an English college is threatening to send faculty members home for violating a dress code, which includes a ban on blue jeans. The teacher's union has accused Birmingham Metropolitan College of "acting like the fashion police" and discrimination. The newly re-issued dress code requires lecturers to wear a "business suit, smart jacket and coordinating trousers or skirt, smart shirt/top/blouse or smart dress." (I'm a little iffy on the definition of "smart" here.)

Scruffy trousers, jeans, ostentatious jewelry and outrageous hair styles or colors are strictly banned at the London-based school. All tattoos must be covered. A union representative stated that he had never seen the university staff so angry over any issue. One can only imagine the response if US colleges and universities ever tried to enforce a dress code like this!